Arkansas - Leaf Peeping

Touring Arkansas in late October and early November provided us with some pre-holiday relaxation and the opportunity to leaf peep. Over the years we have seen the glorious fall colors along the Southern New York State Parkway, Long Island’s Gold Coast, awesome Connecticut and Massachusetts, and along the Great River Road in Iowa, Wisconsin and Minnesota. Arkansas measures up those high standards.

Our timeshare was located at Sunbay Resort on Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs. This community is quite unique as a good chunk of the old downtown area is a National Park. Part of the park is accessible by car or on foot trails. The most unique part of the Park is Bath House Row. For centuries the hot springs at the base of the mountain have drawn people to the area for therapeutic treatments. First the Native Americans brought their infirm here. It was a neutral ground where many tribes visited in peace. Fernando Desoto was the first European explorer to find the hot springs. By the time he arrived the explorers were worn down and many didn’t survive to move on. In fact De Soto himself died somewhere near the Arkansas/Louisiana border. Later bathhouses were built and Hot Springs became a tourist/medical center. When they weren’t taking treatment they sought out other forms of entertainment. Yes, Hot Springs was alive with gambling, prostitution, and bootlegging. It became the neutral ground for mobsters visit.

Lake Hamilton was created to supply hydroelectric power. It is a deep lake in parts and shallow in others, these varieties of areas have provided good waters for sailing in the windy area, and pontoon and bass boat fishing in the calmer areas.

These two tourist attractions support a wide variety of restaurants, shops, galleries and one spectacular garden.

Near by in Hope, Fayetteville, and Little Rock we also visited several Bill Clinton historical sites. I have written about them in a separate journal: Arkansas–Billgrimage.

Quick Tips:

Hot Springs served as the hub of our Leaf Peeping excursions. We had excellent luck driving Highways US-71 and I-540 thru the Northwest part of the state from Bella Vista to “Y” City. Highway ARK-7 going north or south out of Hot Springs is known as one of the nations top scenic highways. The route from Hot Springs to Little Rock via US-70 and I-30 in another beautiful drive once you are out of range of the urban sprawl. One of the reasons the trees are so beautiful here is the mix of evergreen and deciduous. Those brilliant oranges, reds, magentas, and yellows really pop out when framed with deep green.

Best Way To Get Around:

Leaf Peeping is a primarily an automobile experience. However, we did run across places with hiking trails, particularly at Hot Springs Mountain and West Mountain in Hot Springs. I would also suggest taking a boat cruise to catch the full range of colors.

Sunbay Resort has location, location, location. And that makes up for some of its peculiarities. Its location on a small arm of Lake Hamilton provided a lovely view and great sunsets. On Hwy 7 Central Avenue connects it to the scenic highway drive and the National Park and most of Hot Springs’ major shopping, eating and tourist areas. Its location was surprisingly quiet for being on a major highway.

Our unit had two bedrooms and two baths and was located on the fourth floor of the main building. Other units were in low-rise buildings flanking the bay. The unit is advertised as sleeps 8 because there is a Murphy bed and a sofa bed in the living room. That would be pretty tight quarters. One bedroom is large and has a view of the lake. The other bedroom is small and very dark. What we found irritating about the unit was the extremely narrow kitchen that also served as the primary entrance to the unit. It was difficult for two people to be in the kitchen at the same time. We also prefer walk-in showers, but both bathrooms had tub shower combinations. The master bath had a big whirlpool tub. These are very difficult for short-legged people or handicapped to use safely. All the furniture was comfortable and in good condition. Other pluses include a private balcony, free newspapers, and three TV sets.

The lobby was large with a comfortable seating area and a free wireless computer service. There is a surf and turf restaurant associated with the resort that was only open in the evenings. Outside are docks where you can tie up your boat and the staff can help you secure a rental. The entrance to the resort we used during most of our stay was next to a lovely water garden. It had waterfalls, mirror pools, koi, ducks, sculptures and benches where you could set and enjoy the beauty. This was one of the best features of the resort.

Perhaps the resorts best feature was its courteous and thoughtful staff. Our questions and requests were treated as priority. I talked to another guest who told me how accommodating the staff were. Her husband had fallen ill and had to be hospitalized. When her timeshare week was up, the manager moved her to an unoccupied unit and extended her stay for only the cost of the weekly maid service.

