Hot Springs

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We had a short and easy run after our loud night in that I40 rest area. West past Little Rock, and onto a nice new four lane US70 into Hot Springs. We got a great site in the National Park campground, $15/n with power and water, half off regular price by virtue of our US Seniors (Old Farts) Pass. Cathy immediately recognized the campground as the same one she had stayed in on a previous coast to coast trip 38 years ago. That would be in a time before Tom. The only thing to keep us awake there would be the babbling stream we were set up next to, ear plugs not needed.

The sky began to clear as we set up, and we decided to stretch our driving-atrophied legs with a hike over the hill from the campsite to town. It was just what the doctor ordered, and after a couple of miles we descended out of the woods right into downtown Hot Springs. By now the sun was fully out and it was a very comfortable 55F, a nice 50 degree improvement over our trip-starting temp. We toured one of the old bathhouses, this one now restored as a National Park Museum. Lots of crazy looking fixtures designed to promote "health" back in the day. The various baths, steam rooms, and "needle showers" didn't look too bad, but I sure didn't like the looks of the "electrode-theropy" or even less the "high-colonic" table. That one had a large hole in it, positioned over a 8" pipe coming up out of the floor -- I can imagine, but I don't want to know. It was a beautiful building though, lots of woodwork, marble, and stained glass too.

We had lunch in a dandy brew pub, a ruben for Cathy, a braut, and a couple of proper stouts for me, now THAT tastes like vacation! Cathy made arrangements for a spa session for the next day. I planned my day as well, I had a small punch list of items for the engineering department to tackle -- we all relax in our own way. After that we huffed back up the hill and over to our cozy camper, it would be another early night.

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