Top community of 60+ travelers. Make Lifelong Travel Easy
Share
The Ageless Traveler--Discover Bentonville, Arkansas, European Hot Springs & Hidden Wellness Gems for Ageless Travelers
Published 8 days ago • 5 min read
Dear Ageless Traveler,
It’s a pleasure to write to “y’all.” Having been in Arkansas for a familiarization trip with the North American Travel Journalists Association, you can’t fault me for throwing in a bit of dialect.
Arkansas is a state that brands itself “The Natural State,” and indeed it is. My journey took me to Little Rock, North Little Rock, and Hot Springs for a deep dive into the William J. Clinton Presidential Library and Museum, the brave story of anti-segregation, and the contemporary growth in music, art, and adventure travel.
There is so much unexpected excitement in Arkansas that I dedicate this entire newsletter to encouraging you to visit. I remember the lyrics of the song from the award-winning Broadway show Big River: “I love my ma, I love my pa, but oh, how I love Arkansas.” The reimagining of Huckleberry Finn on stage might lead you to believe that Arkansas is hillbilly country. I found it steeped in sophistication, fine dining, and, yes, natural experiences that can be enjoyed at any age.
For example, Culture Vulture is devoted to the fine food experiences in Hot Springs. Did you know that Hot Springs has the only craft brewery located within a national park? In Luxury Travel for Less, we experience the finest in racing and gambling culture, both down and dirty, at the Gangster Museum of America in Hot Springs and at Arkansas’s answer to Ascot Racecourse and the Kentucky Derby — Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort.
On a personal note, I dubbed Arkansas “The Kindness State.” At the At the Corner Café in Little Rock, near the elegant and historic Capital Hotel, I witnessed a waitress bringing out a chair for an older gentleman so he could wait comfortably for the bus.
I was treated with kindness and dignity as I rather ungracefully got in and out of my one-person kayak and paddled my way down the Arkansas River.
I was amazed at how each restaurant — funky and five-star alike — accommodated our quirks, from vegetarians and pescatarians to beer drinkers and martini sippers, and at 501 Prime, I discovered the best bourbon in the universe.
On this week’s podcast, I feature travel for wellness with Jeanne Neylon Decker, creator of Travel Tawk. Jeanne shares unexpected places where wellness is the destination and the goal.
Enjoy this eye-opening newsletter.
Never stop traveling
Cheers,
Adriane
P.S. Register for the June 10th webinar to discover what travel coaching is and how you can make money, travel more, and help others:
Meet like-minded people to share experiences and stay in contact with people you meet on your travels.
This Week's Highlights
On Our Podcast
The Dolomites, Tyrol, Normandy, Bentonville Ark and Nude Bathing!
On this week’s podcast, we focus on wellness with Jeanne Neylon Decker, creator of Travel Tawk. We focus on the Dolomites, Tyrol and interesting wellness baths and luxury experiences for health and relaxation. And we shmooze about Arkansas as a wellness retreat for all ages.
You have not texted or left a voicemail in a while. I try to make it easy TO ASK QUESTIONS with one click here and on our website. I am always happy to answer your questions, and if I can’t, I have a battalion of experts who can. So, if texting or voicemail isn't your thing, email your question to adrianegberg@gmail.com.
News You Can Use
Arkansas is the place you go for outdoor adventure. From the 16mile Arkansas River Trail, flat and paved, to the Garven Woodland Gardens, dreamy and romantic, to its rugged parks and the Coleman Mines where you can dig for quartz, the State has geared up to offer intergenerational (all ages enjoy the outdoors together) and multi-generational (separate activities suited to different generations). In my case, I particularly enjoyed my very first-time kayaking on my own.
Whether paddling under or near the Clinton Presidential Park Bridge, or walking along the many river paths, you will confirm that Arkansas is the Natural State. Rock Town River Outfitters, our kayak outfitter, also offers longer journeys. Watch for his podcast interview on The Ageless Traveler podcast this summer.
Not far from downtown Little Rock, you'll find the Big Rock Quarry climbing area, with purpose-built climbing areas, soon to include a via ferrata for even easier climbing.
