Soaking Up Wellness in Hot Springs!

Bridge of the Full Moon at gorgeous Garvan Woodland Gardens in Hot Springs, Arkansas

Last summer, I'd planned a lovely little weekend for myself in Little Rock and Hot Springs. I was going to spend some time with a few old friends, eat some good food, visit Hot Springs National Park, do a lot of hiking, and enjoy a day on the water. 

Unfortunately, that trip got largely hijacked by work pressures, and I spent most of my time feverishly working in my AirBnb. Sadness. Tears. But just before Memorial Day Weekend, I was in Little Rock for work, so I figured I'd stay in Arkansas for the holiday and see if I could resuscitate my original itinerary. 

Day 1

Feed me tacos and tell me I'm pretty! Heh.

After a full day of teaching employee classes, taking conference calls, and checking things off my to-do list on Thursday, I met up with my sweet friend Sandy for dinner that night. She picked me up at my hotel and drove me (in her fancy Tesla) to dinner at The Fold: Botanas and Bar. It was a beautiful night, so we sat on their shaded patio to nosh and talk. I started with a margarita (happy hour!), then tucked into the three taco plate - a chicken taco on special, the diablo shrimp taco, and their gringo taco (which features ground bison). We had the best time, eating, talking, laughing. Sandy, whose cancer is in remission, looks AMAZING, and she's been feeling stronger and being more active. She's still adjusting medications, etc., and probably will be for a while, but I was so heartened to see her, spend time with her, and just enjoy her company. 

After dinner, Sandy had more surprises up her sleeve. She took me to another cute area of town for dessert - gourmet popsicles at Le Pops! They have a variety of flavored pops (both dairy and non-dairy), and then you can choose what to coat and dip them in. What a treat! I ordered a salted caramel pop, covered in dark chocolate and dipped in nuts. OMG. So good! We took our pops outside, found a shaded bench, and talked while we ate. 

After we finished our dessert, Sandy drove me back to my hotel, where we sat in the car for even longer, talking. Sandy was a professional mentor to me for many years (and still is), but she has also been a very good friend to me. It was just so, so good to be with her. 

After cleaning up a bit, I went to bed early that night.

Day 2

The avocado toast at One Eleven
was on point. 

I'd taken Friday off, and Monday was a holiday, so four full days of fun stretched out before me! I arose, got ready, did a little packing, and then set out to find breakfast. The Capital Hotel, which had been closed for a large portion of the pandemic, has re-opened, so I swung by to enjoy an excellent breakfast in their on-property restaurant One Eleven. 

After a quick walk there from my hotel, I was seated immediately and ordered their delicious avocado toast and fruit bowl, with a large cup of hot coffee. As the rising sun streamed in the window by my table, I nibbled breakfast and read my book. A perfect start to the day. 

Next, I checked out of my hotel and made the 1-hour drive towards pretty Hot Springs, Arkansas. I pointed my GPS straight for Garvan Woodland Gardens to start. This place has been on my wish list for YEARS, but I'd never been able to get there! I parked in the most shaded spot in the parking lot I could find, paid my admission fee ($20 online, $22 at the gate, and worth EVERY penny), and started exploring. 

The nice folks at the entrance provide you with a map, and you'll need it. This place is big! But the stops on the map are well marked, and the paths are very well maintained, so you won't likely get lost. I'd advise that you wear comfortable walking shoes, as you'll want to explore every nook and cranny (and some of the spurs off the main trails have a bit of elevation to them). 

I chose to largely follow the self-guided tour on the attraction's visitors map, which took me throughout most of the gardens and helped me better understand some of the things I was looking at. 

Waterfalls abound at Garvan Woodland Gardens. So beautiful.

I loved, loved, loved this place. It's like something out of a story book: waterfalls, secret little pocket gardens, bubbling streams, wildflowers, well manicured formal gardens, and a children's area (and treehouse) that'll have you wishing you were a kid again! 

I really enjoyed the Garden of the Pine Wind, where rushing waterfalls lead to a koi pond, and fanciful bridges crisscross over water features. Singing Springs Gorge was absolutely magical, and the views from the Perry Wildflower Overlook were amazing. (It looked like they might have been preparing to host an event there that evening. What an incredible setting!) 

