Anyone been to Hot Springs

[dm]

We have never been to Hot Springs and wondered if its worth the trip. Its about a 2 hour trip in our small plane and thinking it would be a good short trip.

Any suggestions?

 

[Onward]

You mean Hot Springs, AR, right?

I thought it was worth the visit. There are the big, old, original spas there where you can sample the actual hot springs, get a massage, etc. There are also some good restaurants along the main strip. A Cajun one comes to mind, though I don't remember the name.

Lake Hamilton is nearby, so you can boat, fish, etc.

 

[RockyMtn]

Been a couple of times. Arlington Hotel is great....very old, nice place. Great Spa as well. Certainly worth the visit in my opinion. They will give you a massage and scrub that will take a couple of layers of skin off!

 

[Wheel]

I've lived in Hot Springs for almost 20 years. It's a great place to come visit. Walk up and down Central Avenue, plenty to see and do. Gallery Walk (local galleries all open) is the first Friday of every month, in the evening. Highly recommended. Wait until it's a little cooler in the fall!

 

[W2R]

I loved visiting. The bath houses are simply amazing so don't miss going there. That is a "must". The one we went to wasn't functioning, but I was blown away by the elegance and luxury in the old bath house, beyond what we would normally see or even imagine in Arkansas these days. The old bath houses are a fascinating part of Hot Springs' history. Speaking of which, if you find Hot Springs' history to be fascinating, you'll especially love visiting. Some of the architecture was interesting to me, too.

There is a large public fountain in a park on the main drag near the bath houses, with water from the hot springs. Above that, is a hill that looks down on the area and it is a nice hike (or lazy folks like me can drive up there). Hot Springs has a lot of character.

 

[ohyes]

The Ouachita Mtns are beautiful. We visit a couple times a year, about an hour and a half drive from us.

Hot Springs has a very seedy side and you will see plenty of tatoo parlors, gentlemen's clubs, psychic reader signs. But, the part of town with the bath houses and art galleries is very nice. A friend of mine recommends the Gangster Museum, but we have yet to visit.

Trip Advisor ranks many Hot Springs restaurants higher than two of our favorites. Fisherman's Wharf is right on Lake Hamilton. The food is okay, but sitting on the large covered patio where you can see fish, turtles, ducks and boats is fun. McClard's Bar-B-Q is popular with tourists and locals and is very good.

I think a couple days is about as long as you need to explore the town, but sure hope you visit and report back. You will see lots of other tourists on Bath Row.

 

[JakeBrake]

Way back in 1972 DW and I visited Hot springs for the first time. We had accepted an offer from Hot Springs Village, which is located on AR 7 a couple of miles north of Hot Springs. We received three days free lodging and a small amount of cash. Of course, we had to take a tour and listen to a salesman's speil. It appeared to be a very well planned and funded development. As I recall he tried to sell us a 1/3 acre lot for $6,000. However, we declined the offer.

We have visited Hot Springs many times since. Our last visit was in May 2012. I guess this was the off season. We we able to park on the main drag (AR 7) wherever we wanted. Unfortunately, the Arkansas diamond auction houses were shut down years ago. So, don't go to Hot Springs with the idea of getting a great deal on an Arkansas diamond.

 

[Purron]

You mean Hot Springs, AR, right?

Good question. There is a Hot Springs, Virginia too. And it's worth a visit.

Hot Springs, Virginia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Virginia Resort & Virginia Spa | The Homestead

Yeah, I'm just an old Virginny gal

Carry Me Back To Old Virginny - YouTube

 

[JPatrick]

We spent a week there in March 2011.
Ditto the Gallery Walk. Great fun, art, wine, conversation and people watching.
It seemed most folks recommended the Quapaw Bathhouse for the bath etc experience. DW got a massage while I went next door to the State Park museum. Both good experiences.
Garvan Gardens is a must. Not your typical city botanical garden. Bring your walking shoes--it''s big.
Took in the horse races at Oaklawn. Our first race experience, and we loved it, even won enough for supper. There's a casino in the same complex as well.
That money we won went to shrimp and blackened chicken at Cajun Broilers. Proved to be some of the best we have eaten.
We spent one day at Crater of Diamonds Park trying to strike it rich. You actually dig for diamonds in what I believe is about a 40 acre field. It was cold and misting a bit so it was tough to stay motivated, but we gave it a shot. People do find diamonds and some big ones at that. Their website has details on some of the biggest finds.
If you are into flea markets, one of the biggest we have seen is on the southern edge of town in what I think was a former K-Mart. Actually has some decent stuff. It is next door to Rod's Pizza which we found to be quite good.
All in all, Hot Springs is well worth a visit. We plan to return next Spring when the horses are running. (Jan thru Apr)