Fab 40th Birthday Weekend

It appears the old saw “time and tide waits for no man” is actually true. As recently as last month I thought it wouldn’t happen, but I actually turned 40 years old. I’m dealing with it, but it’s going to take some time. To commemorate the august occasion, Gina booked a couple nights at Lookout Point Lakeside Inn, a nice B&B in Hot Springs.

Accommodation review: Nestled on the shore of Lake Hamilton, Lakeside Inn provides the comforts of a luxury hotel in a relaxed, unpretentious atmosphere. Each of the rooms is named after a town in Arkansas. The owners picked the names to convey relaxation and a sense of country life. (They eschewed my personal favorites: Bald Knob, Oil Trough, and Blue Ball.) My companion and I stayed in Evening Shade. The king-size bed was draped with super-soft sheets (Egyptian cotton perhaps) and the bathroom contained a glorious two-headed shower. Other amenities included a whirlpool tub, a separate toilet room and a fainting couch. Large windows provided a view of the lake. (I think all the rooms have lake views.) Couple of weird things: the television was tiny and we had to sign some kind of contract promising we wouldn’t smoke on the property under penalty of $500. Soft drinks, ice and breakfast are included in the rather pricey accommodations. We opted to sleep both Saturday and Sunday mornings in lieu of having breakfast.

On the first night we took a short drive to Fisherman’s Wharf, a locally touted seafood place right on the water.
Restaurant review: My companion and I started things off with beer and peel-n-eat shrimp. The shrimp was cooked perfectly and spiced just right. Salad came next and the greens were fresh and the Italian dressing was good, but not great. I had the grilled grouper while Gina had a cup of clam chowder and a half-pound of snow crab legs. The grouper was succulent and grilled perfectly. Gina found the clam chowder “real good. very clammy.”

Unfortunately, On Friday a big red L formed over Texas on the weather map, bringing lots of rain as it moved into Arkansas on Saturday. Gina’s plans to rent a boat went by the wayside. We headed downtown to eat at the Exchange Street Cafe, another eatery highly touted in the tourist brochures.
Restaurant review: Don’t bother.

We’ve been to Hot Springs many times but haven’t done the bathhouse tour in 12 years or so. We hit the Fordyce Bathhouse owned by the National Park Service. The exhibits inside give no clue as to why there is a golden grenade on the front lawn.

The self-guided tour is interesting, but nothing explains why anyone would want to bathe in such an austere place. It’s all white tile and porcelain. It reminded me of what I think old-time insane asylums were like. I mean, would you feel relaxed soaking in this giant tub with all the bad lighting and harsh surfaces?

The men’s side of the bathhouse was better than the ladies’ side. This is an elaborate fountain beneath a cool stained-glass window. Dudes used to sit around naked in there smoking pipes and talking about the Great War. The statue depicts an Indian women kneeling down to give the healing waters to a manly conquistador. You can imagine the sexual overtones. In fact, the whole place struck me as some sort of Victorian sexual playground, what with the shooting jets of water and the sitz baths for your bum. In addition, the bathhouse also provided massage services involving all kinds of electrical devices and probes and vibrating wands. Apparently douching was also a big attraction.

Gina goofing around in the “needle shower.”

The spring that provided the hot water for the bathhouse was boxed for display because so many people were interested in seeing it.

None of the springs remain in their natural state. They are either “improved” with rockwork or brickwork surrounding them or capped off with concrete and steel. Some springs pour into cement pools.

The springs that remain exposed to the air support an intensely green algae that can live in the 147 degree water.

I wanted to get a shot of this entire fountain with the Arlington Hotel in the background, but I would have had to stand in the street and traffic was too thick.

We also went to the Gangster Museum of America down the street from the Arlington. (The photo above is not the museum. It’s a nearby bar.)
Attraction review: Few actual exhibits, the highlight of which is a grand piano once owned by Al Capone. Many videos of Hot Springs Gangster years. One thing I learned, though, is that Hot Springs had illegal casinos operating in the open until 1967. Everyone from the governor on down just looked the other way. I thought that sort of thing had ended well earlier. The place could have become Vegas if Arkansas had been a little more progressive in the post-war years.

We also ate at the Riviera Room. A high-dollar eatery.
Restaurant review: My filet mignon was superb. Gina had a filet and lobster. Both overcooked.

Sunday morning we ate at the Pancake House downtown.
Review: Good breakfast but nothing special. Our waitress actually recommended not having the pancakes and trying an omelet instead.