Need help for a 5-day trip in Hot Springs

My husband and I are planning a trip to Hot Springs in March 8-12. After reading the reviews, I decide to pick either the Embassy Suite hotel or a top B%26amp;B to stay for the 4 nights. I know the ES is in downtown and close to many points of interest, I am not sure about those B%26amp;B. Are they conveniently located?

We want to do some hiking. Do we need to rent a car to get to the trails? Or are there buses or shuttles that can take tourists?

Is the Magic Springs park fun except the built-in water park? I guess March is too cold for playing water.

Is boating popular in March?

I am also interested in taking the traditional bath. Any recommendatoin for bathhouses?

Need help for a 5-day trip in Hot Springs

I live in Malvern which is just outside of Hot Springs.

I don%26#39;t think Magic Springs is open in March. The website is www.magicsprings.com if you want to double check.

Boating should be okay in March but the weather in March is really unpredictable. I got married in March and it was 75 and sunny at my rehearsal and 55 and a thunderstorm the next day at my wedding if that tells you anything.

I would rent a car. Hot Springs is sort of divided into two main areas. There%26#39;s downtown where bathhouse row is and there%26#39;s the lakes. Personally, I prefer the lake area. Bathhouse row can get crowded and its a little touristy, especially in the late spring/early summer. But it can be fun if you%26#39;ve never been here before.

For hiking you%26#39;ll want to go to Lake Ouachita. Lake Hamilton is ok but doesn%26#39;t have the national forest so there%26#39;s not much hiking and there%26#39;s a bunch of houses and restaurants.

There is Arlington National Park downtown (the only urban national park is what I%26#39;ve always been told.) Its on a mountain. You can hike or drive to the top where there is the Hot Springs Mountain Tower. I think you have to pay to actually go up to the top of the tower but I%26#39;m not sure how much it is.

You might want to check out the horse races at Oaklawn. I think they should still be going on in March.

I would check out www.hotsprings.org if you haven%26#39;t already. They have some pretty good information and you can get a travel guide.

Garvan Woodland Gardens is a botanical garden. It might be a little out of the way but its really pretty. www.garvangardens.org

Need help for a 5-day trip in Hot Springs

ah32605, many thanks for your helpful suggestions. I will check out Lake Ouachita, the Garvan Woodland Gardens and Oaklawn for sure.

If you stay downtown, you will find plenty of hiking just off Central Avenue. There is a reason the Dead Chief%26#39;s Trail has its name, and yet we climb it every time we%26#39;re there. It goes from Central Avenue behind the bath houses up to the Mountain Tower.

And it%26#39;s almost imperative that you spend some time people watching while enjoying the ambience of the Arlington Hotel lobby. Not to mention the killer Cappucino they make at the lobby bar.

Another ';never miss'; for us is dinner at Belle Arti and dinner at Brau Haus, both on Central Avenue downtown.

Since you%26#39;ll be there in March, it%26#39;s almost required that you have a corned beef sandwich at Oaklawn Park -- whether you like horse racing or not!

Spend a moment standing in front of the Arlington Hotel. Imagine Al Capone being up in his room. Imagine the machine gun fire from Central Avenue as one of the gansters falls on those steps.

Hot Springs is a great place to visit.

automatic stability control