The plan for Arkansas started out pretty straightforward: "We're going to stop in Mountain Home to get supplies, then check out the camping situation along the Buffalo National River."
The Buffalo National River, which was the first National River in the US, includes several handfuls of camping areas in a variety of different spots up and down the river. These spots also can have corresponding canoe liveries, so I left it to Ryan to choose which spot and livery he wanted to use- I would navigate to the chosen spot.
We stopped at a grocery store and picked up the ingredients for an absolute feast at the campsite- fresh ground bacon cheeseburgers, pimento spread, potato salad, Caesar salad, and cookies. We popped into a package store and picked out our campfire beers. We then grabbed a quick lunch to finalize our research and, then we whisked away to the camp spot to get set up.
I admit, it took me a little while to realize we were going the wrong way. "Babe, Buffalo National River is an hour west of here."
"Yeah, but the campsite I picked is here."
"But this says it's another river altogether."
"They converge."
Ok. Makes sense. I've never been to Arkansas, so what do I know?
Three false starts, no cell phone signal, and a nearly empty tank of gas later, we were an hour west of there, bumping violently down a dirt road towards the Buffalo National River.
It was gorgeous.
I can't remember if I changed clothes before I jumped in the river or what, but I sat there for a long while, letting the ice cold water rush over me. Ryan ended up fixing our feast, but ate alone, as I was wiped out from the intense stress of being lost for an entire day.
Our site was very remote- there were only five sites total at this area. Only one other site was occupied- by a family with three dogs and a child who played with the car horn for a majority of the evening.
In the morning, we grumbled up and at em, and headed up the bumpy road towards gas and coffee.
We found a nice little coffee shop on an overlook, so we popped in for delicious brew, cheesy potatoes, and this view:
The next stop was Little Rock. There were a few breweries we wanted to try there, and since we'd already hit the "Trails" part of the "Ales and Trails" trip, we figured it was time for the Ales.
Our first stop was Lost Forty Brewing, which makes some of the most amazing pimento cheese spread. They also make delicious, delicious beers.
Our super-awesome bartender kept overpouring us, and next thing we knew, we were stumbling across the street to Rebel Kettle for yet another beer. Thankfully, they also had amazing food and water - lots of water- so we were able to sober up after some boudin-stuffed mushrooms and crawfish pasta.
Thus refreshed, we decided to press forward from Little Rock to Hot Springs. We had a significant amount of hiking we wanted to accomplish, but also: showers. We hadn't seen running water since St. Louis. We listened to Miles Davis and smoked the cigar we bought in a voodoo shop in New Orleans, and just dealt with rush hour traffic.
Unfortunately, none of the Hot Springs camping sites had showers, so Ryan bit the bullet and got us a room at a hotel. It was magical. I showered, and shaved, and slept, and I don't think I'd been quite so happy to do all of those at the same time in awhile.
I wasn't sure what to expect with Hot Springs. I knew we wanted to take a mineral bath and get some hiking in, but we didn't know where the paths were, etc, etc. Thankfully, there is a Visitor Center on Bathhouse row, so we picked up a map.
There is also a brewery on Bathhouse Row: Superior Bathhouse Brewing. The world's only beer made with hot mineral water is very tasty and crisp!
After lunch, we were too hot and stuffed to consider a bath just yet, so we decided to meander the trails. We did not choose well. We started with the Terrace Trail, which met up with the Peak Trail, which took us directly up (as in direct incline- straight up) to the Hot Springs Observation Tower. By the time we got up there, we were drenched through with sweat, but the view was amazing.
We then made our way directly downhill via the Shortcut and Dead Chief Trails. At that point, my hiking app quit on me, so I have no idea the mileage or the speed- only that I had to jog the trail to keep my balance, and my knees were shaking at the bottom!
There are two operating bathhouses on Bathhouse Row, and we opted for the historical style bath at the Buckstaff.
I have to admit- I was a little nervous going in, because I didn't know what a $33 bath entailed. Thankfully, after I stripped down and sat, draped in a soft, thin towel, in the waiting area, I read a sign that walked me through the process.
First, you get to spend about 15 minutes in a whirlpool mineral bath. It's hot, but not scalding. Your attendant will see you naked, but that's pretty much their job, and I was oddly totally comfortable with it. She handed me two small cups of warm mineral water to sip while I relaxed in the swirling water.
The next step was hot towels. After I got out of the bath, the attendant covered me with my sheet and led me to a lounge chair. Very, very hot towels were laid behind my back and wrapped around my legs and shoulders, while cool towels were draped over my face. I was given ice cold mineral water to sip... which I fully intended to do, but I dozed off about halfway through. My attendant very gently woke me up and led me to the steam cabinet.
Now, I hate being hot. I like hot baths and heating pads, but I can go from zero to raging hellbeast when I'm too hot, which is somewhere around 70 degrees Fahrenheit. I popped into the steam cabinet with the best of intentions, and, armed with my ice water, I started to doze off in there, too, until a little voice in the back of my head mentioned that I could not get out of the cabinet by myself. And it was right- you sit on a bench, buck naked, and steel partitions are brought down over your shoulders. The front door on the bottom was closed, and the door in front of my face was only slightly open. The good news is that I only had to keep that little voice quiet for five minutes total, and I was sprung forth into a Sitz bath.
I took a picture of the Sitz bath at the Visitor's Center, because it doesn't make a whole lot of sense to describe. Basically, it's a very low sink that you sit in, and your legs are more or less around your ears. It's an awkward position, but very hot water flows around your lower back and hips, and it feels GOOD.
After that, it was time for a cooling Needle Shower (which was not as prickly as it sounds), and then I was released to redress and conquer the world. Or take a nap. I was pretty sleepy.
Ryan and I opted for a quick ice cream cone before we headed on to Oklahoma, and for the first time, I walked and ate ice cream at the same time without disaster.
We were incredibly mellow from our bath experiences, so when Vincent started overheating just outside the city, neither of us got too upset. I read some blogs on my phone, while Ryan performed some roadside surgery. We ended up heading back into Hot Springs to pick up some parts at an auto parts shop, and while Ryan fussed and fiddled, I found a local Mexican restaurant with high public regard.
If your 1985 Vanagon has a violent case of hiccoughs near Hot Springs, Arkansas, I recommend El Padrino's Mexican grill. Get the Chile Rellenos- the pecan crema with pomegranate seeds is amazing.
Thus fortified mentally, physically, and gastronomically, we crossed our fingers and headed towards Oklahoma!
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