Terrific TULSA

With big-city amenities and small-town warmth, this Oklahoma favorite lends itself to RV exploration

TULSA, WITH ITS SURROUNDING COUNTRYside, is the perfect launching point for a heady journey into Americana. The past here is vitally alive, shining as brightly as a handful of Oklahoma turquoise.

Once upon a time, RVers driving fabled Route 66 I considered visiting Tulsa for a fuel stop, a hamburger, and a one-night sleepover. But those with a more encompassing sense of wanderlust and discovery who have taken the time to tour the Tulsa area have been startled to find a fascinating heartbeat that pumps more than oil.

If you still have the impression that Tulsa and its realm are fit only for 10-gallon-hat cowboys, fast horses, gushing oil wells or John Wayne, it's time to fire up the tow vehicle and take a closer look at one of the most diverse regions in the Southwest.

Tulsa (population 385,000) may have more art, culture and style per capita than most any city in this part of the country. There are nifty surprises around every corner, such as the second-largest population of Native Americans of any city in the United States, and spirited festivals celebrating any number of local specialties - from musical and culinary treats to a festive Tribal Pow Wow to hot-air balloon flotillas.

In the 1800s, hard-working ranchers and farmers settled in the area and, appropriately, it was a Native American that presided over the first Tulsa Town Council meeting in 1836. During the late 1800s, Tulsa was a rough-riding cowtown. Then, in 1901, oil was discovered in Red Fork, four miles away, and in 1905 a huge oil strike in nearby Glenpool quickly made Tulsa prosperous. Though the black gold was revered, city fathers passed a law prohibiting drilling within the town.

Oil or not, Tulsa is hauntingly nostalgic, and carries one back to the 1920s, '30s and early '40s, before the advent of towering glass and steel monstrosities. It remains much like a time capsule laced with red, white and blue patriotism, and punctuated by architecture affectionately called "Okie Deco" by the Tulsans. Actually, many architecture historians recognize Tulsa as one of the country's Art Deco centers.

Attractive brick walkways shaded with leafy trees weave through downtown. More than 150 buildings have undergone detailed restoration: 25 of these can be enjoyed on the 11-block self-guided walking tour, which reveals a boldness in architecture and a vision of aesthetics and vigor.

Historically significant buildings dating from 1926-42 reveal terra cotta sculptures, stained-glass windows and soaring towers sheathed in copper. According to local legend, the terra cotta gargoyles - which cover the old Adams hotel - were the architect s impression of inlaws he disliked.

The magnificent Tulsa Union Depot closed in 1967 and stood in ruin for 17 years before the threat of the wrecking crane was averted and the building restored. This year, the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame will be housed therewithin.

Nearby is the Greenwood Historic District. In June, the city swings with the famed Juneteenth Heritage Festival, a longstanding Tulsa trademark that attracts some 50,000 people in search of a good time. Liquor was finally allowed in 1984: As the late, great Will Rogers (1879-1935) once said, "Oklahoma will stay dry as long as people can stagger to the poles to vote no."

Generally, Tulsans are a friendly lot, greeting one another with a smile and a wave. The most northern of southern cities (with aspects of both), Tulsa is a city of laid-back sophistication with little pretension. Conversations are often unhurried, seasoned with a touch of Oklahoma drawl. Rush hour here is almost a laugh. Coney Island hot Weiners on 4th Street has a red blinking neon sign that reads "Coney Islander," which was here, Tulsans say, back when Will Rogers was roaming about with his lasso. The weiners spitting hot on the grill in the window are irresistible - as is the gossip often exchanged by locals here over a steaming cup of coffee.

Tulsans like to say, "We have dives, joints and restaurants. Take your pick because they're all good." The celebrated Spudder Restaurant on 50th and South Sheridan is beyond good. The eatery, dedicated to the celebration of the American Dream - the automobile and the oil and gas that moved it along - is bursting with highway memorabilia such as gaspump globes and rare photography of Route 66.

Breakfast should be reserved for the Metro on llth Street. The diner is a blast from the past dedicated to the 1950s, the "Mother Road" and the vehicles of the day.

