Hot Springs was a destination for the wealthy and others in the 19th century. They went to visit "America's first spa". There are hot springs there that were supposed to heal ailments. Doctor's actually prescribed people to go there, for things like hemorrhoids!! It has the best collection of bath houses in America, called Bathhouse Row. These bathhouses have stained glass windows, billiards rooms, bronze statues, marble- unreal. Most of them are closed now (the "grandest" of them is now the visitor's center), but the Buckstaff Bathhouse remains open, and that is where Darrel and I went. It has been open since 1912!
I wasn't sure what to expect, because the only similar experience I had was when I was in Baden Baden, Germany, and I was totally neked and was with other people. This was totally different. Darrel and I were on separate floors, and you are assigned a person who takes you, privately, to each station. It starts with a 20 minute whirlpool bath, and then you do things like hot packs on your back, sitz baths, steam cabinets (see below- you sit in them with your head sticking out- I felt like a David Copperfield illusion), and it ends with an awesome Swedish massage. It took about an hour and a half, and it only cost $55.00! 
The weather was beautiful, and it was a fun experience. We didn't make it to the National Park, simply because we could not find the entrance, but the little town was very pretty, and when the heck am I ever going to be in Arkansas again!?
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