Salty Plains, Rock Star Cows and Mother Nature’s Light Show

Our daughter, Callie, is 13 years old and as teenagers so often do, she has a memory like an elephant. Two weeks before spring break she says, “You’ve been promising for-eee-ver that we’d go on a family camping trip. Now is the time.”

We intuitively realized that if there was to be any peace in the Struby household again, the family camping expedition could no longer be delayed. We sorted through sleeping bags, got the camping gear in order, browsed TravelOK.com for just the right spot, and finally settled on the Great Salt Plains State Park near Jet. Callie was fascinated with seeing plains made of salt, and I knew from researching there were plenty of things, in addition to the Salt Plains, to keep my crew entertained.

By cruising the back roads, our favorite way to travel, we made the drive from Oklahoma City in an easy two and half hours.

We camped for two nights right on the shores of the Great Salt Plains Lake, ate gloriously tasty food cooked up on our handy camp stove, and survived a big rain storm in our tent just fine -- no drips, leaks or miserable, soggy sleeping bags. And by the way, it’s no lie that everything tastes better outdoors.

On a chilly afternoon with storm clouds skittering across the sky we headed out to the Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge, 32,000 acres of open water, wetlands, prairies, woodlands and farm fields that lie just a few miles north of the lake, and one of nine National Wildlife Refuges in Oklahoma. The refuge is a very special and important place, habitat to more 300 species of birds, designated a Globally Important Bird Area, a Member of the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network, and it’s critical habitat for the endangered whooping crane.

On the way to the refuge we happened across this picturesque old farm house resembling a watercolor painting.

Being a hobbyist photographer, I made the whole family stop and while I was clicking away, far in the distance we heard a mooing ruckus, and looked up to see a herd of cows trotting toward us, obviously on a mission. Whether they thought our arrival signaled chow time or they were just curious, by the time they arrived the sun was peeking out and they were ready for their close-up. They posed and posed and posed some more, reminding us a bit of rock stars.

At the refuge headquarters, this pretty sight greeted us. Even though we visited before spring kissed everything green, the beauty of the refuge is reflected in Bonham Pond, where refuge staff offer Wildlife in the Classroom programs to kids from kindergarten through 12th grade.

Bird, birds, birds were at every turn on the Harold F. Miller Auto tour, a 2.5-mile drive that meanders through the refuge by ponds, wetlands and farm fields. There’s ample room to pull over and walk or take photos and we did so several times, serenaded by a symphony of bird songs and calls.

Spring was busting out all over.

Silvery trees made a splash against the dramatic backdrop of storm clouds.

And then it was time to visit the Salt Plains. That white stuff isn’t snow – it’s salt, real salt. After the forested wetlands and throngs of birds at the refuge, the Salt Plains seemed wildly empty, and although we were disappointed we couldn’t dig for the rare hourglass selenite crystals found here (digging time is April 1 through October 15) -- we were suitably impressed by the plains’ grand scale.

Even though it was coolish, cloudy and stormy during some of our visit, the weather didn’t keep Callie from exploring the shoreline. And way out in the lake what looks like an island in the distance is just that. It’s Ralstin Island, a very important part of the refuge. At about six acres, the island is Oklahoma’s largest rookery a.k.a. bird nursery for nesting birds, and hosts more than 30,000 birds during breeding season. Shhhh. Human visitors not allowed – don’t want to wake all those babies – but the refuge office offers live footage of the island via their remote cameras from April through October.

It’s never too cold and you’re never too old to play in the sand.

The sun came out and everything went sparkly.

And then along came dusk and a stunning light show from Mother Nature that beat anything on the movie screen hands down. We pulled our camp chairs to the water’s edge, sipped on a bit of wine, and reveled in the glory.

Museum of Osteology

I've been working for the Tourism Department for quite a while now. I've spent this time meticulously combing over various maps, websites, travel brochures, promotional materials, and just about anything else you could imagine in an attempt to unearth all the cool stuff to do here. It's crazy that after all this time, I'm still discovering things I had no idea existed... sometimes right here in my own city!

That was the case last week when Lacey and I stumbled across the Museum of Osteology in OKC.

I had heard tales from friends about a store named Skulls Unlimited that sold human and animal bones, but never really thought much of it beyond its status as a morbid oddity. It wasn't until doing a little research for an unrelated project at work that I found out this place really does exist, and that it has a museum attached to it.

