Yesterday Ray & I went to the Garvan Gardens,

Awesome Beauty

expecting to see the last of the daffodils. Instead, we were treated to a feast for the eyes: seas of tulips in early bloom. The sight is breathtakingly beautiful.

The riotous colors tickle the senses, and invite us to stop, pause, and just take in the wonder.

As an added bonus, the handsome peacocks were strutting their colors at the entrance to the gardens. Doesn’t get much better than this on a lovely spring day!

If you can getaway on March 7 or 8 to see the tulips, Lookout Point has a special offer. We also have a very few rooms remaining available for Friday, March 9 (one night stay).

Greeter at Garvan Gardens

Seas of tulips

At Lookout Point, we are committed to taking care of the environment in every way possible. We recycle,  we built the inn with green products, our cleaning products are eco-friendly, we use CFB’s, and the list goes on.

Last year, we partnered with Clean The World, shipping the unused portions of guest soaps to Clean The World. Instead of throwing unused soaps away, we now pay to ship them to Clean The World. These soaps are collected, sterilized, recycled and distributed to 48 countries to stop the spread of preventable diseases.

Every day 9,000 children around the world die from acute respiratory illnesses and diarrheal diseases that could be prevented

Recycled Soaps Clean the World

with simple handwashing. In 2011,  97 bars of soap were made from the little bars of unused soap from Lookout Point guests!

It’s an honor to do small tasks that can make a big difference in people’s lives.

In a concert aptly called “Opera Appetizers”, the performers

Amazing Nicole, Stephanie, Adam, Deleen, Stacey, and Michelle

of The Magic Flutes presented a passionate and spell-binding concert at the Garvan Woodland Gardens on Sunday.  Lookout Point was delighted to sponsor the concert, and to welcome these talented artists to the inn for a post-concert reception.

Join us Friday evening for The Magic Flutes, on the 220th anniversary of Mozart’s composition. Tickets are still available, along with a package to stay at Lookout Point. A wine reception at the Hale Bathhouse precedes the concert.

This weekend, July 15-17, you’ll find some pretty cool stuff happening in our lovely city of Hot Springs, Arkansas. Not to mention that as I write this post, it’s raining and temp dropped 30 degrees. Sweet!

Here’s some fun stuff:

Tour Lake Hamilton

• Captain Ray provides a 90-minute boat tour of Lake Hamilton for guests of our Hot Springs B&B. Tour departs at 10 AM, and returns to the inn by 11:30.
• Antique Walk, this Friday July 15 from 4-8 pm in the historic downtown. Explore some unique antique shops, then dine at one of our fav restaurants. We suggest Rolando’s for delicious Nuevo Latino fare, or Central Park Fusion, both within easy walking distance of Antique Walk.
• Moonlight Stroll/Full Moon Hike. Great opportunity for a guided night hike, led by a National Park Interpreter. Yes, Hot Springs National Park is right downtown. Meet at the summit of West Mountain.  Fun!
• Miss Arkansas Pageant. See the crowning event on Saturday night at 7:30pm.

It is March already! Surely most of you have heard about Lookout Point’s One Night Gap Special! It is a constant special that runs on those ‘holes’ between two reservations. Just a one night stay, perfect for that quick day trip you’ve been wanting to take but just cannot find a good enough deal on it. Well, we’ve got one here just for you! Fill one of these gaps for us and we will make it worth your while.

First, we will take $10 off the rate for your room. How about having a half-dozen sweet and succulent chocolate covered strawberries waiting for you in your room upon check-in? After those goodies and when you’ve had a chance to unwind, we will send you right down the road with a $10 gift certificate to the fabulous J & S Italian Villa! Scrumptious entrée’s, fine wines with a romantic atmosphere…; all of this along with a stunning view of Lake Hamilton! Come back from dinner and retire into a beautiful room with a comphy bed and fine linens. You will not want to get out of it! However, you will not want to miss a Lookout Point Breakfast or the view from you room.

All of this will be included with your stay for that one small favor of filling a gap. This special is subject to availability. To book your special night at the inn, simply give us a call at 866-525-6155 Sweet surprises and fine dining—Lookout Point knows how to say “Thank You” to our very special guests!

