We're headed out on our cruise so soon, and we'll be completely unplugged! Woohoo! :) I realized that I never posted about our Arkansas trip.
You might remember that we had been struggling to travel so far this year. February was too busy. March our plans fell through and then we ended up spending a week with Olivia. In April we finally made it off on a quick road trip to Bentonville and Fayetteville, AR.
This may not sound like an exciting destination but it was really appealing to us for several reasons:
1) a great art museum
2) the drive was short
3) the perfect distance for a weekend trip
4) Freckled Hen Farmhouse
We ended up taking it pretty slowly. We chose our places to visit along the way, and based on who we were feeling at the time, and we relaxed. (I am a horrible relaxer.) We ate slow meals. We had a drink or two. We browsed tons of bookshops.
AS EVIDENCED ABOVE... ^^ We turned in early and just read and cuddled. It was so nice.
The museum was fun, and the food was great, but it was definitely more of a relaxing trip than a travel one. Did I mention the books...?
Eat:
Yeyo's Mexican Grill - This place was in what looked like a re-purposed school, but had the coolest vibe inside. The burritos were on point, and everyone who worked there was super nice. They also had black and white Mexican movies playing which was fun. Highly recommend.
Tavloa Trattoria - We actually went here twice.. because it was SO good and didn't have strange hours. I got this incredible pesto pasta with steak on it. The sangria was great. Basically if you like Italian, and or just kind of an upscale casual place, this one was so good! :)
Flying Fish - This place is an Arkansas chain, but it was really really good. I loved the catfish. Seriously, some of the best I've ever had, not greasy at all. Perhaps part of the charm was the "ambiance" the billy bass adoption center was adorable. I love that rather than throwing them out you can give them to this place and they'll give you free catfish. It was fun to see how many there were and the different ways that they were decorated.
The Buttered Biscuit - We went here for breakfast and it was pretty good. This is a relatively new but local institution. My breakfast was decent, but I wasn't over the moon about it. KC got some fancy pancakes and really liked them. The atmosphere was fun and it was PACKED.
Hammondtree's Grilled Cheese - This restaurant is very popular in Fayetteville. It has a decidedly laid back, funky sort of vibe that only a college town can achieve. We got grilled cheeses and loaded fries. It was pretty darn good. Everyone there was really friendly.
See: Downtown Fayetteville, Street Art, Billy Bass Adoption Center at "Flying Fish", the
Crystal Bridges Museum of Art and Grounds.
Shop:
Freckled Hen Farmhouse - This is funnily enough one of the main reasons I wanted to go down to Arkansas. This store is the cutest! They carry so many of my favorite brands and the neatest things in their store. Their
instagram is so great, and I loved seeing the store in person. The owner, Natalie, was there while we were and it was so funny to see her IRL. :) They were running a special since it was so cold, spend $40 get a free hot chocolate mix. We spent $38 and I went to go find something else, and Natalie just threw the mix in the bag and said we were good to go. They were SO nice! :)
Once Upon A Time Books - This is a HUGE warehouse of books, not as big as the
one in Nashville, but it had so many book steals. This is technically in Rogers, AR, but is close just a 20 ish minute drive.
Dickson Street Bookshop - This Fayetteville institution is floor to ceiling, wall to wall, mazes of used books. It's pretty impressive really. I found some good deals here, and was impressed with the sheer size of the place, but it did make me a little claustrophobic and dizzy. ha
Nightbird Books - An indie bookstore with a small but well curated selection of new books. They also had a small enclosed bird habitat which was cool, and as much as I love bookstore cats it was a fun change.
Do:
Visit the Crystal Bridges Museum of Art - this museum is absolutely stunning. The architecture is half of the reason to go and really put Bentonville on the map. The museum itself is fairly small but interesting and full of some cool American Art. Again, the showstopper here is really the museum itself. It's gorgeous. This museum is FREE! We didn't spend a lot of time on the grounds because it was rainy while we were there, but I have heard that they are lovely as well. The Frank Lloyd Wright house is not free, neither are the rotating exhibits. We wanted to try the restaurant but were not there at a compatible time.
Fayetteville Farmers Market & Shops in Town Square - self explanatory, but this little area is fun to walk around. :)
Gator Golf - There's nothing quite like goonie golf. This place had a lot of fun safari animals and a decent course. I got a hole-in-one... and I am not good at mini golf. FYI there is 100% a penis shaped hole. I mean... what are you going to do? (laugh, that's what) But we really did have a fun time mini golfing here. LOL
Shop for books at the above shops. :P
There are also some cool outdoorsy things to do, but we did not because it was rainy!
Stay:
We stayed at
this Airbnb and it was pretty great. The price is insanely low ($79 per night), and it was recently renovated and really nice. It is a duplex, and the wall in between is pretty thin, but then again.. so are walls in most hotels as well. Highly recommend if you are looking for a nice and inexpensive place to stay.
Favorites: Freckled Hen Farmhouse, The Billy Bass Adoption Center, Once Upon A Time Books, and pesto pasta at Tavola Trattoria.
New Experiences: Frank Lloyd Wright House / Seeing Architecture Exhibit, Birds in a Bookstore, a cool black and white mural/street art.
As much fun as we had on this trip, we were so ready to get on a boat... and have what will feel a little more like a travel type vacation in Cuba and Mexico. :) I'll be talking about it soon! :)
Are your favorite trips the relaxing kind or the visiting all the attractions kind? - I like both, but feel unfulfilled if they are all relaxing and not very busy. ehhe
More travel posts coming soon: NYC, Cuba & Cozumel!
XO,
Alexandra
