Bentonville...who knew?

"Little taste of the good life." - Stay, Dave Matthews Band

My summer was kicked off early this year, starting with attendance at a Dave Matthews Band concert in Bentonville, Arkansas.

The concert was great, as expected.  Standing on line resulted in meeting up with old pals and making some new friends.  The relatively small venue - the Walmart AMP - opened only one year ago and is still shiny and new.  I ended up on 'the rail' right in front of Tim Reynolds and enjoyed the show immensely. I was protected there from the pouring rain.  Plus, it's so much fun to watch the interaction between the band members up close!  They genuinely seemed to be having a lot of fun last Tuesday night.  I've never seen "The Lovely Ladies" live before.  Not everyone was into that - one of my DMB pals, a discriminating 11 year old - wanted to know when DMB started doing Gospel? But personally, the rendition of "Stay" at the end of the second set was the very best version of that tune I've ever had the pleasure to hear "live". The setlist wasn't my favorite of the shows I've seen - I would have loved to be at the Wednesday night show - but there is no such thing as a bad DMB show in my opinion.

So the DMB show was great, but as I said, I expected that.  The big surprise of this trip was Bentonville!  What a fun town to visit!

Bentonville is the 10th largest city in Arkansas and boasts a picturesque town square right out of Disney. The Station Diner on the square is recommended for breakfast,;you can get "Freedom Toast" - not that French stuff.  (I opted for an omelette).

Bentonville also the home of Walmart.  You can actually visit Sam Walton's original Five-and-Dime store right off the town square.  The store is now a museum with displays chronicaling Walmart's history along with Sam Walton's life.  His wife Helen's wedding dress is exhibited along with his F150, complete with hunting rifle.  There are fun photos of Sam's dogs.  The line of "Ol Roy" dog food sold at Walmart is named after Sam's favorite hunting companion. The dogs were my favorite part - although the photo of Sam Walton dancing a hulu on Wall Street after Walmart stock hit a milestone was pretty funny.

Also right downtown is a great hotel, 21c.  It's one of five hotels in the 'chain'.  I first stayed at 21c when visiting Louisville, also for a DMB show, a few years ago, and was happy to check out the Bentonville location.  21c is a boutique hotel combined with a modern art museum.  The museum is open 24-7 and is free to the public. Upstairs are 104 rooms furnished with contemporary, fun furnishings.  You are absolutely soaked in art during your stay.  Nice little restaurant too.

Step outside 21c, walk through the Lawrence Plaza Splash Park, and you find yourself entering the lovely Compton Gardens.  Named after a local resident, Neil Compton, who was a noted Bentonville physician, writer, photographer, founder of the Ozark Society, and "savior of the Buffalo River", Compton Gardens has trails winding through native flora, over 6.5 acres of delight, right in Bentonville.  I met a cute German Shepherd puppy named Duke and got a fur fix while hiking about!

The "Art Trail" leads to Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art; as you follow the trail, a variety of touching, provoking and whimsical installations greet you around each turn. Crystal Bridges Museum itself is set within 120 acres of native Ozark forest; it's a beautiful, peaceful location. A Frank Lloyd Wright structure, the 1954 Bachman Wilson House, is in the process of being meticulously reconstructed on the grounds.  I thought it was a little unusual to move a house, complete with fixtures and furnishings, from New Jersey to Arkansas;  but the museum literature indicates relocation was the best option for preservation of the structure.

I could easily have filled another day or two at Compton Gardens and Crystal Bridges, not to mention the other area attractions. Another trip to Bentonville is definitely in my future, even if DMB doesn't play there again...while not on my list of retirement options, certainly worth more vacation time!