I gotta be honest, I can’t really remember the last time I visited Arkansas. I feel like it was the mid-2000s and Eureka Springs was somehow involved. I could be wrong, however. Let’s just say it wasn’t that memorable of an excursion.

So, when the fine folks at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art invited me to experience all things Bentonville, I went with nary one preconceived notion of what to expect. Also, like any esteemed travel writer, I did very little research on the area beforehand. I wanted to play Joe Tourist without any meticulous pre-planning and/or rudimentary plan of attack.

I like to think of it as immersive travel therapy.

Here’s what I gleaned in less than 48 hours in this perpetually burgeoning town:

9) Bentonville owes its namesake to Senator Thomas Hart Benton of Missouri.
He had been a strong supporter of Arkansas’s statehood. The town of Bentonville was selected as county seat of Benton County upon Arkansas’ acceptance as a state. Settlers chose the name back in 1837 to honor the Missouri politician.

8) Everyone bikes in this town. Like, everyone-everyone.
I’m not kidding. I felt mighty conspicuous because I was driving a car. Also, bikers magically appear out of the ether, so I’ve been super mindful to drive with my foot perched on the brake pedal. Bike shops are practically on every street corner. And many hotels offer a bike valet. If you’re keeping track, the area has over twenty-eight miles of mountain biking trails to enjoy. Oh, and at last count there were twenty-two parks spread over more than 300 acres with more than fifty miles of trails for walking, running, hiking, or biking. (I’m not an outdoor enthusiast, but if I were, this place seems like the mothership calling me home.)

7) The area didn’t have a regional airport until 1998.
Over the years, XNA has expanded exponentially, thanks to Walmart and Tyson Foods being headquartered nearby. In 2023, they served nearly 2 million fliers. (That’s not a misprint.) You can fly non-stop here from countless cities including Denver, Houston, Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, New York City, and Washington D.C. to name a few.

6) It’s an arts mecca, a foodie mecca, and an architectural mecca.
That’s right—architecture takes center stage in Bentonville, thanks in huge part to the influx of multiple Walton heirs and their respective charitable foundations. Think artsy and fartsy. No skyscrapers, just a plenty of eye-catching aesthetics.

Take the jaw-dropping Frank Lloyd Wright’s Bachman-Wilson House, for instance. This 1956 house—originally located along the Millstone River in New Jersey—was an institution. When the house was threatened by repeated flooding, the owners looked for savvy new owners to relocate it. Cue the crew at the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. (More on them later.) In 2013, the museum purchased the house. It was then meticulously dismantled, painstakingly labeled and packed, and subsequently moved to Northern Arkansas. It was reconstructed in 2015 on the museum’s forest-friendly (and flood-free) grounds. Talk about the ultimate jigsaw puzzle.

5) Caffeine—for the win!
I’m sorry, but I’m a coffee snob. A self-proclaimed coffee snob at that. And this town is rife with several unpretentious gourmet coffee shops. If people aren’t on their bikes, they have a coffee in hand. (Or maybe that was just me?) But I had three of the best coffee concoctions I’ve ever tried whilst in this town.

Onyx Coffee Lab—which everyone raved about from the nanosecond I arrived—plied me with their “Hail Fellow Well Met!” It was a frothy salted toffee latte libation that was creamy, dreamy, and piping hot. I went back for seconds. (And like that commercial from the 70s, I never have a second cup of coffee at home.)

I also tried a yam latte at Kohii Coffee which is attached to the Motto by Hilton Bentonville. This new boutique hotel has prime real estate just outside the town’s main square. The rooms are the size of a postage stamp—and I couldn’t wait to take my damn yam latte and crawl back into my cozy bed. Meanwhile, the squad at Airship Coffee poured me such a potent cup of their java that I bought two bags of their seasonal Peruvian blend on the spot. God, I love coffee.

4) Crystal Bridges Museum of Art is what the Louvre is to Paris.
Walmart heiress Alice Walton has many claims to fame, including being one of the richest women in the world. She’s also an acclaimed art aficionado and visionary. So, as she put the wheels in motion for a nature-ific mega-museum in the heart of the Ozarks, the world took notice.

