Hot Springs, Arkansas May 14 – May 20, 2023
Little Rock, Arkansas May 20 – May 26, 2023
Hot Springs was our first stop in Arkansas. The primary attraction was the old bath houses that lined the main street. Most of the bath houses are still there but not operational. One has been turned into the welcome center and a small museum in honor of the time when the bath houses were very popular (a very long time ago). The museum sort of reminded me of an old insane asylum and some of the spa equipment looked like torture instruments! It was interesting but a little creepy.
The city was pretty, but not much was going on. One of the bath houses was converted into a spa, so we scheduled a bath in hot springs water. Another bath house was home to the only brewery on national park property. We could not very well pass that up!
The next stop in Arkansas was Little Rock. We stayed at a park that was right on the Arkansas River Trail. This is a trail that runs about 17 miles on both sides of the Arkansas River and through Little Rock. The trail was great and included a ride over the Big Dam Bridge.
A highlight of Little Rock was the William J. Clinton Library and Museum. The museum was huge and very informative. Information was divided by year and subject matter. It was impossible to read everything. The visual displays were well done and we really enjoyed the museum. The museum also had a restaurant appropriately named “42″. The food was delicious.
We also went to the museum for the desegregation of Little Rock Central High School. The museum is in a separate building because the school is well —- still a school. The museum does a good job telling the story of the “Little Rock Nine”.
Next up Fort Smith, Fayetteville and Eureka Springs.
“Don’t Stop (Thinking About Tomorrow” by Fleetwood Mac. This song was Bill Clinton’s official song for his 1992 campaign.