I went with Plan A-/B+ today! Plan A: Massage and taking the waters. Plan B: Hike. Instead, I took the waters at Quapaw Bath and hiked the Peak Trail to the Mountain Tower. No massages available today.
A few observations:
The last time I took a bath similar to the one at Quapaw, I was in Budapest, August 2019. The bathhouses in Hungary delighted me with their opulent architecture and big range of water temperatures. The inside design of Quapaw left a lot to be desired, and the cold water wasn’t cold enough nor the hot water hot enough. Regardless, I ultimately meditated, relaxed, and enjoyed the bath.
Ugh! Many cranky kids yelled and screamed while I walked around the village. My guess is they were tired, hungry, and disinterested in the sights. Although I feel bad for them, their whines grated.
Hiking the Peak Trail brought me back to my center; give me a forest trail, some water (in this case, searching for hot springs!), and I am in my happy place!
The Quapaw was built in a Spanish Colonial Revival style and sits on the site of two previous bathhouses. It was established in 1922 and named after the Native American tribe that once lived here.
Inside the Quapaw – I carefully framed this photo to not show any bathers out of respect for their privacy.
Looking at the mountain from the Promenade Trail behind Bathhouse Row.
After taking the elevator up 216 feet, making the observation deck at the top 1,256 feet above sea level, one sees the Ouachita Mountains, Hot Springs Mountain, and Diamond Lakes area.
View from the tower.
In search of hot springs! Around 15 springs were capped in one field.
Found! (Click on photo for three-second video.)
A butterfly mural similar to Nashville and Michigan!
Fordyce Bath, 1915, now the Visitors Center and museum.
The Assembly Room in Fordyce where men and women could reconnect after their baths. This museum highlighted the roles of Black Americans, who took care of the clientele yet couldn’t bathe.
Steam cabinets in the museum.
Superior Baths, more modestly designed than the others, operated as a bathhouse until 1983 and is now a brew pub.
Hale Bathhouse, built 1882, now a hotel.
Buckstaff Bath, continuously operated since 1912.
Maurice Bathhouse, built in 1911 in Mediterranean style, currently unoccupied.
Ozark Bath, 1922, mission style. Now cultural center.
