On a camping and canoe expedition in the Ouachita Mountains, Katherine Winslow and her husband Steven “fell in love with the natural beauty, wooded areas and glorious mountains,” she says.

The couple would later find themselves frequently parting from their home in the Dallas suburb of Lewisville to enjoy other Arkansas destinations, too, like the charming mountain town of Eureka Springs and popular Blanchard Springs Caverns in Fifty-Six.

During a trip to the state’s “Spa City,” Hot Springs, they ran into a fellow Dallas native who settled in nearby Hot Springs Village.

“She told us that after seeing the village one time, she and her husband returned to Dallas, quit their jobs, sold their home and moved. [After we] took a tour of the village, that was it. We knew where we wanted to retire.”

The couple moved in 2009 and built the home of their dreams.

“Our children love to visit,” she says. “They love the peaceful scenic areas, local attractions like Garvan Woodland Gardens and the wildlife — especially the deer and wild turkeys!”

Insider Knowledge

Where to eat:
Tanner’s Terrace on the Greens, Granada Golf Course, Hot Springs Village

Be sure to do this:

• Pickleball (a sport like tennis)
• Concerts & Plays at Woodlands Auditorium, Hot Springs Village

Best local events:

• Hot Springs Village: TRI-the-Village triathlon (June)
• Hot Springs: World’s Shortest St. Patrick’s Day Parade (March), Running of the Tubs (May), Holiday Lights, Garvan Woodland Gardens (Nov–Dec)

Favorite day trip:
Wild Cave Tour, Blanchard Springs Cavern, Fifty-Six (3 hours from Hot Springs Village)