Cabot Visits the Home Office of Walmart

Continuing on my journey of Bentonville Arkansas, I stopped at the Walmart Home Office – located on Walton Blvd and 8^th Street. The home office is located about a mile or less from the downtown square.

I was able to go inside the home office, but unfortunately I was not allowed to take pictures.

So I’ll just have to share what sights are around the home office area itself!

There is a giant sign on the corner of those streets that shows us 24/7 how much $$ Walmart has saved it’s customers so far this year. It has an automatic counter that continually updates this information.

Here is the very first 5 and dime store Sam Walton opened up on the Bentonville Square.  It is now a visitor’s center that just underwent the process of having its façade maintained and its museum expansion into the adjacent building. It is a very popular tourist destination here. The museum houses Wal-Mart artifacts, Sam Walton's old truck, and a tribute to his bird dog Ol' Roy. In 1886, this Bentonville building included a Post Office, drug and grocery store and insurance office. It was purchased by Walton in 1950 and became the location of Mr. Sam's original Bentonville variety store, Walton's Five and Dime. The center traces the origin and growth of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

These next pics are just to the west of the home office, right across the street from it on Walton Blvd.

Of course, there is a Walmart store just across the street from it! It’s not, however, the very first Walmart store.  That’s located just the next town over in the city of Rogers. It is no longer a Walmart store, but it’s fun to drive by and point it out to people.

At the front of the land that the Walmart store across from the home office sits on, is the Peel Mansion. 

Some facts from www.peelmansion.org:

In 1875, Colonel Samuel West Peel built a marvelous villa tower Italianate Mansion on the outskirts of Bentonville, Arkansas.

It was a working farmstead surrounded by 180 acres of apple orchards.

Colonel Peel, pioneer businessman, legal representative (appointed by the President) to the five civilized tribes in Indian Territory and Confederate soldier, was the first native born Arkansan elected to the United States Congress. He and his wife, Mary Emaline Berry Peel, raised nine children here.

The interior of the house was furnished with authentic antiquities and artifacts of the era, generously loaned by the Historic Arkansas Museum and the Old State House

Behind the Walmart home office is the city’s cemetery in which Mr. Sam Walton is buried.

I stopped to pay my respects.

 

Cabot in Bentonville Square

I've been so busy having fun in Arkansas I've neglected to share my pictures. My home base is Bentonville, Arkansas which is in the Northwest corner of the state. Here I am in Bentonville Square. 










 

 Isn't it pretty?

The Bentonville town square embraces a Civil War statue, benches, fountain, and beautiful gardens surrounded by quaint shops. During the Civil War, all but 12 of the buildings downtown were burned. Therefore, the main business buildings around the square were constructed between 1875 and 1888.

(www.arkansas.com)

A monument dedicated "to the Southern Soldiers".

The 1928 Benton County Courthouse is a three-story neo-classical structure designed by A.O. Clark.

 The old Hotel Massey is located just off the Square.

Main Street Armory Pet Expo

Here I am in front of the Main Street Armory in Rochester, NY. The armory was built in 1905 and designed by George L. Heins as headquarters for Western New York’s 3rd Battalion, the building has been used by various divisions of the National Guard. It also hosted circuses, auto shows, concerts and more. It was even the home of the Rochester Centrals, the city’s first professional basketball team from 1925-31. Most events shifted to more modern accommodations and the Armory was used primarily for the military until the 1990's until, they too, moved. The building sat vacant for about a decade, til it was bought and revamped. Once again the Main Street Armory is home of concerts and special events.

Interesting details abound inside.

This is the ladies room inside the Armory. I love when building parts get recycled.

What do you think these stall doors were originally?

When I visited, the Armory was hosting a Pet Expo!

Many local rescue groups had booths. Here's Lollypop Farm.

Rochester Animal Services is the other major shelter in Rochester, NY.

My new friend, Journey, told me all about the Mid-Atlantic Great Dane Rescue League.

GRASP is another local rescue group.

This is Rookie. She's collecting donations for Joyful Rescues-and hoping she'll find her forever home.

Boo is lucky. This 2 year old Saint Bernard found his forever home. Look at us-I'm about the size of his ear! His dad was happy to pose with us.

This lovely lady was dressed as a Bassett Hound to help her rescue group: New York's ABC Bassett Hound Rescue.






I had lots of fun. I made several donations and got lots of treats for my animal friends. If you have the opportunity, check out a Pet Expo near you!

Cabot Goes to School

In the beginning of March I paid a visit to my friend Mad's school.

Mad was able to tell her classmates all about my world travels, and those of Amelia too. We have been to so many places and have learned, and continue to learn, about many different cultures.

We also got to read a book together during story time. It was called Leah's Pony.

Cayuga Lake Wine and Herb Fest 2011

Today I went to the Finger Lakes region of New York for the Cayuga Lake Wine Trail's Wine & Herb Fest.

At each of the 16 wineries along the trail you get an herb or veggie plant along with some food made with that plant, the recipe, and some wine!

We had Peachy White Lavender Trifle here. Oh-we got a white lavender plant...not a peach tree.

What a gorgeous view.

I had a special treat for Melody, the Scottish Highland Cow, but she stayed in her barn at Buttonwood Grove Winery.

Another gorgeous view from the other side of the lake.

My new friend, Chip, gave me the lowdown on his winery, Long Point.

This was my 15th winery of the day. Am I a little blurry?

Look at the wonderful herbs and veggies I got today! There's cilantro, sage, rosemary, lemon thyme, basil, Thai basil, onions, fernleaf dill, tomatoes, peppers, oregano, sage, rosemary, savory, and white lavender.

Cabot Celebrates Easter in Arkansas

It’s been pretty rainy here in Arkansas but I managed to get in some Easter sunshine by checking out the egg collection on the mantle!

This picture has a Polish Palm in it that my hostess got from the Polish Arts Center in MI. They do not have palm trees in Poland, obviously, so certain areas make their own by bundling together brightly colored and elaborate dried flowers, wheat and grasses!

Here I am with a bowl of Pisanki. Pisanki are Polish Easter eggs. Aren't they beautiful?

My friend, Mad, and I colored our own Easter eggs.

I think we did a great job!

This was our Easter morning meal – I love the Easter butter lamb. Isn't he cute? The baranek wielkanocny is a traditional addition to the Polish Easter table. Amelia tells me you can find them everywhere in Western NY...but here in Arkansas my hostess had to make her own using a mold!

I really enjoyed my first Easter. I'm so thankful I got to share it with my new friends.

Springtime in the Ozarks

Well, it was looking like spring had finally sprung here in the Ozarks!  A few weeks ago we had several days last week of absolutely gorgeous 70 degree weather! Foliage is flowering and some green leaves are even starting to emerge on some of our trees!! But, as the fickle finger of Mother Nature can be sometimes, we dropped back down into the low 50’s during the day and down into the 30s at night these past few days!! It won’t last long, but we decided to head out for a while and snap some pics around town of our pretty flowering trees and such.

This Bradford Pear is a beauty!

The yellow blooms of the forsythia are a sure sign of Spring. Amelia says she can see the buds on the ones in her yard-but they aren't blooming yet!

I don't know the name of this bush-but it sure is pretty!

This Redbud tree is a pretty sight. I can't wait to see and explore more of Arkansas!