November 04, 2003

Hot Springs, epicenter of Bubba

After the Arkansas highpoint, I took the 10 to the 7 south to Hot Springs. It looks like a bit of a straight shot on the map, but in practice it's a rather difficult road with enough blind rises, blind curves, and 180 degree turns that it demands your complete attention. It doesn't use as much gas as the roads near Grayson Highlands State Park in VA, but it's still not an interstate. Perhaps I should have taken the freeway route, although it probably would have taken longer. However, at least unlike some other states (I'm looking at you, Massachusetts), the roads here are fairly well marked, and I had no navigational problems getting to the park and then getting to Hot Springs.

Hot Springs is a sleazy little spa town that oozes sleaze from every pore of its emaciated little body. Yes, I said "sleazy" twice, but I could have said it a third time and the characterization still would be too light. I wonder how many Bubba lionizations in the mainstream press gave an accurate portrayal of this little hole. One can easily see how someone like Bubba thrived in a town like this.

Hot Springs even has its own fairly large ghetto which is a bit surprising for a little town that not only has just 35,000 residents, but also has its own National Park. Just down the street from the National Park at Central and Grand is an area slightly reminiscent of some of the areas around LAX. That is to say you have thugs with prison tats queueing up to use the payphones, while tourists and families scurry by in a hurry to get back to their in-town motel rooms. I'd like to see this town during the day, otherwise I'd get out of here as quick as speed limits allow.

Posted to BloggingAcrossAmerica at November 4, 2003 09:15 PM

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