A Bath House and Downtown Hot Springs

When reservations were made many months ago I didn't realize how close to the Hot Springs National Park we would be, I just wanted to visit another of their fabulous lakes. What a great surprise this turned out to be. The last time we were here was just to drive by since we were tent camping with two Doberman Pinchers and it was just too hot for them. Well it's hot, 95-99 but since the humidity isn't like Florida, it's quite bearable plus there is a breeze.

We drove through town and got our bearings, stocked up on supplies and took care of business the first day. Then one morning we drove into town and walked all over like the other 5,000 tourists. We happened to step into one of the bath houses, The Fordyce, just as the Nat'l Park Service guide was starting a tour and it was very interesting. The photos are not the Quapaw except for the outside shots. Some of the rooms looked like torture chambers, tons of valves and faucets to control flow and temp, one room was even equipped with what looked like fire hoses that they used on "clients" backsides. The Quapaw has reopened to the public just this week though.

A row of Bath Houses were built for the "elite"and were extremely elegant. Walls of veined Italian marble, beautiful mosaiced tile floors and staircases of pink marble. Lots of stained glass, bathroom fixtures of solid nickel and mahogany stained birch dressing rooms were common. There were cage like showers that gave "needle showers". I don't even want to imagine that! There was even one bath that you could relax in while electric currents were added, I guess you wouldn't need a perm after that! A table next to the electric bath was porcelain and was used to wash off crystals from the "salt glow treatment". This table was actually what an embalmer would have used. Thanks, but no thanks.

After 30 minutes in a sun-ray cabinet, which was a cabinet lined with light bulbs, they stuck you in the frigid cabinet which had a block of ice under the seat. Shrinkage anyone?

Up on the second floor was the "Chiropody" room where your bunions, corns, ingrown toenails etc. were all taken care of. Of unique interest to most weirdos and masochists was the mechano-therapy department, a chamber of scientific wonders and horrors, exhibiting all kinds of mechanical devices. Now for the good part, the massage room, full of different electrical massage devices with various rubber attachments. I wonder if that's what you find in today's "massage parlors." The last room contained the electric "shock" massager which caused muscles to contract or relax. I guess if the electric bath didn't put enough curl in your hair this would do it. I guess you get the idea by now and can hardly wait to book your stay at The Quapaw. Have a good time, I'm chicken. Oh, by the way, the clients stayed for a full three weeks of this pampering.