Books, Bites, and Sights

Such a Fun Age, Kiley Reed

2/5 stars

PSA Don’t let my rating or review ever steer you away from reading a book you’ve heard about or have wanted to read. I am just a 28 year old know-nothing, but I am an avid reader. And at the end of the day, I may just be a hater.

Such a Fun Age was well written and unique, but, for me personally, it didn’t live up to the hype or the notoriety. And maybe it was just a wrong place, wrong time ordeal. Or maybe I am not the target audience.

I did enjoy the novel, and the storyline was engaging. Multiple times during the book I found myself gasping, wide-eyed, and OMG-ing out loud, but the novel, for me, wasn’t a page turner nor did I find myself late in the night saying, “One more chapter.” I do think the novel lends itself to sparking much needed discussions regarding race, and I may have enjoyed the novel more had I had a book club or another fellow reader to engage more deeply into the plot-line with.

Kollective Coffee and Tea in Hot Springs, AK ($50)

As you know (or if you don’t, now you will), my boyfriend and I have many dietary restrictions. First, I am lactose intolerant which isn’t so hard to work around nowadays, but I also prefer low sugar due to my insulin sensitivities. My boyfriend, Amory, is allergic to eggs and is sensitive to gluten. We joke about being the trifecta: vegan, gluten-free, and keto. Don’t get me wrong. I will gladly take part in eating a Krispy Cream Donut or big bowl of Lucky Charms cereal with almond milk, but I also try to be cautious of how over indulging in these foods leads to brain-fog and an upset stomach for me personally.

I say all this to add – when we find a cafe or restaurant that meets our trifecta needs, we take notes. Kollective Coffee and Tea was and is one of these places. I ordered a drip coffee and yogurt bowl which had the option of being both vegan and gluten-free (captured below in my photo dump). Amory order a peppermint tea and their hummus bowl. Everything was so delicious and well-crafted. The fruit, yogurt, coffee, and hummus was fresh and beautifully plated. We were highly satisfied and so, so grateful that they had the vegan, gluten-free options available for us.

We stayed at the cafe for two hours enjoying our breakfast and utilizing Kollective’s free Wifi. Amory filmed a magic trick inside, and the staff was both attentive and kind.

Pancakes at the Hot Springs Mountain Lookout Point

As you could’ve predicted, we made our signature gluten-free, eggless pancakes (check out my Gatlinburg post to learn more) at the picnic area beside the Hot Springs Mountain Tower. The picnic area is located atop the Ouachita Mountains and offers ample grills, picnic tables, restrooms, and great views. All for free. You can hike up to this point via Peak trail or drive your car up the scenic one-way road. When we visited, it was not terribly busy, and parking was ample. We drove our 4Runner up and used our gas stove. We whipped up our pancakes, adding extra cinnamon this time, and then made our way to the quaintly elegant Hot Springs Mountain Pagoda to eat and watch the sunset over the surrounding countryside.

Whirlpool Mineral Bath Package at Buckstaff on Bathhouse Row ($100)

Throughout its history the main attraction to Hot Springs has been the rejuvenating and medicinal powers of the mineral water itself. So, Amory and I agreed we had to see what all the hype was about. We decided to book (walk-ups welcome, no reservation needed) the most basic spa package offered at Buckstaff on Bathhouse Row for $45 per person which included a 20 minute private bath at 102 degrees, a hot pack (basically hot towels wrapped around your body while you lay on a gurney), 5 minutes in a steam cabinet, and 5 minutes in a sits tub.

This spa package feels like you’re stepping back in time. The big claw-foot tub, the vintage jacuzzi machine used during my private bath, and even the penny tile flooring all give you a 1950’s retro feel as you take pause to reflect or space out. I enjoyed the experience a lot. Amory has sensitive skin, but he also enjoyed the experience and had no issues.

Things you should note about this experience include: the spas are separated by genders with men on the first floor, and women on the second. So, if you go in with your boyfriend like I did, you will not see him again until the end of your treatment. Also, you are nude for the entire experience. The attendant will cater to all your needs and will wrap you in a cloth as you transition from each station, but the attendant will see you naked. Don’t worry though. Both my own attendant and Amory’s were very professional and communicative. Last, no phones allowed outside of the changing room – and rightfully so because you and others are completely nude (although I think I read that you are welcome to wear a swimsuit if you choose).

