Thursday, August 6, 2015

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!













1 comment:

Manny said...

Great pictures. Arkansas is one of the states I've never been to. Looks beautiful. I hope you had a great time.