Pumpkin Picking

As daylight grows shorter and the air turns crisp it is time for one of my favorite fall activities -- pumpkin patches! I may be a city girl, but there is something magical about tromping around a farm while hunting for the perfect pumpkin and picking it straight off the vine.

Even though I love Halloween, and autumn in general, I'm not much for scary movies, haunted forests or any of the frightening things that go with it, thus the pumpkin patch is just my speed. We've taken Grayson to TG Farms near Norman over the last several years and it's fun to look back at the pictures of how he's grown.

Grayson's first TG Farms visit at five weeks old

Checking out the strange gourd textures during our 2009 visit

Picking out his own pumpkins this weekend

Grayson isn't the only thing that has grown. Every year there seems to be something new at TG Farms. From hayrides to a petting zoo to a hay bale maze perfect for kiddos Gray's size, we always stay busy and have fun on the farm. I also love the idea of Grayson growing up knowing that pumpkins come from a vine, not from a bin at the grocery store.

Here are a few pics from this year's visit.

The many pumpkin varieties available at the entrance of the farm.

 The entrance to the corn maze which was a little more intimidating than the smaller hay maze we attempted.

 

Grayson would have gone up and down the hay bales and slide all day if we let him.

 

The pumpkin patch

--Lindsay

The Plaza District

OKC's Plaza District

When we set out to create this blog we wanted to introduce you to places we know and love in our local neighborhoods, while also showing you new things we discover in our travels across the state. One place that immediately comes to mind for me when thinking about local personality is the Plaza District.

Located on NW 16th between Classen and Penn Ave. in Oklahoma City, this small commercial district sits right in the middle of a neighborhood brimming with creative energy. From art galleries to restaurants to retail shops featuring wares made by talented Oklahomans, the Plaza District has come a long way from its days of abandoned storefronts.

Last weekend the Plaza District hosted its annual festival and I was reminded once again how much I love this colorful part of OKC. The vibe of this community is evidence of the many artists that are staying in and moving to Oklahoma. Ten years ago this wasn't the case for most creative types, but I'm thrilled that this is changing and continues to evolve into a vibrant and thriving art scene.

I don't just mean galleries and music (although those things are good), but everything from cutting edge hair dressers to tattoo artist to t-shirt designers are contributing to Oklahoma's creative culture. The best part is these shop owners are so friendly and welcoming, it's easy to feel a part of the community.

My husband and I have enjoyed many art galleries and art openings, but it's always more meaningful and memorable when we get to meet the artist in person. This is a common occurrence at the Plaza District which makes me understand and appreciate their work on a deeper level.

I also love to support local designers whenever possible and the retailers along the Plaza District make it easy to find jewelry, apparel, housewares, even baby stuff all made by hand or by local Okies.

The Plaza District is perfect for cruisin'

Here's another great way to cruise this family-friendly strip

A caterer + event planner + photographer = 1708, a creative co-op

Collected Thread is always one of my weak spots, as is DNA Galleries

Check out the live mural painting going on during the festival. Very cool!

Looks like I'm not the only one that's impressed!

Didn't make it to the festival? Don't worry, just mark your calendar for LIVE on the Plaza which happens every second Friday of the month and features live music, film screenings, performing arts and more.

-- Lindsay

The Toy and Action Figure Museum

Lacey and I recently took a trip to the Toy and Action Figure Museum in Pauls Valley. This is a place that strikes a strong emotional chord with me for reasons that hearken way back to another time and place.

I spent my grade school days growing up in central Florida (my family relocated to Oklahoma in '93 when I was in the 5th grade). At the time my parents were very young, and very poor, a state of being that was further compounded by having two kids and my dad being a full time college student. To make ends meet, my parents would frequent garage sales looking for clothes, kitchen gear, furniture, and anything else you could think of to survive on a meager budget.

It didn't take long for the both of them to realize that people were practically giving away things that were actually worth tons of money - or at least tons of money for two young struggling parents. Pretty soon they were grabbing the local "Penny Saver" news paper every week, charting garage sales by location with maps and time tables (keep in mind this is well before the days of the internet). They'd wake me and my brother up at 5:00 AM and off we'd go for hours and hours hitting every garage sale listed in the paper until the the back seat was full of antiques that could be resold at the local flea market for an impressive mark up (once again, this was in the days that existed before Ebay).

The benefit for my brother and I was that we got to take home tons of comic books and toys, most of which were strangely obscure and random (as is the case with things bought second hand in that manner). Likewise the back seat of the car was always full of collectors guides that my parents could use to cross reference the value of whatever discarded junk people had sitting in their yards. Aaron and I practicly memorized those books, skimming repeatedly over the pictures of rare forgotten Star Wars toys and Spider-Man merchandise produced well before we were even born.

I spent pretty much the entirety of my childhood in a house stacked to the ceiling with World War II paraphernalia, old back issues of Playboy, and other things a little boy might find interesting, but I was solely obsessed with Marvel comic books and any of the infinite merchandising that went along with them.

