Bentonville, AR – Wal-Mart Museum and Crystal Bridges of American Art

It was Day 3 of our “Wild, Wacky Adventure” to Arkansas and Oklahoma. You can click here to see our complete trip itinerary.

The original plan was to see the University of Arkansas and then head to Oklahoma. Since we had driven around the college the previous evening, we had extra time in the morning to do some more exploring.

I read all about the Wal-Mart Museum and decided it would be fun to see since it was small and only took about 1/2 hour.

But then I realized the Wal-Mart Museum was close to the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. I read that it was great to see not only for art, but for its architecture – similar to the Getty Museum in L.A. When I found out it was free (thanks to the Sam Walton family), I felt we had no excuse not to visit.  We’d go and stay about 30 minutes. Well an hour and a half later, we finally left and I’m so glad we visited it! (more…)

Read more about the article Scenic Arkansas and Eureka Springs
Along Scenic Highway 7

Scenic Arkansas and Eureka Springs

This was our second day of our “Wild, Wacky Adventure” in Arkansas and Oklahoma. I knew that travel from point A to point B would be easy if I followed the interstate, but that would be too easy. Instead, we opted go the long way from Petit Jean State Park in Morrilton to Fayetteville, AR via Scenic Byway 7 through Jasper and head through Eureka Springs, make a quick detour in Missouri, and then head south to Fayetteville.

Scenic Highway 7

When we left Petit Jean, we went out the back way through Dardanelle and Russellville to get to Hwy 7. This north-south highway was first state designated scenic highway and I could see why. First it twists and turns and goes up and down a lot. We stopped at one of the first rest stops in Arkansas. The wives of Rotary Club members, fondly called Rotary Anns, got the restroom built in the 1930’s.  It’s not a typical rest stop, but a stone structure and picnic tables, which was kept very nice. Yes – there were restrooms too and our first view of the Boston mountains. Signs detailed the history of the road, the rest stop and the mountains.

Arkansas Grand Canyon

Before we got to Jasper, we stopped at the famous Cliff House Inn & Restaurant. Nestled in the side of the mountain, we had a view of the Arkansas Little Grand Canyon. Not a canyon in the sense of rocks, but more of a canyon of green trees. An outdoor deck with hanging baskets of flowers offered more views. (more…)

Petit Jean State Park – Morrillton, AR

It’s actually hard to write this post. Usually because I relish writing about my trip after the fact. But somehow I feel that if I write about it, I will be putting it to rest. I don’t want that trip to end.

Just a short drive from Little Rock lies Petit Jean State Park. Because the pickings are scarce in the AAA guide-book for Arkansas, I decided we better review what’s on the list. Petit Jean was the first state park in Arkansas, founded around 1921 with help from Stephen Mather of the National Park Service.

We started off at the point in the picture above. Overlooking the Arkansas River, we saw the remains of a building and a cemetery. It turns out this land was a former YMCA Camp Mitchell until it burned in the 1940’s. Later that decade, it was purchased by the Episcopalian church which leases the land to Petit Jean today. (more…)