Walmart and Crystal Bridges

May 9-14, 2022

My last stop in Arkansas was Bentonville, home of Walmart and Crystal Bridges Museum. I stayed in Rogers at Prairie Creek COE campground. It was the worst COE campground I've ever stayed at. The site was on a very steep hill that I had to BACK UP to park the trailer and the campsite was angled the wrong way so it took about 20 minutes to back into it. To make it even more difficult, the asphalt was chipped away on the edges so the site was uneven and letting the stairs down was very awkward. The bathrooms were DISGUSTING! Bugs everywhere and filthy. There were no camp hosts and the rangers were spread too thin. It was very disappointing as COE campgrounds are usually very nice. In spite of that, the area is beautiful and it's on a lake that I had a good view of.

The kitties were entertained daily by the woodpeckers and squirrels that visited every day.

I took the self-guided tour of The Walmart Museum, the site of the first Walmart Store. It was call Walton's Five and Dime back then in 1950. The Walton family, Sam, Helen, sons Rob, John and Jim and daughter Alice, moved to Bentonville to satisfy Helen's desire for small-town living. It was a short driving distance to Missouri, Oklahoma and Kansas where Sam could enjoy different seasons for quail hunting. Sam bought Luther Harrison's Variety Store on the town's central square. It was his second store but the first to bear his name.

Helen's wedding gown. They were wed Valentine's Day 1943 and were married 49 years.

Sam's Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, was presented to him on March 17, 1992, just 19 days before his death.

Sam's office. It was left exactly the way it was the day he died.

Sam's 1979 F150 custom truck. He didn't see the need to have flashy cars. Besides, he needed the truck to carry his hunting dogs in.

Back at the campground these two were teased and tortured daily by the wildlife. This squirrel loved to watch them watch him. The woodpecker was oblivious to the cats but visited us everyday.

The next day I visited Crystal Bridges Museum. It was founded by Sam's only daughter, Alice Walton. I loved the metal tree sculpture as you drive up to the front.

An overview of the different buildings that make up the museum. Even the landscaping is art!

There are sculptures all around the gardens that surround the museum with walking and bike trails. These are a few of my favorites.

Turquoise Reeds - Chihuly Glass. To create these long, tubular glass shapes, a glassblower is elevated in a lift and blows into a pipe while another pulls the glass toward the ground.

The iconic LOVE image was originally designed as a Christmas card for MOMA in 1965 by Robert Indiana. Over 50 editions of this sculpture exist in cities around the world.

Redstick by Deborah Butterfield. Made with bronze and patina, she begins by covering sticks with a ceramic material capturing the fine details in the wood, before burning it away leaving the ceramic mold. Next, the inside of the mold is covered with wax and submerged in plaster. When the plaster sets, it's fired to melt away the wax and then molten bronze is poured in. After cooling the cast, she breaks away the mold revealing the bronze copy. These are assembled to create the sculpture.

Chaise Gabion by Celeste Roberge. Talk about a rock hard lounger!

My favorite one though was this one, Narcissus Garden by Yahoo Kusama. It's comprised of nearly 1800 stainless steel spheres and reimagines the story of Narcissus. In Greek mythology, the self-obsessed hunter Narcissus is lured to a pond where upon gazing at his own reflection in the water, falls in and drowns. "Narcissus Garden encourages us to look past our own unique reflection to see those of other people and the natural surroundings, becoming part of one greater sphere - that of an interconnected universe."

Honestly, I'm not sure why I liked it so much. The spheres just float around so the sculpture is always changing. It was relaxing to sit and watch the spheres move. Maybe it speaks to me because the water element. I love the water.

Before I take you inside the museum I have to confess I'm not an art lover. I (secretly to myself) make fun of people who ooh and aah over "art" that looks like a 5-year old made it, trying to figure out its deeper meaning. I guess I'm a reverse snob? Like, I don't get the display of 6 framed black pieces of paper. That's art? I wish I'd taken a picture of it. Seriously, it was six plain black pictures hanging on the wall. Anyway, let's get back to the museum...

Depression Bread Line by George Seal was created to evoke the emotional tenor of how it felt to live during the Great Depression. A bronze cast of this original sculpture is at the Roosevelt Memorial in Washington DC.

Wisteria table lamp by Clara Driscoll, Tiffany Studios. You know how much I love stained glass. One day when I'm able to pick it back up I'd love to make something like this.

Belonging(s) by Beth Lipman. This glass travel truck contains glass objects. Some you can see clearly and some just hint at what the object may be.

We The People by Nari Ward. This sculpture is made with multicolored shoelaces!

George Washington by Charles Willson Peale was painted back in the early 1780s. The eyes were so lifelike.

Last but not least is the iconic Rosie the Riveter by Norman Rockwell. It was fun to see this famous painting in person. This image appeared as a cover for the Saturday Evening Post in 1943 and became a symbol of patriotism during WWII. I love how the frame has rivets and stars.

There's also a house on the grounds built by the famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Photography wasn't allowed inside which was a bummer as that was the most interesting part, but what can you do...

The Bachman-Wilson home was originally built in Millstone NJ for Gloria and Abraham Wilson in 1954. Gloria's brother had been one of Wright's apprentices and the couple hoped that using both their last names might help them secure the commission. Obviously, it worked! The front of the house that faced the street was had minimal windows to ensure privacy.

While the back of the house has a sweeping wall of glass inviting the surrounding landscape in. In 1988, an architecture and design team bought the house and restored it after several floods had damaged the riverside structure. However, the flooding continued and in 2013 they contacted Crystal Bridges hoping they would purchase it and move it to a safer location to be preserved for future generations. It was taken apart, loaded into two tractor trailer trucks, and arrived in Bentonville in April 2014 where it was reassembled and stands today.

So this ends my time in Arkansas. It is a beautiful state that was full of surprises, and one you should definitely explore. From here I head back to Texas to visit family. I hope you enjoyed Arkansas and I'll see you soon.