WHILE everyone and their mom seem to be on vacation in Italy and Japan, travelers looking for something different don't have to look any further. A city on American soil has just been named one of the most underrated destinations in the world. TimeOut Magazine has named Bentonville, Arkansas , one of its top picks for a humble yet charming trip.
"Of all of the -villas I’ve visited (and there are many), Bentonville is by far my favourite," wrote editor Virginia Gil. "It’s surprising how much this charming little Arkansas city packs in." Bentonville is a nature lover's paradise, with your choice of biking, running, and hiking trails, with many leading to Coler Mountain Bike Reserve, which boasts over 17 miles of cross-country, rock, and dual slalom trails.
Art and museum fans will appreciate the city's unusual Crystal Bridges Museum, owned by Walmart heiress and billionaire Alice Walton. Within the first five years of its opening, the museum attracted over three million visitors, or about the population of the entire state of Arkansas. Along with its free admission, diverse exhibits and advanced architecture may make the museum appealing to the masses.
To start, Crystal Bridges acquired a New Jersey home designed by renowned American architect Frank Llyod Wright and moved the entire structure to the museum. If the renovated Bachman-Wilson House isn't impressive enough, there's also Norman Rockwell's original of Rosie the Riveter. When it appeared on the cover of the Saturda.