Arrive between 3:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. to check into the Arlington Hotel & Resort.  ICR Events staff will be on hand to assist in the check-in process, and give a brief orientation on the evening's itinerary.

Spend a few minutes exploring one of the shorter trails in Hot Springs National Park, located just behind the Arlington Hotel. For anyone interested in participating, please meet in the hotel lobby at 3:45 p.m. This hike will be just under 1 mile long, with moderate grades of up to 4.6%.

Dinner in the Arlington Hotel Restaurant. Or, use this time to explore one of the other nearby restaurants or cafes in downtown Hot Springs. (Note: evening meals not included in the price of registration)

Hear from ICR President, Dr. Randy Guliuzza as he gives an overview of ICR's current research endeavors.

Meet in the hotel lobby to load up for the day's field trip to the Ron Coleman Mining adventure. Dress to get dirty, because this adventure will involve not only a guided tour of this working mine, but also the chance to dig for quartz crystals that you get to keep, and zip-lining over the mine pit for those who are brave enough to do so!

We will have the opportunity to dig for quartz crystals, take a guided tour of the mine, and enjoy an exhilarating ride over the mine via zip-line (optional for those that dare take the challenge).  During our time at the mine, we will eat a boxed lunch (included in your registration price) as we hear ICR geologist Dr. Tim Clarey explain the origins of quartz crystals and other minerals and gemstones.

After returning to the hotel, the afternoon will be free to rest, take in shopping in the downtown Hot Springs area, or fellowship with other trip adventurers. Some optional activities include:

• Visit the Hot Springs Mountain Tower with Dr. Tim Clarey to see the geologic formations of the Hot Springs area from 216 feet in the air!

• Join Dr. Brian Thomas for a hike along the West Mountain Trail Loop, located on West Mountain, just across the street from our hotel.

• Tour the historic Fordyce Bathhouse, one of 8 bathhouses located along Bathhouse Row, just a few hundred feet from our hotel. In this self-guided tour experience, you will get to see first-hand how these hot springs fed bathhouses operated in their prime, nearly 100 years ago!

• While you're visiting Bathhouse Row, be sure to check out the Bathhouse Row Emporium operated by the National Park Service, located inside the Lamar Bathhouse.

• Also located on Bathhouse Row are the Buckstaff Bathhouse and Quapaw Bathhouse, which each offer the chance to soak in the hot springs water, get a massage to work those quartz mining and hiking induced muscle knots out, or take advantage of other spa services. Take this chance to step back in time, all while treating yourself a little!

Dinner in the Arlington Hotel Restaurant. Or, use this time to explore one of the other nearby restaurants or cafes in downtown Hot Springs. (Note: evening meals not included in the price of registration)

Join ICR's scientists for short presentations to recap the day.

Look into the night sky with telescopes, and a guide to help you find and learn about the heavenly bodies visible.

Meet in the hotel lobby to load up for the day's field trips to either Crater of Diamonds State Park or Petit Jean State Park.  

NOTE: on your registration you should select a ticket for which field trip option you would like to participate in so that we can reserve a spot for you.  Please be aware of which field trip option you selected, so you can join the proper group and leave the hotel on time.

For those who registered for the Crater of Diamonds State Park digging adventure, we will drive the 90 minutes from Hot Springs to Murfreesboro, Arkansas to the Crater of Diamonds State Park to spend the morning digging for diamonds and other gemstones. We will enjoy a boxed lunch (included in the price of registration) inside the park pavilion before we return to our hotel in Hot Springs.

Dress to get dirty, as we will be in an open field digging and sifting through dirt and rock, in the quest to find a diamond or other beautiful gemstone. "Finders keepers" is the motto here!

A set of digging and sifting tools will be provided for each individual or family / group, but plan to also pack your sunglasses, a wide-brimmed hat, bug spray, and sunscreen to make the experience more enjoyable.

For those who registered for the Petit Jean State Park hiking adventure, we will drive the 90 minutes from Hot Springs to Morrilton, Arkansas to the Petit Jean State Park to spend the morning hiking.  After exploring the Rock House Cave with pictographs, and seeing the Cedar Creek waterfall, we will enjoy lunch at the park restaurant inside Mather Lodge (lunch included in the price of registration) before we return to our hotel in Hot Springs.

Dress in layers, with sturdy hiking shoes or boots. While the trails are through forested areas and have gentle inclines, you're welcome to bring hiking poles, sunglasses, a widebrimmed hat, bug spray, and sunscreen to make the experience more enjoyable.

After returning to the hotel, the afternoon will be free to rest, take in shopping in the downtown Hot Springs area, or fellowship with other trip adventurers.  Some optional activities include:

• Visit the Hot Springs Mountain Tower with Dr. Tim Clarey to see the geologic formations of the Hot Springs area from 216 feet in the air!

• Join Dr. Brian Thomas for a hike along the Hot Springs Mountain Trail and Upper Dogwood Trail, located on Hot Springs Mountain, just behind our hotel.

• Tour the historic Fordyce Bathhouse, one of 8 bathhouses located along Bathhouse Row, just a few hundred feet from our hotel. In this self-guided tour experience, you will get to see first-hand how these hot springs fed bathhouses operated in their prime, nearly 100 years ago!

• While you're visiting Bathhouse Row, be sure to check out the Bathhouse Row Emporium operated by the National Park Service, located inside the Lamar Bathhouse.

