Onward to Bentonville, Ark.

Day 1 (continued)
Sunday
September 27, 2015

Following our morning of "trail maintenance" on our adopted section of the Ouachita Trail, when we got back to our car we rummaged thru our bag of road snacks and our small cooler that we carry along on trips for the makings of a little picnic at the trailhead before we hit the road again.

We than headed north toward Poteau, Ok.  What an interesting small town!  Poteau is celebrating their sense of heritage and the arts and making Poteau "above the ordinary".

We immediately noticed these uniquely painted black angus bulls throughout town.  On the blanket are the words "Indian Territory".  

 There are 15 of these bulls located in front of a variety of business locations......this one in front of the Library with the words "Imagination will take you Everywhere" -- Albert Einstein......

 .....with seven more bulls on order.  This one is from the Leflore County Youth Services with the words "Mending lives with love".

Located right in front of the Wal*Mart is this very unusual bank!  That's right, it is a repurposed railroad caboose serving as a drive-thru bank.

After we crossed over into Arkansas, we passed thru Fort Smith, Ar. then headed north on I-49.  Wow!  Wal*Mart sent me to Bentonville back in 1999 and I don't believe there was an interstate highway thru here then.  This northwest corner of the state has exploded in population in the last 10-15 years.  It is a very scenic drive, with lots of hills and low mountains.  Instead of a pass over the summit, there is this tunnel thru the mountain......

By the time we made it to Bentonville and located our hotel, we were pretty tired, however we did go outside later (along with a lot of other hotel guests) to try to capture a photo of the lunar eclipse.  As you can see my little camera doesn't capture what we could see with the human eye.  The moon was totally red later!

Monday  Day 2
September 28, 2015

Our first stop of the day was in downtown Bentonville.  It has a very lush and beautiful downtown square!

 On one side of the square is the Benton County Courthouse.  Above the front doors, engraved into the stone are these words "Sovereignty Rests With The People".  I like that.

 This historical monument stands on the courthouse lawn.

We ambled down a side street and came upon the most unusual hotel we have ever encountered!  It is the 21C Hotel & Museum.  A museum covers the ground floor with some of the oddest, quirkiest, works of art.....we were enthralled!

 See what I mean.......

This old Cadillac is completely covered with dimes, nickels, and pennies.   

 Totally wild!  I can't remember how many hundred thousand coins there are or what the total dollar amount was.

Inside the lobby area was this bizarre chandelier.......it is covered with an assortment of women's wigs!

This one is titled "A Sudden Gust of Wind"

                            Absolutely so realistic!

This incredible array of flying seagulls, some with bits of debris found on a beach held with their beaks as they fly over. 

There were many more extraordinary exhibits!  You can learn more at www.21cmuseumhotels/bentonville  
But we had places to go and things to see so we moved on.

Our next stop was at the Walton's 5-10, where Wal*Mart began.  It is a showplace now where they sell toys, sundries, and other offerings from the 1950-60's. 

                           Wow!  This began 65 years ago!

We toured the Wal*Mart Museum which tells the story of Sam & Helen Walton and Sam's brother Bud Walton and the early days of Wal*Mart, and right into the present time.  Even though I have worked at Wal*Mart for almost 19 years, I was still impressed with how well the museum depicts the ups and downs and everything in between of how this company came to be and how it manages to keep changing with the times to remain the #1 retailer in the world.

Oh boy, wouldn't that be cool to have bought 100 shares of Wal*Mart stock in 1970.  {Fortunately, I began investing in 1997 and I have gone through one two-for-one split.} 

After spending some time in the Wal*Mart Museum we went into the Spark Café where I enjoyed a delicious ice cream cone!

We then headed out to the Crystal Bridges Museum, situated in the most beautiful surroundings; a rushing creek, lush vegetation, and plenty of outdoor sculptures beside the winding trails.  

When we pulled into the museum parking lot, look what was parked nearby.  A Corvair pickup truck!  We have never seen one before!  Didn't know Chevrolet had ever made these!

                             WOW!!

......to be continued.....