Our Trip to Hot Springs Arkansas

Friday

                I took ½ day off Friday so we could leave out a bit early for Hot Springs Arkansas.  We finally hit the road around 2:30.  I got off work at 1p, waited and rode the train home which brought me to my home station around 2 and then after the 10 min drive home I gathered up some last minute stuff and out the door we went and on the road.  There were chances of rain on Sunday so we trailered the bike.

                We had a nice drive.  We stopped at a Dairy Queen in Sulphur Springs Texas for a late lunch since neither of us had eaten.  They must be having some sort car show since we saw a couple of older nostalgic cars.  One of them was the greenest of greens I had ever seen.

                After we ate we headed for Whiskey River Harley Davidson in Texarkana.  Last year I wasn’t able to get a shot glass since they didn’t have any and I wanted to stop again to see if they had any on this trip.  Lucky we got there when we did.  We didn’t realize they closed at 6 and we got there probably 15 minutes before they were to close.  Luckily they let us in. 

                Sure enough they did have the shot glass I was wanting.  It has the same logo as below.  It will be one of my favorite shot glasses.  While there I also bought a pocketed T-shirt with the same logo on the back.  The logo is huge, you can’t miss it.  I also bought a thinner HD lanyard for summer wearing and a head band to wear under my helmet to keep my hair from getting all knotted up.  They had lots of clothes on sale too but I pretty much had what I wanted.

                We didn’t stay long and left at 6 so these fine folks could go home.  We again hit the road for Hot Springs and finally arrived at our final destination Sunset Bay Resort & Condominiums.  It is located right on Lake Hamilton.  There are at least 3 other lakes in the general vicinity as well – Lake Catherine, Ouachita, and DeGray.

                Our condo is just off of the lake so you really can’t see much of it but you do have a great view of the pool.  There are other condos that do offer lake views.  Actually from our front door we can see the lake, just not from the patio.  Instead we get the squirrels and the wild birds such as cardinals, blue jays, mockingbirds and woodpeckers to name a few.

               

Saturday

Hwy 7 one of Arkansas Scenic Byways ends at the Louisiana border and starts at Lead Hill Public Use Area on North Diamond Blvd in Arkansas off of the south side of Bull Shoals Lake (a large massive winding, fingering lake).  I don’t believe the whole highway is a scenic byway but that is quite a stretch to ride if you were to do all of it and there are several switchbacks and winding curves on it.

                Our Ride:  The portion we rode on Saturday has large winding roads, hairpin turns and a steep incline/decline or 2 depending on the direction you are going.  We left down Hot Springs’ Central Avenue from Lake Hamilton and rode by the bath houses, The Arlington Hotel and curved to the left by the once great Majestic Hotel which now is just a shell of itself.  In trying to find an earlier picture of it in its prime I also read it was haunted but no pictures.  I can’t believe I stayed there in the 80’s!  Luckily I didn’t run into any paranormals.  The 130-year-old former Majestic Hotel and Spa has been closed since 2006.

The rest of our ride after driving thru downtown Hot Springs entailed:

1.       Entering Hot Springs National Park, West Mountain

2.       Passing by the Arkansas Alligator Farm & Petting Zoo (sine 1902)

3.       Hot Springs National  Forest

4.       North Ark 227

5.       Passing through Lake Ouachita State Park

6.       Driving by Blakely Mountain Dam

7.       Ark 192

8.       Driving through Ouachita National Forest

9.       Driving by South Fourche Campgrounds in the Ouachita National Forest

10.   North Ark 7 (Fourche Junction)

11.   Driving to the Nimrod Dam and campgrounds.  This is the lower section after the dam

12.   Driving up to River Road Park to Nimrod Lake and the top of its dam.  No vehicle traffic but you can walk onto the dam.  This dam was built during the depression.

13.   Back to South Ark 7 (Hot Springs)

14.   Through Perryville

15.   We left Ouachita National Forest past the Hot Springs National Park Visitor Center outside of town; and finally

16.   Back to condo

                If you have time when you first arrive or before you leave, there is also the Hot Springs Mountain Observation Tower you can ride behind the Arlington.  It is in the city and it isn’t very long but it is still fun with lots of windy roads.  This is definitely a MUST DO.  Admission to the tower is $10/adult and it gives quite a panoramic view of the area and great photo op.

                Later in the evening we went to a restaurant on the water called The Boat House.  We picked just the right time to go since it was right at sunset.  It was the end of a perfectly beautiful day.

Sunday

               Today wasn’t as exciting.  We packed, went to Perkins for breakfast.  This place has awesome muffins!  They are huge!  The rest of their breakfasts are good too.

Afterwards we hit the road but not before stopping at Lake DeGray.  I had to take a few more parting pictures of the lake and one last windy road.

Good bye Hot Springs.