ARKANSAS TRAVELS, Day 4, June 4, 2012

Today we were off to another venue--Hot Springs, 208 miles or almost four hours away from Bentonville. Along the way, in the Ouachita National Forest, we stopped for lunch, then motored on for a 3:00 p.m. appointment for bath, scrub, and massage at the Arlington Hotel. We arrived about ten minutes before our appointments, and did not even bother to take our luggage up before the appointments. Sitting in the bath with swirling warm water around me was absolutely exhilarating, and then we were laid in state for warm wraps on all the appendages but the head and face, which were swathed in cold towels. Then came the massage, which I thoroughly enjoyed as well. After that luxury we brought our luggage to our sixth floor room facing the Hot Springs National Park. About Hot Springs: tradition has it that the first Europeans to see the springs were the Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto and his troops in 1541. French trappers, hunters and traders became familiar with the area in the late 17th c. In 1803, the US acquired the area when it purchased the Louisiana Territory from the French, and the next year the president, Thomas Jefferson, dispatched an expedition to explore the newly acquired springs. In the years that followed, more and more people came here to soak in the waters. In 1892, the Federal Government took the unprecedented step of setting aside four sections of land here, the first US reservation made simply to preserve a natural resource. In the 1870s, the government continued to control the springs and reserve certain areas as federal property. Private bathhouses, under the supervision of the Federal Government, were allowed to be built. The establishments ranged from the humble to the luxurious. Hot Springs came to be called "The National Spa." Bathhouses along Bathhouse Row catered to crowds of health seekers. Artful marble and tile-decorated floors, walls, and partitions were made, and there were polished brass, murals, fountains, statues, and even stained glass. After a short freshening-up, Dempsey and I walked the entire Bathhouse Row, which has been restored beautifully and includes the Superior, Hale, Maurice, Fordyce, Palace, Quapaw, Ozark, Buckstaff, Lamar Bathhouses as well as the Administration Building. A few of them, including the Ozark, Buckstaff, and Fordyce were open and have been partially or fully restored, or are now serving functions as stores or contemporary galleries or museums. I took pictures of several of the interiors and their appointments. Many were built in a panoply of revival styles, Moorish being one of the favored ones. After touring the bathhouses, we crossed Central to see the establishments on the other side of the street. An Ecuadoran restaurant had been recommended to us, so we went to Rinaldos, and I ordered Castro's favorite Plato Cubano, which included guacamole, rice, black beans, and sour cream--a marvelous dish. Then we went back to our hotel, got off on seventh floor to see the pool, and walked the short Dogwood trail carved into the side of the hill around the perimeter of the pool, before descending to our room on sixth floor. We are now seated on the front porch of our hotel, enjoying a Riesling (Dempsey) and a glass of Irish coffee (myself). The street lights are lit, and music is playing in the background. Lovely night! As ever, Sylvia