While I've been curious about the store for while, I always felt a little sheepish about window shopping for human skulls - luckily the museum offered a perfect excuse for me to indulge my curiosity without being judged by the types of people who find the viewing of human remains to be a little weird.

The museum is incredibly well put together, filled to the brim with creatures big and small. Placards help visitors contextualize the miraculous way in which our bones make us function, adapt, and evolve to our surroundings.

As a fairly literate guy, I was surprised to find how little I actually new about the inner construction of the animals we share this planet with.

How many gift shops do you know have this for sale?

The Museum of Osteology was unlike anything I'd ever seen in Oklahoma, and I am being completely honest when I say it made a lasting impression on me. For better or worse, one of those impressions involved an unshakable reminder of the fragility of my own existence.

Luckily there's a cure for having one's mortality prominently on display for an hour: comfort food!

Yes. Anyone who knows me in the slightest has an intimate understanding of my love for the Del Rancho Steak Sandwich Supreme.

For those of you not from here, Del Rancho is a legendary chain of burger joints who's existence is ingrained in the psyche of every true Oklahoman. Del Rancho has ran the same series of television ads since the seventies, and their signature dish, the steak sandwich supreme, should probably be considered for the official meal of Oklahoma.

Anyways, as luck would have it, there's a Del Rancho just a few miles away from the museum...

Greatest meal ever conceived.

-Austin

Sooner Dairy Lunch

Since this blog is all about exploring Oklahoma like a local, I have to share one of my favorite burger spots in Norman. It just so happens that I can walk to this place from my house, making Sooner Dairy Lunch a frequent destination for our family. Judging by the Norman Transcript Reader's Choice awards lining the counter, I can tell I'm not alone.

Located on Main Street a little east of I-35, Sooner Dairy Lunch has been serving up handmade burgers and malts for 56 years. I suspect little has changed in terms of the menu or car fulls of customers since opening in 1954. The drive-in is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and closed Sunday and Monday.

More often than not, Randy greets us at the counter window to take our order. He's the son of the original owner and is part of the second generation who operates the family business. Randy claims he's more of a people person than his brother who opts to work the grill.

I ordered a cheeseburger and couldn't resist a handmade chocolate shake. I love that the food comes wrapped in white butcher paper, reinforcing the classic simplicity of this entire dining experience.

Most customers choose to eat in their cars or outside on the picnic tables. Grayson was entertained by the bar stools at the small inside counter so that's where we enjoyed our meal. Our vantage point made it easy to hear Randy greeting customers by name and catching up on family news with the regulars.

After enjoying our meal, we decided a trip just isn't complete without some cold soft serve for the walk home.

And This Week's Snapshot Answer is...

The Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center in Enid!

Per TravelOK.com:

"The Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center, located in Enid and operated by the Oklahoma Historical Society, is a 24,000 sq ft facility that features five exhibit galleries interpreting the settlement and development of northwest Oklahoma. In addition, the Humphrey Heritage Village, a living history village on the grounds of the complex, features four historically significant buildings including the only remaining 1893 Land Office. Come to the Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center to celebrate the spirit of the Cherokee Strip pioneers and to experience one of the most significant heritage visitor destinations and educational resources in northwest Oklahoma.

Visitors to the Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center will enjoy more than 12,500 sq ft of climate-controlled exhibit space. Connect to the excitement, hardships and determination of the people who made the land run in the museum's Land Run Theater, or visit the "End of the Day" exhibit to witness a three-dimensional, authentically reproduced camp scene complete with a covered wagon and other items settlers would have brought with them. The Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center also features beautifully landscaped grounds that include "The Homesteader," a bronze statue by renowned Western artist Harold Holden.

This museum houses a varied collection of historical material including numerous eyewitness pioneer accounts, oral and video histories and more than 8,000 original and reproduced photographs, many of which depict the drama of the historic Cherokee Strip Land Run. The Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center houses 10,000 artifacts including the first portable drilling rig invented by George E. Failing in 1930.

Come to this museum and browse through exhibits containing household objects and agricultural tools that were necessary for homesteading in the Outlet. The center also features material related to the discovery and development of the region's oil and gas industry and items documenting the development of the nation's first fully-integrated petroleum company. Using its rich collection of artifacts, photographs and documents, the museum expertly traces the history of the Cherokee Outlet and the people who settled there, making the Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center a must-see."

Snapshot: 04.05.2011

Alright dispatchers, its time again for another snapshot! Can you tell us where we were when we took this shot?

