A couple of weeks ago I just needed to get out of town for the weekend. I hadn’t had a vacation in forever and I wanted some time for myself. So I packed my bags, dropped the pooch off at his Grandma’s, and hit the road to Hot Springs, AR.
The funny thing about living in the Delta South is we get so used to seeing flat land that when we see anything remotely resembling a hill, we get excited. Hot Springs is nestled in the Ouachita Mountains and while the highest peak is about 2700 feet (small in relation to other mountain ranges), they’re still pretty impressive. For a Southern Delta girl.
I was really bad about getting pictures at first. I really didn’t even want to pick up my phone. I found a couple of great places to eat. I discovered that Hot Springs basically shuts down at 10pm except for a bar or two. I met some really awesome people. I enjoyed uninterrupted hours of reading and sleeping. I had a private mineral bath and a private massage at the Quapaw Baths and Spa. And finally, on the last day, I went to a local botanical garden. That’s when I went crazy with the camera.
I stayed at the Arlington. The room was cute, but antiquated. It was like staying in your grandma’s spare bedroom for the weekend in her rambling old house.
I did get to stay on the 7th floor, though. I was three floors up from the famed Al Capone suite. I was on the same floor as the pools. Two swimming pools and a hot tub.
The really cool part, though, was the hotel backed up to a little mountain and provided a shady, private spot for reading.
I found a cool German restaurant in downtown Hot Springs, complete with a beer from the oldest brewery in the world.
After one relaxing day reading, bathing, and getting an awesome massage, I was ready to tackle the Garvan Woodland Gardens.
The rushing waterfalls were so soothing. I could have sat there forever, mesmerized by the quiet sounds of nature.
I love to travel, but it’s also nice to be back home in my bed getting pooch snuggles.
My Mosaic Life 
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