Best Autumn Drives #1 - Scenic Highway 7 in Arkansas

Overlook on Scenic Highway 7

With the first hints of fall in the air, I thought you might enjoy looking at some of the best autumn drives in the South. First up is the stunning Scenic Highway 7 in Arkansas.

Dedicated in 1994, Scenic Highway 7 was the Natural State's first national scenic byway. It has been named as one of the ten most beautiful drives in the nation and stretches for 290 miles past waterfalls, mountains, valleys, streams, historic sites and more. The northern half of the highway passes through the rugged and scenic Ozark mountains and takes in some of the most spectacular scenery in the South.

Pedestal Rocks Scenic Area

Scenic Highway 7 begins near Harrison and not far from the noted Ozarks resort area of Eureka Springs. From there it winds south through the mountains to the Buffalo National River, a scenic and historic national park area that protects more than 150-miles of the free-flowing Buffalo River. Noted for its deep canyons, scenic bluffs and historic sites, the park is nothing short of spectacular during the fall leaf change, which usually begins in October.

From the Buffalo River region, the highway continues south through the mountains of the Ozark National Forest and eventually emerges at Russellville on the Arkansas River. The southern half of the byway then picks up and extends down through the Ouachita Mountains to Hot Springs and eventually on to the Louisiana state line.

Hot Springs National Park

As it passes through Hot Springs, Scenic Highway 7 becomes the main street down historic Bathhouse Row at Hot Springs National Park. This stunning national park preserves a major resort of the 19th and early 20th century, along with the remarkable hot springs that feed its saunas and pools.  The park also protects thousands of acres of spectacular mountain scenery.

To learn more about Scenic Highway 7 and the array of natural and historic points of interest along its route, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/scenic7.

Hot Springs National Park - Hot Springs, Arkansas

If the cold weather that swept across the South this week has you dreaming about warmer places, there is a place in Arkansas where the steam rises from the mountain sides 365 days a year.

Hot Springs National Park, located in the heart of downtown Hot Springs, Arkansas, preserves the famed "hot springs of the Ouachita." The stunning historic site is considered by many to be America's first national park, and with just reason. The U.S. Government set aside thousands of acres surrounding the springs in 1830 to prevent their exploitation by private developers and preserve them as a national resource.

Long before the action was taken, however, the hot springs had gained fame. They are mentioned in documents relating to the Hernando de Soto expedition of the 1540s and by the 1700s were frequented by early French explorers and fur trappers. President Thomas Jefferson sent an expedition to find the springs in 1804 and by the 1820s visitors from across the United States were already making the trek into the Arkansas mountains to soak in the mysterious waters that many still believe hold healing powers.

By the time of the Civil War, Hot Springs had become a major resort area. Soldiers marching past during the Red River Campaign described a community evacuated due to war. In the years following the War Between the States, the resort rebounded quickly and even attracted the likes of Frank and Jesse James, who vacationed - and committed at least a couple of robberies - in the area.

They were not the only unsavory types who made their way to Hot Springs. The community became known for its gambling and nightlife during the 1920s and 1930s and attracted the likes of Al Capone before Governor Winthrop Rockefeller finally shut down the gambling and cleaned up Hot Springs in 1967. Since then it has developed as a marvelous family resort and treasured historic site.

Steaming water flows down the mountain year round and visitors can even enjoy a soak in slightly cooled water from the springs in a restored historic bathhouse and at several other spas in Hot Springs. As a result, the city is popular year-round. Garvan Gardens in Hot Springs also boasts one of the finest Christmas lighting displays in the South.

To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/hotspringsindex.

Spring Travel Part Fifteen: The Ouachita Mountains of Arkansas and Oklahoma

One of the most beautiful regions in the South can be found in western Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma.

While many people are familiar with the Ozarks, located a bit to the north, fewer know about the spectacular Ouachitas (pronounced Wah-she-Tahs).

Rich in history and natural beauty, the Ouachitas are the tallest mountains between the Great Smokies and the Rockies. They stretch from the area of Hot Springs, Arkansas west for more than 100 miles across the border into eastern Oklahoma. Filled with history, legends and mysteries, they are among the most intriguing of America's mountain ranges.

To learn more about the Ouachita Mountains, Hot Springs, the Talimena Drive, Queen Wilhelmina State Park, the Ghost Story of Rich Mountain and even an 1897 "UFO Report," please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/ouachita1.

Hot Springs, Arkansas

Our pages on Hot Springs, Arkansas, are now updated and we will be expanding them more over the next few days. To visit them just go to: http://www.exploresouthernhistory.com/.

This is one of my favorite places in the South. The sight of the natural hot water cascade pouring down the slopes of Hot Springs Mountain is really spectacular, especially during the winter when clouds of steam come off the water on cold days.

The restoration of historic Bathhouse Row at Hot Springs National Park is progressing nicely. These beautiful old buildings were originally constructed to serve as high-end bathhouses for people who came to Hot Springs to soak in the water. One of them, Buckstaff, still functions as a spa and another is the National Park Service visitor center. Others, however, are being restored to serve as galleries, shops, etc.

One note, if you are thinking about visiting Hot Springs for a weekend, I strongly suggest you reserve a room in advance. The hotels fill up quickly.