Basketball Tree - Amusing Invention in Bentonville, Arkansas, USA. See a brewery, bike trails, Bill & Hillary Clinton airport other attractions and events in Arkansas.

 

The Basketball Tree

The story goes that a little boy was wistfully dreaming of having a basketball net he could always use. A kind and enterprising man sketched out a design of a basketball tree, and built it. The original was placed in a public park, later moved to outside a  museum. The idea has since been copied.

Now you can see it in Bentonville, Arkansaww USA. It is being moved from a park to the local museum.

The museum traces the history of Walmart, the USA store. 

Wikivoyage found me no less than 8 museums in Bentonville.

Fortunately, one of the comments said the basketball tree was in a hotel museum. I tracked that down.  21cmuseumhotels.

21c Museum Hotels

21c stand for 21st century. The founding couple saw that their city had landscape being preserved and funded whilst hsitoric buidlings were languishing. They were into art and decided to renovate historic buildings as hotels and install modern art in hotels. New into old. Old into new. There are now half a dozen of these hotels, which have won several awards from Conde Nast. You can link up to them and learn about them in Wikipedia, Facebook and other places. 

Now, where exactly are they?Chicago. Bentonville.

Bentonville

Bentonville - how to remember the name? My husband quips, 'I was in Bentonville.' (A pun on the name of the UK prison, Pentonville.) 

The name Benton is the surname of a man who campaigned for the statehood of Arkansas..

Arkansas

The name of the state is pronounced ark - an- saw. Something to do with the French version of a native American name for a bow or arc shape on a river. If you ask for er-Kansas you will end up in Kansas.

The flag features a diamond because it is the only US state producing diamonds. The state is nicknamed the natural state. You can enjoy lots of trails, walking and hiking trhough the countryside. A seventeen mile loop along the river offers opportunitie to walkers, runners, bikers and hikers.

Where is Arkansas in the USA. It is south central, landlocked. Neighbouring states include Texas, if you want to make a two-state trip or a side trip.

When should you or could you go there? Unusual events include the annual toad race. And duck calling. 

The Toad Race

What's the difference between a toad and a frog? You are more likely to find frogs in fish ponds.Toads spend more time on dry land and have dry skin.

Duck Calling At Thanksgiving

So, to sum up, something for fans of history, the history of American shopping stores, sports - basketball, wildlife - frogs and ducks - unusual and jolly events. Finally, to get away from it all, trails. 

Where next?

Little Rock - Big Capital - People

The capital of Arkansas is Little Rock. Named after the landmark little rock on the Arkansas river. Nowadays travellers arrive at the Bill and Hillary Clinton airport. Former President Bill Clinton was born here. Note that Hillary is spelled with a double L, like her husband Bill and hill and will.  . 

Things to do, 'big in little rock', they say, are monuments and museums connected with black history, military hsitory and Vietnam Veterans.

See the monument of statues to nine black American students who enrolled in a white college and started the process of desegregation..  

To sum up, Bentonville is the place to be. Bentonville's attractions include numerous word starting with B, the Basketball tree, the Birthplace of Walmart, a brewery, and biking region. You arrive at the Bill and Hillary Clinton airport. 

Useful Websites

Wikivoyage Bentonville

Basketball Tree on you tube

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Do_yH-WTNUw

https://21cmuseumhotels.com/museum/orange-tree/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bentonville,_Arkansas

https://www.grassycreekcalls.com/Duck-Barrels-s/1845.htm

Life in London - Picnic in the Park - or a Kosher Kiosk

 Photo from Facebook.

What is there to do in London? I ask relatives who live in Finchley, Hendon, and Northwood. 

The husband of one pair said, "Not much to do. Everything is closed. Except for the food shops."

I replied, "What about the parks?"

"Yes, we went for a walk in a park in Hendon. We bought some food from a restaurant, like a kiosk, order from outside. A kosher kiosk.  They bring the food out to you. We ate it sitting on a bench. They removed the tables and had four wooden benches like a pub. The benches are bolted down."

The park is near Hendon Central Station.

The park adjoins an area with a Remembrance arch. The words in Hebrew, reading from the right to left, are the consonants which spell out Le zeekderon.  

N R K Z L

A bit like speedwriting, or text messages, or acronyms

Anything more cheerful?

the kiddie playground is in use.

The park has grass and trees. Three tennis cours. A couple of basketball courts, one still in use. Nobody is playing tennis. "It's too wet for tennis."

I asked, 'What about the snow?'

' When it's snowing in Wales and up north, there's not much snow in London. It's too warm here. The snow just melts. We are quite glad of a change of seen. Since nobody is working away from home or going out to restaurants, snow does not make much difference to our lives. Just something to look at. Out of the window.'

Another couple in thei

Searching For Parks On Maps

I remember when as young marrieds we moved from a flat in Stanmore to a bungalow in Hatch End. We knew all the big parks along the main road. However, when we looked at a local map, we discovered lots of interesting open spaces.

The nearby park had two entrances, so you could do a circular walk

Another park had an exit which led to a footpath through the woods and out through a housing estate.

Cricket grounds and tennis courts were in fields which offered another chance for a walk.

Photos

The seasons provided a changing opportunity for new vistas and photos. A fountain in front of the Hatch End arts centre.

Snow in winter. Flowers planted in public places. Houses with Christmas lights. Balloons for birthdays. On gates.

Seasonal posters of offers outside restaurants. 

I researched. Every path, building, cemetery, had a story. 

Gifts in the supermarkets.

Useful Websites

https://www.facebook.com/Hendon-Park-

360 view of the area

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/uv?pb=!1s0x487610dcac10a71b%3A0xcb4a0cde1bf29f87!3m1!7e115!4shttps%3A%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp

About the Author

Angela Lansbury is teacher of English. (Advanced English and English as a Second Language or English as a Foreign Language, French and other languages, an aspiring polyglot.)

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. Member of many toastmasters  speaker training clubs, and speaking contest judge.

Angela Lansbury, the author of 20 books including Wedding Speeches & Toasts, and Quick Quotations, has lived in the USA, Spain and Singapore. 

She  has several blogs and writes daily on at least two of the following:

travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com

dressofthedayangela.blogspot.com

translateforfun.blogspot.com

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