ARKANSAS: THE LAND OF OPPORTUNITY
BY CLAY
LARROY
When you choose to travel, whether it is for
business or pleasure, it is important to plan your trip well before hand. Here
are some tips to help you. Don't be afraid to cash in your airline miles. Many
travelers let their miles accumulate and never bother using them. Reap the
rewards of your traveling and spend the miles you've earned! Miles have
expiration dates, so be sure to use them before they expire. Travelling is a
great way to use your airline miles. When
you need to plan a vacation contact me!
Look at the article below for an
enthralling perspective on Arkansas.
Hot Springs, Arkansas – A
Hidden Gem of the Heartland
Lyn Edwin Cathey
lyncat@tripfinder.com
Thursday 05th of July 2012
lyncat@tripfinder.com
Thursday 05th of July 2012
Nestled in the rolling hills of central Arkansas, this little burg should be on everyone's quick-get-away list…from
infrequent travelers to euro-snobs to jaded jet setters. Here's a dozen reasons
why: Lake Ouachita Three beautiful lakes –
All are man-made, created by building hydro-electric dams in sections of the
Ouachita River (pronounced ‘wash–ah–taw' - the French spelling of an Indian
word meaning "good hunting grounds"). The smallest is Lake Catherine
at 1,900 acres and five miles long. The next up in size is Lake Hamilton at
7,200 acres and 18 miles long. (Hamilton surrounds the city of Hot Springs like
a horseshoe.) The largest is Lake Ouachita at 40,000 acres and 40 miles long.
Known for its crystal clear water, Lake Ouachita is popular with scuba divers.
The shoreline of Lake Ouachita is National Forest. Think Lake Tahoe without the
snow and taxes.
Bath Houses
& Hot Spring Spas(for which the town is named) – Heads up, Spa Hounds! This is your
new home away from home. Hot (140 degrees) mineral springs bubble up from
hillsides downtown - right behind Bath House Row. Originally built in the
1920's and ‘30's, several have reopened as full featured traditional bathhouse
spas. One is now a modern art museum (MOCA - The Museum of Contemporary Art). Bath
House Row
Oaklawn Race
Track – This venue features top ranked, world
class thoroughbred horse racing. Racing season is from mid-January to
mid-April; however, the facility is open year round for dining, off-track
simulcast betting, electronic and video gaming. If you attend a race, buy a
racing form and note the horses that place. Save the form. Have it handy later
in the season when you watch the Kentucky Derby, Preakness or Belmont Stakes.
You'll recognize many of the names. Out of the gate at Oaklawn My idea of a great day at Oaklawn? Often, on warm
spring days track management will open up the infield area, accessible via a
pedestrian tunnel under the track. From this vantage point yours truly can
watch the race in 360 degrees, stalk the betting booths, twist my sunburned
neck to follow the race, chug a brew…and rip up losing betting tickets…all at
the same time. Talk about multi-tasking! Seriously…I always leave the track a
winner…never having to bet more than a $100 or so…to win $75 or $80. Now that's entertainment value!
Oaklawn
Jockey Club Championship Golf Courses – Great courses are
numerous, especially if you include Hot Springs Village, a separate retirement
community 15 miles outside of the city proper.
Surrounded by National Forest – A nature lover, camper and hiker's paradise, Hot
Springs National Park intertwines with the north end of the city. This
pine-oak-hickory ecosystem is managed in a way that preserves the hydrological
system that feeds the springs (the hot mineral springs are not likely to run
dry any time soon)
Nearby
Ouachita National Forest includes the Ouachita Mountains and is the oldest
National Forest in the southern United States.
Garvin
Woodland Gardens – Bequeathed to the University of Arkansas
by the Garvin family in 1993, this 210 acre botanical garden attracts arborists
and gardeners from the world over. My favorite GWG feature – the architectural
wonder called the "Anthony Chapel." This structure is a huge, open
air, glass and timber marvel that - to my uneducated eye – seems ‘Old World /
Nordic' in style. Spin around three times fast and squint…you'll see the guys
from the "What's in your wallet?"
commercial swinging from the rafters.
Lodging &
Accommodations – In a word…plentiful. There is something
to suit any taste, any budget - condos, motels, major hotel chains - such as
Hampton Inns & Suites, Embassy Suites, Holiday Inn Express, etc. - plus
both lakeside and downtown B & B's. Then of course there is the ‘Grand
Dame' of Hot Springs hotels – the Arlington. Located in the heart of downtown,
the Arlington hosts its own in-house hot spring spa.
Entertainment –
there is something to suit any taste, any budget – from art museums (MOCA,
mentioned above) to the Gangster Museum. (Hot Springs was the favorite vacation
spot for Al Capone and the Chicago mob in 1930's.)Live shows range in style
from ‘Hee Haw' type fare to Neil Simon plays. (Tommy Smothers & Jerry Van
Dyke were in town recently, offering pre-Broadway performances of ‘The Sunshine
Boys').Maxwell Blade, the magician / illusionist, has taken up permanent
residence in a downtown theater and the Jazz Society performs regularly at the
Quapaw on Bath House Row. Additional night life includes everything from Biker
Bars to ballroom dancing at the Arlington. Curiously, the only thing missing is
a modern, up-to-date multiplex cinema…business opportunity, anyone?
Magic
Springs - Located on the outskirts of town,
this attraction is a water and theme park in the ‘Six Flags' tradition, open
from May through September. During that time period it is also a concert venue
for major touring artists. Magic Springs Dining –
In addition to the typical national casual dining chains such as Chili's,
Outback Steakhouse and On the Border, foodies will feel right at home with more
upscale, one-of-a-kind options such as Belle Arti, Jahna's or J & S Italian
Villa (great lake view dining). My vote for best lunch in Hot Springs is Café
1217 on Malvern Avenue.
Shopping – This is one area in which Hot Springs is
not exactly world class. With the possible exception of the Hot Springs Mall,
local shopping is mostly souvenir type offerings. However, many of the downtown
shops do include top quality handmade goods, as well as knick-knack items…such
as refrigerator magnets that read "Paddle faster, I hear banjos! "
Climate – Hot Springs has a moderate climate and four
distinct seasons. Most rain falls in May and April. July average temperatures:
high 85, low 70 – January average temperatures: high 40, low 9
Miscellaneous
Factoid –
Strategically
placed signs about town remind visitors that Hot Springs was the boyhood home
of President Bill Clinton. And at McClard's on Albert Pike Road you can stuff
yourself with some of the world's best barbeque while sitting on the same stool
where our 42nd president
did the same. (Here "Slick Willie" refers to a preference in pork
ribs, not governing style).No need to look further if you are in the market for
an authentic Middle-of-America vacation experience. Hot Springs is easy to
reach by road (15 miles off I-30), air (Little Rock Airport is 45 minutes by
car) or rail (Amtrak stops in Malvern, just 15 miles south of the city).
REFERENCE SITES:
My plan was to release a tape, move to Arkansas, live on a farm, and make music
like Bon Iver.
Shamir
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