Cross Country Move 2015: Stop 10: Hot Springs National Park, AR

Hot Springs National Park is a bit different in that the name doesn't just apply to the National Park. The local post office also calls itself Hot Springs National Park so, any business that so desires can say that they are in Hot Springs National Park.

We are very pleasantly surprised with Arkansas. It's just beautiful. Everything is green and lush. This is the first of four 2 night stops that we'll be making on this cross country trip. Our next 2 stops are also 2 night stops so we've kind of bunched them together.

The extra day allowed us to fit in some sightseeing. Apparently, the Native Americans and early settlers have been enjoying the benefits of bathing in the waters here for centuries and the big bathhouses started springing up early in the 1800's. The Federal government decided early on that the bathhouses, springs and the area above the springs needed to be protected from unscrupulous development way before the Civil War. They created what amounted to the first National Park (though the designation didn't exist yet). Woodrow Wilson made it official much later.

Kristen in front of Bathhouse Row.

A couple of the bathhouses are still open for business. We went through a 3rd that is more of a museum.

One of many soaking tubs.

Beautiful stained glass ceiling in the soaking tub room.

Steam baths.

One of the more unusual tubs. That board hangs from a track that goes clear out into the hallway to the elevator. I guess the idea was to load someone onto it clear out there and then move them in and lower them into the tub.

One of the hot springs that feed the bathhouses.

We stopped for lunch in a very interesting bar and grill called the Ohio Club. It opened in 1905 and housed a bar, casino and brothel. During prohibition, the name was changed to the Ohio Cigar Store and a false wall was built 6 feet inside the front door. Except for the fact that customers had to give a password to the cigar vendor before they could be let in, it was business as usual.

Customers have included Al Capone, Bugsy Segal (who came to the Ohio Club to learn the business before he headed our to Las Vegas), Lucky Luciano, Bugs Moran and a host of other gangster types. May West, Babe Ruth and Teddy Roosevelt were also customers. The owners of the club were instrumental in setting up a live wire system for casinos all over the country so that they could make book on horse races and sporting events in real time.