..States that is. We have now visited 36 states in the Union, only 14 more to go till we reach the golden 50!
We crossed into Arkansas only a few minutes after leaving the hotel this morning as the border lies in the middle of the Mississippi River.
From the river we drove across flat farming country to our first brief stop at Little Rock, Arkansas. In a very pretty park on the north side of the city is an authentic reproduction of an old water-powered grist mill. It appeared in the opening scene of the classic 1939 film Gone with the Wind and is believed to be the only building remaining from the film.
We crossed the Arkansas river and could see a bit of the Little Rock skyline. Little Rock is the capital city of Arkansas.
Fron there it was a relatively short drive on to Hot Springs we’re we are spending the night. It’s also the home of Hot Springs National Park, which is probably one of the more unusual National Parks we have ever visited. The hot springs that give the town it’s name have been popularly believed for centuries to possess medicinal properties. In 1932 the Governmant decided to protect the spings for recreational purposes and after that the town became an extremely successful spa town with a row of gorgeous Bath Houses catering to those who flocked here to receive the benefits of the waters. We walked along Bathhouse Row and visited the Fordyce Bathhouse which has been restored to it’s state in the Edwardian period as a museum
On Bathhouse Row
I sampled some of the healthy spring waters. It tastes like…water!
Fordyce’s bathhouse – now a museum
I thought the bathhouse experience looked a bit clinical! Give me a nice day-spa with Kenny G music and scented candles for preference, they can keep their healthy waters
Instruments of torture?
The “Parlour” looked quite nice though. This was where ladies and gentlement could mix and chat after their treatments
We also drove up the lovely green hillside above the town and rode the elevator to the top of the Mountain Tower, the view was spectacular!
The town attracted sportsmen and gamblers and developed quite a reputation, even Al Capone stayed here! In the last part of the 1900s however, the spas became less popular and many of the hotels etc have crumbled and deteriorated. Today, the National Park draws people to the town and provides business to the souvenir shops and the Gangster Museum and other slightly tacky places but without the national park we think the town would just fade away, it looked a bit tired.
Me and my friend, Al Capone.