JUST WANDERING
Travel blogger’s tour helps inspire ‘staycations’
With the COVID-19 pandemic leaving many still uncertain when it comes to travel, Visit Hot Springs has promoted the idea of a “staycation” for residents of Hot Springs, and through a sponsorship with travel blogger “One Girl Wandering,” there is now a fresh perspective from a tourist’s eyes for what has been right under locals’ noses.
Visit Hot Springs Director of Marketing Bill Solleder said a marketing campaign titled “Best Vacation in Town,” which is another way to convey the idea of a “staycation,” was launched at the beginning of May.
“The feeling was as we’re navigating away from the pandemic, people may just want to travel closer to home,” Solleder said. “So maybe just get out of the house in Hot Springs and go remind ourselves we have some of the best attractions in the state, and we have some of the best restaurants, and maybe even call a babysitter and enjoy whatever hotels as well.”
“One Girl Wandering,” also known as Lindsay, visited the Spa City last month and documented it on her blog located at http://www.onegirlwandering.com. The post was titled “The Best Things to Do in Hot Springs, AR.”
“If it’s not on your radar already, Hot Springs needs to be your next destination,” Lindsay said in an opening to the post. “It has everything that I look for in a city, beautiful outdoor spaces, a quaint downtown, unique shops and of course great eats!”
In the post, she featured The Waters Hotel, Superior Bath House, Quapaw Baths & Spa, Garvan Woodland Gardens, Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort, a few different downtown shops and eateries, Hot Springs Mountain Tower, and, of course, Hot Springs National Park.
Starting with her stay at The Waters Hotel, she noted it is located right in the heart of downtown Hot Springs on Central Avenue across from Bathhouse
Row, which is an “absolutely perfect” home base for a Hot Springs adventure.
“How do I put this gently? The rooms are gorgeous and have the most comfortable beds,” she said. “I’m not even joking when I say, this is one of the best beds I have had in a hotel. I can also attest to the quality of the AC, so many times in a historic building the air condition leaves a bit to be desired but not at The Waters, you will be nice and cool even in the hot summer.”
In addition to “amazing” rooms at the hotel, Lindsay said there is also The Rooftop Bar.
“You need to go experience it for yourself at sunset,” she said. “Looking out over sweeping views of downtown and the National Park is the best way to spend your evening while enjoying a drink and some nibbles.”
For another stop on OGW’s list to eat, she went to Superior Bath House.
“(It’s) a brewery and restaurant in a renovated bathhouse at the end of Bathhouse Row and get this — they use the thermal spring water to brew their beers and root beer,” she said. “You would be remiss if you didn’t stop in to grab a drink and a bite to eat.”
Lindsay opted for Superior’s chicken sandwich paired with a root beer.
“I highly recommend the chicken sandwich; get it ‘Bock Bock’ fried with the Tajin dry rub for a kick,” she said. “While I didn’t try any of the beers (very impressed with all the varieties) I did get a root beer. … I love root beer and am particularly picky about it and this totally surpassed my taste test!”
For recreational relaxation, she said Hot Springs can’t truly be experienced without a dip in the thermal waters and her place of choice was Quapaw Baths & Spa.
“Back in the day, the hot springs were believed to be healing waters, and now you can enjoy the same spring water that has been bringing visitors to Hot Springs for many, many years,” she said. “The main attraction at Quapaw are the thermal pools filled with spring water that have been Carbon-14 dated at 4,000 years old and are high in silica, calcium, magnesium, free carbon dioxide, bicarbonate and sulfate. There are four pools in the main bathing area, each at a different temperature.”
She said in addition to the thermal pools, Quapaw also has a full-service spa with massages, facials and private baths.
Another recreational activity she opted for was a visit to Garvan Woodland Gardens; pointing out Anthony Chapel and the Bob and Sunny Evans Tree House as the gardens’ two biggest attractions.
“The Anthony Chapel is a beautiful glass and wood structure nestled in the woods,” OGW said. “The Bob and Sunny Evans Tree House is part of the Evans Children’s Adventure Garden and it’s designed to inspire an educational experience for children. However, this adult fell in love with it too!”
She noted there is “no bad time” to visit the gardens, but a “Bloom Calendar” is available on its website for visitors to see what will be there when they visit.
One last recreational activity OGW partook in was Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort.
“Oaklawn is the number one attraction in Arkansas so I had to stop in and check it out,” she said. “The casino is almost completely brand-new … (and) while I was there I stopped at the Silks Bar and Grill for dinner and had an especially tasty Reuben sandwich.”
When it came to exploring downtown, she said she spent a few hours checking out all the little shops and boutiques.
“One of my favorites was Bathhouse Soapery & Caldarium, this shop smells so good,” she said. “And what’s a more perfect souvenir from Spa City than some locally made bath goodies?”
On her downtown venture, OGW also featured Fat Bottomed Girl’s Pupcakes and Cupcakes, Mountain Valley Spring Water, The Gangster Museum of America, Kollective Coffee + Tea, and the historical markers posted throughout the area.
“I learned a lot about the history of Hot Springs and was able to give myself a little walking tour,” she said. “Highlights included the Hot Springs Baseball Trail which includes information about spring training in Hot Springs. … Make sure you check out the Grand Promenade behind Bathhouse Row, it’s a beautiful brick-paved walkway and you shouldn’t miss it!”
When it came to eating downtown, OGW decided on Kollective.
“I had a delightful lunch there, opting to order from the ‘healthy-ish’ section of their menu,” she said. “I got the Blissful Balance which is naan topped with kale and basil pesto, cilantro, avocado, Sriracha sauce, a fried egg, and a lemon wedge. It was yummy and now I’ll be trying to make it at home! I also got an iced rose latte and an iced mint matcha, both were fantastic.”
On the more adventurous side of her stay, OGW strayed away from downtown to do some hiking in the national park.
“The downtown area is actually a part of the park and there are many trails that start and go through that area,” she said. “I did a morning hike on the Gulpha Gorge trail and it was a perfect trail for enjoying the forest. The trailhead is right by the Gulpha Gorge campground and the first part of the trail goes over Gulpha Creek which is so beautiful.”
“If you love a great view,” she continued, “then you cannot miss the Mountain Tower. This attraction provides views of the city of Hot Springs and the beautiful Ouachita Mountains. You can spend as much time as you like at the top enjoying the sights.”