Hot Springs Mountain Observation Tower ($25)

Let’s be honest: Hot Springs National Park has a lot going for it, but the views by foot or car are very mid-tier in comparison to those westward or so I was led to believe by those Reddit haters. Want those breathtaking views mentioned in the introduction of this post? The Hot Springs Mountain Observation Tower is a must.

If you have a National Park pass, it will cost you $11 to ride to the top of the tower, and if not, $14. After waiting about 10 minutes, it was our turn to go up. Once at the top, we explored the two story museum while learning about the history of the park, and then we stepped out on the observation deck for a panoramic view of the park and the surrounding area. My (stupidly) low expectations were exponentially exceeded with the beauty and vastness captured at the top of the tower. Many different mountains encompass the view, and the sun shining over the foliage made the fall colors pop. I had been indifferent about allotting time for the tower, but now I would say don’t visit Hot Springs without it.

Hiking

Hot Springs National Park has many interconnected hiking trails. Amory and I used the paved Grand Promenade trail (0.5 miles) near the visitor center to get to the predominately unpaved Peak trail (0.6 miles) up to the Hot Springs Mountain Tower. Once at the Mountain Tower, we used the Mountain tail (1.7 mile loop) to get to the Gulpha Gorge trail (0.6 miles) to get to the Goat Rock trail (1.1 miles). Shew. Did you catch all that? Like I said, the hiking trails in Hot Springs are very interconnected; however, they are very well maintained and very easily navigated. Additionally, we had service the entire trek.

Once at Goat Rock, we sat down on the rock ledge for a break and quickly realized that we were being swarmed by… ladybugs? Wrong. After a quick Google search, we found out that the little ‘ladybug’ like critters crawling on us and the rocks around us were actually Asian Lady beetles. And they were everywhere. Landing on our faces and even crawling in our mouths. Yuck, but also neat! After a little research, I learned that these beetles were migrating in preparation for Winter, but I also learned that they are very invasive and not really welcomed by people in the area nor are they helpful to the native wildlife there. How to tell them apart from a true ladybug? Ladybugs are red. Asian Lady beetles are orange.

Hot Springs National Park Museum and Visitor Center

Rain, rain go away. Or maybe don’t because the rain led Amory and I to our first adventure in Hot Springs.

It was raining quite hard when we first arrived in Hot Springs, so after quickly feeling and seeing the Promenade cascades (one of the more popular springs – and yes, its actually hot) in the rain (which gave such a unique, mystic vibe – peep the background of my first photo dump image) we immediately took refuge in the park’s visitor center and museum. Without feeling rushed to begin hiking because of the rain, we took our time exploring the three-story visitor center and museum. And I am glad we did because Hot Springs is rich with history, and I take after my museum loving, random trivial-history knowing momma. Hot Springs is one of the oldest national parks and the lore behind the springs is so rich and inviting.

The visitor center’s staff was also so kind and answered all of our inquires. They were the ones who made the suggestions that we check out the mineral baths.

Lastly, whatever you do, do not leave the park without sampling some of the mineral water for yourself. Yes, you can and are even encouraged to drink some of the water – but only from the designated springs. You can fill up your canteen or just take a handful of water from a hot spring located right behind the visitor center. Drinking hot water doesn’t sound appealing to you? You can also access a public cold water spring at Happy Hollow located less than 5 minutes from the visitor center.

Mountain Valley Spring Water Museum ($50)

Nothing is better than stumbling on a hidden gem. And while it may not be as hidden to others as it was to us, we were both shocked and pleased to learn that Mountain Valley Spring Water is sourced directly in Hot Springs. We love this water brand, especially their eco-friendly glass bottles. We reach for it from time to time at our local grocery store in Nashville, so to stumble on the museum, which was less than a five minute walk from Bathhouse Row, was super exciting. And of course we had to walk the quaint museum and gift shop. We snagged a few stickers, two bottles of water (one white peach pictured below in my photo dump), and a new hat for Amory.