Posing peacock at Garvan Woodland Gardens
Have you been to Arkansas? Me neither. Have you ever heard of Hot Springs, Arkansas? Me neither.
Until recently.
Lamar Bathhouse, along Bathhouse Row in Hot Springs National Park
I was introduced to both in April 2016 and was absolutely delighted by this spa town.
For those of you who have been to Banff, in Canada’s Rocky Mountains, there are some similarities — a town (partially) within a national park, hot springs, beautiful scenery, interesting history, lovely architecture, and lots of shops and restaurants catering to tourists.
Chef and owner Anthony Valinoti, DeLuca’s Pizzeria
But Hot Springs is not Banff. Amongst other unusual things, it has a sordid past featuring gangsters like Al “Scarface” Capone, some of the best pizza I’ve ever eaten, a peacock who poses anytime someone brings out a camera, taps on the street to fill bottles with hot springs water (which, unusually, has no iron or sulphur), some really awesome blues music, and Bill Clinton’s favourite barbecue joint.
Intrigued? Read more:
- The most welcoming town in America, for Second Chance Travels.
- For RUBY Magazine, Fall Harvest: Foliage and Foodie Stops Across the Country, about five great U.S. towns for culinary travel.
- Finding heart in America’s Heartland, for Almost Fearless.
- For Canadian World Traveller:
- Hot Springs, Arkansas: A spa town with a difference (online version)
- Hot Springs, Arkansas: A spa town with a difference (PDF)
- Article PDF with masthead, table of contents and cover
- Full issue (see pp. 58-59 and photo on p. 7): Canadian World Traveler Summer/Fall 2016
- Hot Springs’ unusual water and how cooking with it makes great food fab and my article for Paste Magazine, Hot Springs water: On tap and on your plate.
- A wayward weekend in Hot Springs, Arkansas — how to spend a weekend here focussing on activities that are not only fun and delicious, but encourage sustainable tourism too (for The Wayward Post).
- Hotel features, for Luxury And Boutique Hotels:
Scott “Rooster” Meeks, of The Hump Day Blues Band, showing off his bass skills at The Ohio Club
Note: My visit was via a hosted press trip, but neither the tourism board, the PR company nor any of the businesses I describe reviewed or approved any of my articles.
Travel Eater 