I swung by Downtown Bentonville yesterday to watch former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson as he officially threw his name in the hat for Republican nominee on the 2024 Presidential ballot. I haven’t been to downtown Bentonville in a while, so I also popped over to the Ledger, which is now officially open. I found that downtown has changed quite a bit since the last time I was there, which wasn’t that long ago.
I have never voted for a Republican as President, but I like how this guy thinks. He did a pretty good job as Governor balancing the budget, creating a surplus while also lowering taxes. I like fiscal responsibility; that’s the one thing I agree with the old Republicans on. I say old Republicans because this new wave is just as bad as Democrats with the spending.
While waiting for Asa to give his speech, I was surrounded by several judges, state legislators, national press, and local leaders. I felt extremely out of place as I was surrounded by so many suits. I don’t see how these people handle the constant small talk and pleasantries. I listened to it go on for about an hour and wanted to jump off a bridge. It is safe to say I could never be a politician. I eventually backed my way out of the crowd and shagged ass to my couch.
The Ledger is a unique six-story building designed for biking, featuring exterior switchback paths that offer stunning views of Downtown Bentonville. In the self-proclaimed biking capital of the world, it fits perfectly into the landscape. You can ride your bike from home to your desk on the top floor of this co-working space. It sits a block from the downtown square.
As I said earlier, I haven’t been downtown in several months. The place has changed so much in such a short period. I couldn’t get a good shot of the Ledger above because of construction across the street. In that image, a large hotel is being built not too far behind me, and the Walmart museum is currently shut down and being completely renovated. They moved the contents of the old museum to the bottom floor of the Ledger so you can still see them while the old building undergoes its makeover.
I capped the day off at Chili’s with some Cajun pasta and a beer. My girlfriend never eats all of her food in the restaurant, so I also pigged out on some of her sliders. I’ll try to lose some weight next week, lol.
