Hot Springs - A little hiking, baths, and the southern hospitality

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On my way to Texas I decide to make a little detour to Hot Springs, Arkansas. A little town, whose center wraps itself around 50 square miles of forest and hills that is Hot Springs National Forest. The name comes from the towns main attraction, the hot springs that have been used in the town's baths for over a hundred years. Back in the late 19th century the wealthy from all over the country would come here to relax in the hot waters. Why is the water so hot and healthy? It is rainwater that is absorbed into the rock and hence dissolves minerals as it percolates downward. The increasingly warmer rock heats up the water at a rate of about 4 degrees F every 300 feet. Hot Springs mountain is where the faults and joints surface.

Relaxed from my 5 hour long sleep in the bus (due to the "changing" of buses of course) I arrive in Hot Springs at 7 in the morning. The famous southern hospitality proves itself three times over the next two hours: First, I get offered a ride into town immediately after hoisting the backpack (which I decline, after all I want to so some hiking today, might as well start now). I walk along more or less deserted streets to the center of the town and find a pancake restaurant that is already filled with customers (its almost 8 by now). When the couple on the table next to mine sees my backpack and USA guidebook, the ask me questions about my trip and when they leave they take care of my bill! This would be instant number two for those of you counting. Not wanting to spend the day carrying around the backpack I ask a guy in a coffee shop if I could leave it there until they close. And, as you may guess (number three), he says it's no problem. After a stop at the Visitor center to get some trail maps I head off into the forest. Apart from the fact that a small street goes to most view points of the small park and hence some lazy ass can be heard driving close by every once in a while, the hike is quite enjoyable.

Figuring that I don't have the opportunity to enjoy a spa treatment like in 1900 everyday, I just make it to the best known of those a couple of minutes before closing time. A bath in the healing waters is followed by a back-, arms-, and leg scrub, a sitzbath, a few minutes in a steam chamber where only your head sticks out, hot packs, and a shower, and of course the "elexir" to drink with every part of this extravagant experience.

When evening comes I head back to the station to get my ticket. Unfortunately the station is closed. Damn! Two hours of waiting for the bus and hoping that the bus driver will not be of the follow-the-guidebook-without-exception type follow. I am in luck and buy my ticket at the next station, on my way to Texas.

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Photos

The hot springs
the only ones remaining in the open