The garage sale era of my life ended around the time my dad got a degree, and my comic book obsession died out around high school, but to this day I can't look at anything "collectible" without being completely transported back to that very special time in my life.

Which brings us back to the Toy and Action Figure Museum.

The Toy and Action Figure Museum was opened in 2005 by toy designer Kevin Stark. Its since become a nationally recognized museum attracting thousands of visitors each year who stop in to take a peek at the massive toy collection. Inside you'll find plenty of memorable classics from years past, as well as a few unexpected action figure obscurities.

"Uh oh, he's been using brand xxxxxxxxx..."

There are a few themed sections of the museum, but the Batman room is the one I can most relate to. My garage sale days took place smack dab in the middle of the merchandising blitz of the first two 90's Batman movies. Walking into this room literally puts me face to face with an astonishing amount of stuff that was in my room growing up as a kid.

While the Toy and Action Figure museum is one of the biggest attractions in Pauls Valley, it certainly isn't the only one...

Ballard's Drive In is an old timey drive in restaurant that makes the best cherry limeades I've ever tasted. While drive ins with a nostalgic feel are a dime a dozen, Ballard's stands ahead of the crowd by being truly authentic. Built in the fifties, and most likely unchanged since, this place is unavoidably one of the coolest pieces of Americana tucked away in our great state.

And while the ambiance is enough to get me in the door, the food and drinks are honestly better than any fast food I can think of. The coolest part is that Mr. Ballard still takes your order and helps cook the food.

Ballard's is the jam!!!

Pauls Valley definitely wins out as my nostalgia headquarters. I can spend a day in the museum reliving my actual childhood, and then stop over to Ballard's to live out nostalgia that I wasn't yet born for.

-Austin

Oklahoma Aquarium

Not the Oklahoma Aquarium, but an Oklahoma Aquarium

As I slog closer and closer to 30, it seems as if moments of inspiration come less frequently than they used to as a naive young whippersnapper. Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to fashion my jadedness into some badge of honor, nor am I trying to claim any old man wisdom beyond my years - it just happens to be an inescapable, and unfortunate, part of getting older.

So when something does make an impact on me, no matter how trivial, I try to really embrace the moment.

Which is why I now own an aquarium.

You see, Lacey and I stopped by the Oklahoma Aquarium in Jenks a few months ago (pre-OK Dispatch) on a whim. What was meant to simply kill an afternoon, turned into something a little more lasting, as we found ourselves truly affected by the beauty and mystery of what was inside. Within days we had our own aquarium (pictured above), and we've had nothing but fun ever since learning how to keep a mini-eco system alive and healthy.

So with a little aquarium experience under our belt, we decided it was time to head back to the very institution that had inspired our newest of hobbies.

What I love about the Aquarium is how immediately you are put face to face with creatures that, up until relatively modern times, have gone completely undiscovered by mankind. I can't help but feel a slight bit of Lovecraftian fear peering into the tanks of plants and animals that exist in the most seemingly alien of conditions.

I am continually blown away by how each tank is a self contained living work of art. The compositions of color, movement and light are almost enough to overshadow the unique little critters that reside inside of them. Of course a lot of what you see is the natural product of functionality - keeping these self contained habitats alive and well calls for certain circumstances of plants, earth, and lighting to come together in a way that is completely memorizing.

Look close - That's a fish, not a rock! Scary.

I know most people dig the sharks and stingrays, but I am way more into the the aquatic plants and immobile animals like anemones. There's just something so foreign about them in comparison to my typical mammalian existence that I can't help but be fascinated by.

Of course the most amazing of all these types of creatures is the jellyfish.

It’s easy for me and Lacey to sit and stare at the hypnotic living swirl of the jellyfish's movements for uncomfortably long periods of time. Pretty impressive for a non-sentient psychedelic blob of goo.

The octopus tank is incredible, and yet again, terrifying in an existential sense. Seeing this guy slither around his tank was probably the most impressive thing we saw on our trip - which is saying a lot considering how incredible just about every display is!

The aquarium has an entire section dedicated to aquatic life native to Oklahoma. It's pretty amazing to see first hand the kind of unexpected wildlife present right here in our back yard. Compositionally speaking, these are the coolest tanks in the whole facility. There's something about the dark lighting and swampy vegetation that (like usual) appeals to my metal-head aesthetic.

I know I was dogging on sharks a little earlier, but honestly you HAVE to experience the shark tunnel. The water tunnel enclosure would be cool enough without anything floating around in it, but add some enormous under water predators, and you have a recipe for blown minds!

-Austin

Slow Food Oklahoma-style



One of the things I love about living in Oklahoma is the abundant access to locally grown food. From statewide groups like the Oklahoma Food Cooperative to local farmers' markets, you don't have to look very far to find fresh eats.

This weekend marks an annual celebration of said bounty with Slow Food OKC's 6th Annual Fall Picnic which is scheduled for 4-7 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 3rd at the Harn Homestead.

This picnic is the ultimate family-style celebration of Oklahoma's food traditions. It is also a great place to enjoy friends, family and fellow Slow Fooders while meeting others who care about eating well and supporting local agriculture.

