The other day I had the rare opportunity to get in the car and cruise around Bentonville Arkansas. It’s not very often that I can sneak away and drive around town without having buyers in the car or on a mission involving real estate! Don’t get me wrong – I love what I do. Sometimes – you just have to cruise around town by your self!
A windy, cool, mid-week day made it fairly quiet on the square. The renovations of the first store of Sam Walton have been completed; today they had his old Ford truck parked in front! I had a chance, brief encounter with Mr. Sam Walton and his brother Bud when I first arrived in this area. They both appeared to be just good home town men. At that time in 1992, I really had no concept of what Wal-Mart was and no idea that it would become the world’s largest retailer.
It was a little early for the noon time rush at the great restaurants around the square. If you are in town – you must make plans eat one of them! I am fond of several, but a great steak burger at The Station Cafe is always good for the soul; but not for the waistline! No I didn’t have on on this journey. It’s a meal to share with friends.
Leaving the square I headed northeast passing the construction site of the new 21c posh hotel coming Spring of 2013. Another added boast to the overall economy in this area! No one out on the skating rink today – it’s a fun place to take the kiddos!
I love driving around and seeing many of the older homes in various stages of reconstruction. Lots of hammers were heard in the background as I cruised up to see the new back look out area for the Crystal Bridges Museum.
This overlook area 
is convenietly located on NW A street with public parking and restrooms, with very easy access to the walking trail. This new overlook is of the back side of the museum and was a place used to observe the construction. It now offers stone benches and a serene view of the copper roofs. Wonderful aromas waft from the museum restaurant, Eleven as they prepare to serve lunch. The walking and biking trails that surround this beautiful place are wonderful. The cities in Northwest Arkansas are really promoting and supporting the trail system.
After driving through several of the surrounding areas of downtown, I headed west to check out some new subdivions that I hadn’t been in since the new construction building started again in earnest a couple of months ago. The growing pains have been especially hard on the traffic flows – personally I don’t think the people on the planning stages 20 years ago had any idea of the growth that would occur here. This area at one time was more farmland and apple trees than buildings and freeways. So therefore, it’s grow and catch up at the same time.
A snapshot of the past on the way to present day subdivisions. I saw many crumbling buildings along the way to the several new building areas – this one just stuck with me. It’s sad in a lot of ways, and yet growth to survive is also necessary for towns.
New freeways are coming in around here, streets are being widen, more houses are coming and more people are moving in. Growth is essential for survival. Northwest Arkansas has been placed on the map as one of the Top 12 Travel & Leisure destinations for 2012.
Our little secret is out – Northwest Arkansas
is the place to live!
