First Stop Hot Springs Arkansas
Tony and I have been on many miles of the road together. We do love to travel and there is nothing like a good old fashioned road trip. This summer we packed up the pups and headed to North Carolina to Tony’s family reunion. Most of our trips tend to be just a straight shot to the destinations and we don’t spend anytime exploring places on the way. This time we vowed to make that different!
First stop of the trip was Hot Springs Arkansas. The best part about this is that my Dad and his wife were on the road as well and as luck would have it, they were going to be in Hot Springs the same time we would be travelling through. We met up with them at the KOA and let the dogs stretch their legs on a nice walking path behind the campground. We also were able to enjoy some birthday pie, since it was my Dad’s birthday! It was a wonderful coincidence we would all be traveling down the same road at the same time!
We arrived on June 24th and the mimosa trees were in full bloom. The site of green trees and rolling hills are a welcoming site coming from the summer heat of Texas. Since we were only staying 2 nights, we had to make the most of our full day in the area. First stop was of course the Hot Springs National Park. The location of the park makes it especially unique, since it is located in town.
Hot Springs National Park
The main street has fun stores, restaurants, and bars, and just across the street is where the row of historic bath houses is located. These buildings back up to a hillside that has natural thermal springs. This hot water was said to have healing properties and was a popular place to visit during the early 20th century. Today you can still relive the experience at 2 locations that offer traditional baths, as well as modern spa amenities. I have to admit that the historic bath houses were probably a lavish experience at their hay day, but by today’s standards, some of these machines look downright terrifying.
There is also a network of lovely walking paths behind bath house row that meanders near thermal springs and a variety of flowers and trees. They even have a fountain where you can taste the healing water for yourself! I have to admit it was a bit warm, but on ice it would be mighty tasty. There are several water stations in town where you can bring containers to fill up water to take with you.
Anthony Chapel
Next stop of the Hot Springs tour was the Anthony Chapel. This marvelous chapel is located in the Garvin Woodland Gardens, just a short drive outside of town. Our first site after parking was a colorful peacock strutting through the parking lot, not something you typically find in parking areas!
Since we didn’t have very much time, we had to pass on actually touring the gardens, but they are supposed to marvelous. We opted just for the short nature walk that takes you over a creek where you can enjoy some bubbling cascades and some towering trees. As we made our way through the path, the chapel was suddenly before us. This amazing building truly displays nature’s beauty through the use of floor to ceiling glass. I have never seen anything like this and am very happy we took the time to see it in person. For more info on Garvin Gardens visit https://www.garvangardens.org/
As we headed back to the car via the shorter path, we came across a literal tower. This tower was a combination of something you would expect in a medieval movie, mixed with some art deco themes. This 57 foot bell tower was a wonder to view and another marvelous site at the Garvin Gardens.
