It's not every day I drive 1,000 miles to see a museum, but Crystal Bridges in Bentonville (yeah, Walmart's hometown), Arkansas, is more than worth it.

How?  Well, Alice Walton, heiress to father Sam's fortune, said she never had much access to art museums as a child, even though she loved to draw.  She later collected art and had a small museum near the original Walmart 5&10, still on the square here. 

One day she had the idea to build a real museum to house a world class collection of American art.  Crystal Bridges is a forest glen walk from Bentonville.  The museum is situated over Crystal Springs, the source of the museum's name.  Perhaps it seems unlikely that an assemblage of walls and galleries of some of the most famous, fabulous, and valuable American art and American artists would find their way to Bentonville.  But they have; oh, my, how they have. 

From 1600-era drawings to early Colonial-era portraits...to the masters of American landscapes...to Depression-era...to impressionists...to 20th century pop art icons, and in-between, it's all here.

Gallery after lovely gallery in this marvelous architectural wonder spread far and wide over the water take you on a journey through the best of American art.  I am afraid to mention even a single artist or painting for fear I would leave out your favorite "Wow!  Really?!" one.

So I won't.  Some bring you to tears, to see them here, in Arkansas, and appreciative audiences in awe.  Others make you gasp; surely THAT painting was once in the [insert famous museum name here]?; oh, yes, it may have been.  But now, it's at Crystal Bridges.  It's worth a thousand mile drive, or a family vacation detour, or a plane flight to get here.  I hear lots of folks from NYC, Chicago, and around the world have made the trek here.  The collection surely is worth billions, but that's irrelevant.  The museum and the art are priceless.  Speaking of priceless, it doesn't even cost anything to get in to see the collection.  That Alice Walton, she's a piece of work—art work.  Art work for all, right here in Arkansas.  

If you want to plan a trip:  Come through Little Rock and visit the Clinton Presidential Center and Heifer International; visit Pea Ridge Military Park of Civil War era famed; and stay at 21c, a unique boutique museum hotel.  Also visit Thornecrown Chapel, an award-winning architectural wonder in the woods.  They also have some good food in these parts, friendly hospitality, and rolling hills beautiful in spring, fall, summer, and even in winter, when we had a lovely snowfall.  Gotta go:  there are 12 four-foot tall lime green penguins in the 21c hotel that seem to be following me around, just some of the roving artwork that makes our art tour so serendipity-delicious and delightful!