Nearby is the famed Tulsa Flea Market at Expo Square. It's ranked among the largest flea markets in Oklahoma, with more stuff on display than the local Wal-Mart. Mercifully, RV parking is a priority and, on some days, their spacious parking area resembles a huge RV rally, with rigs sporting license plates from Alaska to Florida.

On a loftier note, the arts add to the quality of life in Tulsa. Founded in 1961, the Tulsa Arts Council is one of the nations first. The elegant Philbrook Museum of Art, an Italian Renaissance villa with spacious gardens, has an internationally important collection of American Indian Art, while the Thomas Gilcrease Institute of American History & Art features large collections of famed artists Frederic Remington and Charles Russell.

With diversity in mind, a remarkable surprise for history and aviation buffs is the splendid Tulsa Air & Space Museum, featuring some 6,000 artifacts and eight historic aircraft. Tulsa has a rich aviation history dating to the 1930s, when the oil barons were among the only folks who could afford airplanes, making the Tulsa Airport (at one time) the busiest in the world. It boasts visits by Amelia Earhart and Charles Lindberg.

An easy 15-minute drive south of Tulsa along the Arkansas River, small-town charm awaits in homey Jenks (population 11,000), with a whopping 30 antique and specialty stores in seven malls hosting more than 1,000 dealer booths - all within a three-block district. New to Jenks is the sparkling Oklahoma Aquarium, which features the largest private fishing-tackle collection in the world.

Long a favorite with RVers in the know is the Jenks Saturday Morning Farmers Market, located on 3rd and Main. Running from May to October, the market is a showcase for tasty Oklahoma-grown products straight from the farms, Pick up a copy of the Pow Wow Chow cookbook - compiled by the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek and Seminole tribes - for regional recipes, and you can cook up your own taste of the Tulsa area using local ingredients.

During the middle weeks of April, color sweeps across the city when the azaleas spring forth. Muskogee, southeast of Tulsa, is proud to be the home to the Azalea Festival at the 122-acre Honor Heights Park, where 30,000 azaleas in 625 varieties are in bloom. Honor Heights Park is also home to the Five Civilized Tribes Museum, and nearby is the intimate Ataloa Lodge Museum, housing a collection of 88 Kachina dolls, plus Native American baskets, pottery, and blankets.

Will Rogers, born on a large ranch near what later would become Oologah, Oklahoma, was one of the most popular and beloved Americans of his day. A memorial for Rogers - who was part Cherokee Indian - is found in Claremore, 20 miles northeast of Tulsa. Some 500,000 visitors walk through the exhibits at the 20-acre memorial each year , listening to his voice on tape, settling in to the theater to enjoy a fulllength movie and admiring the dioramas and priceless collection of photographs. A wonderful sculpture of Rogers greets guests in the entry and you can almost hear some of his witty quips, such as "Everybody is ignorant, only on different subjects," and "The way to judge a town is by its chili." His birthplace on Lake Oologah, about 13 miles north of the memorial, is a lovely white-frame two-story house with a picket fence overlooking the lake.

Rogers would likely be proud of the Cherokee Heritage Center at Tahlequah, capital of the Cherokee nation, about 70 miles southeast of Tulsa. Tucked away on beautiful wooded grounds, the museum has received national acclaim for telling the story of the Cherokee people through fine art and artifacts, displays depicting history and culture and an outdoor village where Cherokees make pottery, weave baskets and explain their bygone lifestyle. The famed Trail of Tears drama is performed in the 1,500-seat outdoor amphitheater during the summer months.

The greater Tulsa area is like a pair of old comfy shoes. Just put them on and let them lead you along the Oklahoma roads.

For a list of campgrounds in the area, consult the 2005 Trailer Life Campgrounds, RV Parks & Services Directory.

Tulsa Convention & Visitor Bureau, (800) 558-3311, visittulsa.com. Circle 231 on Reader Service Card.

Copyright T L Enterprises, Inc. Oct 2005
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved