Route 66 in Oklahoma - Tulsa, Oklahoma - Part 5b 'Off the beaten path'

Tulsa is not only my hometown, but a lovely city....accentuated by a recent New York Times article 52 Places You Should Go in 2015  (Tulsa is sandwiched between Rome and Shanghai). Tulsa is also found in this nice piece at the same newspaper: With Faith of Investors, Downtown Tulsa Reawakens which also has a little slideshow.  Among other things....we have the only Restoration Hardware, only Trader Joe's, only Costco, and only World Market in the State of Oklahoma.    Sure has cut down my shopping trips to Kansas City or Dallas.

My favorite view with Art Deco and Modern Blend.  The tall building withe green patina is the Mid Continent Building and the one with multicolored roof is the Philtower Building

We've already established in the previous post (Route 66 Tulsa Oklahoma - Part 5a) that 11th street is Route 66 through Tulsa, but if you only stay on 'the road' you'll miss a lot.  Tulsa's Downtown  is rich in Art Deco buildings with contemporary set against that backdrop, as well as theater, art and sports.Guided tours are available at this link The Gilcrease and Philbrook art museums and the grounds that surround them are well worth seeing.

Let's go back to Tulsa's beginning.....the Muscogee (Creek) 

Nation...of which I am a proud citizen..... established Tulsa near the banks of the Arkansas River after the government 'Removal' from Alabama  Creek Council Tree Site    Since it's almost Downtown, let's see what's there   :)

Tulsa has formed 'Districts'  within the Downtown Area and is shown on this Map.  The Art Deco District, as the name implies, holds very fine examples of that architecture. There are 55 buildings listed on the National Registry of Historic Places as well as 8 'places' and 14 homes

Art Deco is  found in the wonderful details of the buildings..inside and outside. Built in 1929 this is the original Oklahoma Natural Gas Building, above. A quick click will enlarge the photos.

The below photos are of the Tulsa World Newspaper....a paper that was established in 1905 and remained independent until 2013.

Left to Right:  Mayo Hotel; Mincks-Adams Building; Central High School and 310 South Boston Building

The Mayo Hotel was built in 1925 and set empty until 2001, when a private family brought it back to glory.   Please click on the link and see the fabulous interior.   Art Deco always has beauty on the inside.

Mincks-Adams was built in 1927-28 (now referred to as the Adams Building and is excellent terra-cotta veneering.

Public Service Company of Oklahoma renovated the old Central High School found at 6th and Cincinnati (upper right above)....I think it a beautiful building and know folks that went to school there. :)

Lower right, above, is called simply 320 South Boston Building. (Link is to a blog entitled Historic Tulsa)  Original 10 floors were built in 1917 and in 1929 was expanded to 22 floors. If anyone is commanding a Zeppelin over Tulsa, this is building the for you....the pinnacle was made for mooring a Zeppelin....or so says the Urban Legend. ;);) ;)  

Tulsa has beautiful churches in Downtown as seen in the collage below. The Cathedral District has it's own map.  I can hardly wait to that the TFA tour in the future and see inside these churches.

   Top Row left to right: First Christian, built 1920; First Methodist Church, built 1921-28; First Church of Christ Scientist, built 1923; First Presbyterian Church with the oldest congregation in Tulsa --1885.

Bottom Row left to right: Holy Family Cathedral, built 1912-1214; Boston Avenue Methodist Church, built in 1929 and first church with strictly American Architecture; First Baptist Church,  Trinity Episcopal Church, building began in 1926 (I think) 

It's the Art Deco Boston Avenue Methodist that may be the best known above and I just have to show you the ceiling of the sanctuary.  It's truly a treat to make a stop there to go inside and wander around the outside.    

But ...we're still off the 'beaten path'........Downtown is the Brady Arts District with First Friday Art Walk and it's most notable residents are the Brady Theater; Cain's Ballroom (dubbed the home of Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys.  Also was the home of several other notables including Ronnie Dunn); and now the Guthrie Green where  various activity occurs including Food Truck Wednesday. 

AND The Blue Dome District  where food, fun and frivolity abound!

When you go to Blue Dome District link 'enter' and click on the small menu button for everything there.....

A few blocks to the West is The BOK Center, which is our multi-purpose venue...home to the Tulsa Shock and the stage for all the performers who can gather very large crowds...Garth Brooks played 7 nights to sold out crowds of 17,500 each night.  In 2013 The BOK ranked 13th in the US for Arena Venue ticket sales and 34th in the World.   

BOK at 

Christmas

Winterfest is an ice rink in front of the building

Grounds at Gilcrease

Main entrance to Gilcrease

There are world class museums close to Downtown, as well as two lovely, restful parks.