If hiking, fishing, and camping are your forte, Arkansas has accommodations for every level in its State and National parks. Glamping is on the way. And if your idea of nature is to sit back at a spa taking the mineral waters for which Hot Springs is famous, then you'll want to enjoy the privately owned set of baths situated in the National Park. I certainly loved the Buckstaff Baths. I had a $60.00 superb session in a private bath: a back-and-leg scrub with my own souvenir loofah, steam, and paraffin hand immersion. It's all very old-school, bringing me back to the days of Saratoga Springs.
Culture Vulturing Around the World
France and Scotland are not the only places to experience a well-developed drinking culture. Arkansas is rich in the history of prohibition; the mob dug in during the roaring 20s. A visit to the Gangster Museum of America is a journey down mafia family lane!
Today, Arkansas offers high-end breweries and ultimate bar experiences. It's been a long time since Al Capone, Mae West, who got her start in the Ohio jazz club in Hot Springs, and Lucky Luciano built prohibition highways.
For example, Superior Bathhouse Brewery is the only brewery located in a National Park. I tried two of the 20 or so enticing varieties, staying with chocolate and espresso flavors. 501 Prime offers the largest selection of bourbon in the state. 53 or more, depending on how you count. I've already scheduled The Ageless Traveler podcast to delve into the quintessentially American travel experiences for beer, bourbon, and mixology… after all, it's our 250th anniversary. Let's raise a glass.
Of course, black history is woven into the fabric of our lives, and our 250th celebration must include its seminal events, many of which took place in Arkansas… events we can vividly remember, such as school integration and the bravery of black children who bore the burden of segregation. I promise you I will podcast and send a further newsletter covering Pine Bluff and its music scene, along with Black History travel for our Juneteenth podcast.
Luxury Travel for Less
The value for money is outstanding in accommodations, restaurants, and activities in Hot Springs, Little Rock, and North Little Rock, locally known as Argenta. For example, I was impressed by the Embassy Suites, which reminded me of a very high-end Hilton Hotel I often frequented, with its beautiful central atrium, omelets to order at breakfast, and large, totally refurbished suites.
The Capitol Hotel in Little Rock is an English-style Grand Dame with a long history, situated across from the old State House. With the willing staff and the elevator that once housed President Ulysses S. Grant's horse before it became an elevator. Don't miss it.
But the number one luxury for less is experiencing Oaklawn’s own Derby with magnificent hats and colors, and the excitement the Oaklawn Hotel offers: a huge, well-appointed casino, Bugler, a truly exceptional restaurant, and a private alternative The OAK Room & Bar for fine dining. The casino is well arranged and offers entertainment and gambling for racing aficionados, including a sports book.
Here’s a must-do tip from one of the outstanding members of the Age Wise Collective to which I belong:
Join gerontologist Sally Duplantier for Wellness Wednesdays to learn practical, evidence-based ways to support healthy aging.
These programs are free to The Ageless Travelers and are also recorded in case you can’t attend in real time.
Dear Ageless Traveler, In this newsletter I concentrate on health and stamina so you can never stop traveling… like old age (as Betty Davis remarked), lifelong travel is not for sissies. You’ll also get an eyeful of great hidden ideas for traveling from bread safaris to zoo safaris. It's been two weeks of back-to-back conferences, and I am both elated and tired. Elated because my presentation at the Hospitality Design Expo conference was reviewed by Purgula, the leading home design...
Dear Ageless Traveler, I am writing this newsletter and next week’s from Conferences. On May 7th, I spoke at the Hospitality Design Expo in Las Vegas. Next week, I’ll be in Little Rock, Arkansas, for the North American Travel Journalists conference. Conferences are one way I get the best travel information to you and keep us all up to date. For this week's newsletter, in our usual Culture Vulture section, I cover my surprise experience in Las Vegas, a place I have been many times, and I bet...
Dear Ageless Traveler, Welcome to The Ageless Traveler's Almost Mother's Day issue! Happy Mother's Day to you all. My Mom and Aunt brought me up, so I know that every woman is a mother figure to someone. Every Mother, and, for that matter, every person, has a brand, a part of their personality that comes through no matter where and no matter when, at every age. As the travel saying goes, “Wherever you go, there you are.” My mother’s brand was “You deserve it.” She wanted everyone to realize...
