A quick trip to dip in the Springs <3

Our Sarah gifted us a generous certificate for the full meal deal at one of the historical bath houses in Hot Springs for a combined Mother/Father’s Day and birthday present.

We have been trying to get a date on the calendar to go and landed on this past weekend as our best option. When Graham’s Cross Country team qualified for Sectionals, we did some juggling, but in typical Reimer fashion we made it work.

So welcome to some photos and trip information. The picture above is on arrival in Hot Springs. We were wearing our sweatshirts for our girl’s Jr High orchestra. Seemed appropriate to honor her kindness to us.

We arrived in Hot Springs for a late lunch and opted for The Ohio Club. This is a famous/infamous restaurant and bar. It was the haunt of some of the well known gangsters and had a secret front for gambling and alcohol during prohibition.

One of the regulars still lingers on a park bench…

Our lunch was delicious and the restaurant is full of history with photographs and such. We had good service and enjoyed our visit there.

After lunch we explored the area and found where we would be visiting the next morning to take advantage of the springs bath and a nice massage.

The Quapaw Bath house was built in 1922. It closed in 1968 but has been renovated and reopened. It was a beautiful facility and a fun experience.

We walked up and down the Main Street a bit, but were disappointed that the Fordyce Bath House, which has been renovated to house the National Park offices…was closed. No comment beyond that.

We decided to take Sarah’s suggestion and drive up into the park. Hot Springs is an interesting National Park in that the historic Bath Houses, town area and Promenade are part of the actual park. Unlike other National Parks we have visited, there is not a gate or area you drive through to enter. You are in it as you walk down the street.

In the forested portion of the park is the Mountain Tower.

This observation tower stands in the place of several earlier towers built on the top of the mountain. The first was a wooden structure built in 1877. Thankfully, this latest edition includes an elevator….

I bucked up my fear of heights and entered. I was pleasantly surprised by the glassed in observation area that houses an interesting museum and the upper level that felt safe enough if you stayed glued to the wall.

It offered such a beautiful view of the whole area. The cost is $12 per person and there is a nice gift shoppe. We were so happy it was actually open. Well worth the money and highly recommend!

The park is so pretty to drive. There are a myriad of trails of all levels offered as well.

After exploring the park, we checked into our hotel. There are many options along the main drag, but we opted for a spot within walking distance and stayed at the Embassy Suites. It was very nice and clean. We enjoyed the complimentary happy hour with snacks and then a really nice breakfast the next morning.

After a late lunch and one of the best “manager’s receptions” we have encountered, we decided to walk the two blocks back up to town and check out a street festival they were having.

Every Thursday night in October they have music, food trucks and some vendors. This one featured a band called Memphis Soul. People had brought yard chairs, there were bounce houses and it was just a fun evening.

We got some snacks at a restaurant on the square that offered balcony seating so we finished watching the band while we ate.

The next morning we checked out of our hotel and headed back to town. We planned to walk the Promenade before our appointment. A traveler tip for you is that the parking is limited to four hours. We had to wait until the time expired before we could add time and the expiration was within minutes of our appointment ending. It all worked out, but I wish I would have known. Would have been less stressful!

This is a view of the Promenade. This is a path that was built above the bath houses. The bath houses are situated at the bottom of a hill. Underneath the hot springs flow down and sometimes you can see them on the ground.

Elaborate pump systems carry the water into the bath houses and into various fountains and watering places.

You can actually take trails off of the Promenade that go up into the park area. We did not take advantage of those but certainly enjoyed the beauty of the area.

After our visit to the spa, we had lunch at the Superior Bath House Brewery. It had been recommended by a friend and did not disappoint. We sat outside and enjoyed a delicious lunch on our rejuvenated meter! Ha!

Then it was time to head out and make our way homeward.

We stayed along the way and got up Saturday morning to make it to Graham’s meet. His team did their best, but did not qualify for state. However, one senior qualified and we are so happy for him. We are so proud of our Graham to have done so well on his first year with this sport.

Since we needed to eat lunch after watching this boy give his all, we decided to make one last restaurant stop.

A friend had shared about Ardor Bread and Provision on the river in Peoria.

This is a lovely restaurant that also has a bakery attached. It is located right along the river on Water Street. The menu is an eclectic offering of unique combinations. We thought the food was delicious. We ended up taking half home!

I had a smoked white fish salad on croissant and Russ had a smoked pork sandwich on a baguette.

We stopped at the bakery to bring home a baguette for him and a chocolate croissant for me. These were the best we have had since France! So good!!!

It was a refreshing getaway and while we would have enjoyed one more day to explore the park in Hot Springs, we wouldn’t trade all the parks in the world for cheering family on…so our hearts are full and we are thankful.

A big huge thank you to our Sarah for the gift of the spa and the excuse to visit this interesting and historical area of our country <3