Hot Springs, AR, USA
“america’s first resort”
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Looking for a unique spot to check-off your travel bucket list? Curious about the famous bathhouses of the 19th century? Hoping to add another National Park sticker to your water bottle? You’ve come to the right place if you’ve landed on Hot Springs, Arkansas! My younger sister has been hitting all of the National Parks, so my older sister and I decided to tag along and take on Hot Springs, AR as a sister trip! We found that Hot Springs offered just enough for us to do in a weekend! Whether you are going as a family or solo, this historic town is definitely unordinary, a bit quirky, and filled with plenty for everyone to explore!
Getting There and Staying There
For this trip, I flew into Little Rock National Airport (Bill and Hillary Clinton Ntl). It worked out perfectly because my sisters were driving from the Midwest and were able to pick me up from the airport on the way down. Little Rock is about 55 miles/~1 hour from Hot Springs. Hot Springs Memorial Field is also an option if you are looking to stay closer to the town itself. The costs may be greater and flights may not be as frequent, but it would definitely work if you are looking for convenience!
We found that there were several options for accommodations in Hot Springs, especially because the town is known for its spas and resort style stays. We stayed in a great spot just outside of downtown and were very pleased with the Airbnb! (Link it here?)
Day 1: Brunch, Blooms and Bathhouses
Day one in the area was all about finding somewhere for brunch, exploring outside, and then getting a taste of downtown Hot Springs. We love finding a good coffee spot, and our Airbnb was conveniently located directly down the street from Capachi’s Coffee and Tea. This little shop is located in Gospel Light Church Hot Springs Campus, and it was absolutely lovely! The staff were so kind and the coffee was great! I always love supporting local businesses, especially when those businesses are serving their communities in meaningful ways! Capachi’s has a great menu, lots of options and also serves delicious treats.
From there, we knew we wanted to treat ourselves to brunch, so we landed on going to The Best Cafe. You got it. The Best. And was it? I mean…it was pretty stinking good. It’s literally called The Best Cafe, and honestly, for good reason! Not only was this cafe so cute, but the food was delicious. It has everything you could want in a breakfast and brunch menu and it was a great experience all around. Expect a wait on the weekends and during seasons when tourism picks up (Spring and Fall), but it really is worth the wait! A quick Google search will show you that there are plenty of places to eat, so be sure to do a little bit of research to see what’s local and if there is anything different you can try while you’re in a new place! Here is a short list of some of the other local spots you could try:
Now that you are fueled, you may feel like taking a nap…but there’s so much still to see! But also, rest up if you need to! Our desire to get outside led us to Garvan Woodland Gardens. When I say this place is awe-inspiring, I feel like that’s an understatement. I wish I could share everything we saw here. I absolutely recommend fitting it into whatever plans you have. Explain a little bit more about the gardens, the climate, the areas and how to tackle the whole things itself.
Take a Moment to Wonder
One of my favorite flowers that I have never been able to grow successfully is the hydrangea. And when I tell you I was in hydrangea heaven…it’s real. The colors were so vibrant that they didn’t even seem like real flowers. The whole time we were at the garden it honestly felt like we were in a magical, fairytale place. Not to mention the proposal bridge, glass church and the largest tree house I’ve ever seen! Wow!
Garvan Woodland Gardens, Hot Springs, AR, USA
Were we sweating profusely? Were we thirsty and a bit tired? Yes, yes, and yes, but it was SO worth it. I still dream of having a garden someday that embodies what this place felt like!
Moving on from the gardens, we still had a good chunk of the afternoon left. So off to Bathhouse Row we went! I am not sure what I was expecting, but downtown Hot Springs fascinated me. It is definitely a town that feels so old, but not in a colonial way like you might find on the East coast. It feels more Southern, but in a weird way also European, ha. You’ll see what I mean if you make it there! In addition, it’s important to know that Hot Springs itself if actually quite small. The main Bathhouse Row is about a mile long and that strip is where most of the tourism happens. Because of this, it can get pretty busy during the peak seasons. The main National Park building and visitor’s center is next to a big white bathhouse called Quapaw Bathhouse. We decided to explore in the visitor’s center once we walked the Row - we learned so much! The history of Hot Springs is fascinating!