The resorts worst feature was the guest laundry. I was very disappointed that the 2-bedroom unit didn’t have a washer/dryer. There wasn’t even a guest laundry on our floor. When I did find the place it had two washers and two dryers and no place to sit. The dryers were "unsophisticated"… either hot or fluff, so I felt I had to stay and monitor my loads. On the plus side was the view. This laundry had a wall-to-wall window looking out at the bay. From there I watched one spectacular sunset.

They are ubiquitous in the South. The distinctive yellow and black signs lure us off the highway and into the comfort of another era. Waffle House is a down-home diner, long and very narrow in shape. Booths are a tight fit, so we always sit at the low counter at the end of the cooking area. The clientele are mostly locals who are known by the waitresses. The tourist stands out in the crowd. But don’t let that deter you from eating there. The friendly waitresses treat you like family.

Why go there? First, they are conveniently located near major intersections. Second, they are economical and quick. Third, they serve the best coffee of any chain restaurant we have ever been in. Fourth… scattered and smothered. Forget ordering the waffles, the main food item to order here are the hash browns. They have worked up an entire menu of ways to fix them with additions of onions, peppers, cheese, etc. I absolutely crave the scattered and smothered with onions choice. No trip to the South is complete without at least one Waffle House stop.

Granny’s Kitchen has got it right. This restaurant in Hot Springs, Arkansas is located on Central Avenue directly across the street from the town’s main attraction, Bathhouse Row. This location guarantees them customers. Their staff handle the crowds beautifully. This is a storefront restaurant, a cavernous area filled with a variety of sizes of tables to accommodate families and groups touring together. Dark green walls serve as a backdrop to a lot of memorabilia. We arrived mid afternoon for coffee and dessert. The place was still full of the lunch crowd. Bill had the specialty dessert blueberry cobbler. I had an old fashioned chocolate malt. Yummy.

When in Rome… or in our case, when in Hope, Arkansas, do as the natives do. Between visiting the Bill Clinton sites we needed a lunch break. Although it may have been appropriate to visit the local McDonalds we decided to seek out some local color. We found it, too. City Bakery proudly displays signs stating it won the best bakery and the best lunch spot for various years. Located across the street from a major bank and about a block from a deteriorating downtown district the customers tend to fall into two groups: businessmen and tourists. On one wall in the dining room is a primitive style mural depicting the life in and around Hope. The furniture was early shabby in style, but we were here for the food. We ordered sandwiches that were tasty. And any fool knows that if bakery is in the title of the restaurant you feel compelled to save room for dessert. Bill had coconut cream pie. I was more adventuresome and ordered pecan buttermilk pie a Southern favorite. This was a new treat for me and it is one I will try to duplicate at home.

Bill says he would eat at a Dixie Café all the time if it were available in our town. This chain restaurant that specializes in chicken dishes can be found in the area of Arkansas we visited. The one we patronized was on Central Avenue in Hot Springs. The name drew us in, but we returned because the wait staff were friendly and accommodating, the food was tasty, and best of all the tables were set far apart allowing plenty of elbowroom. We have been in some restaurants where the tables are packed so close the waitress had to hang her backside over our table while serving the next table. Yech!

Our first visit we arrived for a mid-afternoon treat. Bill had cobbler and I had shortcake. When the waitress told us “Y’all come back now!” we assured her we would be there for lunch the next day. The next day we did go back for lunch and that waitress came clear across the restaurant from her service area to welcome us back. For that meal we ordered two variations on chicken. I think there may be a law in Arkansas that you have to eat chicken. Most places we went it was the primary item on the menu. There were other meat choices and salads for the vegetarians. Lunch for two with beverages and tip was under $24. Dessert and coffee with tip for two was under $13.

This is truly the most unique National Park we have visited. No entrance gate with a friendly ranger handing you a strict list of rules. No gravel parking lots. No log cabin style lodges. In fact it is nearly impossible to tell when you have entered the park because the primary part of it is situated in downtown Hot Springs.

What this park does is celebrate that humans are attracted to water, especially water that presents itself in a unique way. Area rainfall seeps deep into the earth through rock fractures. The deeper it goes the hotter it gets eventually it meets rock fissures that drive the water up to the lower west slope of Hot Springs Mountain. American Indians came to this steamy spot for healing. Fernando Desoto’s exploration party wintered here. Thomas Jefferson sent a team to investigate it. Word got out and soon frame and canvas bathhouses sprang up. The area began to draw wealthier clientele, so the services became grander and more luxurious. That brings us to the main attraction of the National Park…Bathhouse Row.