Elote

Hey fellow dispatchers! My name is Kaylee McDaniel and I am the Sustainable Travel Initiatives and Communications Assistant at OTRD. It’s a long title that pretty much means that I get to write about one of the places I love best: Oklahoma. I was born and raised here, and I love exploring the state and telling other people about what I find. As a recent college grad, my main requirements for Oklahoma adventures are (1) that they are fun and (2) that they are cheap.

One of the reasons I love living in Oklahoma is because of the number of great Mexican restaurants throughout the state. I love Mexican food, and I will take any opportunity to try out a new establishment. So when I met a friend in Tulsa a few weeks ago, I immediately knew I had to sample the Mexican food all my Tulsa friends were buzzing about: Eloté Café.

While it’s relatively new to the restaurant scene (owners Jeremy and Libby Auld opened in May 2008), Eloté has already established a firm reputation for serving locally-sourced, healthy and tasty Mexican food.

In other words, it is the Holy Trinity of Mexican cuisine.

Eloté’s menu takes advantage of nearby farms to provide customers with fresh, local foods—without the high price tag associated with organic eating. Throughout the year, farmers markets provide inspiration for the seasonal menu items. The chicken is always free range, and a Bixby farm provides the beef. The restaurant’s bread and pastry items are also made at a local bakery.

Once I realized how much care and attention the owners put into the menu items, I knew that anything I ordered would be tasty and satisfying. According to my Tulsan friends, the puffy tacos were the lunch specialty, so I ordered the salmon version and prepared myself to be impressed.

One bite of my tacos and I had found one of my new favorite restaurants. The cinnamon-covered churros helped confirm my growing realization that I HAVE to visit this restaurant again.

Sometime between bites, I had the presence of mind to actually take in the atmosphere of the restaurant, which includes a bar made of 100 percent recycled materials and a mysterious wrestling ring in the corner. Eloté is the only restaurant that I know of that has its own certified wrestling federation. These luchadors (think Nacho Libre) entertain the public at matches throughout the year.

Whether it’s eating local and healthy foods, watching people get clobbered in a wrestling match, or just enjoying some darn good Mexican dishes, Eloté offers something for everyone’s tastes.

-Kaylee

Krebs

The small town of Krebs is often referred to as Oklahoma's "Little Italy". This title ultimately reaches back to the late 19th century when the area's coal mining industry fostered a large community of Italian immigrants.

Today Krebs' Italian American roots still stand firm, as evidenced by its abundance of delicious eateries and Italian grocers. The concentration of such great food and drink has certainly made Krebs a destination for hungry Oklahoma foodies in search of the perfect marinara and the finest of cured meats.

Of course if you know anything about Lacey and I, you know the siren song of soft cheese and homemade pasta is far too much for us to handle....

Our trip started at Lovera's Grocery which stocks a wide array of homemade cheeses, cured meats, sauces, pasta, pickled veggies, and much much more. The store is family owned and operated and this aspect shines through with it's incredible customer service. Sneaking a few samples from the deli counter is always my favorite part of shopping here, although walking out with a bag full of mouth watering morsels is certainly nothing to be ignored.

We picked up all the necessary items to make a delicious lasagna, but that was to be saved for dinner...

Across the street from Lovera's Grocery is a convenience store called Krebs Korner that actually serves fresh Italian food made from products found at Lovera's. With so many great food options in Krebs, it might seem odd eating lunch in a gas station, but trust me, you've never eaten convenience store food like this. Fresh pizza and sandwiches that are out of this world, and very reasonably priced. Just looking at the picture above is making me hungry!

Probably one of the most famous placed in Krebs is a wonderful family style Italian restaurant called Pete's Place. Pete's Place has a fantastic history that you can read all about here, but for now I want to focus on a slightly more obscure aspect of Pete's: Choc Beer.

Many Oklahoman's are familiar with the locally brewed Choc Beer, but some may not be aware that this delicious brew is made in the same building as Pete's Place. Tours are available to those who are interested, and of course the tasty brew can be bought on site. We brought home a sampler case to go with the lasagna we has planned for later in the evening.

On the way home we stopped at a few antique stores in the nearby city of McAlester, and found an incredible deal on these Frankoma plant potters. Lacey was quick to get them set up with some pretty looking succulents. My fingers are crossed that they'll have a good life in our living room, but as most people who know us can personally attest, horticulture is not our specialty.

