With a population hovering around 50,000, you might not expect to find a flourishing, world-class art scene, incredible dining, exciting attractions, and loads of outdoor recreation all tucked into the corner of Northwest Arkansas. You can though. In Bentonville, Arkansas.
Kick-started by WalMart HQ, Bentonville is experiencing tremendous growth. Home of the world-renowned Crystal Bridges American Museum of Art, the town also boasts award-winning mountain biking, an indie film festival focusing on diversity, a burgeoning music scene, loads of festivals throughout the year, and plenty of green spaces.
With all of the amenities of a larger city, Bentonville still has the soul, and the comfort, of a small town. Here’s how to make the most of your weekend.
FRIDAY
1 PM – Start Where It All Began
Begin your adventure by snapping the obligatory photo at Big Blue on your way downtown. The mural, depicting an enormous blue octopus welcomes visitors to Bentonville. Grasping Sam Walton’s truck in one tentacle and Yield, a sculpture from Crystal Bridges, in another, Big Blue offers a look at what’s to come in this eclectic town.
The WalMart Museum is housed in the original Walton’s 5 & 10, the precursor to WalMart, on the charming square downtown. Parked out front is the iconic red and white 1979 Ford F-150 that Sam Walton infamously drove with his dog riding shotgun. I quickly learn that the truck out front is a stand-in; the original is inside, complete with teeth marks on the steering wheel cover.
The museum houses Mr. Walton’s original office and plenty of memorabilia showcasing the Walmart story. Ii’s fascinating to read Walton’s handwritten notes, laying out his thoughts and vision for the future.
No trip to the WalMart Museum is complete without a stop at the Sparks Cafe for a quick treat. This working ice cream shop and soda fountain pay homage to Walton and his love of ice cream. Specifically, butter pecan.
While some may argue that the Bentonville story begins with WalMart, a trip to the Museum of Native American History suggests otherwise. Greeted by Tusker, a 12,000-year-old Wooly Mammoth, you’ll be transported through the past 14,000 years of history in less than an hour.
Admission is free at both museums.
6 PM – So Many Choices
With over 130 restaurants and 26 food trucks, it’s hard to pick a spot to grab a bite. 8th Street Market, a community-based food-hub concentrating on local fare, offers a variety of options.
For authentic Mexican street food, check out Yeyo’s. What started as one of the first food trucks in Bentonville quickly became a local favorite. Within five years of opening the food truck, brothers Rafael and Roman Rios added a brick and mortar shop.
Delicious salsas, as well as guacamole, and their version of queso can be scooped up with the homemade tortilla chips (they make over 3,000 tortillas a day!). Enjoy fantastic mains; al pastor, carne asada, even an incredible vegetarian enchilada topped with classic guajillo sauce, cabbage, sour cream, feta & homemade salsa verde.
Wash it down with a Palo Santo, or any of the other tasty concoctions crafted at the bar, and you’ll see why Yeyo’s is a local favorite.
Save room for dessert. Markham & Fitz Chocolate Makers is next door offering chocolate drinks, desserts, and cocktails all made on-site. If time allows, sign up for one of the tours to catch a glimpse of bean-to-bar chocolate making.
SATURDAY
8 AM – Breakfast
Breakfast is served at The Hive, located in 21C, the best hotel chain you’ve never heard of. 21C, a tiny hotel chain, (just eight properties with three more on the way) is an art-gallery first and a hotel second. The lobby, open to the public 24/7, features rotating exhibits along with several permanent installations.
Each floor showcases wallpaper designed by a different artist; rooms are minimalistic with pops of art. The throw pillows even feature images of the owner’s pets!
And breakfast? Perfection. Poached eggs on chorizo grits with bean ragout and pepper jelly. Yes, please.
10 AM – Art, Architecture, and Nature
Arrive at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art where you’ll be welcomed by a stainless steel tree-like installation, Yield by Roxy Paine, looming at the entrance.
Walking towards the elevator that transports guests to the main lobby, you can catch a glimpse of massive 30 -foot high spider legs — the first of many delightful surprises. A peek around the corner reveals Maman, an enormous sculpture by Louise Bourgeois standing guard in the courtyard.
Enter the first gallery where a video installation of a fracker is looping next to a severe portrait of George Washington. Both cast their gaze towards We The People by Nari Ward, an 8 x 27-foot wall sculpture with each letter outlined in shoelaces hanging from perforations in the gallery wall.