• Also located on Bathhouse Row are the Buckstaff Bathhouse and Quapaw Bathhouse, which each offer the chance to soak in the hot springs water, get a massage to work those quartz mining and hiking induced muscle knots out, or take advantage of other spa services. Take this chance to step back in time, all while treating yourself a little!

Dinner in the Arlington Hotel Restaurant. Or, use this time to explore one of the other nearby restaurants or cafes in downtown Hot Springs. (Note: evening meals not included in the price of registration)

Join ICR's scientists for short presentations to recap the day.

Look into the night sky with telescopes, and a guide to help you find and learn about the heavenly bodies visible.

All good things must come to an end!  Time to check-out of your hotel room, as we start the last day of our adventures together.  

Meet in the Magnolia Room to share in a time of worship and thanksgiving to the Lord Jesus.

This will be our last meal together before we say our goodbyes and go our separate ways after a memorable weekend together learning about the wonders of our world, and the workmanship of the Lord Jesus.

Please note that brunch is served buffet style, and these costs are included in your registration.

We will say our goodbyes and officially dismiss.  Anyone wishing to stay around for a few more hours is welcome to look around the shops and hiking trails in the Hot Springs downtown area.

• All registration and entrance fees to each attraction our group visits.  Having admission fees built into the cost of this tour allows us to take advantage of discounts available for larger groups.

• Lodging at the historic Arlington Resort Hotel & Spa. This is a scaled cost, based on the type of room that you choose, and the number of occupants per room.

• Sunday brunch at the Arlington Resort Hotel & Spa is included in the lodging price.

*Please note that participants are responsible for the costs of all other breakfast and dinner meals.  Lunches for Friday and Saturday are included in the price of registration.  Complementary bottled water and snacks will be available throughout the trip during the daily excursions and activities.

We have done our best to make this adventure as affordable as possible, while also maximizing the educational benefits and maintaining the quality of the experience, and covering the expenses of ICR's staff involved.  To that end, the price for each room is set up with the actual expected costs involved for each occupant / participant.  By having rooms available that can accomodate up to 4 people, we are able to pass along some savings for those who will be joined by other family or friends who are able to share lodging accomodations.

However, we do understand that this adventure is costly, so we are making available a 10% discount for families of 4 or more people (can be immediate family or an extended family group).  In order to receive the coupon code for the 10% discount, please email [email protected] with the number of people in your group and their names. Please note that this discount will be available only through September 30th, 2024.

ICR has reserved a block of rooms at the historic and beautiful Arlington Resort Hotel & Spa located right in the Hot Springs National Park. The Arlington has a colorful history dating back over 100 years, and has played host to countless vistors, including noteworthy and notorious ones like U.S. Presidents Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman, George H. W. Bush, and Bill Clinton, as well as baseball great Babe Ruth and the legendary gangster Al Capone, among other famous and infamous people. You're sure to enjoy learning about the rich history of the hotel as you take in the ornate architecture and charm of the hotel and the ample accomodations each room has to offer.

The hotel features an onsite restaurant that serves lunch and dinner Thursday - Saturday, and breakfast on Fridays and Saturdays.  The famous Sunday brunch is included in your registration price.  A Starbucks coffee shop is located on the first floor, along with a cafe and bar serving light menu options.

Also located inside the hotel is spa and salon, featuring several options including a thermal water spa with locally sourced hot springs water.

The nearest public airport is Hot Springs Memorial Field (HOT), located in the city of Hot Springs.  This airport has regular service from Dallas / Ft. Worth Intl. (DFW) and Memphis Intl. (MEM) via Southern Airways.

For adventurers coming from other parts of the country, we suggest flying into Clinton National Airport (LIT) in Little Rock. The Little Rock airport has daily flights via American, Delta, Southwest, United, Frontier, and Allegiant. Rental car services are available on site through Avis, Alamo, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, National, and Thrifty. The airport is about 1 hour drive from Hot Springs via I-30 and US-70.

ICR is not providing transportation from the Little Rock airport to Hot Springs, however there are some options available, including Uber and Lyft, and the Intercity Transportation company.

In order to help keep the attendee pricing more reasonable, we have opted to not provide any chartered transportation options for the field trips on the itinerary.  Each location is within 90 minutes drive of our hotel, and accessible via Arkansas State Highways.  For each destination, an address and map will be given, along with instructions on where to meet the rest of the group once they arrive arrive at the destination.

Great question!  Here are some items we suggest you pack to make your experience the best it can be!

Attire recommendations:
For most of this adventure, we will be moving about quite a bit, with a lot of walking involved. Please plan to pack comfortable pants or shorts, and comfortable shirts (t-shirts are acceptable), along with sturdy walking / hiking shoes or boots for the outdoor adventures like the hiking, cave exploring and diamond mine visits. For those activities, pack clothing you don't mind getting dirty! Bring along a hat, sunglasses, some sunscreen, and bug repellent too, to make your adventure more comfortable and pleasant.

For the evenings, business comfortable (nicer jeans or chinos, and a polo shirt or blouse) would be quite acceptable for our dinner and presentation time.

Other items: a note book and pen for taking notes along the way as you hear ICR's scientists share about what we see and experience at each stop.

Souvenir money: plan to bring along some spending money for souvenirs in the museum and park gift shops, and for any items you find in the quaint little shops along Central Ave. in Hot Springs.

For the diamond mine dig experience: gloves, a garden trowel, and a 2-gallon bucket will be provided as part of your registration costs. Please plan to bring sunscreen and a wide brimmed hat for this activity.