Back in May, we took a family-friendly trip to Bentonville, Arkansas. We chose Bentonville because it was a relatively short three-hour drive, had lots of outdoor activities available and was a place we hadn't visited before. I'm happy to report it was a fun trip for our entire family!
We left on a Thursday morning and planned a few stops along the way to help break up the drive. We packed a quick lunch of PB&J sandwiches and found a random park to stop at along the way. (I'm pretty sure we are some of the last people still wearing masks in public indoor spaces. Knock on wood, Adam, Archer, Lyla and myself have not gotten Covid and we'd like to keep it that way until the kids are fully vaccinated. So we've opted to find restaurants with outdoor seating, which can be tricky sometimes.)
Our next stop after lunch was Old Redings Mill Bridge in Joplin, Missouri. It featured some pretty scenery and had a trail we walked on for a bit to stretch our legs. I'm not sure it would be a place I would travel to just to see on its own, but it was the perfect pit stop to break up our time in the car.
After driving for a bit more, we found a Braum's drive-thru to get some ice cream. Adam has a fondness for their frozen yogurt so whenever we're in an area that has Braum's, we have to make a stop. Archer, Lyla and I certainly didn't mind stopping for ice cream!
After our tasty treat, we stopped at Tanyard Creek Nature Trail in Bella Vista, Arkansas. It was absolutely gorgeous! There was a really pretty trail that led to a waterfall! We all enjoyed the views and Archer and Lyla enjoyed not smiling or looking at the camera at the same time. In fact, that seemed to be a recurring theme throughout most of our adventures.
Following our waterfall adventure, we made it to our hotel. We stayed at the Embassy Suites in Bentonville, which worked out really well for our family. We tend to pick Embassy Suites when we travel because the rooms are bigger, they usually have an indoor pool and they have breakfast included. In fact, I think Archer and Lyla might have enjoyed the hotel the most out of everything from our trip. They were big fans of riding the elevator and loved watching cable cartoons.
Thursday evening we ate at Grub's Bar & Grille. It had decent food, was close enough to the hotel to walk to and had outdoor seating.
The next morning, Friday, we stopped by Onyx Coffee Lab after enjoying our free hotel breakfast. While I'm not a coffee drinker, Adam is and he said this might be his favorite coffee shop of all time. I can also offer high compliments for their hot chocolate, while Archer and Lyla can praise the macaroons. They also had the most adorable outdoor seating area. Downtown Bentonville is very dog-friendly, so we all enjoyed watching all the cute dogs walk by in addition to enjoying our treats.
Next, we walked around their little downtown area called The Square. There were restaurants and cute shops, along with the Walmart Museum. We didn't visit the Walmart Museum, but we did head to the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art.
The weather was nice and sunny on Friday, so we decided to enjoy the outdoor spaces at Crystal Bridges. There were lots of different paths you could take with sculptures to view along the way. This sculpture was giving us major Stranger Things vibes!
Following the museum, we enjoyed lunch at Bentonville Brewing Company. This was a fun place to eat and drink. We enjoyed their covered patio and beverages. They even had a little area for the kids to ride some balance bikes.
While we were driving around, the kids noticed a park along the way. Since this was their vacation too, we decided to stop by the park after taking a rest at the hotel. Osage Park has lots of walking trails, a lake, pickleball courts, an archery range and a dog park. Of course there was playground equipment too, which Archer and Lyla loved climbing on.
Coming to Osage Park was a bit of a happy accident. Right next to the playground was Thaden Field, which is a small airport. They had a restaurant (LOUISE) which featured patio seating right next to the runway. So we got to enjoy a meal and watch a few planes land and take off! It was a really fun dining experience and the food was delicious too.
We started the following Saturday morning much like the previous morning. Our first adventure was another visit to Onyx Coffee Lab. The weather was looking a bit gloomy, but we managed to enjoy some drinks and snacks without getting rained on. As we were heading back to the car, it started to rain. We decided to head back to the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art to check out the indoor exhibits since we only made it to the outdoor spaces the previous day. There was lots to take in and they even had a cute little art studio for kids to create some artwork.
Lunch proved to be a bit tricky on Saturday. Since it was raining, we had a tough time finding somewhere with covered outdoor seating. We ended up back at Bentonville Brewing Company. We all enjoyed it just as much as the other visit.
Our last stop of the day was the Amazeum, which is a children's museum/indoor play area with lots of hands-on activities. It was super busy and more than a bit chaotic. But the kids enjoyed themselves and had fun exploring all the place had to offer.
Sunday was our last day in Bentonville and we ended up at Onyx Coffee Lab, once again. Did I mention Adam said this was his favorite coffee place ever? We started heading home afterwards, but did make one stop on the way home at Shoal Creek Falls. We enjoyed stretching our legs and breaking up the car ride a bit. The kids loved tossing rocks in the water, while Adam and I kept grabbing their jackets to keep them from tumbling into the water.
Oh my gosh! I think you just suggested a trip for our bucket list! Sounded like a great idea for a quick getaway for us.
ReplyDeleteYou would definitely enjoy it!
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