Roaming the Streets of Hot Springs

Recently we took a little venture South.  We loaded up the car and took off at 8 pm to start an extended Holiday Weekend in Arkansas.  A few normal stops along the way for coffee and gas station snacks and we arrived in Fayetteville around midnight on Thanksgiving night.  Up early the next morning for breakfast and back on the winding roads to our first destination, Hot Springs.

The weather was abnormally warm for the end of November and the quaint little town was bustling with people as we drove the drag toward our hotel.  We stayed at The Hotel Hot Springs, dog-friendly of course and located at the edge of town. Perfect location to be able to walk everywhere.  We set out to explore, admiring the history and architecture of the town before running into a little gem called the Aristocrat...where they may or may not have let us buy tall-boys with which we were able to dump into styrofoam cups and continue our journey around town.  This is gangster land folks, so it's fine.  We had an escape route if needed.  We did a bit of window shopping where I found the perfect patch for my denim vest, before making a stop at the Copper Penny Pub for a snack and cocktails, after-all it was happy hour.

We checked out the hotel bar, it's tradition, before continuing the evening which consisted of sparkling Christmas lights and filthy martinis at the infamous Arlington Hotel, where it was still nice enough to be on the patio before heading on to find live music.  We started at a place called the Ohio Club, the oldest and apparently most popular place in town, it was packed so we decided to move on finding a place called, Maxine's Live. Jackpot! Live music and informal, the perfect place to belly up to the bar before ending the evening.  Maxine's was named after Maxine Temple Jones, the once Brothel Queen of Hot Springs in the mid-1900's, which was located on the second floor and used to be named the Crystal Saloon.

The next morning I introduced the BF to The Pancake Shop.  A well-known breakfast spot in Hot Springs but worth the wait.  By the way, order the pancakes...along with eggs, bacon, sausage, toast, apple butter, coffee, and fresh-squeezed orange juice. I am being serious too.  You will want it all. One last stop to pick up a few holiday gifts before packing up our bags to head into nature for the next two nights.  Before leaving, we filled up our water canister for camping with the natural water from the springs, it's right in the center of town...Stay tuned for our experience's in the wild mountains of Arkansas!

There is so much history in Hot Springs and it's worth the drive.

Two gangsters just exploring the streets of Hot Springs...
Shona

White Cloud Winnings and Weston Wine

White Cloud and I don't mean the puffy poofs in the sky either.  If you haven't experienced this small, best-place-to-people-watch casino..make the drive North.  And if you aren't a regular, they know it...which just adds to the enjoyment of it all.  Saturday night of our weekend get-a-way meant a night of B-I-N-G-O and I am guessing you sang it just like I did when I was typing it.  Three hours of being a nervous wreck hoping to yell out the one word that everyone is anxiously waiting to say...and not one of us got too either.  And the people there, they take this sh*t serious too.  And did you know there are like 1,795 ways to play bingo...ya me neither. That and the fact I didn't want to yell BINGO when I didn't really have one just added to my anxiety!  But we did have a platter of fried food...winning!  

After bingo we headed to the slots to play the "free" money we received since it was our birthdays.  But you know the rule, you have to "play" that free money and can't just cash it out.  Come on people, I know how to work that system.  Insert a small amount, play a while, and since you usually win some along the way, once you get a head, cash out.  Repeat. I would only play like $5 at a time and always cashed out above that so thanks White Cloud for doubling the money you gave me!  

The next morning we headed down for breakfast before cruising to our next destination, Riverwood Winery.  I love this place! They have some of the best wine I have ever had and since it's getting to be close to the Holidays, their warm samples of wine and whiskey hit the spot!  I opted for Red Eminence and can't wait to heat that bottle up with a bit of mulling spices to make for the perfect Festive Cocktail! And the Havarti cheese was to die for...

We made a short stop in Weston to stroll downtown for a while before heading home.  Cigar shops, antiques, coffee houses...and I managed to pick up a few Christmas gifts while there.  I also found two pairs of Buckskin Indian Pants with antler buttons...Mom, about my Christmas list you asked for....I am going to need those! And I found a vintage glass syringe..I should probably add that to my medical bag too! 

I have to thank my Mom for planning this little get-a-way, she is super if you haven't already figured that out! See my previous two blog posts for more cool places we adventured to! 

Shona

We Like Fried Food, Coffee, and Cocktails

On a recent weekend adventure I was seriously ecstatic to be able to try a few local places that included none other than food and drink...two of my favorite things!  On the way to St. Joseph, we made our way off the highway to a small place called Fords Drive-In.  We walked in and the folks there instantly knew we weren't from around those parts...but they didn't care. They found us entertaining and served up a big smile anyway.  Reason #48,295 why I love places like this.  The guy behind the counter, "You must be related."...why yes, yes we are.

We each ordered a burger and decided to split cheese sticks, mushrooms, and spicy cheese cubes and after polishing that off, ordered a large fry.  Our total bill, under $14.  Now, these servings are smaller, thank you for not super sizing anything...but fulfilling for us. I am not going to lie, I could have ordered a triple burger, but decided to take it easy.

Once arriving to our destination, we dropped off our bags...see previous blog post about Whiskey Mansion...and decided to head downtown.  We found the cutest little coffee house, Mokaska Coffee and each ordered something warm to "warm" up.  My sister had this whipped apple cider...and although my cappuccino was yummy, I wanted to steal hers!  Once we finished there, we headed to the Tiger's Den to up our game with cocktails.

This place had me instantly...it's a used book store/bar, let's call it a Book-Bar.  Prohibition-style drinks, walls of used books, comfy couches and friendly folks.  I am so glad we found this hidden gem.  They offer a variety of craft beers, many different wines, and great cocktails. I opted for the Paloma, a favorite of mine. Best part about it, no television. Bonus points in my book...see what I did there?

By the way, how could we not start out this roadtrip without a bathroom selfie? November is seriously my favorite time of year!

I can not imagine life that didn't include exploration.

Shona

Whiskey + Mansions

First off, I am going to start by saying by Mom is the best Mom ever!  She surprised my sister and I with a weekend get-a-way for our November Birthdays...we had no clue where we were going or what we were doing.  We have been doing a Birthday weekend for years now, it's our little thing we just do every year.  It's one of my favorite times because I am so thankful we are always able to get away together.

The weekend was filled with so many surprises I am going to split up the blog a bit.  Let's talk about where we stayed.  Whiskey Mansion...a gorgeous bed and breakfast in the heart of St. Joseph, Mo.  Did I mention it's haunted too?  So that just added to the perfection of it all.  Filled with furniture from the time period of the 18-1900's, the grandeur of this space is unforgettable.  We arrived on Saturday and that afternoon we spent time just relaxing in the parlor drinking the tall boys we picked up at the local gas station before heading out that evening. The next morning we enjoyed breakfast in one of the dining rooms.  The room we staying in was labeled "Sarah's Room"...keep reading!

History: It was built in 1885 by Ferninand and Sarah Westheimer from Rimbach, Germany. They distributed whiskey to mining towns out West, with their more famous being Red Top Rye. They raised 8 sons, one of which founded Big Brothers, Big Sisters. The house was condemned in 1992 and faced a fire in 1995.  Olin Cox, a Savannah Missouri native, moved back from Japan and bought the property and began the restoration process.  The whole mansion was restored with period furniture and brought back to life, now operating as a bed and breakfast. A must see in Missouri.
 

Until next year..

Shona