Weekend Getaway: Bentonville – Rogers

I always get lots of questions about Bentonville and why I visit so often. Honestly, there are three main reasons:

1. It’s a fairly short drive from Memphis [five hours]
2. The food scene is unbelievable. Don’t believe me? Check out these highlights.
3. Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art made its home there—a huge plus for this self-proclaimed #artbae.

Visiting the museum was actually at the top of my list for this trip. We scored member preview tickets for Color Field and immediately started planning to hit the road to Arkansas!

More weekend getaway posts: Oxford, Nashville, Atlanta, Birmingham

First stop: Airbnb

You all know I am a huge fan of 21c Bentonville and also recommend the local DoubleTree, but we made the unfortunate mistake of planning a trip during the WalMart stakeholders meeting weekend and were lucky to find a room anywhere. Airbnb to the rescue!

We found this adorable house just ten minutes away from Bentonville in Rogers. I was a bit nervous to book because the house looked peak Millennial and the price seemed too good to be true. Yet, there it was, with excellent reviews and highly responsive hosts. They were even super flexible with us when we added another couple to the reservation.

Next stop: Color Field at Crystal Bridges

Our group arrived with just enough time to experience most of Color Field before sitting in on an artist talk moderated by Allison Glenn, associate curator of contemporary art and curator of the exhibition. If you aren’t familiar with the exhibition then get some new friends. I kid, I kid.

Clockwise: Negative Space (2019) x Odili Donald Odita | Back to Kansas (2015) x Spencer Finch

Untitled Maze (2014) x Sam Falls   | Monochrome II (2010-2018) x Nancy Rubins

Seriously, Color Field is a whimsical outdoor exhibition that explores color, shape, and absolutely massive installations within the museum’s North Forest. The installations overwhelmed me, inspired me, and left me with a bit of nostalgia for the days when I had much more free time to simply explore. Head to my ‘art’ highlight to see more then start planning your visit!  –on view June 1- September 20– 

Dinner: Pressroom

Pressroom is undefeated. Their seasonal menu with ample vegetarian options, fabulous servers, and quality cocktails make their dining room a requisite stop during every trip. I told my friends just that then almost worried that I had oversold the experience. Luckily, they confirmed that I had not and we nearly returned for dinner the next night!

DAY TWO

First stop: A good Southern breakfast

I raved about The Buttered Biscuit in a previous post and am still a big fan of their breakfast! A quick Google search revealed that we could add our names to the wait list on Yelp, which we did, and I couldn’t recommend that route enough. We waited maybe five minutes after arriving to be seated.

Next stop: Shopping and Onyx Coffee Lab in downtown Rogers

We left breakfast and headed back to Crystal Bridges to see more of Color Field— yes, it’s that good— and explore other exhibitions on view. From the museum, we headed to downtown Rogers and proceeded to buy all the things.

Strolling down Walnut feels like you’re stepping back in time. The street has managed to keep it’s small town feel, which extended to shop owners stepping outside and chatting us up then inviting us into their stores. Once inside, we were offered samples, talked through products, and recommended other shops to visit along the way. I blame their incredible southern charm for the amount of shopping we did!

MUST VISIT SHOPS 

• Vintage – The Rusty Chair

•Clothes, Accessories, Home – Dandy Roll

• Urban Bath & Body Co.

• The Art Collective Gallery

Dinner: Tusk & Trotter American Brasserie

I mostly remember there being a lot of food. So much food, in fact, that we spent nearly an hour trying to eat it all and still managed to leave with takeaway boxes. I highly recommend the pomme frites, veggie stack, apple cornbread, and a bottle of rosé.

DAY THREE

Breakfast: Onyx Coffee Lab – Downtown Bentonville

One can never have too much Onyx, which is exactly what I told my friends when explaining why we should park ourselves at the Bentonville location for a light Sunday breakfast. I had the avocado toast, which also made an appearance here, and an iced matcha with oat milk. We also shared an assortment of macarons that were too pretty to pass up.

                               Prayer for Obama I (2008) x Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons

Next Stop: Exploring Bentonville City Square + 21c Museum Hotel Galleries

The Square is a great place to spend a lazy day. After coffee, we ventured just past it to spend some time checking out the art inside of 21c. They never disappoint with their selection of contemporary art. Also, the gift shop has gorgeous coffee table books, bath and body products, and some exclusive collaborations that you will definitely want to add to your collection.

Before hitting the road: Crêpes Paulette

A good crêpe is just thing to grab before hitting the road. We stopped at Crêpes Paulette for some quick, hot, and fresh crêpes. Since this wasn’t my first or second time here, I convinced my friends that the best experience was to order one savory, one sweet, and not to skip the lem-pom. We all left thoroughly stuffed and with no regrets!

More weekend getaway posts: Oxford, Nashville, Atlanta, Birmingham

Where should I visit for my next weekend getaway? Comment below or DM ME!