We ended our night at the historic Ohio Club in downtown Hot Springs. It was a bit of a wait to get in, but it ended up being so memorable. As Arkansas’ oldest bar, we felt like we stepped back in time as we sat in the riser section above the live music, enjoying some drinks from the past and eating delicious food! Such a fun end to Day 1!
Day 2: Quapaw Bathhouse and Hot Springs National Park
We had to start our Day 2 off with another great coffee from down the street at Capacio’s. 10/10. Once we got our caffeine, we wanted to spend more time actually exploring the Hot Springs area and had to try out one of the Bathhouses! We ended up deciding to try out Quapaw Bathhouse. There are a few you can choose from in the area but Quapaw was ultimately the one that offered the most basic experience (you can pay for a time slot to access their thermal waters) and was the most affordable option for us. You can read more about this historic spa and what other services they provide on the Quapaw Baths and Spa website.
If you choose to try out one of the bathhouses, I am sure you had quite the experience! Whether you are someone who didn’t even want to get in those thermal waters at all, or someone who never wanted to leave, I hope it was still a fun time learning and getting to step back in time, imagining what it may have been like for those in the 1920’s at the bathhouse! From the bathhouse we were pretty hungry, so we stayed close and hit up Superior Bathhouse Brewing. I mean, with a name like that, you’ve gotta see what’s going on there right?? Apparently they use all the same water that flows into the bathhouses and that creates a unique flavor profile for their beers. At first, sounds strange…but it is clearly working for them because all of their stuff was great! Once we filled up on good food and flights we headed outside to walk it all off!
This is where things get fun. Hot Springs National Park itself is actually not that big of an area. When you think of a national park, you might be thinking of Yellowstone or the Shenandoah Mountians…but Hot Springs is not that. It’s got its own little vibe and invites you to explore in different ways. There are some fun trails you can walk within the park (about 26 miles worth) and then the town itself with the shops and bathhouses. You can learn more about things to do at the Hot Springs National Park website. We decided to do a little bit of exploring along the Grand Promenade which is a smaller path that locals used to frequent back in the day. This pretty stroll takes you above bathhouse row where you get to see some of the natural thermal waters. Just to note: Don’t get in these waters. They are SO hot and some of them are actually so hot that they could do potential damage, ha! We also drove up Hot Springs Mountain Drive which is East of the Hot Springs. This was a winding, beautiful drive and gives you some great views of the town!
Take a Moment to Wonder
I was so in awe of the randomness and uniqueness of this area. The fact that there is just thermal water pumping from the ground into some of these pools is so fascinating! I humorously envisioned a weary traveler back in the 19th century stumbling upon one of these pools, thinking they might get a refreshing dip to escape the Arkansas heat, but alas, dipping into the hottest hot tub they’ve ever known! Youch!
Hot Springs Ntl Park, AR, USA
We were all explored out by the end of the day and wanted to just find a fun spot to hang out and watch the sunset, and we landed on the perfect spot. The Rooftop Bar at the Hilton has one of the best views in town (in our opinion) and the drinks and apps were fabulous! Life hack - we brough Phase 10 along with us so we had the most lovely evening playing cards on the rooftop watching a gorgeous Arkansas sunset drop behind bathhouse row. And to make the evening even better than we thought it could get - we took home cupcakes from Fat Bottomed Girl’s Cupcake Shoppe. You may know them from being on Food Network’s Cupcake Wars. We definitely bought half a dozen to share between the three of us. So yum.
Day 3: More Food and West Mountain Before Departure, Boo.
Day 3 honestly arrived too quickly but we were determined to fit in a few more things to explore before it was time to depart! We started our morning off at Colonial Pancake House. This is the oldest family-owned restaurant in Hot Springs! The staff were so friendly and the breakfast was nothing fancy but absolutely delicious. They have all the classic diner options that will fuel you for the day or make you want to take a nap, haha. After we enjoyed our breakfast there, we decided to take a drive up West Mountain. This is part of the National Park and winds its way up above Hot Springs. It’s a really pretty drive, and there are different places along the way that you can stop and take in the views. We did our exploring and then it was time to set off to the airport. My sisters dropped me off along the way and that was a wrap!
All in all, Hot Springs was such a fun experience, although not necessarily what I expected. I love that about going somewhere new and out of the ordinary. Even though I wouldn’t personally go back again and again, there is so much beauty and history that can be seen and learned there and I would absolutely recommend experiencing it for yourself if you ever get the chance! Now, go and wonder!
:) Clara