Eight remaining bathhouses stand shoulder to shoulder on Central Avenue with their backs to the slopes of Hot Springs Mountain. Only one, the elegant Fordyce, has been completely restored (to circa 1915) for touring and serves as the visitor center (you will see a Park Ranger there). The Buckstaff is still an active bathhouse. Four other bathhouses are in neighboring hotels. And as for that lack of gravel parking lot… well Hot Springs has one of the grandest parking ramps I have ever seen. The walk that connects it to Central Avenue is a sculpture and fountain park. Behind bathhouse row is the Grand Promenade and several walking trails. In the Fall this is gorgeous. Thermal fountains are available for you to collect your own water. Behind the Maurice Bathhouse are some display springs to give you an idea of what it might have looked like to the early people.

Across the street from the Bathhouse Row are shops and restaurants. Area tours are offered aboard the amphibious Ducks. It is a happy area. But if you feel cheated out of that normal National Park atmosphere, don’t give up hope. This park also has mountainous roads to drive and trails to hike on Hot Springs Mountain and West Mountain. There is an observation tower and overlooks, too.

When presented with a long and calm lake it is only natural to create some kind of boat tour. Hot Springs has Lake Hamilton, a long lake created for hydroelectric power. It has two distinct parts to the lake. One is favorable for sailboats and the other for pontoons and bass boats. This is the section that The Belle of Hot Springs tours. Boarding fee differs between sightseeing cruises and luncheon cruises (about $13 or $19). Everyone boards at the same time, but the foodies get served a meal before leaving the dock. In fact the crew tries to have all the dishes cleared before leaving the dock. I think the idea is that they want the foodies to see the sights, too. A bar is open during the cruise selling drinks and snacks.

The Fall colors added a lot to the cruise. The other highlights were the variety of interesting homes along the shore. Most of the other people went topside to the open-air deck for the tour. We stayed on the mid-deck, which is enclosed and roamed the nearly empty area to find the best spots to view from. Check with the owners about their popular sunset dinner dance cruise; it isn’t available all year round.

Dockside there is a gift shop and Gilligan’s Café.

Garvan Woodland Gardens is situated on a 210 acre forested peninsula jutting into Lake Hamilton. Originally part of a larger tract bought for its timber, much of the property was lost when the lake was built. Many years later Verna Cook Garvan, the heir to the property, visited and decided to build a private residence and garden on the peninsula. The house idea was abandoned but the garden idea grew and grew. Mrs. Garvan eventually decided to develop the garden for the public. She supplemented the area with native plants to develop its natural beauty. She added bridges and waterfalls and brought in some exotic plants.

Admission is $8 for Adults, $7 for Seniors, $4 for Children 6-12. For that admission price there are many gardens and trails to explore. For an additional $6 fee handicapped or energy deprived people (us) can take a golf cart tour of the gardens with a volunteer guide. Our guide was very friendly and well informed about the history, landscape architecture and buildings at the gardens. She warned us that she was not a botanist, but we could stop the golf cart and read labels on plants and trees. The gardens change seasonally. We were there in time to see the beautiful natural colors of the trees. We were at the tag end of the Fall flower displays. Most still looked terrific but some were fading. Crews of workers were throughout the gardens. Some were relocating bulbs; some pulling up plants, and some were decorating the trails with holiday lights. Our guide said the late Mrs. Garvan may not have approved of these electric decorations, but the crowds who come here sure do!

One unique feature to this garden was the miniature railroad. Garden railroads first became popular in Europe during the 1930s. We were told the trend reached America in the 1980s, but this is the first one we had seen. The layout features the two businesses that Verna Cook Garvan owned: a brick factory and a lumber mill. The miniature trains run on three loops over trestles and through tunnels. Unfortunately the trains don’t run every day due to lack of skilled volunteers.

On the property are special event centers such as a giant pavilion and wedding chapel. I didn’t have a need for them, but I sure enjoyed the great gift shop.

When Hot Springs was cleaned up in the 1960s the only gambling establishment left was Oaklawn, a racetrack. Horse racing is the game.

There are three types of horse racing. First, in season the “ponies” actually run on a track. Second, races throughout the country are televised in a large drab room on big screen televisions. Third, a bizarre slot machine combines five row slots with video replays of past races. These images are on a tiny window in the corner of the screen. You can bet Win-Place-Show, or you can ignore that window and bet on the usual five-row game. There is very little variety in the games. Our experience was the slots are tight. I had to leave my camera with a guard before entering the casino area.

There is a restaurant on the property and a gift shop (not always open). Oaklawn is located at 2705 Central Avenue. Golf carts with vinyl drapes for weather protection provide rides to and from the parking lot.