Monday, August 22, 2011

Girlfriends Road Trip

It happens (not often) that the chance presents itself for me to get away with the girlfriends. I call this a road trip but actually only myself a one other girlfriend (my BFF) hit the road. Two girlfriends flew, and three more took the bus (wimps). We are all teachers. I’m a special education teacher and the other six are art teachers. Don’t ask me how I seem to travel and hang out with art teachers other than they are a crazy fun group. 
Hot Springs Arkansas was our destination. We all stayed in the SunBay Resorts a two bedroom two bath timeshare. My road partner and I had a villa to ourselves. We both had our own bedroom and bath. The other five girlfriends decided to stay together in another villa. Lovely. When we were not walking around bath house row and visiting shops the art teachers made art and I knit. It was very relaxing.
We toured. Went to a crystal mine (an art teacher thing) and dug for crystals. I lasted for about 30 minutes and I was done. I sat in the car and read a knitting magazine.  I was talked into going to the spa at the historical Arlington Hotel. Having to be naked and bathed by someone was a bit creepy but in the end it was fun and relaxing. They put you in a hot mineral bath to soak for about twenty minutes and drink hot mineral water which comes from the hot spring located below the hotel. After the soak I was scrubbed by a very nice woman. I was then taken out to the cooling tables where they wrapped my entire body in cold towels. I was wrapped from head to toe. After my body cooled down I took a quick shower and went for my massage. It was my first full body massage and it was so wonderful and relaxing.  
Warning the rest of this post in picture heavy but beautiful.
Arlington Hotel


The Arlington has cooling tanks so that guests can have hot and cold mineral water.

Bath house soak tub. I took this picture at the Fordyce bath house. I didn't thisk that it was right to take a picture of one in use.

Hot Springs National Park
See the steam coming off of the open springs.





Did you know that the springs are hot on one side of the street and cold on the other? Interesting.
Mountain Valley Spring Water Store.
This horse is made of Mountain Valley water bottles.

Grand Promenade Views


Fountain at Hot Springs National Park Adminastritive Building

I wouldn't drink from here.

Free water for everyone. We filled up gallon jugs of hot mineral water.

Bath Houses
A few of these bath houses are still open but sadly most are empty of have been repurposed. The Buckstaff nad Quapaw (public bath) are still functioning bath houses. The Ozark is an art gallery, the Fordyce is bath house museum and the Superior, Hale, Maurice, and Lamark are closed. Bath houses that are not open are kept up by the city to keep the historical beauty.








Hey where is the knitting? Well right here. While the art teachers made art pieces, I made knitted art.

 One complete sock.

Yarn: Claudia Hand Painted Yarns
Weight: Fingering
Content: 100% merino Wool
Color: Steelers


I look froward to visiting next year.

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