Whenever I pull into a new town, I first head straight to the Visitor Center. They load me up with maps and brochures and insightful advice. The Bentonville Visitor Center has everything you need to create an itinerary for your stay, with helpful staff to answer a plethora of questions.
Five years ago, I briefly passed through Bentonville and stopped at their pride-and-joy: Crystal Bridges. It was founded by Alice Walton, daughter of Sam Walton (Walmart). It is an American Art Museum and truly one of the finest in the world. It, alone, is worthy of a trip to Bentonville. But there is far more to this town that rivals even the largest cities in the U.S. Recently, as an extension of Crystal Bridges, the Momentary was created.
The Momentary provides free art exhibits, such as this one. This young artist creates fun works of whimsy. I watched as viewers smiled with delight at each piece. Yvette Mayorga made a lot of people happy in just the few moments I was there.
Nearby is the town square, where I was encouraged by my son to try the Onyx Coffee Lab.
There is a reason they call themselves a coffee lab. I doubt there are many coffee developers that perform such intricate research and experimentation for creating a perfectly matched cup of coffee for each individual taste. Thank you to my son for the recommendation that heightened my coffee experience beyond anything I had previously known.
Nearby is the Walmart Museum, which details Sam Walton’s fascinating life story and the history of Walmart. This is a story that begs hearing, as there are few families who are accomplished on this level of magnitude. Their investment in the community, I believe, has helped propel it forward with such velocity.
For lunch, I found a Japanese restaurant (my favorite cuisine): the Sushi House.
The portions are enormous, with plenty left over to take home. During the meal, they bring their guests complimentary sushi samples. This was a nice touch. I also noticed that whenever a customer left, the entire staff called out a gracious “thank you”.
On Day Two, I began my morning at another coffeeshop: the 211 Cafe, attached to the library.
My dark chocolate latte was soothingly delicious, and I enjoyed the serene setting.
Just across the hallway is the local Friends of the Library bookstore.
The friendly, interactive volunteer wrote up a list of local places I should visit. She was so helpful. Plus I left with a bag brimming with books for only $4.
I meandered into the Library’s Genealogy Room (ancestry is one of my great life interests). I was thrilled to see huge cabinets and shelves full of family files and books. What a treasure trove for anyone whose relatives lived in this area.Carol showed me their archives. I also met Martha Waymire, who does the genealogical research work for her clients and then compiles it into a written book form. I was impressed. What a truly meaningful career.
My last stop of the trip was to the new History Museum that is currently being created.
I met the impressive young director, Rebecca Lopez. It is a immense project, and the Grand Opening date looms on January 21, 2023. But Rebecca is aptly qualified with a degree in history and anthropology. I am looking forward to returning to learn about the original foundation of this town, and the generations who built on it to bring it to today’s status. Rebecca accurately described Bentonville as “the Mecca of Progress”. In the five years since I last visited, I was astounded by how Bentonville has so quickly been transformed into a hyper-modern city.
Two final mentions: my twins and their spouses vacation in Bentonville often for the area’s acclaimed biking trails. That is a really big thing here. Arkansas is rich in endless miles of natural splendor. Lastly, there is a darling boutique I hope everyone will visit: Beautiful Lives. It is a non-profit resale shop, that helps vulnerable women and children (certainly one of the most of worthy of causes).
So, the next time you are trying to decide whether to vacation in New York or Los Angeles or Chicago or Paris……consider instead Bentonville Arkansas. It’s rapidity of advancement is the place to be for watching the future created..