SWUSA MAR 8-12

Mar 8 to 12

Sunday was a laundry day.   The camp had a nice laundromat.  Unfortunately, dryers do not like Elizabeth’s clothes and she lost a fleece due to shrinkage.  Three dryers all acting differently … just like Goldilocks – one too cool, one super-duper hot and one just right.

We went to a local club for dinner and music.  The diner (pub style) was so so and expensive.  The music, well, it seems that, like in Canada and many other places, musicians are willing to play for free.  Well at least for tips.  It’s terrible.  The trio we heard were talented musicians and knew their craft.  They were scheduled from 7-10 pm and played well over an hour without a break.  When we left they were still playing non-stop and I think I counted three tippers into the bucket.  A hard life as a musician to “make it.”

Monday morning, we packed up and headed to Forrest City Arkansas to “Wallyland” (Walmart) where we shopped for groceries and parked in a secure (patrolled) parking lot for a peaceful night.  

We drove to Hot Springs National Park, a full-service (water, electric and sewer) National Park campground.  It is on a first come first serve basis.  Since we arrived early in the day we were fortunate to obtain a beautiful site beside the spring fed creek for … $15USD per night!  Unbelievable.

Looking out our back door at Hot Springs National Park

 At the visitor’s center (the former Fordyce Bathhouse) we were in time to join a guided walking water tour.  The Ranger explained the early beginnings of the springs and town and the businesses that sprung up due to the “healing” nature of the 47 springs.  Lewis and Clark came upon the hot springs here in Arkansas and government scientists were sent to investigate.  (Jerry answered the Ranger quiz Lewis and Clark and who was the Louisiana purchase seller?  (France.))

Parking meter:  Place folded money in the numbered slot you are parked in...

Former Fordyce Bathhouse now Hot Springs National Park Visitor Center

"Hot" spring water...very nice

Most of the springs are capped but throughout the town there are hot and cold fountains to drink from or fill containers of this untreated safe to drink water.  (The hot water is not treated.  We found out that the cold is spring water but treated.)  Unlike many hot springs, these waters do not have a sulphur smell and tasted very nice.  We filled two jugs and have been drinking and making coffee and tea with it.

There are two operating bathhouses/spas in the park on bathhouse row.   We checked them out with some healing mineral relaxation and a massage therapy in mind.  We also took a guided tour of the visitor center, a former bathhouse.  The tours are free.  In fact, admittance to the park is free.  This is the only National Park with a mandate to give away its protected resources (water etc.) to the public for free.  So, as the Ranger described, what was originally free to the people was taken over by the government in order to give it back to the people (?) LOL.

Our tour of the former bathhouse was very interesting and by the same Ranger Lissa that did the water walk tour the day before.  It was fairly in depth as to its origins.  The Fordyce Bathhouse was the most elegant in the USA.  It cost $.55 in 1916 for a full treatment of 1 ½+ hours; five to ten times the price of other houses.  It never made money but the founder also owned surrounding businesses, railroads and hotels that created substantial profits.  It was adorned with the finest Italian marble panels, hand laid floor mosaics as well as amazing stain glass sky lights and windows; all original except one window which was accidentally broken during a re-roofing in 1980.

I'm ready:  I've got my shower cap on!

State Room

The fountain of youth

We checked out the two operating bathhouses and decided to return to the Buckstaff Bathhouse that is still operating in the traditional manner with a bath, sitz bath, vapour cabinet, needle shower, hot packs and cooling rooms just like the early 1900s.  The Buckstaff has been in continuous operation since 1915.

Due to horse racing events and school spring breaks, things are busy and you can’t reserve at the Buckstaff so we decided to go on Thursday morning somewhere between 8:00 and 9:30 a.m.!  Back at the trailer, we had lunch, chores, naps and Jerry re-mounted the batteries on the tongue more suiting his liking while Elizabeth queried a Revenue Canada re-assessment of a 2018 filing (UGH)… we o we o we o: oh no!  We received an e-mail on the 10^th and they want the money by the 18^th.  Haven’t prepared or filed 2019 yet.  Elizabeth will be doing that further down the road, on the road.

Thursday morning, we listened to the public radio station’s news coverage of the Covid 19 Pandemic.  Colleges are telling students to stay at home after March break, parades and events are cancelled and Trump has a travel ban from Europe in place.  The predictions are that the spread of the virus will only get worse.  We may seemingly be too cautious but we decided NOT to go to the bathhouse.  It would have been a really cool experience to partake in a traditional bathing routine with the original equipment but we also figure it’s a hot humid environment where lots of people are hanging out and should be avoided.  Maybe another time. 

We also called our travel insurance to find out if we are still covered during a pandemic since people have indicated (on Facebook) that some insurance policies do not cover an illness determined to be a pandemic.  We are OK from the information we received from “Girlie” this morning.  Although, as procedure, all cases are considered on a case-by-case basis.  

Spring is blooming!

We stopped to pick up a couple of groceries and in one store;  the TP shelves were empty and there was no hand sanitizer.

So today we are relaxing by the creek and some house cleaning.  Tomorrow, Friday we head to Dallas Texas where we will stay at a Harvest Host location (in this case a secure car dealership)!  Harvest Hosts are businesses such as wineries, breweries, distilleries, farms, museums and other attractions that offer free overnights for RVer’s.  They range from a place to park to full hook-ups and do not request payment.  It is courteous to buy something; however, we are NOT buying a car. LOL.