Hot Springs, Arkansas has a weird vibe. Is it the crystal mines, the gambling, the seven hot springs bubbling out of the ground, or the lingering ghosts of the mob? Whatever it is, you just can’t put your finger on it.
A Little History
‘Little’ because there are mountains of stories about the Spa City. There is just too much folklore to write about in this one little blog. But I’ll skim the top.
Horse racing in Arkansas began in 1905 and flourished in the 1920’s and 30’s, when Al Capone used Hot Springs as a vacation spot and kind of hide out for him and his family when Chicago got “too hot.” He stayed in suite 443 in the historic Arlington Resort Hotel & Spa, which is still standing, and often rented the whole floor for his gang of goons.
But the mystique of Hot Springs goes back much further than the mob.
Native American tribes including the Choctaw, Caddo, and Quapaw gathered there more than 10,000 years ago, calling it the Valley of Vapors because of the healing properties of the natural springs. Today we call it Spa City, thanks to the eight grand bathhouses built between 1880 and 1923 along Bathhouse Row.
On top of all those claims to fame, Hot Springs is nestled in the Quachita Mountains near the only public diamond mine in the United States, Crater of Diamonds State Park! And right in the center of downtown is our country’s first national park, Hot Springs National Park, predating Yellowstone. Oh, and let’s not forget the 7,000-acre body of water within the city limits called Lake Hamilton. The lake scene is a whole subculture unto itself.
Back to Horse Racing
This past weekend sober-husband Grady joined me for a weekend of debauchery with some of my high school friends. We stayed on Lake Hamilton by night and went to the horse races by day.
We arrived at Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort before noon so we could settle in and study our tip sheets. Oaklawn has changed a lot since my younger days; before the casino expansion, when you had to be over 18 to enter the premises, and there was no online betting. Back then, the lines at the betting windows would be so long, you often didn’t get your bet placed before the race started.
But one thing that hasn’t changed, it remains one of the most important thoroughbred racing venues in the country. It’s often called the Road to the Kentucky Derby because of all the famous horses that boarded, trained, and raced there.
In 2015, the track helped launch the near-perfect season of Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, and I will never forget Smarty Jones, more for its name than its record.
A Day at the Races
As we settled into our racing box on the finish line, one of my friends had a fun idea. Let’s each chip in $2 and make a pool of $16. Then let’s bet it all on the favorite horse to show, a sure bet. With the winnings we would roll it into the next bet, and the next. It was FUN!
Not to brag (but to brag, and my friends would tell you the same) I was hot that day! Betting on cute names and favorite numbers, instead of statistics, paid off. On a $15 dollar bet, I won $150!
If you ever get a chance to visit Hot Springs, you should; it is a unique place and not too expensive.
Like the old stories of Hot Springs, so went our weekend. We reminisced about the past, partied, and submerged ourselves in the weird vibe of Arkansas’ Spa City.
About the Author
Kerry McCoy founded FlagandBanner.com in 1975 with just $400 and a dream, building it from door-to-door flag sales into a multi-million dollar enterprise. With over five decades in the American flag and banner business, her insights into patriotic trends and flag sales patterns come from serving customers nationwide during times of celebration, crisis, and everything in between.
Kerry is also the host of “Up in Your Business with Kerry McCoy” radio show and continues expanding her business empire through Kerry McCoy Enterprises while sharing the entrepreneurial wisdom gained from decades of building the American dream.
