After three stressful days of driving east from Albuquerque, we stopped for a day to explore Hot Springs National Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas. What a find it was! Coming from the arid west, we wondered at the luscious green land and forests. The town itself is but a shadow of its splendid past, once a thriving medicinal thermal hot springs town. Above, the National Park visitor center, located in the historic Fordyce bathhouse. Only a few bathhouses are still open. Because of Covid-19, an appointment is needed to enjoy the baths and since we did not make a reservation ahead of time, we missed out.
It is myth that the hot springs water is heated by volcano activity. Instead, we were told, rainwater is carried down to a depth of 4,000 to 8,000 feet where it is heat by the extreme heat of the earth. It then makes its way back, piping hot, to the surface via cracks and pores in the mountain's rocks. The whole process takes 4000 years!
Every where we walked, there was evidence of disrepair, boarded up buildings, crumbling structures and neglected homes. But nature was resplendent with its greens and blue hues. Mosses and ferns everywhere.
We thoroughly enjoyed our short visit here in spite of the downpours, walking the Grand Promenade, doing a bit of hiking, and climbing the water tower.
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