Bentonville wasn’t originally on the itinerary. In fact, I had no itinerary when I first volunteered to drive out to Oklahoma with my dad. Back when my sister and I were traveling around Southeast Asia, my father beat out many other contenders from the South in a bass fishing tournament, which qualified him for the nationals on Grand Lake. I had never been that far and looked forward to crossing another state off the list.
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But as the trip grew closer, I knew I’d need to keep myself entertained while he was fishing each day, as there wasn’t much of note in Grove. So I spent my afternoons driving my grandfather’s borrowed truck, driving past flat fields of cows and large blue skies en route to towns in Northwest Arkansas. Among them was Bentonville, known mostly for being the headquarters of Wal-Mart. But there’s so much more to it than that, as I set out to find.
The town started small, as the home to Sam Walton’s five and dime, which later grew to become a multinational corporation and one of the largest employers in the world. And with the employees came more industries tacked onto it, bringing in more people to humble Bentonville.
You can tour The Walmart Museum, which details the history of the company. Sam’s daughter Alice Walton created Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, a world class art complex that is free to visit, sponsored by the company. They’ve also created walking and biking trails around the region.
With these influx of Wal-Mart employees have also come world-class restaurants and hotels. One such is the 21c Museum Hotel Bentonville. It’s just one of four locations, all set in hip and up-and-coming cities with a thriving arts culture.
The rooms have unique furnishings and the hotel has its own art galleries in house. You can also see their signature penguins, which are green for the Bentonville location. It’s within walking distance of anything you could possibly want to see in town.
Eating well is an important part of any visit to Bentonville. During my brief stay, I had a heaping and authentic bowl of pho at Pho Thanh, saffron tagliatelle at The Hive, and a hearty breakfast at Pressroom with a new friend from the Bentonville Visitor’s Center.
And I, of course, made time to visit Bike Rack Brewing Co., a local craft brewery set on one of the many bike trails. It’s a part of the Fayetteville Ale Trail, a collection of breweries within the greater Fayetteville area, which you can get passport stamps at.
I could have spent much more time in Bentonville, especially riding and walking the trails and paths, especially one that runs between Bentonville and Fayetteville untouched by highways. There’s also a new children’s museum opening up this summer. The town is a great jumping off point for adventures in the Ozarks and throughout Northwestern Arkansas.
Thanks for sharing this little corner of the US! It’s the second time in a month I’ve heard of Bentonville, AR. One of my sister’s just visited the area and was extremely enthusiastic about the art museum and its beautiful grounds. Glad to know that you can make a nice weekend out of it, too!