Hot Springs, Arkansas Trip

We were Arkansas bound last Thursday.

We packed up our granddaughter, Taylor, and 

stuffed the Jeep with everything we would need

for a couple of days visiting Mom at her house

on the lake.  

We always make a stop at the Arkansas Welcome Center

just north of Corning, AR.  It's a very clean and pleasant

 place with lots of travel information, displays and

sweet women to offer you coffee, maps and whatever

freebies that they happen to have.  For awhile people 

would donate magazines for the taking.  Take one and

drop one off next time!  

While I ran some errands with Mom, my husband

took Taylor up the mountain (right in the middle

of town).  There is a lookout tower that we have

visited before but this trip they just stopped at

the overlooks which provide great views of the area.

The town is called Hot Springs for a reason.

There was a time when my parents collected their

drinking water right from the springs that run

under the town, some are hot, some are cold

and each has it's own special properties so you can

select which spring you want to drink.

This is right on Bathhouse Row in the center of town.

The spring here is really hot.  I am still recovering

from some leg injuries so I chose to not climb the 

steps but Tom and Taylor were game!  

This structure winds all the way to the top of the mountain

behind the bath houses.They didn't go all the way 

up but made sure Taylor posed for her portrait along the way.

Some of the bath houses have been restored as spas, 

a museum and this one, the Superior Bath House, 

is now a brewery and distillery plus a restaurant.

Mom and Tom are enjoying a micro brew while 

Taylor opted for a root beer.

We walked up and down bathhouse row.

The other side of the street is full of shops

selling pretty decorations, clothing and wonderful

treats.  You can't forget the tourist shops

and Duck tours plus the wax museum.

What a fun place to walk around!

Back at the house Taylor pilots the party barge.

The lake is about 26 miles long and very deep.

We can stand in the water by the sea wall but a few 

feet out and it drops off so you can jump off the dock

and swim around.  I'm a chicken so I stay closer to the wall.

Taylor would have stayed in the water the entire

time if we would have let her!  Here, Pops takes 

his turn keeping her company.

This is a view from one side of Mom's deck looking out 

towards an island.

Mom has a couple of crepe myrtles that were in full bloom.

The hummingbirds were fighting each other for drinks

in addition to being chased by wasps that also claimed the feeder.

Here bees, a wasp and a bird face off to see who gets the nectar.

If you ever get down to Hot Springs you have to stop

in at Mr Whiskers.  I don't like fish much but I can't wait

to go here.  They have the best butterflied shrimp,

homemade hush puppies and sauces plus cole slaw

and fries.  If you order other sides make sure to try

the pickled green tomatoes because they are fantastic.

My mom and Tom love the fried okra too.

This is a photo of Tom's fried oysters.

Almost everything was perfect when we returned.

My brother and sister in law were taking care of the house

but a pesky late night visitor kept digging up my potted plants.

I thought it was an armadillo since my husband heard one

but now I am leaning towards a raccoon.  They have never

bothered them before but the cats' large water dish

was full of dirt yesterday- from washing their hands!

And now someone is eating my green tomatoes and not just

one bite and moving on.  They eat the entire thing!

Someday I'll get a trail cam and find out what sort of 

wild parties are going on late night on the porch!