Hot Springs has a lot of history behind it. It was almost "Vegas" untill Roosevelt came in and cleaned up the sex, drugs, crime and illegal gambling.
Hot Springs National Park is surrounded by city in some areas. It was the first park type federal reservation in 1832, the smallest National Park and will be the first on a new series of quarters that will be minted. We took a walk along Bathhouse Row and went for a tour of the Fordyce Bathhouse.
There are 47 springs in the park and the water rises from the ground at 143 degrees. We saw people filling jugs from a fountain for that purpose. Most of the springs are capped to prevent contamination. The hot waters were used for medicinal purposes until medication was developed.
You cannot come to Hot Springs without the experience of a mineral bath. So yesterday I went to Buckstaff Bathhouse www.buckstaffbaths.com for my mineral bath. When you check in they lock your valuables up and hand you the key. Next you are taken to a dressing room where you undress and are wrapped in a sheet Roman Style. The first step is the hot whirlpool bath. The water is kept at 100 degrees and the whirlpool is started. After 20 minutes your attendant comes in and scrubs your legs and back. She then wraps the sheet around you and you go sit in a sitz bath for 10 minutes. Of course the sheet is just covering the front of you. Next step is the vapor cabinet. It is literally a box you sit in with your head out. The attendant wraps a sheet around the opening so the steam doesn't get out. After five minutes of dripping sweat and vapors you are taken out. Next stop is where the attendant wraps extremely hot towels around your shoulders, back, and legs. She also puts an ice cold towel around your face. I felt like a mummy and once the towels cooled down I think I figured out why babies cry to get their diapers changed. You lay there on a lounge for about ten minutes. Some people fall asleep at this point. Each step was more awesome then the one before!!! Finally the last step was a needle shower. Just a rinse off, I guess. All the equipment here is from 1912. I couldn't help but wonder what famous person sat in the same tub as I did.
The attendents have 100 hours of training which includes CPR. She told me some people pass out.
After my mineral bath Bruce and I hiked up to the observation tower, took the elevator up and got a birds eye veiw of Hot Springs.
"I think I could live here"
Hot Springs National Park is surrounded by city in some areas. It was the first park type federal reservation in 1832, the smallest National Park and will be the first on a new series of quarters that will be minted. We took a walk along Bathhouse Row and went for a tour of the Fordyce Bathhouse.
There are 47 springs in the park and the water rises from the ground at 143 degrees. We saw people filling jugs from a fountain for that purpose. Most of the springs are capped to prevent contamination. The hot waters were used for medicinal purposes until medication was developed.
You cannot come to Hot Springs without the experience of a mineral bath. So yesterday I went to Buckstaff Bathhouse www.buckstaffbaths.com for my mineral bath. When you check in they lock your valuables up and hand you the key. Next you are taken to a dressing room where you undress and are wrapped in a sheet Roman Style. The first step is the hot whirlpool bath. The water is kept at 100 degrees and the whirlpool is started. After 20 minutes your attendant comes in and scrubs your legs and back. She then wraps the sheet around you and you go sit in a sitz bath for 10 minutes. Of course the sheet is just covering the front of you. Next step is the vapor cabinet. It is literally a box you sit in with your head out. The attendant wraps a sheet around the opening so the steam doesn't get out. After five minutes of dripping sweat and vapors you are taken out. Next stop is where the attendant wraps extremely hot towels around your shoulders, back, and legs. She also puts an ice cold towel around your face. I felt like a mummy and once the towels cooled down I think I figured out why babies cry to get their diapers changed. You lay there on a lounge for about ten minutes. Some people fall asleep at this point. Each step was more awesome then the one before!!! Finally the last step was a needle shower. Just a rinse off, I guess. All the equipment here is from 1912. I couldn't help but wonder what famous person sat in the same tub as I did.
The attendents have 100 hours of training which includes CPR. She told me some people pass out.
After my mineral bath Bruce and I hiked up to the observation tower, took the elevator up and got a birds eye veiw of Hot Springs.
"I think I could live here"
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