After I'd made my way back to the Visitors' Center area, it was nearing lunch time. As it was still fairly temperate in the shade, I stopped by the Chipmunk Cafe for a chicken Caesar salad, a lemonade, and an ice cream cone. (The Chipmunk Cafe only offers outdoor seating.)

Airy Anthony Chapel is more forest than building. 

After lunch, I had one more sight at Garvan Woodland Gardens to check off my list - the airy Anthony Chapel. You will adore this place, which is a remarkable marriage of architecture and setting. Nestled into the forest, it feels like a sacred treehouse. Slender wooden beams support huge sheets of glass, and the walls seem to almost melt away entirely, leaving you surrounded by a leafy canopy. 

Built by Maurice Jennings, Anthony Chapel is one of three glass chapels in Arkansas. E. Faye Jones, who designed the other two (Thorncrown Chapel and Mildred B. Cooper Chapel) studied under Frank Lloyd Wright and has said that this design was influenced by Sainte-Chappelle in Paris. (And if you've ever been to Sainte-Chappelle, you will likely think the same thing upon entering the Arkansas glass chapels. The structures are more glass than solid, with the difference being that Sainte-Chappelle uses stained glass, while the Arkansas glass chapels are designed to let the surrounding forest serve that function. Also interesting to ponder - Sainte-Chappelle was designed to be a place of worship for royalty and their courtiers. Conversely, the Arkansas glass chapels are public spaces and were designed as such. A very American take on a European idea.)

Quapaw Baths, on beautiful Bathhouse Row

After finishing up at Garvan Woodland Gardens, I backtracked to Hot Springs proper and checked into my snug AirBnb. Then, I headed to Bathhouse Row to explore! Along this main drag, one side of the street is operated and largely owned by the National Park Service. There are a series of historic bath houses there, and today they serve a variety of functions. Fordyce Bathhouse has been restored by the Park Service, and visitors can tour it for free! I was lucky enough to walk in right at 2 p.m., when a ranger-led tour was beginning. Our guide took us all around the first floor, explaining the rise of the bathhouses and Hot Springs as a wellness destination, the downturn of the industry, and then its restoration and resurgence. Afterwards, you could tour the second and third floors of the bathhouse (also beautifully restored) on your own. I loved this tour, and it was a wonderful introduction to both the history and the present of Hot Springs. 

Gorgeous stained glass inside the
Fordyce Bathhouse, which is free to tour!

Two other bathhouses - the Quapaw and the Buckstaff - are still operating as bathhouses and spas today. One - the Lamar - serves as the park gift shop (where I bought some cute soaps and lotions to take home). The Hale is now a luxury hotel, and the Ozark is a cultural center. The Superior is a brewery (the only one in a U.S. National Park, and the only brewery to make its beer with thermal spring water) and restaurant. Lastly, the Maurice is vacant and in the process of being rehabilitated for future commercial use. 

There are also several spots along Bathhouse Row where visitors can reach out and touch the thermal springs. There are several public (decorative) fountains along the street, and there's a drinking fountain inside the Lamar where you can fill up your water bottle. Lastly, down near The Arlington (a historic hotel/spa that has been hosting guests since 1875 and is rumored to be haunted), there's a lovely public park with a small thermal springs waterfall and pool. (The hot springs really are hot! I couldn't keep my hand in the pool for much longer than two seconds!)

The Arlington Hotel and Spa, which has been hosting
guests since 1875. Haunted? Probably. 

The other side of the street, across from Bathhouse Row, is full of cute shops and restaurants. I spent a bit of time exploring the area, buying the odd item here or there, and enjoying the sunshine before retuning to the rental to rest and change for dinner. 

That night, I had reservations at Luna Bella, a nearby Italian restaurant. Excellent. Upon arrival, I was seated immediately. I ordered a refreshing Paloma off the happy hour menu, then indulged in the Pasta Fortuna, a glorious mixture of rigatoni, chicken, mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, and cream sauce. This is an upscale restaurant, the food is excellent, the service is speedy and knowledgable, and the place was full of locals. 

Full, happy, and tired, I went back to my rental and hit the hay!

More to come . . . 

Beautiful dinner at Luna Bella