Hot Springs, Arkansas – In Which I Get Into Trouble

(1) …Our narrator arrives.

I’ve always wanted to visit Arkansas. Maybe it’s just the name. Maybe it’s the backcountry, down-home Americana imagery associated with that part of the world. Probably it has a lot to do with the Ozarks, that oddly-named bed of mountains promising lush greenery, clapboard shacks, crawdads and moonshine. Whatever the reason, once I realized Arkansas was right next to Texas (for a soi-disant travel writer, I am remarkably untalented at geography), I couldn’t stay away. And so I booked a midnight bus from Austin, which deposited me in Hot Springs, AR at 8:30 on a Thursday morning.

Hot Springs, as you may or may not know, is the hometown of former U.S. President William Jefferson Clinton. It’s also home to the strangest National Park I’ve ever seen. The park was my reason for coming to Hot Springs in the first place, but it ended up being nothing like I expected.

As I’m sure you’ve guessed, there are a lot of hot springs around here. Because of the plentitude of pure, superheated, mineral-strong water, people have gathered here for millenia. From the Civil War onward, tourists and health seekers have come from all over the country to visit the bathhouses for spa treatments. And so, instead of a nature-filled National Park with lots of trees and undisturbed waters, Hot Springs National Park is a row of bathhouses.

Why are these photos all taken at night? Because it was too hot to walk around all day.

Yes, it’s a street. With sidewalks, and landscaping, and palatial white buildings promising mineral spas, soaks, rubs, wraps… Too, there’s a hot-water fountain where you can wash your hands, and a cold one where you can fill up on pure spring water. Once upon a time there were free showers; you can still visit and tour a restored bathhouse which doubles as the National Park Visitor Center. But yes, it’s just a street.

So it wasn’t what I’d expected. But I found myself a tent site in the Gulpha Gorge campground, where fireflies flickered above a shallow creek, and which was only a half-hour hike from downtown Hot Springs. The Ouachita National Forest was just outside of town, and I figured I’d camp for a few days, then make my way to the hills and do some hiking and swimming.

Alas, this was not to be!

(2) …In which the temperature rises.

One thing the Arkansas tourism site hadn’t mentioned was the HEAT in them thar hills. In a word, let’s call it “oppressive”. I’m talking 96 degrees and 40% humidity, the kind of heat that makes it hard to breathe. The first day, I spent all afternoon sitting in the shady creek, trying to lower my body temperature. I wanted to get some writing done, but my brain just refused to do anything. It would be better, I figured, when the sun went down.

But lo, the sun didn’t set until 8:30pm, and it sure didn’t feel any cooler. So I waited. I ate some dinner. I watched downloaded movies on my tiny computer screen. I fanned myself aimlessly. I gave up and crawled into my tent to sleep fitfully, praying that it would be cooler tomorrow.

When I awoke, it was the perfect temperature: 80 degrees and breezy. I wasn’t sweating; it was shady and cool, and my head wasn’t pounding. I felt great, until I looked at the clock: 6am. The coolest part of the day: it would only get hotter from here. Today, I decided, I’d go to town and find a place with air conditioning.

By 10am it was unbearable again; sitting at the campground was no longer an option. Time to find that A/C. And so I started hiking the trail to town. But the trail! It went right up the side of a mountain, into a hot forest full of wilting trees. I staggered and sweated my way up the hill, doing my best to look on the bright side. But what bright side was there? I was out of my element, uncomfortable, on my own without a good plan. If I was going to stay here, I’d need to find some better shelter. I couldn’t afford a hotel, but the tent didn’t cut it… would I have to leave Arkansas after just a day? And where would I go?

I made it to town with shirt soaked through, hair frazzled and heart pounding. This was not going to work, not by any stretch of the imagination. I needed food, coffee, air conditioning, and a new plan.

How will Jessica get out of this mess? Tune in soon for the inspiring next installment…