Hot Springs Arkansas – The eclectic mix that works

Who puts Sh!tty toilet paper in a trash can?!

Well apparently you do at this gas station as their plumbing could not even handle one ply paper. Grimlin #2 was grossed out and did not want to use the bathroom. “Welcome to the South, this is nothing.” I said to him as he struggled to hold his breath and use the bathroom. “We are gonna come across some bathrooms that are not in the best condition, wash your hands and don’t touch anything.” What’s shocking is that this bathroom had a high powered poop particle spreader to dry your hands with………… If y’all saw this bathroom

We all piled back into the “Toasty RAV” with a like look of, “What did we walk into.” Vanna and I both looked at each other as to say, add this one to the “list” that seems to get longer with each trip. Have you ever been somewhere and your Spidey Senses go into overdrive. Not like immediate danger, but the sense of maybe we should have kept driving.

We continue on for the next 20 miles on a 2 lane road stuck behind five vehicles. The person leading the pack decided 45 mph in a 55 mph was completely acceptable to drive with a long line of cars behind them. One truck made the jump and was able to pass to get free. We played this game of speed up and slow down. What should have taken about 20 minutes to travel that road took double because the trucks could not pass this car as it would speed up to not let the trucks pass. We made it to Pocahontas Arkansas and zoomed around this car. We have to make up some time now.

Once we got back to the open road it was smooth sailing until we got to Little Rock. We saw the dark clouds in the distance but didn’t think we would get caught in the rain. It was a welcomed change as it caused the area to cool a few degrees. Vanna found a mini golf course to pass a little time while we waited to receive the door codes to our VRBO rental.

Pirate’s Cove Hot Springs

We pulled up to Pirate’s Cove Adventure Golf and the lot was completely empty besides the employee car. We were not entirely positive that they were even open as it really rained in Hot Springs. There is nothing like walking in and spooking the employee working. He must have thought the same thing we did, nobody would play in this rain. We each select our balls and clubs. Pirate’s Cove has two courses available for play, a red and black course. Each course has its own hazards and challenges. Each hole is a Par 2……….yeaaaaaaa we were above that for most holes. Family time was more important than who was winning. Vanna did get a hole in one which was pretty cool!

As we start to wrap up the course Vanna gets a text that containing the codes to our place.

We head over to the spot and park next to a memorial statue dedicated to soldiers who fought for the Confederacy.  Our place has the same address as Deluca’s Bar which is below the apartment. We get in and head up to the apartment which is located across from another gorgeous apartment. We opened the door and were in awe. A huge sky light provided a generous amount of light in the entryway. 

Master Bath

Extra Linen

Master Bath Storage

Master Bedroom

Guest bedroom

Guest Bedroom

Guest Bedroom

Guest Bedroom

Main bath

Living room with entertainment nook

View of the main room facing towards kitchen

shuffleboard table

Vanna in the kitchen

Kitchen

Front door artwork

Living room view from Kitchen

Clutch and Vanna

This spacious two bedroom apartment had a full kitchen, washer/dryer, two full baths, and two small balconies. Every room has a television in it along with ample storage.  The shuffle board in the living room kept us entertained for a few hours. This spot was perfect! We were within walking distance of the Bathhouse Row and other downtown businesses. Goal for the first night was to find food as we were all ready to chew off our arms. We ended up eating at Brick House Grill. This restaurant is located in a vertical business plaza. First floor had a German restaurant, henna tattooing, and a speakeasy. Second floor contained more stores and restaurants. The upper floors contained various stores from a photo taking studio and a rooftop bar. It was really cool because next to it Bridge Street festival. This was a weekly event in June held every Thursday. Various local businesses set up booths to mingle with the general public. They also brought in local artist to perform musical acts. This Thursday Grimlin #2 got chance to throw the football around with some of the Wise Guys Semi-Pro team from Hot Springs. He ended up getting a signed football, jersey, and invited to a game in St. Joe Missouri. We did not make that game, it would have been cool to get footage but we had other obligations that weekend. 

Downtown Hot Springs is a collection of somewhat diverse collection of people. We saw everything from MAGA to LGTBQIA+ community all within 8 square blocks. Going outside of the area we did not experience too many problems, most were friendly and inquisitive about where we came from and our story. We only had one minor hiccup at a restaurant where I felt like we were last to get served even though we were in the restaurant before a few other customers.  We did a lot of outdoor activities starting with a Zipline Course with awesome guides PJ and Q from Adventure works

We tackled nine lines and even a ravine that we had to cross to get to a line. Grimlin #1 got her butt wet in the water and my shoe got wet. Vanna came out relatively clean. We had a blast and I think our group was the loudest. By default that made us the best group of that day. After we all of the sweaty fun we head back into town to find some food and end eating at 420 Eats which is a food court surrounded by food trucks. Most of the trucks did not open until around 5 pm. We got pizza and calzones…………..won’t do that again. I toughed through the pizza and the kids really didn’t like the calzones. Vanna only ate one slice and pitched it. It may be for the locals in the area but it definitely was not for us. We see some cool shops along the way that we wanted to stop and check out. One was Retro Fit which caters to the LGBTQIA+ community but is a resale shop with some neat items in it. Going back to that diverse mix; another family comes in the store just a little after us. The husband and wife plus their adult daughter. The two women were having a grand time, the daughter was engrossed in the retro posters they had and her mother was scanning through the clothes rack. The father, was getting a little uncomfortable. He was fidgeting in place while mentioning this was not the store for him as he really only wanted to visit the Trump store to get his Trump hat. That hat comes with a preinstalled hairpiece. It was quite comical because the shoe might have been on the other foot for the women in the Trump store.  Moving on we also ate at a place called SQZBX (Squeeze Box). Food was great and the service was nice. It was only 2 blocks away from where we were staying.  The following day we went off roading in a UTV at Hot Springs Offroad Park. From the jump our guide Ty told us we were going to do some things that would make your stomach get a little “tight” but it was safe to do in all off our vehicles. We were warned about the mud puddles and water on the course. We were also warned that we were going to be banging these vehicles up and if we broke it on the course it was all good. We get moving on the course and see our first big water puddle. I yell to the kids “Y’all ready to get muddy!” and take off towards this massive body of water. Throttle wide open and when we hit all I can see is a wall of light brown and reddish water fly up and wash over us. The group behind us let us know that we really made a big splash because the car before us sent a huge wave back at us. The water splashed high enough that it landed in the rear of the UTV.  We had a great time and got an amazing picture from one of the peaks of the valley we passed through. This tour is a blast and worth the repeat trip with  a good group of drivers. We tackled  4/6 diamond paths with no problems. 

Taking people watching to a whole new level in Hot Springs

The view from our balcony was blocked by a tree that was planted in the curb. So all we could really look at was people walking down the street. I’m sure the view is amazing in the fall when the leaves change color. The balcony was perched above the main sidewalk in downtown Hot Springs. After 10 am each morning downtown Hot Springs wakes up. You start to hear more cars rev their engines racing down the small section of street. During the summer the best times to be on the balcony are early in the morning and after 6 pm in the evening. Any other time and the sun will feel like it is sitting on your shoulder. Since my view out and to the front was blocked, I trained my camera on the street and sidewalk below. The evening and late night shots were better as people were more active. The main crosswalk was a constant source of entertainment. Traffic will eventually stop if they realize you have been standing there long enough but, you have to press the button. Now after that button press your chance to walk could be almost immediate or it could be delayed by about a minute based on traffic flow. People would press the button and then look at their phone or talk to someone walking with them and miss the light if no cars were stopping. We got some people to play along and pose for the camera.