A friend and wife are coming to OK via RT. 66 (driving from their home in east coast) and are looking for some unique sights to see/places to go. He is a photographer, and they have interests in music, Americana, and HAVE NEVER BEEN WEST AT ALL! I%26#39;m an Okie, but haven%26#39;t been back to ';play'; in quite a while. Suggestions? Their 1st OK stop is the drive-in movie theater in Tulsa.
adventuring Eastcoasters coming to Oklahoma
Try the Oklahoma Route 66 association.
http://www.oklahomaroute66.com/
adventuring Eastcoasters coming to Oklahoma
Near Route 66 at Afton is the Grand Lake O%26#39; the Cherokees. Not necessarily an ';attraction'; per se, but it%26#39;s probably the biggest body of water they will see from that point until they get to California. Well, you didn%26#39;t actually say they were going to California, but I assumed that this Route 66 trip was a trip along the Mother Road to the west coast. At any rate, Grand Lake is not a bad place to stop for a meal or the night, and to take in some views - especially for someone with a photographer%26#39;s eye. Can%26#39;t think of much between there and OKC, except for the World%26#39;s Largest McDonald%26#39;s, which spans the I-44 tollroad at Vinita. Not exactly Route66 or Americana, but sort of a spectacle. Then there%26#39;s the Blue Whale at Catoosa. Don%26#39;t know why that interests people, but it does. Hmmm. I know there are a couple of diners left in the Tulsa area. At least one of them was featured on the Discovery Travel and Living Channel show that features the two guys from the UK, who travel around to different places and eat (what a job!). At least it%26#39;s on the UK version of Travel and Living, which is what we get here in Russia. I can%26#39;t remember the name though. In Tulsa, there are the Gilcrease and Philbrook museums. These are both excellent. A bit off Route 66, but worth the trip, there are two attractions in or near Bartlesville (about 40 minutes north of Tulsa). One is the Price Tower, which was the only skyscraper ever built by Frank Lloyd Wright. There they have tours of the building, which has some of the original furnishings, also designed by Wright. There is also an exhibition hall and museum, plus a restaurant and a boutique hotel on the premises. Even if you aren%26#39;t an architecture buff, it is a very unique and interesting building. The other attraction, Woolaroc, is about 15 miles SW of Bartlesville on Hwy 123. This is the country estate of oilman Frank Phillips, and a museum has been built on the premises, which houses tons of western and Native American art and artifacts. This is almost always a real treat for those who haven%26#39;t ever really been exposed to cowboys and Indians.
Once in OKC, there is the OKC bombing memorial and the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum.
West of OKC, near the small town of Hinton, is Red Rock Canyon State Park. This is a beautiful little park, located, as the name implies, in a steep canyon of red sandstone. The photographer should have fun there. It%26#39;s also pretty close to the old Route 66. From near there until you reach Weatherford, you can travel on some of the original stretch of Route 66. That%26#39;s not possible just anywhere, but in that area, it actually feels like the Mother road, for some reason. The Canadian River bridge on that stretch will be a photographer%26#39;s treat, and was actually used in the filming of the Grapes of Wrath. As for me, I learned to drive while living in that area, and the trip across that loooong, narrow bridge was the stuff of nightmares for a novice driver. To the north, about 40 miles is Roman Nose State Park, near the town of Watonga. This park is interesting, because it sits in the so-called ';Gypsum Hills';. These hills are tall, red-dirt mounds, with a layer of gypsum near the top, so that the upper layers above the gypsum have eroded away, leaving a flat top and forming large red buttes that look like a scene from a western movie. Go to the park, and drive all the way around the lake and park the car. Then hike up into the hills from there. From the tops of some of these hills, you can see for 50 miles or more on a clear day. At sunset, or sunrise, they can be stunning. The photographer should enjoy it. There is a small lodge (also cabins) and restaurant at Roman Nose State Park.
In Arcadia, just NE of Oklahoma City, there is the Round Barn, which you can tour, as well as a brand new attraction, POPS, a futuristic gas station and diner that specializes in every brand and flavor of soda pop that exists. There is a giant pop bottle sculpture out front. Both things your friends should enjoy.
just wanted to say thanks to all who posted on this topic - my friends took theses suggestions and were blown away by their first westward journey - they loved Oklahoma, especially the Rt. 66 trek, and all the suggestions from your postings! Now I want to go and check it all out, too! Have a great summer, everyone!
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