Shoko's Hot Springs Highlights

Submitted by Shoko

Fell in love with Hot Springs, AR

Our entire experience in Hot Springs was magnificent - strolling along the row of exotic-looking bathhouses, immersing our bodies in nostalgic spas, and indulging ourselves in the local cuisine. Prior to visiting, Jeff and I thought that it was just a tiny small town located in a National Park in Arkansas. Despite our small expectations, we fell in love with the town.

Marveling at the no-longer used bathhouses on the main street, we speculated that the city could facilitate their tourism by utilizing those fancy but empty buildings. For instance, some of the unused bathhouses could be renovated as swimming pools filled with abundant hot spring water. That wouldn't be bad. Refurbishing some bathhouses for families might be appealing – the current bathhouses are strictly separate men and women (no unisex=no fun). Moreover, the city may want to start selling original Hot Springs souvenir products. Yeah - Jeff's favorite will be 'Born to be wild in Hot Springs' leather jackets!

Experiencing a hot spring was our primary purpose of our visit. Entering the Majestic Hotel, we felt as if we slipped back in time to the '40s or '50s. As I stepped into the woman’s spa, a lady warmly smiled and led me to a little compartment divided with three orange colored marble walls and a white curtain in which a big old-fashioned bath tub was being filled with fresh hot spring water. A faucet handle, a water feed line, and every little thing was classic. While relaxing in the huge bathtub, I almost drowned. I had to hold my body in the whirlpool bath by grabbing side edges of the tub. I love to take a hot bath! The lady gently rubbed my back and legs with a loofah mitt as if being in heaven.

The most serendipitous find was the prime rib we tasted at the BrickHouse Grill. The restaurant per se was quite casual, although the service was not good at all. They were just understaffed. They had told us to need to wait for a table for 40 minutes, so we went out for a short walk. As we came back to the restaurant in 30 minutes, we found that they had crossed out our name from a waiting list and made us stand in line for another 10 minutes. We were cool as cucumbers since a little bird told us beforehand that situation could happen. The bird strongly recommended the prime rib and he was absolutely right. It was the best rib we have ever had. A week later, just imagining the dish now still makes my mouth water. Jeff called me dorky, but I couldn't help myself to capture the image with my camera. At the end of the day, we forgave their bad service for the sake of the outstanding steak.

Jeff and I are willing to volunteer as self-paid tour directors of the city when retiring. As rewards, we want to swim in a hot spring water swimming pool, to relish a free full spa treatment every day, and to get a feast of the prime rib at least weekly. We'll feel like a million dollar. Anybody wants to join us?