Things Are Different in Fountain Lake

A Recent Addition At A Motorcycle Shop
This is fairly new to the neighborhood. It’s parked outside a motorcycle repair store on Highway 5.

I’ve lived in the community of Fountain Lake, Arkansas with my husband for 25 years. It’s about ten miles outside of Hot Springs.

Fountain Lake is on Highway 5/Park Avenue, which used to be the old Little Rock Highway. For more than 150 years (I’m guessing) wagons, stagecoaches then cars traveled to and from from the state capital on Highway 5/Park Avenue.

All this to say, Highway 5 is one of the oldest roads in the area. And it shows.

Nice Windows, Nice Door…No Roof

Everyday for 25 years I’ve driven past all kinds of unusal/funky and quirky landmarks in Fountain Lake. Some old, some newer…but all of them are beautiful, interesting or weird.

I believe Fountain Lake is  different than  other Garland County Communities. Kids who grow up in this area generally stay here and their kids go to Fountain Lake.

Often times we are a little suspicious of new folks.  We have lots of churches, one bar Buzz Too but the heart of the community is the school and the Shell Station at the Junction of Highways 5 and 7.  For a long long time that gas station was called David and David’s, and still is by old timers.   And the ladies that worked at David and David’s seemed to have a pretty tight clique that favored men.  It took me a long time to gain acceptance at the gas station when I first moved in with Alex.  But the ladies loved him!

Most of us have driven past all of these locations so many times we really don’t pay much attention.

Fountain Lake, it’s really kind of different out here.

A failed pizza joint that tried to turn into an Escape Room. For a while there was no “e” on the big escape room sign. This is what it looks like now. A little creepy. But it’s right there on the side of the road.

 

Arbordale was a terrific swimming destination in the 30s and 40s, with docks, diving boards, paddle boats. People danced to live music back in the day!
Arbordale was a terrific swimming destination in the 30s and 40s, with docks, diving boards, paddle boats. People danced to live music back in the day!
Fountain Lake used to have a Motel! This sign still stands on the side of the road across from the Fountain Lake Middle School.
I just love these mailboxes across the street from the school. Not sure who’s they were.

 

I really don’t know what this sign means. Either they have questions or maybe answers.

 

I absolutely  love that this big tent pops up several times a year, right in front of the bar, Buzz Too for a church revival, and after the revival it sometimes turns into a fireworks stand!