Crystal Bridges offers a superb collection of American art on a 120-acre campus in the Ozark forest. The museum blends art, architecture, and the outdoors seamlessly for an inspiring experience.
Walmart heiress Alice Walton told CBS Sunday Morning when she opened the museum in 2011 “Art wasn’t accessible to me as a child and I hope that changes now for people throughout this region.” Since then, millions of visitors have passed through the museum.
The permanent collection includes works by John Singer Sargent, Georgia O’Keefe, Gilbert Stuart, Mark Rothko, and Andy Warhol. Admission is free.
Noon – Hit the Trails
When hunger strikes grab a bite at Eleven at Crystal Bridges. Dine under the fabulous piece, Hanging Heart by Jeff Koons, while enjoying spectacular views of the grounds. Don’t miss the cornbread, best enjoyed with a glass of champagne.
Spend the afternoon meandering along the four-plus miles of trails that wind their way through the Crystal Bridges campus. Enjoy plenty of fantastic outdoor artwork, along with gorgeous landscaping. There’s even a Frank Lloyd Wright home to tour.
If you’ve brought the kiddos, make the short trek to the Amazeum for hands-on fun. Plenty for children to see, do and explore here. Adults will have a blast too!
6 PM – The Son of a Preacher Man
Located in the renovated red-brick First Christian Church downtown is The Preacher’s Son. Enter through wooden doors into an airy, bright, communal dining area complete with gorgeous stained-glass windows filtering the sunlight to cast a glow throughout the space. The pulpit has been transformed into a full-service bar.
Founded by Executive Chef, Matthew Cooper, who incidentally is the son of a Methodist preacher, The Preacher’s Son offers a divine dining experience. Cooper, a celiac, creates inventive gluten-friendly cuisine, always emphasizing local and sustainable ingredients.
Fill up on the likes of beets with smoked cashew butter, scallops with sweet pea, lion’s mane mushroom, radish, and pine nut, even a braised lamb pasta with spice roasted pistachio, and mint ricotta. Heavenly! No pun intended.
Make your way to the rooftop after dinner to sip a sophisticated and complex craft cocktail while enjoying a beautiful Bentonville sunset. Not quite ready to call it a day? Head to the speakeasy bar located in the basement, using the secret entrance (ask a staffer), or check out some live music at one the many venues downtown.
Sunday
8 AM – Get On Your Bike and Ride
Make the most of your last day in town by grabbing a bicycle and pedaling over to Thaden Field for breakfast at Lousie. Watching the planes come and go while devouring breakfast is a fantastic way to start the day. No bike? No problem. Rentals are available at Thaden Field, as well as at Phat Tire Bike Shop downtown.
Fun fact: the restaurant’s namesake, Louise Thaden, was an American aviation pioneer, holder of numerous aviation records, and the first woman to win the Bendix trophy. She was born in Bentonville in 1905 and hung out with Amelia Earhart from time to time.
In addition to a full-service restaurant, Thaden Field offers a flight school, exhibition hangar, scenic flights, discovery flights, lawn games, fuel, and provisions. Starting in Spring, 2020, canoe and kayak rentals will be available to paddle out onto Lake Bentonville.
Spend the rest of the morning exploring the forty-plus miles of hard and soft surface bike trails located within the city limits.
Noon – Refuel and Refresh
Bentonville’s oldest brewery, Bike Rack Brewing Company, is the perfect place to quench your thirst. Sip one of the locally brewed craft beers, many bearing names that pay homage to the cycling community. Can’t decide? Select a flight and sample six different brews,
For your last stop, refuel at the Pedaler’s Pub before making the journey home. Be sure and try one of the handmade, wood-fired pizzas such as The Italian. With prosciutto, arugula, fresh mozzarella, and shaved parmesan, on a roasted garlic olive oil base; this pie is sublime. The perfect ending to your visit to Northwest Arkansas.
Year-round temperate weather along with forty-plus flights per day to 15 destinations from Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport make Bentonville, Arkansas a perfect three-day weekend destination. Easy access from I-49 makes for a scenic road trip.
If Bentonville is not on your list, add it. If it is on the list, push it to the top.
For more information check out Visit Bentonville.
As always, thanks for reading.
See ya’ out there!
XOXO
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