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".

An Oklahoma Full Moon

Had to take a moment tonight to photograph the full moon punctuated by an extremely bright Jupiter. 

Christmas Lights in Longwood Gardens, PA, New York City, Sioux Falls, SD, Tulsa, OK and Frankfurt, Germany

I love Christmas lights, so thought I'd share some of my favorites here at Tillie's Nest.  The lights are a beautiful way to celebrate the birth of Jesus.  The words from one of my favorite songs express how I feel about Christmas: 

Christmas isn't Christmas, 'til it's Christmas in your heart

Somewhere deep inside you is where Christmas really starts,

So give your heart to Jesus, you'll discover when you do,

That's it's Christmas, really Christmas, for you.

Longwood Gardens was an annual trek for me when I lived in the D. C. area.  I'd pick a Sunday afternoon and drive to Pennsylvania, getting there just before dark.  

Reflection Pool at Longwood Gardens, PA

Longwood Gardens Arboretum

One of many outside displays at Longwood Gardens

....and New York City was always a Sunday day trip, taking the US Airways Shuttle first thing in the morning and going back home on the last one of the day. :) :)

I always loved the Holiday Fair at Grand Central Station

Radio City Music Hall

One of my favorite hotels..Sheraton New York.... in it's Christmas attire :)

Rockefeller Center

Across from Radio City Music Hall

A couple of weeks ago, I was in Sioux Falls, South Dakota and they do a great job of lighting the park and the Falls of the Big Sioux River.

The Falls of the Big Sioux River, Sioux Falls, SD  Nov. 2011

Sioux Falls Park

In Tulsa, the Rhema Bible Church used 2 million lights (many LED) to make a gorgeous display of everything Christmas.  Great fun to stroll around the park.

Santa's Sleigh

Carolers 

View from the bridge over the pond

Could this be the Polar Express??

Last, but certainly not least, is Christmas in Frankfurt, Germany.....and Christmas markets. :) :)

Frankfurt Opera House

Mischievous Santa Helpers

Christmas Market in Germany

Christmas Market

Springtime in Tulsa...........BEAUTIFUL......Courtesy of Woodward Park

Today I took the camera with me to 'town' and, after finishing an appointment, went over to Woodward Park......part of the Tulsa Garden Center.  I put together a Picasa Album with the pictures......hope you like them.
 http://picasaweb.google.com/tillieannie/WoodwardParkGivesAShowySpringtimeToTulsaOklahoma#
Here's a sample  :)

When I was a mere child....before I was older than dirt.....Tulsa was known as the "Oil Capital of the World".....all the oil companies were headquartered here.  Then in the early 60's they began to move to Houston.  Today, Phillips (actually in Bartlesville) is all that remains of those headquarters.  It was then, as is now, a beautiful city!  It's situated on the Arkansas River in the foothills of the Ozarks and the State calls it "Green Country".  :

Tulsa was settled by Muscogee(Creek)Nation Indian Tribe and the Council Tree, where the City was established, still stands......my family is proudly part of that Tribe.  The City still has several Art Deco buildings; 

a lovely park downtown....Centennial Park; 

an open air shopping center...Utica Square...which opened in 1952 as Tulsa's first suburban shopping center (tho' today it would be called 'midtown')....has stood the test of time with very upscale shopping; The Philbrook Museum of Art Center....home and grounds formerly Waite Phillips' and wife; Gilcrease Museum...now houses the world's largest, most comprehensive collection of art of the American West begun by Thomas Gilcrease, a Creek Indian whose Indian allotment produced a MAJOR oil field (My Daddy likes to tease that if our family's Indian land had been 10 miles further South, that Museum could have our name attached to it),

When I first saw the movie Cars, I couldn't help remember how we traveled from Illinois (moved there just before I began high school) on Route 66 and how beautiful I thought the skyline was......sort of standing on a hill.....with the lights on at night.

Well....seems we all....sooner or later...return to our Roots.   One of my cousins felt I was losing touch with my Roots after I'd lived in Texas for many years and she sent me postcards of Woodward Park to remind me the loveliness of the City of my Roots.  :)  :)  (thank you Deanna....I really never forgot)