The Gilcrease Museum has the world's most extensive collection of American West Art. It was begun by Thomas Gilcrease, a member of the Muscogee (Creek) Tribe, who wanted to share his love of art. It is now run in part by Tulsa University.

Below photos are Philbrook Museum.     The photo top left is Waite Phillips
original home and the bottom left is the addition to the museum.
The photo on the right is the back of the original home when they turn the lights on at Christmas.

The back of the Philbrook at Christmas

Waite Phillips home became the Philbrook Museum of Art

Philbrook Museum of Art extension to Waite Phillip's home

Two close-in parks are Centennial and Woodward. 

Centennial Park located almost right Downtown is a small, quiet park at 6th & Peoria. It has a great view of Tulsa's skyline.

Centennial Park

.

Woodward Park

Woodward Park is larger and it's where the Tulsa Garden Center calls home.  
In the Springtime the beauty is unmatched.... with azaleas abounding in all
colors and dogwoods blooming in harmony....take a camera or a paintbrush. :)
    

Woodward Park

Woodward Park

When I was 12 years old we moved away from Tulsa and at that time was known as the 'Oil Capital of the World'. It had the most wealth-per-capita of any city in the United States....and then in the 60's the oil companies began the move to Houston and the 80's brought the 'BUST'.  However, Oklahomans and Tulsans are some of the most resilient folks I've ever known and when I moved back at age 62 found that it's still a thriving city. Oklahoma is the second largest producer of natural gas and in honor of the oil and gas business The Golden Driller,  standing 75' tall as the tallest free-standing statue in the U.S. He was erected at the Fairgrounds and stands in front of what is called The Muscogee (Creek) Nation Event Center at 4145 E 21st St, Tulsa, OK 74114 ....  that is the image I will leave you with.... taken on a rainy Tulsa day.....

There's just a lot to see in Tulsa, Oklahoma...a GREAT PLACE "TO GET YOUR KICKS ON ROUTE 66".

Oklahoma Route 66 - Part 5A - Catoosa and Tulsa

You might notice that I've entitled this as Part 5A....that's because this part will be about what is actually on Route 66.  However, Tulsa isn't just the City of my birth, but a lovely, lovely city.....to get the feel of it, one needs to spend some time off the Mother Road and that part will become 5B. ;)

Catoosa is the most inland international cargo port in the United States...Tulsa Port of Catoosa... and, because that be totally unbelievable since it's clearly toward the center of the U.S.A., I am providing a link to the curious that will tell all about the Port. There is a park with picnic table on the banks of the Kerr-McClellan Navigation System and perhaps you'll see a barge carrying it payload to the Port.

Catoosa is also home to the  Blue Whale on Route 66.....an iconic figure where one will find cars with license plates from all over the US stopped to take photos.

As Route 66 is merging with I-44, stay in the Right hand lane that is an 'exit only', then you can turn to the Left and go South to 11th Street and make a Right Turn.....that will be Route 66 and will take you completely through Tulsa....OR....you can make a Right turn and make a stop at the destination Casino and Resort owned by the Cherokee Nation......The Hard Rock Casino & Resort.     I'm not much of a gambler, but it has The Joint where, along with one of my cousins, I've enjoyed The Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Don Henley, Tony Bennett, Ronnie Dunn, Harry Connick, Jr. and many more.  It also houses Toby Keith's 'I Love This Bar' restaurant, a great steakhouse (McGill's) and a very good buffet along with other eateries and a venue that always has a good music for dancing.  If you have your golf clubs in the car there is a great course on which to use them.  If I had any idea that there would not be a website WITH IMAGES to have linked to for this huge complex I would have taken photos...it's all about The Joint & Casino.

Once you are on 11th Street you will be on Route 66 until you cross the Arkansas River.....and here are some of the sites:  Tulsa Route 66 has many commercial buildings that have the Historical designation.
list provided online by Tulsa Preservation Commission

Here's a fun article to read by Amy Goldman Goss in the Tulsa
World Nov. 28/20/12 about her memories.  My memory is the
smell in the air of bread baking within.  um-um    Ann Goldman Goss article, Tulsa World

Wonder Bread Building

(formerly) Sinclair Gas Station

Home of the Golden Hurricanes

Tulsa University

                   

New Building but Old Tulsa Company
Bama Pies....sold all over the Country  

Tulsa Monument Company

This is the Meadow Gold Sign that
was on the building to the right below.  The sign
was preserved.

Original Warehouse Market - now a chain in the
Tulsa Metro Area

No longer a dairy :(

Tulsa is my Hometown!  I've lived in 7 States and a view of this beautiful City still
captures my heart.

Iconic Art Deco Boston Avenue Methodist 
There will be more photos of this in my Part 5 B :)

Firehouse No. 4 - See the sculpture
 on the left side?

