Hot Springs continues to be recognized as a destination travelers visit when they need to relax and recharge. This week, both Bravo Network and Expedia took notice of Hot Springs as the place to escape in Arkansas.
Bravo published on its website Thursday a listicle of "the one thing you absolutely have to do or see in each of the 50 U.S. states," and Hot Springs National Park represented the Natural State. The reason noted was "the thermal pools that heal you from the inside out."
In a similar article published by Expedia, the Spa City was named the best place to escape to in Arkansas. A representative from the travel website said in a message to The Sentinel-Record "with the craziness of the holidays now behind us, everyone could use a little break, so our team set out to find the best place in each state to take a breather. Hot Springs stood out on this list for offering a variety of ways to relax and recharge, such as letting the healing waters surround you in Bathhouse Row, tour the historic Fordyce Bath House, and take a relaxing hike along one of the many winding walking trails."
According to Expedia travel writer Lilly Rogers, the list was curated "based on the combined research (including word of mouth, reviews, and comparative reasoning) and the experiences of our expert team of travel writers."
"Over several weeks, we were looking for places that represented a range of outdoor beauty, smaller -- but reportedly friendly -- populations, relaxing activities, and unique places to put your feet up," Rogers said. "The final choices strike us as the perfect spots to take a breath and have a truly enjoyable getaway.
"Hot Springs we chose for the naturally heated springs, but also the unique charm of its Deco buildings, verdant surroundings, and the comfort of a tucked-away yet incredibly scenic setting."
Steve Arrison, CEO of Visit Hot Springs, said the articles recognized just a few of the things visitors are excited about here.
"It's not secret the outdoors are one of the biggest draws for Hot Springs," he said. "We're seeing that people are not just coming here for the lakes in the summer months anymore, but coming here year-round."
Arrison said the walking and hiking trails are just part of it. Hot Springs is now on its way to becoming a biking community.
Hot Springs is developing into an even better "escape" bicycle destination with trails under development for mountain biking, hiking and running just north of town which will be easily accessed from downtown.
"A construction project now underway on the Hot Springs Creek Greenway Trail and another to hopefully start construction in late 2018 will increase the length of that multiuse pathway by about a mile, making it an even better part of the package deal for attracting Hot Springs' visitors while attracting locals for its recreational and transportation potential," said Jean Wallace, director of the Hot Springs Parks and Trails Department.
Wallace said a license plate check on the weekends at the trailhead parking lots at Cedar Glades shows that the mountain bike community from surrounding states are making the connection to Hot Springs.
"Bicyclists 'escape' to places with quaint/quirky/interesting downtowns with craft breweries, and for them a place with thermal springs is icing on the cake," Wallace said. "A place where shop keepers, restaurants, coffee shops, breweries, and hotels are bicycle friendly is also important, and Hot Springs is working on that."
Mayor Pat McCabe said these same sentiments are shared by many who call Hot Springs home, adding he lives by the motto "work hard, play hard."
"Where else can you live that has all of the outdoor fitness activities so readily available?" McCabe said. "Following a day of work, you feel you're on vacation as you access one of the many hiking or biking trails within minutes.
"Our hotels are well situated geographically to allow visitors easy access to the same opportunities. Then, following a day of enjoyable physical activity, visitors can stroll through downtown and take in all the new and varied shops and dining and entertainment venues."
Local on 01/07/2018