Fifty miles southwest of Little Rock, the spa town of Hot Springs nestles in the heavily forested Zig Zag Mountains on the eastern flank of the Ouachitas. Its thermal waters have attracted visitors since Native Americans used the area as a neutral zone to settle disputes. Early settlers fashioned a crude resort out of the wilderness, and after the railroads arrived in 1875 it became a European-style spa. During the Twenties and Thirties, the mayor reputedly ran a gambling syndicate worth $30 million per annum, and punters included Al Capone and Bugsy Malone. However, Hot Springs's popularity waned when new cures for arthritis appeared during the Fifties, and all but one of the bathhouses closed down. There was a surge of interest after Clinton's election - he lived here between 1953 and 1964 - and the visitor center at Central Avenue and Court Street (tel 501/321-2277) provides a glossy leaflet marking his favorite haunts. Hotels in Hot Springs |
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