June 4: Ouachita Lake, Brady Mtn. Campground

We arrived here Monday afternoon to a crowded campground. Apparently, this is a popular area. In fact, the Corps of Engineers is thinking about leasing this area, along with camp grounds from 2 other lakes, to private individuals to build either condos or private campgrounds. Cost of camping will go from $8/night (for us older people) to $40/night. That won't be economical for us.

Yesterday we drove into Hot Springs to get our sight seeing over with. President Andrew Jackson made Hot Springs the first Federal Reservation in 1832. In 1541 Spanish explorer de Soto, discovered the area that the Native Americans called the "Valley of Vapor". We toured "Bath Row" (shown in this photo) where people with money from around the world would come in the 1800's and 1900's for a refreshing, soothing, and healing bath in the hot waters that springs up from 47 different springs around the area. The water is from rains that fell in the area about 4000 years ago (it's been carbon dated). It seeps down deep into the ground for centuries, then starts being pushed back up. The water starts out at 143 deg and doesn't cool much as it rushes to the surface and it comes at a rate of about 1 million gallons a day. In fact, the picture of Larry and me in front of a small water fall, had water in the pool that was too hot for us to leave our hands in. There are fountains all over the area but they are hot water. You have to check out a drinking fountain before you drink from it to see if it's cool or hot. If you can provide a container, you can get all the water you want - free - from area spigots. Just have to let it cool before drinking - duh.





This picture with the stained glass in the ceiling and the beautiful statue on the floor is the men's bath house room. The womens' was on the side of the building and very small - with no beautification added. There were 8 bath houses along this "row" and only two are open. One is an actual working bath house, the Buckstaff Bathhouse, and the other was a museum, the Fordyce. The other six are all being refurbished.






We rode "The Duck" south out of town and into the waters of Lake Hamilton. This lake was built in the 1930's for electricity. It is apparently a guaranteed lake level area because big, beautiful homes are built right down to the lake level. We plan on taking the jet ski over there one day this week to ride around and look at all the gorgeous homes.



We drove up the two "mountains" that are on either side of Hot Springs. One had a tower so, of course, we had to go up. There's quite a Bill Clinton display at the top of the tower. This was his boyhood home.

We then went to the Fisherman's Wharf for dinner and then to The Bath House Show for evening entertainment. It was a group performing music from the 40's into the 90's. Pretty entertaining and lots of really good talent.

Today we hung around camp. Did go swimming and, yes, I finally got all the way into the water. It was cold, too. We did find some new entertainment. When we let Buster out on his leash, the Brown Thrashers (that I called Brown Thrush) came over to check on him. Three at first, but soon only one remained. I had the computer in my lap trying to send e-mails and decided to look up the bird. Found a cool place to make bird sounds. So I played his bird call with only some excitement. I then played a hawk, a crow, an oriole, a blue jay and then an owl. The owl got the most reaction. He did a 360 on the branch he was sitting on. I'm sure I rocked his little world with an owl being out during the day. It was a fun time for me. Larry decided to check the lighting on the jet ski - brake light doesn't work - just a bad connection. Playing with the bird's mind was way more fun. Larry covered Buster with leaves - he didn't really care and the birds knew he was still there.