Be forewarned, this isn't your average picnic fare. The menu is all about taking a gourmet twist on the season's best ingredients. Some of the participating local food producers include Big Truck Tacos, La Baguette, Sage, Stella, Chef Ian Wagner and Kam's Kookery. Prairie Thunder Baking Company Breads will be on hand, as well as desserts by Platt College's pastry chef Katie Reddick. 105degrees will also be providing special raw food/vegan meals for any vegan slow fooders.

Even the drinks come from Oklahoma neighbors including locally produced Choc Beer, Coop Ale and great wine. Cafe Evoke will also be on hand serving Elemental Coffee.

As for entertainment, there will be live music by Buck Goucher and children can enjoy sack races, pony rides, a petting zoo and face painting. Plates loaded with locally grown gourmet food and fun for the whole family...What more could you ask for?

Here are a few details in terms of tickets and logistics: Pre-event tickets are $25 per person without alcoholic beverages and $30 if you'd like to drink beer and wine. I've linked to the respective PayPal accounts so you can to take advantage of the pre-event discount or bring $30/$35 per person to purchase tickets at the door.

The event will happen rain or shine, so mark your calendars for this amazing feast! I promise it will nourish you with more than a delectable meal.

The photo was taken by Shannon Cornman at the 2009 Slow Food OKC Annual Picnic which you can read all about here.

Marland Mansion

Marland Mansion

I'm not sure how, but since living in Oklahoma City I've come to know a lot of transplanted folks from Ponca City. These people, while all interesting individuals in their own right, seem to share a certain unmistakable attitude known as the Ponca Swagger.

It's easy to understand how a city as one-of-a-kind as Ponca could have such an unmistakable impression on its inhabitants. Located in the north central part of Oklahoma, Ponca City is an oasis of history and culture in what is primarily a pretty rural part of the state.

There's a lot to Ponca's story that I won't get into here, but the important thing to know is that oil has been at the forefront of Ponca City's development throughout the last 100 years. Ponca was the home to many oil entrepreneurs during the early 20th Century, and the evidence of the extravagance and wealth that once dominated the city can be seen everywhere from their amazing downtown theater to the public library which houses an impressive collection of Asian art ranging from the Ming to Meiji periods.

The Mansion as seen from the bottom of the hill

Perhaps the greatest monument to Ponca's (and quite possibly America's) early involvement in the oil business can be found at Ponca City's Marland Mansion.

Built between 1925 and 1928 for the cost 5.5 Million Dollars (that's 5.5 million in the twenties folks!), this "Palace on the Prairie" stands as one of the largest homes in the American southwest to this day.

It's size is impressive, but nothing can truly prepare you for the opulence an grand splendor that saturates every single detail of the house itself. Everything from gold mosaic ceilings, ornate hand carved wooden molding, elevators, priceless art, ruby eyed statues, and that's just scratching the surface.

Gold ceilings aside, the most captivating part of the mansion is the story of E.W. Marland and his family which seem to echo throughout all 50 rooms of this massive estate. Once again, I can't do the story much justice, but I do urge you to check out this great summary. The story has it all, love, death, massive successes, crushing failures, and some pretty unforgettable family drama.

This is the first thing you see once you walk in

The dining room

One of the things that make the Marland Mansion so interesting is the insanely opulent detail contained in each room. Every minor conceivable aspect of the mansion from floor to ceiling is a screaming testament to the inconceivable wealth Marland possessed at the time. I have never felt as poor as I did standing in that mansion.

The Kitchen, including the ancient dish washer

The Grand Ball Room

The Grand Ball Room

The Grand Ball Room

Tepid?

The eclectic taste of the Marlands becomes apparent while walking through the mansion. Each room seems to embody a different theme; every room that is, except the bathrooms.

Green tile seemed to be something Marland's could stand behind, and I'm pretty sure I agree with their decision. There are 12 bathrooms throughout the mansion, but Marland's personal bathroom is easily the most impressive. I say this primarily because of the archaic Mr. Burns styled personal sauna that dominates the room, but the two sinks and unprecedented square footage certainly help.

Old timey sauna

Marland's office

The party room gets a party ceiling

The downstairs section of the mansion was dedicated to partying, and its hard to party like a rich person in the twenties without massive amounts of bootlegged alcohol. This is why (along with the kidnapping fears facing the super rich in the twenties and thirties) the Marlands had a massive underground tunnel built beneath the house. Easy escape in and out of the house could be planed, and alcohol could be brought in without suspicion.

The scary tunnel is my favorite part of the whole mansion

Lacey and I had actually planned on making a full day of Ponca, as there's a whole lot to see and do (and most importantly, eat!), but unfortunately, I ended up getting sick on the car ride down (fever and traveling do not mix folks!). We had to cut our trip short and bailed out on a lot of worthwhile stuff to do in Ponca, as well the surrounding areas.

Marland Mansion is certainly worth the trip on its own, but there's a whole lot more to do! Rest assured we'll be back sometime soon to show you all the other cool historical treasures to be found in Ponca City.

-Austin