ARKANSAS TRAVELS, Day 2, June 2, 2012

Sylvia beaming in with a tired hello after an extensive day of sightseeing, a walk of almost six miles, and 126 photographs taken. The rain had spent itself last night, and it was, consequently, a gorgeous day. After breakfast at Hampton Inn, we spent the greatest part of our day at the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. It was only 3.5 miles from our hotel. General admission is sponsored by Walmart and cost us nothing. We walked part of the Crystal Bridge Trail once we got there. The place looks small from the parking lot, but once upon it, one realizes the immensity of the building and it's unobtrusive blending into nature. We began our visit with the special exhibit, "The Hudson River School: Nature and the American Vision," detailing the sublime, the beautiful and the picturesque renderings of the Hudson River Valley throughout the mid to late 19th century. Then we went to the permanent exhibit of the museum, called "Celebrating the American Spirit." It featured more than 400 works by American masters, highlighting the scope of American art and history. It has been assembled to showcase the artistic traditions of American art, and the works are arranged roughly chronologically, with a focus on thematic groups and stylistic affinities, telling the story of America's history as perceived by artists. Holdings included Colonial - 1860; 1865-1900; paintings from the Ashcan School to American Modernism, 1900-1945; and exhibits on the American Indian and a temporary exhibit on the Arkansas Traveler. Between the Hudson River Valley exhibit and the compendium of American art, Dempsey and I had vegetarian roll ups and fruit at the Eleven Restaurant in the museum, and of course took tons of pictures of the beautiful set of buildings comprising the art museum, two wings spanning the watery lagoon it sits on, and two very different central wings connected by a glassed walkway. All of it sits in a beautiful lagoon, and the light, airy feel of glass, concrete and copper sheathing gave this place a wondrous sense of lightness, as if it were naturally part of the woodlands it surrounded. Around the grounds were six different trails, and we walked most of three of them: the Tulip Tree, featuring some of the largest trees on the Crystal Bridges grounds; the Art Trail, which contains plenty of public sculpture along the way; and the Crystal Bridge Trail, which culminates in a stunning overlook of the museum. Between Museum and gardens, we had another break and enjoyed coffee and a lemon tart in the Eleven restaurant. The museum closed at 6:00, and we were some of the last out of the door. In a mellow light, we drove back to downtown Bentonville. No art festival was going on, and we were able to roam the streets at greater leisure, taking photographs of churches, Victorian piles, an old Walton 5 and 10 cent store (which was displaying, very proudly, the memorabilia of the 75th anniversary of Spam); the courthouse and other fascinating buildings downtown, including a 1928 Bentonville High School which is now serving as a Middle School and which had some fascinating Moorish architectural influences. We had dinner at a Mexican restaurant on the square, and then I photographed the fountains and plantings of that square as well as the hot-pink snails in front of the courthouse and on top of the buildings surrounding the square. Exactly what they signified was lost to me, but the children loved climbing on them, and they were an instant hit. And so here we are--tired but grateful for an incredible day of sightseeing. More tomorrow. Excuse me now if I soak my tired feet! As ever, Sylvia