About three weeks ago I arrived in Hot Springs, Arkansas and met up with my family for a week together at a rented lake house. My family has really spread out over the years, from New York to New Mexico and North Carolina, and a few states in between, we really have a good chunk of the country covered! We try to get together every year, especially around Thanksgiving (we are Italian… of course we prefer the food holiday), but with Covid it’s been a while since we could all be together.
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With a big thank you to vaccines, and a couple just-in-case Covid tests, we were able to book a lake house in Hot Springs so we could all finally be together for a week. What an absolute gift! We spent most days just relaxing in the water, playing cards, and sharing conversation over family-style meals. I have to give a big shout out to my cousin and cousin-in-law who are both excellent chefs and spoiled us for most of the week with delicious meals (don’t worry the rest of us gave them a break some nights!).
Every evening seemed to be a new competition for most beautiful sunset. Lake life certainly treated us well!
While the Delta variant still plagued the country (and it still does as I’m writing this post in mid-August) we tried to be safe and mostly stay within our bubble. In the interest of doing outdoor activities to minimize risk, we chose two outdoor activities to get us moving… before going home to jump in the lake to cool off again.
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First up we took a hike within the Hot Springs National Park grounds from Boathouse Row up to the Mountain Tower to see the view. It was definitely a hot and sweaty activity (thank you humidity), but the view (and the jump in the lake after) were worth it.
Our other outdoor activity was visiting the Garvan Woodland Gardens. We spent a really lovely morning enjoying the various trails, flowers, and installations. They even had a big pavilion with large fans available so we could eat our packed lunches in shaded comfort. Overall both the hike and visiting the gardens were definitely great ways to minimize Covid exposure while still doing some fun family activities.
After strolling through the gardens, don’t forget to follow the signs north of the parking lots over to the Anthony Chapel and the nearby tower. The chapel is such a beautiful structure set perfectly into the forest, not to mention a popular wedding venue. It’s worth the extra few steps up the path. It also has AC inside so it’s a great spot to visit after walking around in the summer heat.
Thanks for coming along on our family trip to Hot Springs. If you are planning a trip across Arkansas, there are some beautiful places to explore and relax in. Let me know if you have any other local favorites!
~ Happy Travels, V ~
All photos taken on a first-gen iPhone SE and Nikon D5300 with Nikon AF-P DX Nikkor 10-20mm f/4.5-5.6 Lens