When Walton hired revolutionary architect Moshe Safdie to design the museum, she chose wisely. Safdie built the museum’s curvy pavilions upon two spring-fed ponds. It almost gives the illusion that the galleries are floating. Even more Zen is that the museum—which opened on 11/11/11—is located amongst 120 acres of forest. Wanna hike and see a Norman Rockwell painting? Eager to go birdwatching and learn about Andy Warhol? It’s the artistic equivalent of an SNL Stefon sketch. This place has everything, including their newest exhibit, Knowing the West: Visual Legacies of the American West, which is the first major traveling exhibition to show the diverse groups who shaped the art and life of the West.


3) There’s a shocking amount of culinary goodness within a 15-mile radius.
Bentonville’s ultra-progressive culinary scene is unrivaled. Full stop. When I announced I was headed here, I had no less than five different chef-pals tell me where to eat. Like these weren’t places I needed to try, mind you. I was given literal mandates on where to go, what to order, and who to ask for—uh, in no uncertain terms. (Sidebar: every place I tried had a killer mocktail menu. Bonus points all the way around.)

When I arrived after a winding 3.5 hour drive, the last thing I wanted to do was get back in my car. Alas, I’m glad I did. My first foodie experience was at place called Pizzeria Ruby in Fayetteville. How good was it?

They had a line out the door.

At 8:40 p.m.

On a Thursday.

When I sat down at the bar, two different couples on either side of me started giving me suggestions on what to eat. I’m not sure if they sensed my blood sugar was low, but they graciously offered me copious portions of whatever Italian goodness they were eating. I ended up grazing off their plates for the first 30 minutes. I’ll leave you with this—don’t try to order at Ruby’s. Just cozy up to the server and ask for the three best things on the menu. And take a bag of piping hot ricotta donuts when you leave. Oh, and don’t wear a belt. Rookie mistake for me.

I tried the most flavorful tapas at Bar Cleeta. (Run. Do not walk.) I also inhaled a spicy mushroom bisque and an even spicier pimento burger at The Hive. (They are world-famous for their fries. When the chef tried to explain the two-day blanching process, I was pre-occupied trying to remedy the blisters in my mouth. Yes, I consumed the entire plate in one fell swoop.)

And I had a peanut butter and jelly chocolate bar at Markham & Fitz. Moving forward, it’s the only chocolate bar I will ever consume for the rest of my existence on this earth.

2) Take a moment at The Momentary.
This mammoth art/food/music hub opened about ten minutes before the pandemic hit in 2020. After a quiet launch, The Momentary has found its footing as another major Bentonville tourist attraction. To be honest, its odd combo of social, cultural, and physical activities is unlike anything I’ve seen in the Midwest.

Originally built as a dairy plant, it was repurposed into a modern, multi-purpose, Matrix-esque venue. (Fun fact: architects kept most of the original building intact. That would explain the monstrous milk vat perched right above the welcome desk.) Whereas most museums are don’t ask, don’t touch, The Momentary is an eclectic, open platform—a perfect mix of indoor galleries and outdoor music. I mean, where else can one see Gladys Knight perform one week and Deadhaus the next? (PS. Their rooftop bar has a near 360-view of the city’s wistful vistas.)

1) Squirrel(s)!
Bentonville has an odd affinity for squirrels. For one, it’s home to the extremely rare black squirrel. Well, rare in the rest of the United States, but here in town the critters have apparently set up shop. Locals say getting a picture of them is considered a lucky omen. They’re definitely part of the local charm. (No, I did not see one.)

All that being said, there’s also an annual squirrel cook off every September in neighboring Springdale. Past recipes have included squirrel and grits, squirrel stroganoff, and, naturally, squirrel tacos. While I’m sorry I missed it by mere weeks, you’re welcome to get more event details on their Facebook page. (PS. The year’s winning team won with their dish of squirrel bacon ranch pizza and fried squirrel ricotta ravioli. Mmmm … tasty.)