Day Trip in Bentonville, AR

Bentonville, Ar is a unique city that blends southern charm with modern innovation. It is the home to Wal-Mart headquarters, a juggernaut in the retail sector. You will find world class art, dining and outdoor recreation. It is truly a unique city.

From Green Forest to Bentonville:

If there is one thing the state of Arkansas is known for it is excellent views and gorgeous scenery. Traveling on HWY 62 toward Bentonville was a feast for the eyes and made for an enjoyable drive.

A Change in Lunch Plans:

To begin with, it was my husband's plan to eat at a unique restaurant called "The Preacher's Son." It is a sustainably-sourced restaurant that is located in a remodeled church.  It is a bit pricey, but if you want to have somewhere special to go for a special occasion it is well worth a visit. Unfortunately, luck was not on our side this trip. We didn't realize that it was only open in the evenings and we arrived around lunch time.

So, we did as all good tourists do. We hopped online and did a quick google search for unique and fun restaurants in the area. There were several options, but the one we settled on was Crepes Paulette. My husband and I had never been to a crepe restaurant before and thought we would give this one a try.

The outside of the restaurant is pretty nondescript, it would be quite easy to miss it if you weren't paying attention. The inside of the building is designed with an industrial style. It gives off a new and fresh millenial vibe. The menu boasts of a large number of gluten free, and vegetarian options for those health conscious sorts. But for me and my husband, we decided on the Monte Cristo and the Chicken Parmesean crepes. They were delicious , though eating the crepes with our hands was a bit n the greasy and messy side.

After we finished our lunch, we went to the Crystal Bridges Art Museum. This museum is free to the public and is curated by Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart actually hosts several other museums in the Bentonville area as well. But we will save those for another time. 

Crystal Bridges has a varied supply of art, from traditional art to modern art. It includes handicrafts, sculptures and canvas art.  But my favorite experience at this museum is one that I believe was created specfically to engage children. But my husband and I enjoyed taking part and making use of the experience by drawing out own art pieces inspired by original pieces.

In case you don't know the name of the original piece. It is called "The Lantern Bearers" by Maxfield Parrish. I encourage you to look up the original creation. 

The creation my husband selected was inspired by the same piece and here is what his masterpiece wound up looking like.

After our attempt at living the artist fantasy. We ended our visit to Bentonville by touring the down town square. We went shopping and admired the old buildings in the area.

Overall we really enjoyed the charm of Bentonville. There were several great experiences to be had, and we thoroughly enjoyed our visit.