Cross Country Travels: Hot Springs National Park and the Journey Home

The last leg of my trip had the nicest little surprises with Hot Springs National Park being at the top of the list.  We left Colorado to make our way back home to South Carolina which took us five days.  Most of those were long driving days with the exception of our two-night stay in Hot Springs, Arkansas.  Here’s how we broke up the long driving days with a couple of fun stops and our time at the delightful Hot Springs National Park.

The Cross Country Series:

Planning for My 7,000 Mile Cross Country Trip
The Packing Essentials: How I Prepared for My Cross Country Trip
My Cross Country Trip: Getting From SC to Montana
Glacier National Park and Montana
The Yellowstone Experience
Grand Teton National Park and Wyoming
Rocky Mountain National Park and Colorado
Hot Springs National Park and the Journey Home
Tips on Traveling Cross Country with Your Dog

The Week’s Activities and Adventures:

Here’s a quick look at the schedule for the journey home:

• Day One: Long Travel Day & Monument Rocks Natural Landmark
• Day Two: Oklahoma City, OK & Arriving in Hot Springs, AR
• Day Three: Hot Springs National Park
• Day Four: Long Travel Day to Birmingham, LA
• Day Five: Home to South Carolina

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Day One

We left the hotel in Limon, Colorado early to make our way east across the rest of Colorado and into Kansas.  To break up the long day of driving, I looked for a stop about halfway and found Monument Rocks Natural Landmark in Oakley, Kansas.  If you’re not looking for it, you’ll definitely miss it. 

The drive from the main highway is about 20 minutes south until you find a dirt road on the left.  It does have markers but you need to be looking for it too. 

It’s a seven-mile-long drive on a gravely dirt road and about half way through you’ll swear you’re in the wrong place.  You’re not, just keep driving and eventually you’ll come across this.

Monument Rocks Natural Landmark

This natural rock formation is literally out in the middle of nowhere and just the neatest place, or at least we all thought so.  There are two formations so we stopped at the first one to walk around and take pictures before driving a little way down to the next one.

After taking a bunch of pictures that’ll probably only be special to us, we ate a picnic lunch out of the car and then continued down the road. If I had to guess I would say most people turn around and go back the way they came.  But we didn’t.  I had researched before that said if you keep going another 13 miles you’ll end up back on the highway.

And this picture right here sums up why I’m glad we kept going.

Out of nowhere, three donkeys came up to the car which for whatever reason was so fun.  After taking a few pictures we continued on and the drive while bumpy, was very neat. 

My parents and I all agreed that this was a stop worth making if you’re in the area.  And to be honest, there’s not much else to see on this drive so break up your day and enjoy it.

From there we drove several more hours before checking into our hotel in Wichita, Kansas for the night.

Day Two

With another long driving day in front of us, we left Wichita and drove south to Oklahoma City, OK for a mid-morning stop.  With no real agenda for this area, we drove around first and then made a stop at the Oklahoma City National Memorial Museum.

From the National Parks Service:
A symbolic remembrance of the impact of violence.  The outdoor symbolic memorial is a place of quiet reflection, honoring victims, survivors, rescuers, and all who were changed forever on April 19, 1995. It encompasses the now sacred soil where the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building once stood, capturing and preserving forever the place and events that changed the world.

The visit to the museum was a somber one as you could imagine but we enjoyed the chance to visit before hitting the road again.  This time we headed east across Oklahoma to Arkansas. It took us almost seven hours with a few stops to reach our next destination, Hot Springs, AR.  Luckily we would be spending the next two nights in the cutest little hotel you’ve ever seen.

Best Court Cottages

One of the things I tried to do on my trip was to mix up the stays especially if I could find unique places.  Best Court Cottages is seriously the cutest little motel and just a few minutes away from the downtown area. 

From Best Court Website:
Our newly remodeled Best Court offers a unique experience in the Hot Springs Historic District! Spacious and versatile floor plans feature an ideal blend of preserved history on the exterior with comfortable amenities once you step inside. Each space provides a restful retreat without having to sacrifice convenience to all that Hot Springs has to offer. We are located minutes away from the most popular attractions including the famous Bathhouse Row, North Woods Trail, Oaklawn Racing & Casino, Garvan Gardens, the Entertainment District and our Beautiful Lakes. This property was established in 1933 and has been fully remodeled.

It really lived up to the website’s description with a vintage feel to the exterior but updated interiors.  And of course, they had dog friendly cottages.

Day Three

The next morning Sampson and I went walking around a nearby historic district so I could admire the houses. When we got back, we all headed to downtown to Hot Springs National Park.

Hot Springs National Park

From the National Parks Service:
Where History and Nature Meet.  Hot Springs National Park has a rich cultural past. The grand architecture of our historic bathhouses is equally matched by the natural curiosities that have been drawing people here for hundreds of years. Ancient thermal springs, mountain views, incredible geology, forested hikes, and abundant creeks – all in the middle of town – make Hot Springs National Park a unique and beautiful destination

Hot Springs National Park was different from all the other national parks I visited.  There is no entry; it’s just the downtown area and surrounding mountains.

We walked along the downtown area starting with the path behind the bath houses.  It’s more of a secluded walk and about half way connects to the middle of Bath House Row.  We started walking along the main street taking in the view of the Bath Houses and I read about their history of course.  We did a loop and headed back stopping along a few shops along the way. 

BARK Ranger

My parents watched Sampson so that I could head inside the museum. This gave me a chance to take in all of the historic details like the tile and trim work inside. 

And while we were there I made sure that Sampson officially was named a BARK Ranger just for fun.

We grabbed lunch at a restaurant downtown sand sat outside since Sampson was with us.  And oh, this is about the most dog-friendly area we visited the entire trip.  After lunch we drove up Fountain Street which takes you to some great overlooks of the area down below.  Mama watched Sampson so that Daddy and I could ride to the top of the Hot Springs Mountain Tower. 

After a full day, we grabbed a pizza and headed back to the hotel before calling it a night. 

Day Four

Long Travel Day + Birmingham, Alabama

This was another long travel day with no real stops worth mentioning.  We left Hot Springs and drove across Arkansas, through part of Mississippi, and stopped for the night in Birmingham, Alabama.  I had booked a swanky loft apartment for the night’s stay that felt a little too fancy for us but it did provide for a good night’s rest.

Day Five

Heading Home

Early the next morning Sampson and I walked the Civil Rights District in Birmingham before we packed the car to head home. 

We weren’t in a real hurry since it was only supposed to take us about five hours to get to South Carolina. And yet somehow it turned into another long driving day.  Regardless, we made it home safely less the rock that hit my windshield less than an hour away from home.  Luckily, I was still able to drive. After dropping my parents off at home, Sampson and I made our way back to our home sweet home.

Overall Thoughts

This was a once in a lifetime trip that I hope I get to make more than once in my lifetime.  Seriously, I could not have asked for a better trip.  On the open road, traveling the US for four weeks – I think I could have traveled a couple of more weeks.  I will forever be grateful for the chance to spend time with my sweet boy Sampson as my travel buddy, and later for my parents to join me was really special too.  I ended up traveling through 19 states, visited 9 National Parks, and got to experience some of the most beautiful places along the way.  I am forever grateful for the opportunity to travel and I hope that by sharing my travels, it will encourage you to do the same.  I’m already working on the next trip.