Day 10: May 5, 2015 New Finds in Old Places Comment via blog

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This restaurant is one of the reasons I did not take US-67 out of Texarkana. Back in 2012 I stumbled upon the motel across the street and had a wonderful meal here. I had half tried to end a day here so I could again stay at the motel and walk to dinner but that didn't work out. However, by the time I left Texarkana, I had decided to take US-71 to US-70 and do lunch at Ari's Little Italy in Glenwood, Arkansas. I'll admit that lunch didn't have quite the same wow factor as dinner but it was still mighty good and they still had those garlic rolls.

I think it was the bird that first caught my eye but other sculptures were close behind and I was looking for a place to turn around even before I was entirely past Baker's Fab. As the sign says, this is most certainly "Not and Ordinary Welding Shop". Nikki Baker and John Mark are a friendly couple with uncommon skills and creative abilities. They can. like the ordinary shop, fix the broken and build the practical but the metal sculptures set them apart. I believe any of the wide ranging creations on display can be purchased or something unique and personal can be commissioned.

Apparently my peripheral vision and pattern recognition capabilities remain in reasonably good working order as I was able to detect the word "brewery" as I passed an isolated building out in the Arkansas countryside. I turned around only to find Bubba Brews closed. Next time.

Hot Springs is about thirty miles east of Glenwood. I originally had no plans to stop there but John Mark had told me about the art fair going on there with some Baker's Fab pieces on display. I easily found the right gallery but it was full of chairs that were half full of people. The entire afternoon was devoted to author's lectures and discussions. I could see a large horse that I'm sure was from Nikki and John but I didn't go in.

Now that I was here, I might as well visit the brewery up the street. Superior Bathhouse Brewing is in what was the longest continuously operating bathhouse (It closed in 1983.) in Hot Springs. That good tasting stout arrived with a beautiful nitro head but it settled quite a bit as I waited for the sidewalk and street in the background to clear.

Even though I've only been to Hot Springs once before, you would think I'd have noticed a place called the Ohio Club. It's not like it's new. It has been here since 1905 and claims to be Arkansas' oldest. Al Jolson performed here and so did Mae West. Legend says the huge ornately carved back bar came from Cincinnati.

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