Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Pisgah National Forest and fronting the French Broad River lies tiny Hot Springs, North Carolina.   The first time we came across Hot Springs, it was by happenstance. We were exploring the area around Asheville, NC by driving Highways 208 and 209, both scenic byways in North Carolina.  Hot Springs is easy to miss, if you don’t know its rich history or current day importance to nature lovers and hikers. There are, after all, only 500 residents.      The second time we visited Hot Springs, it was on purpose. What a cool 2-block town! Certainly, not impressive architecturally, the quirky combination of…