Hot Springs Arkansas 9/29-10/01/10

This old bathhouse is now headquarters for the Hot Springs Nat'l Park office in the downtown area. In 1883, the US Gov't purchased all the bathhouses to regulate an "out of control" situation. Many of the houses were shut down due to poor standards and run down conditions. Today, 5 bathhouses and the springs have been restored and are used for medicinal, healing and just relaxing purposes. The Fordyce Bathhouse is 4 stories and serves as the museum of Hot Springs in it's glory years with it's stained glass windows, Sir Francis Drake Fountain, below, women on the left, men on the right, special rooms for special treatments and so on and very segragated, in all aspects. No, didn't take a bath but did get a great massage!

Up on the hilltop The Mountain Tower stands as the century of the village rising 250' tall. It was a great landmark and made it easy to stay the course toward town. In several places throughout town one can walk or drive to a "jug fountain" and obtain free hot or cold spring water directly from the earth, compliments of the Nat'l Park.

This Sir Francis Drake fountain is in the men's section with a towering ceiling with an ornate stained glass window depicting Neptune's daughter with dolphins and fish swimming about. Behind the orange doors are showers heads with 15 to 20 outlets vintage 1800's. Kohler has nothing on these faucet makers.

Since it was a Friday evening and the weather was perfect for a stoll , after dinner we returned to town to find 100's of other folks doing the same thing. There were many civic activities going on to celebrate the end of tourist season. We heard steel drum music coming from one of the bathhouses and found Darril "Harp" Edwards playing to an enthusiastic audience of 40-50 ladies on a retreat from Oklahoma City and were they keeping him busy with requests. The fun began when several began dancing with each other and before you could say 1,2,3 the place was really jumpin'. What a blast

This jug fountain is about 2 miles out of town and in the center of a neighborhood. You just bring your jug, push the black button and the water poors in, free. Scientists have determined the water from these springs if 4000 years old and the park collects 700,000 gallons a day for use in these public drinking fountains and bathhouses. During the Golden Age of Bathing over a million visitors a year immersed themselves in the park's hot water. They then stolled Bathhouse Row with cups to "quaff the elixir" at decorative fountains...................and the journey continues