BENTONVILLE, ARKANSAS
Striking art, exhilarating bike trails and elevated Southern cuisine make this city the ideal weekend getaway, says Ellie Seymour
DAY 1 images: Drager Creative Courtesy of Visit Bentonville; KATE AUSTIN PHOTOGRAPHY; getty; alamy; Chroma Photography
Situated in northwest Arkansas, Bentonville is a haven for fans of mountain biking, lying on the fringes of the Ozarks and home to trails ranging from simple, beginner routes to more challenging, forested paths. The city is largely flat, compact and easily explored on two wheels, thanks to a series of shared-use trails running through and around it. They form part of the 36-mile Razorback Regional Greenway, which connects several parts of northwest Arkansas.
Start the first day with a trip to one of Bentonville’ s many bike rental shops, like YT Mill or Specialized Bentonville, before cycling to LOUISE cafe on Thaden Field, home to Bentonville Municipal Airport. Both spots are named after Bentonville-born aviatrix, Louise Thaden, a major figure in the world of aviation during the 1920s. Here, playfully named dinerstyle dishes like‘ takeoff’ tacos filled with scrambled eggs, bacon and cheese fill a tempting all-day menu.
After breakfast, consider taking a 30-minute chartered plane ride with Fly Oz for a bird’ s-eye view over the city and the surrounding Ozark Forest landscape. Back on the ground, it’ s an easy cycle to Osage Park, an urban greenspace home to a prairie garden and 12-acre wetland ecosystem, for an atmospheric stroll along the boardwalk that runs through it. From here, make a stop at the Museum of Native American History, followed by a trip to the Peel Museum & Botanical Garden— a historic family home.
When it’ s lunchtime, it’ s worth biking across town to Yeyo’ s, a James Beardnominated local favourite serving up excellent Mexican dishes— think fresh guacamole, tortillas and street tacos heaped with shredded beef barbacoa. Follow this with a trip to the offbeat Walmart Museum Heritage Lab— the superstore chain was founded here in 1962 by businessman Sam Walton. The museum, which opened in the early 1990s, takes visitors through the store’ s history and includes fun exhibits such as past customers’ most ridiculous reasons for returning items.
Wrap up your first day with a wander around the historic downtown square before dinner at The Preacher’ s Son, a Gothic church-cum-restaurant serving rustic American food like shrimp and grits and New York strip steak. Grab a nightcap in the basement bar, Undercroft, before taking in some live music at The Momentary— a contemporary art and performance space in a converted Kraft cheese plant. It’ s also one of the venues used to host screenings during the annual Bentonville Film Festival, which takes place each June. spring 2025 • 17