Day 977: Hot Springs NP, Central High School NHS, Arkansas Post NM

We had a nice Shabbos here at the campground in Arkansas, though some of our neighbors were a little sketchy.

This morning, M photographed his R/C car:

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Our first stop today was Hot Springs National Park.  The park was created in 1832 as Hot Springs Reservation, the first land ever set aside by the Federal Government for recreation.  The Park is known for its bathhouses which have allowed visitors to enjoy the area’s natural hot springs:

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The visitor center was formerly the Fordyce Bathhouse, which operated from 1915-1962, one of the many bathhouses along Bathhouse Row.  In the basement, much of the machinery is still present:

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The bathhouse has a variety of interesting baths:

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One room has been converted to house exhibits:

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Some things should go without saying:

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The ladies’ waiting room:

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Most people visited the baths to alleviate symptoms from various medical conditions:

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The ladies’ lounge:

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The ceiling track allowed immobile patients to be brought into the tub room and lowered into the tub:

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The bathhouse had its own gymnasium:

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The kids completed their Junior Ranger workbooks and received their badges:

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We drove northeast to visit Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site:

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This site interprets the federal government’s forced desegregation of Little Rock High School in 1957:

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The gas station across the street from the high school has been restored to how it looked in 1957:

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The high school is still used as a high school today:

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The kids completed their Junior Ranger workbooks and received their badges:

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As we left little rock, we passed by the Arkansas Capitol building:

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Our last stop of the day was Arkansas Post National Memorial:

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On this site in the 1680s, the French built a trading post.  The area was controlled at various times by the French, Spanish, and Americans.  In 1819, Arkansas Post became the first capital of the Arkansas Territory.  During the Civil War, the Battle of Arkansas Post was fought here.

We watched the park film and walked the exhibit space in the visitor center.  We then walked the grounds of the park:

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The kids completed their Junior Ranger workbooks and received their badges:

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We continued east, crossing into Mississippi:

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We overnighted at the Walmart of Tupelo, Mississippi.  See the trip map for today’s drive and our current location.

Day 975: Fort Smith NHS, Crater of Diamonds SP
Day 978: Nachez Trace NHT, Corinth Battlefield, Shiloh NMP

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