Oklahoma to Arkansas (land of Walmart)

Today I crossed into another State that I have not visited before. Right after the Welcome to Arkansas is a Walmart. And another and another. And a Walmart gas station - and a Walmart Pharmacy - and a Walmart ball field and - a Sam's Club - well you get the picture. Arkansas is the home of Sam Walton and Walmart and it is - literally - everywhere. 

Well, except the one place I wanted to visit, which was the Walmart Museum in Bentonville. It is currently - all together now - closed for renovations. Fortunately, they did move the main exhibits and information material to a small space on the ground floor of a commercial building in town. So I was able to visit, I just missed having the full experience. The museum itself sits next to one of the original Benjamin Franklin 5&10s owned by Sam Walton (and will also be re-opening in 2024). The exhibits retain some of the old memorabilia, but are now also updated with interactive stations, as well as an AI version of Sam Walton himself. Apparently all of the phrases and stories uttered by the AI are things Walton actually said, prior to his death in 1992. Think about that if you watch the video that mentions technology. The museum website offers a timeline as well as a virtual tour of the currently closed main museum.

In the afternoon, I arrived at Lakeshore Cabins on the shore of Beaver Lake in NorthWest Arkansas, in the heart of the Ozarks, where I will spend the next few days.