See Jay O'Meilia's gallery including this one

The two photos below is the newest site on Tulsa Route 66.....it's called East Meets West and the park around it is dedicated to Cyrus Avery.  In the Smithsonian American History Museum.....

in the basement...is an exhibit America On The Move .   The area of Route 66 has all identifiable things as Oklahoma...license tags highway sign in the floor, etc. That's because it was Cyrus Avery, 

a transplanted Oklahoman from Pennsylvania, that was the 'Father' of the Mother Road.  To this day, Oklahoma has the most usable original Route 66 road.

 

EAST MEETS WEST

So, folks...these are a few of the sites you'll see while 'gettin' your kicks on Route 66'!  Part B of Tulsa will have things found off-the-road .....which might make you stop and look around.   I hope so!!!!

Oklahoma Route 66 - Part 4 - Claremore, OK

As promised, we're going to explore Claremore, Oklahoma in this part of our journey. However, a couple of things....I've gotten some e-mails asking how to see the artists on my playlist...just click on the page icon at the end of the player bar found at the very top of the page.    As a reminder, a click on the photos will enlarge :)

Before we get to Claremore, we have to make a stop in Foyil, Oklahoma where you have to go East a short drive to see the largest concrete totem pole, which is an icon along our journey.

Just 10 miles down 66 is Claremore, Oklahoma....largest town we've come to since leaving Kansas. :) , having approximately 20,000 residents, but a much large 'trade area', serving all the smaller communities. There are some folks from here whose name you might recognize:  Will Rogers, who was born in Oolagah, but claimed Claremore as home; The Singing Rage, Patti Page; Astronaut, Stuart Roosa; William Howell, who was CEO and Chairman of the Board for JC Penny Co.; Author Lynn Riggs, who penned Green Grow The Lilacs, which you may know as the long, long running musical 'Oklahoma!'; and Andy Payne, who, in 1938, won the Great American Foot Race traveling 3,423 miles from LA to NYC.  WOW!

We'll begin exploring right in the heart of downtown Claremore.  In the center of the collage you are looking West on Will Roger's Blvd.  We going clear to the end of the picture up on the hill with one stop in between.  Oh, by the way, say hello to Will sitting on the bench and reading the paper just outside the Claremore Progress!

The one stop before the top of the hill is none other than Will Rogers Memorial Museum.  A must stop for my out of town visitors.  Inside you'll find a theater showing his film clips, etc.; a room that's filled with models of his life growing up; a film of his last flight that took his life and the life of Wiley Post.....and so much more.

Please note on the right side of this entry plaque is his Cherokee Roll Number and his quote written in Cherokee. I like that!!

...and my favorite photo which is at the top of my blog.   

 

 The reason I chose this to headline my blog is because I have viewers from all over this Country and beyond and it is the perception that Oklahoma is nothing but flat prairie land.  While that it true from the middle of the State westward, Eastern Oklahoma has an abundance of hills and in Southeastern Oklahoma lay the Kiamichi and Ouchita Mountains. :) :) 

Next stop is the top of the hill on Will Rogers Blvd.....The Rogers State University

                

  My neighbor, who is older than I and is from this area, was trying to tell me where something was and said "it's at the Oklahoma Military Academy".....I had no idea what she meant...then she "said you know, at the top of the hill" .  A little research explained it all:  Seems in 1909 this was established as Eastern University Preparatory School >morphing into Oklahoma Military Academy> Claremore Junior College>Rogers State College>Rogers University and FINALLY Rogers State University.  Wheeeee!  

Next, we'll do a little backtracking.....going back East on Will Roger's Blvd and turning North to J. M. Davis Arms and Historical Museum.  You don't want to miss this...the largest private gun collection in the world with over 13,000 firearms and a lot more to see in this building.....my guests always find this interesting.

           

Then a little further North of the Museum is Stuart Roosa Street, turn right and you'll see the gorgeous Robson Performing Arts Center.  It is so beautiful and Claremore is indebted to this philanthropic couple.

Now turn  your car around an continue back South on The Mother Road.  One place I didn't mention was The Belvedere Mansion

As you can see, when you get to Claremore there is a lot to see and you'll want to eat lunch...I suggest The Pink House (shown second from the top on the right side of the photo collage above)...soups, salads and sandwiches.  As you get on the South side of town you'll find nice lodging and places to eat...I like Billy Sims for BBQ Ribs...then, if your not exhausted, Hwy 20 going East towards Pryor will take you to Will Rogers Downs and CASINO to see if you're as lucky as you think you are!  Have a great time in Claremore.

My only problem now.....will my blog on Claremore pass  muster with my friend, Dell, who is President/CEO of the Chamber of Commerce......and told me I could stand in the middle of the street to photograph.  hahahahahaha     Don't forget to make a comment and let me know if you like what you read and saw........