Taking the Waters at Hot Springs National Park

We spent several days last week in Hot Springs, Arkansas, which gets its name from the naturally thermal spring waters found here.  Flowing out of the ground at an average temperature of 143 °F, the hot springs produce almost one million gallons of water each day. 

It’s hard to tell exactly how long people have been visiting the springs. Native Americans called this area “the Valley of the Vapors,” and it was said to have been a neutral territory where all tribes could enjoy its healing waters in peace.  Spanish and French settlers claimed the area in the mid-1500s. Hernando de Soto is said to have been the first European to visit Hot Springs in 1541.The hot springs were such a coveted natural wonder that in 1832, President Andrew Jackson designed Hot Springs as the first federal reservation.  Hot Springs Reservation was essentially America’s first national park, predating Yellowstone National Park by 40 years. I think it's important to remember that people came here to "take the waters" because there wasn't much else they could do to cure whatever medical situation they were facing. Prior to the World War Two era, the only medicines available were, essentially, iodine and sulfa power.....Aspirin, maybe.  None of the pharmaceuticals, antibiotics or cat scans or any of the things we consider routine today existed. But Hot Springs, and "bathing" were big and didn't hurt and at least you came out cleaner than you went in.

At any rate, in about a decade, the area changed from a rough frontier town to an elegant spa city centered on a row of attractive Victorian-style bathhouses, the last ones completed in 1888.  When Congress established the National Park Service, Hot Springs Reservation became Hot Springs National Park in 1921.

Today, you can still soak in the thermal waters on historic Bathhouse Row.  The hot springs are also pumped into several downtown hotels. The water is even available at public fountains.... I don't think it tastes good, but Kate disagrees. Lots of other people seem to want to drink it; they were lined up at a dispensing point, filling many jugs with the stuff. The beautifully restored Fordyce Bathhouse now serves as a visitor center.

Bath house Row

Bath House Art

Bath house lounge

Welcoming Sign

View of town and Arlington Hotel

 

Dining Room at La Hacienda

Former Army Navy Hospital
Current State Department of Rehabilitation

Oaklawn Race Track

Visiting Hot Springs today, it’s hard to imagine the city as a hotbed for organized crime, such as gambling, prostitution and bootlegging.  But from the late-1800s through the mid-1900s, especially in the 1930s, Hot Springs was a popular hangout for Al Capone, Frank Costello, Bugs Moran, Lucky Luciano, and other infamous mobsters.  The safe, secluded scenic location of Hot Springs made it the ideal hideout.  In order to understand how and why they chose this site, it’s necessary to reflect on the corruption that had been going on here for decades. History says that as early as the mid- to late-1800s, Hot Springs had been involved in illegal gambling.  At that time, two families controlled these activities: the Flynns and the Dorans.  The two families constantly fought over the city’s gaming rights – a competition that eventually led to the famous Hot Springs Gunfight in 1899, which left five men dead. Essentially, it was a fight over who could control the gambling taking place in the town.

Gangster activity in Hot Springs came to an end in the 1960s, due to a federal crackdown on what the government called “the site of the largest illegal gambling operation in the U.S.” The story goes that the Feds arrived in unmarked vans and disrupted things from top to bottom. Supposedly, the criminal element left town and stayed out to this day. We didn't do any gambling, but we went out a time or two. Rocky's Corner, above, is across the street from Oaklawn, a 100 year's old race track. We ate there and checked out the unusual folk. 

The bright pink building is the Hacienda, a local landmark for many years. The food was good. It was Mexican........are you surprised?

McClard's is yet another landmark. It's reputed to have been Bill Clinton's favorite spot when he was in high school in Hot Springs. The place built its reputation on a BBQ sauce recipe that was supposedly given to the owners because the author of the recipe couldn't pay his motel bill at their place.

We've had a good time here, but the timeshare wasn't  really up to snuff. It's a once very nice resort that has been starved until it has become marginal. The unit  is large and overlooks a lake. It has comfortable furniture and adequate Internet access. Its short-comings are important things that have been "nickeled and dimed" to the point that they are noticeable and annoying: To wit.....there were six, count 'em six, dinner plates. The mis-matched eating and serving utensils looked like they came out of the bargain bin at a Goodwill resale store. The drawers in all of the cabinets in the kitchen and bathroom were totally worn out and squeaked like fingernails on a black board when opened--it was bad enough that we took many things out of the drawers and put them where we didn't have to open the drawers. The faucets in the kitchen and baths leaked. There is a swimming pool, and it costs $10.00 per person, per day to use it. That tells me they don't want people using it The security deposit for the unit is a cool $500. I expect I could list a few other things if I worked at it, but I won't, here. I will when I write up a full report for the review in Timeshare Users Group.

But, all-in-all, Kate, Jenny and I had a rather nice little vacation, low-stress and low intensity. It was fun, and Jenny has decided she wants to see Santa Fe with us in November. That will be fun, too.

Stay tuned for our next exciting adventure.
Cheers