Boys of Spring

Currently In: Hot Springs
Leaving for Memphis tomorrow

Before there was the Cactus League, before there was the Grapefruit League, there was Hot Springs!  In 1886 Cap Anson brought the Chicago White Stockings to Hot Springs to take advantage of the thermal water, hotels and night life.  We took in some the the markers on the Baseball Historic Trail.

It all starts here, Hot Springs Baseball Grounds.  It is now the County Courthouse.

Then Whittington Park was built in 1894 and all the famous guys played here.  The park is now the parking lot of Weyerhaueser (a lumber company).  Babe Ruth hit a 573 foot home run as a Boston Red Sox in 1918.  It was the first recorded home run over 500 feet.

This is part of the park today.

Fogel field was built in 1912 to meet the demand of over 250 baseball players in Hot Springs.  It is also a parking lot now.

Cy Young was welcomed by a crowd at the Missouri-Pacific Railroad Depot in 1938.  He still holds the record for 511 games won.

The Oaklawn Race Track provided the baseball players with a pastime in between games.  It is still operational today, and it held the biggest race of the year the day Johnny and I arrived in Hot Springs.  

And the grandstand is huge.

The bathhouses and speakeasys were also on the trail, but I have our visits to those sites in other posts.  The balance of the plaques were about specific players.  Here were some of our favorites.
Honus Wagner - mostly because of the baseball card.

The Dean brothers cause they were brothers.

Smokey Joe Wood because of his name.

Before we explored the Baseball Trail, we strolled around the Garvan Gardens that day.

It was a perfect day for a walk in the woods.

We came to this pretty stone bridge.

Crossing the Koi pond.

A serene waterfall.

This Japanese Cherry tree reminds us of the one in our old backyard.

The tulips were stunning.

And the daffodils mean Spring has arrived in Arkansas!



















A haunting view of Lake Hamilton.

This flower is white candytuft.

Johnny liked this green ground cover.

The sunlight through the trees is lovely.

Eventually we got to the playground but we had to cross this cedar bridge first.

The treehouse is unusual.

The children's area has a pretty good model train too.

As we were leaving this area, the peacock was showing his stuff!

We headed over to the Anthony Chapel.  The Garvan Gardens is park of the University of Arkansas.  They worked with a firm that is a student of Frank Lloyd Wright in creating this chapel.

The chapel is part of a complex that caters to weddings.  The inside is just as beautiful as the exterior.

When we got back to the RV Park, I got this photo.  This area looking out onto Lake Hamilton is just steps from our coach, and is so peaceful.  Ahhhh.