Week 3--Rogers and Bentonville, Arkansas

We left around noon on Tuesday and made our way west via Hwy 62 through Eureka Springs to Rogers, Arkansas.  Now we understand what people mean when they talk about those “narrow, winding Arkansas roads!"  The first half of the trip was hilly (After all, these are the Ozarks!), but the roads were not too curvy.  

The second half, however, lived up to its reputation.  There were beautiful vistas and interesting old buildings, but we had to admire them as we whizzed past, as there were no places to pull over to enjoy the view.

Several hours later we pulled into Rogers, Arkansas, drove through town and found a nice campsite in Horseshoe Bend COE Park.  

Site #21 is beautiful.  It’s long enough to accommodate our rig, and has a great “yard” with a stunning view of Beaver Lake, including great sunsets.

The dogs enjoyed chewing their bones and playing in the water.  

The lake is crystal-clear, with a nice gravel bottom, so we didn't even have to deal with muddy paws.  Colt and Kota had their daily swims, and Rue charged through the shallow water along shore biting at the splashes she made.

We had only planned to spend four nights, so we didn’t get to see all there is to see in the Rogers/Bentonville area.  We did, however, enjoy the specialty at Catfish Joe’s.  And, of course, we visited their very nice dog park.  It has lots of shade and grass.  And we bought some lovely duck eggs from a neighborhood vegetable stand.

We did find time to tour the Walmart Visitor Center, located in Walton’s 5-10, the birthplace of Walmart.  It’s amazing to follow the path of Sam Walton and his brother, Bud, as they and their families built the company into what has become the largest private employer in the United States.

We especially enjoyed an exhibit of their "Famous Returns" accepted in accordance with the "Walmart Guarantee."  (Double-click to enlarge the image if you can't read the captions.)

Another treat was our visit to the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art.  The museum was founded by Alice Walton, youngest daughter of Sam and Helen Walton, and was designed by world-renowned architect Moshe Safdie.  It officially opened on November 11, 2011, and offers free public admission underwritten by Walmart.

We were overwhelmed by the structure itself, the permanent and traveling art collections, and the breathtaking grounds.  In fact, we couldn't take it all in the first day so we came back and spent a second.

We couldn't photograph any of the art works inside, but were allowed to take pictures of the grounds and those outside, like this "tree" at the front entrance.  Don't miss the museum if you are in the area.

Our all-too-short visit ended on Friday, and on Saturday morning we packed up and headed north through Missouri to Des Moines, Iowa.  (I shared the driving with John, and Rue helped.)

We'll be back, though.  There's more to see and do, and this part of Arkansas is a feast for all the senses!