That’s right! The First Ever 8th Annual World’s Shortest St. Patrick’s Day Parade will be held in Hot Springs, Arkansas on March 17th. But don’t think that something so short isn’t worth your time. The Leprechauns will not take that lightly! The event is recognized by the Southeast Tourism Society as one of the top 20 events in the Southeast. In addition the Smithsonian has named #1 in the way of the most unusual celebrations of the holiday. Irish Central named it “the wackiest”. Now you know you want to be a part of it! Have a stay at Lookout Point Lakeside Inn and be there for this year’s round of recognition.

The festivities will last well into the evening with live music and a street dance starting at 7:30 to finish it off. Of course this will follow other events like the Blarney Stone Kissing contest at 4:30, and the parade itself lasts for and hour starting at 6:30. Get a good spot for viewing by making sure you arrive by 6:00 when the festivities kick off!

This year’s Grand Marshal will be none other than one John Corbett!

Grand Marshal of The World's Shortest St. Patrick's Day Parade 2011

You know him from popular television shows such as Parenthood, Sex and the City and Northern Exposure. He will not only serve as Grand Marshal but also will provide the after-entertainment for the street dance by performing with his band!

The parade is held on Bridge Street in downtown Hot Springs. All 98ft of Bridge Street earned it the title of the World’s Shortest Street from Ripley’s Believe It Or Not in the 1940′s. Sounds like a great location for a parade, right?! Over 30,000 people seem to think so. They flock to the site each year to celebrate the holiday.

Why not join them this year? Come and have a relaxing stay in one of these luxurious rooms at our bed and breakfast. We will make sure you are well rested and geared up for wearing green!

Although every stay will let you enjoy a scrumptious 3 course breakfast by the fire, we are excited to offer our guests two more extraordinary values!

Breakfast and a Fireplace

-January and February Specials here at the inn! Stay 3 nights, Sunday-Thursday and you get to go home with a set of our luxurious microfiber sheets! How completely splendid? The pampering from our bed & breakfast will follow you all the way home!

“And what does February have in store?” you may ask. We believe that February is for Lovers! During this month a 2 night stay, Sunday- Thursday, will get you complimentary sparkling wine along with a 1/2 dozen chocolate covered strawberries! We will even have them waiting in your room upon arrival.

Just give us a call here at the inn, we would be happy to make a reservation for you. You can book online quickly and painlessly through our website. Don’t forget to ask about our current specials!

We are absolutely delighted to be featured in an article from American Lifestyle! The article, titled “A Bit of Home- Joys of Bed and Breakfasts” pinpoints a paramount fact about the qualities of bed and breakfasts.

“…despite their differences, they all offer a unique hospitality experience which modern travelers appreciate now more than ever.”American Lifestyle

We invite you to come experience our bed & breakfast. The room pictured is the Hot Springs King Suite.

Here’s an easy trick for keeping poinsettias looking fresh and beautiful for the entire month, and beyond.  Ice.  That’s it.  Simply place 1/2 cup of ice on each poinsettia in place of water.  Do not even think about watering these beautiful plants!

I learned this trick years ago when serving the church, and we had hundreds of poinsettias.  Most of the plants die, or begin looking wilted, from too much water.  They don’t like wet feet.  The ice slowly melts, providing a more constant source of nourishment.

Almost daily guests ask how we keep the poinsettias looking so lovely, and we’ve had the flowers for 3 weeks already.  Sometimes I think if I know something, then the entire world probably knows it.  Yet I’m learning this tip may not be so widely known.

I would love to hear your helpful hints for the holidays!  What makes your life a wee bit easier this month?

Kristie

One of the wonderful aspects of living in, or visiting, Hot Springs Arkansas is strolling through the Garvan Gardens in December.  This wonderland of lights never fails to inspire and strike awe for all ages of folks.

Our family enjoyed a long walk through the gardens, amazed by the variety of light displays.  On the chilly night, the complimentary cup of hot cocoa near the miniature railroad provided a warm treat.

In addition to the lights, Garvan Gardens hosts terrific concerts in the Anthony Chapel.  December 7: Holiday concert with the chorus of Ouachita Baptist University; December 8: Holiday concert featuring the Henderson University Chamber Chorale;  December 13:  Voices of Angels with the talented Deleen Davidson, 5:00pm; December 21:  Hot Springs Flute Ensemble; December 22:  Concert with vocalists Stephen and Denise Edds.