Pregnancy Friendly guide to Hot Springs, AR
Chris and I recently celebrated our 7 year wedding anniversary with a little getaway to Hot Springs! Yall, when we started planning it Chris was throwing out all these fun things he wanted to do, and me being preggers made the activity list very limited! So, I thought I would share the Pregnancy Friendly guide to Hot Springs!
Where to stay?? We stayed at the Home2 Suites by Hilton which was great! Right by Lake Hamilton with several great restaurants nearby! But having been there I would recommend the DoubleTree by Hilton. It had balcony's you could sit on and look at the lake, a great grassy area with layout chairs by the water, and a nice pool! With it being kind of cold we wouldn't have been able to enjoy most of those things but if we go again when it's warmer, that is where we will stay for sure!
What to do? As I said, Chris was throwing out ideas like riding ATVs, horses, zip-lining...each one a bigger no than the one before! Being pregnant threw a damper on his party for sure! Sorry, babe! We also went in April which is a little cool for some of the lake activities like renting a boat. First things first, when you are going to Hot Springs a massage is a MUST! We like Thai Me Spa, they are right downtown and across the street from the Historic Bath Houses. This was not our first trip to Hot Springs or even downtown Hot Springs, but we did see several new things! There are lots of great little hiking trails in Hot Springs! We liked the ones behind the Bath Houses. Warning, if you are super pregnant be prepared that the simple 1-mile hike to the lookout tower is straight uphill! ;) Depending on the time of year, another beautiful place to visit in Hot Springs is Garvan Woodland Gardens. Of course, we had to do a little mini-golf, what is a vacation without it! We went to Pirates Cove Adventure Golf, they had fun little stories along the way about pirates and several places for people like me to lose their ball in the water! On our trip, we also took time to reflect on the past year! We picked up coffee and found a quiet spot to look at the lake and reminisce. We attended a recent marriage conference at our church and they recommended everyone schedule a checkpoint to discuss and reminisce on their marriage. So we took the time to chat about our marriage, where things have been great, and the areas we can improve. Adding a baby is definitely going to put some additional strains on the relationship, so I think even if this isn't your anniversary these are good topics to talk over and build upon! Here is a website with some great checkpoint questions!
Where to eat? Last but not least, like any good getaway...you need to eat some good food! We had a list from a friend of great places so we did some planning ahead of time, based on his suggestions, and my pregnancy cravings! I knew I wanted sweet potato fries, hush puppies, a good steak, and crab legs. So random, but the baby wants what the baby wants! ;) We found some AMAZING sweet potato fries at the Fishermans Wharf, and as the name might suggest it was right on the water. They also had hush puppies but they were some of the strangest hush puppies I have ever seen, the guy described them as shaped like a finger...just to give you a visual. We grabbed breakfast at a place called the English Muffin, it was pretty good but super busy! The best meal we had was at the Back Porch Grill! Chris picked the appetizer, cheese fries with steak tips, and shrimp so yummy!! We got smart and learned it was best to share, so we split the steak and crab legs with a side of twice-baked potatoes. Let me tell you, the twice-baked potatoes were part of what sold me on this place when we were menu shopping in preparation and they did not disappoint!
We had a fun little Anniversary / Baby Moon! This was also the first time we have spent two nights away from Cade. If you are having your second, I highly recommend building in some little 'vacations' to the grandparent's house in preparation for the newest addition! You want them to be comfortable staying away from you so when the baby gets here they don't feel like they are being kicked out! Instead, I know Cade will be looking forward to his time with Nana and Pops. They spoiled that boy and filled his day with fun, he hardly even knew we were gone! Another pro tip for trips to grandparents, don't FaceTime or call! As harsh as that sounds, it only makes it harder on your both! Nana sent me tons of pictures and updates so even though I didn't get to talk to him, I knew he was having a blast and was safe! Hopefully, you enjoy your Baby Moon in Hot Springs and find these tips from our recent trip helpful as you plan your vacation!