Finally the payoff! Delicious lasagna cooked solely from ingredients purchased at Lovera's finished off with Choc Spring India Pale Ale. I must say it was perfect - although that's all Lacey's doing....

-Austin

Ozzie's Diner

I hate to follow Jessica's post with her amazing pictures and tranquil retreat experience, but I've recently discovered a great breakfast spot that must be shared. Of course, I wasn't expecting to blog about it so I didn't take my camera and had to make do with my phone.

At any rate, I want to tell you about Ozzie's Diner. It's located in the Max Westheimer Airport Terminal in Norman and serves up all-you-can-eat breakfast. I'm not talking about a breakfast buffet. They actually make the breakfast when you order it and then keep coming back for more. The waitresses don't seem fazed by the throngs of people they've served in a single day and when they call you "hun" you immediately feel at home.

The place isn’t fancy, but the floor to ceiling windows provide a great view of both parked planes and the runway, making for fun entertainment while filling up on comfort food. It was especially a hit with Grayson, who was enthralled with the airplanes and also ate a plate of pancakes faster than humanly possible for a two-year-old.

If breakfast isn't your thing, Ozzie's does have a full menu but I honestly can't tell you what is on it since I've only ever had their breakfast.

The Max Westheimer Airport Terminal in Norman

 

Looking into Ozzie's Diner from the terminal foyer

These are the selections you can choose from for the all-you-can-eat breakfast

I think someone is a little excited for his pancakes

Mike's first round: biscuits and gravy with bacon and hash browns. A solid choice.

My first round: eggs over easy (mmmm) with bacon and hash browns

Guest Post: Meet the Green Girl and The Canebrake

I have been dubbed “green girl” by the folks at my office. My official title is Sustainable Initiatives Coordinator, which is a bit laborious and pretty vague. Green girl certainly cuts to the point, plus it makes people feel guilty when they see me and they are carrying a Styrofoam cup. I find this highly entertaining; as if I have the power to single handily bring Styrofoam use to an end in Oklahoma. Hardly. But hey, if it makes people think twice then so be it. What I actually focus on is sustainable tourism in Oklahoma. Still vague? I work with any tourism entity from tiny restaurants to large hotels on what they can implement to make their business more efficient, environmentally aware and locally focused, in essence how to run a more sustainable operation. A sustainable operation focuses on the interplay of environmental, social and economic factors.

Blah, blah, blah, you say. Ok, don’t give up on me yet. I just needed a few primer sentences so when you read these blog posts you understand what we are talking about when we say sustainable as it refers to tourism. But enough with the definitions, if you want to know more about our ECO program or sustainability, just hop on over to our site.

So what is the green girl doing on the Oklahoma Dispatch? Simple. I want to dispel two myths about green travel in Oklahoma. 1. That it doesn’t exist. 2. That people don’t really care about sustainability, especially the tourism industry.

My hope is that through these posts you discover cool and innovative places around our great state that you can visit and support. What you are bound to discover is that while we can use a lot of big words, fancy ideas and interesting products to discuss sustainability, it really all comes down to the people. So I look forward to introducing you to some of my favorite “sustainable friends,” as I call them, and telling you their stories.

So first up, The Brackens...The Bracken Family runs The Canebrake Restaurant and Resort in Wagoner, Oklahoma. I am an Oklahoman but my geography leaves a lot to be desired. Needless to say I had never heard of Wagoner, nor had I been there. However, it didn’t take long until I was introduced to The Canebrake. This place is probably the mecca of green travel in Oklahoma. That is not an exaggeration. It is a serene resort situated near Ft. Gibson Lake and every detail has been intentionally thought out. Sustainability is at the core of everything The Canebrake does and that stems from Sam and Lisa Bracken.

Sam serves as the executive chef at The Canebrake. He oversees the restaurant and all dining options with extraordinary care. I’ve never had a bad meal from Sam. He sources a lot of his ingredients locally, purchases organic and most importantly knows where his food is coming from and is happy to tell you all about it. This past weekend I had meatloaf sliders from local, organic bison. Yum.

The Canebrake often has cooking demos in conjunction with other activities where Sam and his hospitable team turnout wonderful meals while explaining the food and processes they use.

Lisa teaches yoga at The Canebrake. The Canebrake has yoga classes everyday as well as yoga workshops. I attended a yoga workshop last weekend led by Lisa. Lisa is a tiny ball of energy who manages to contort her body into any shape imaginable. Tiny, energetic and a contortionist! Yes, it’s true and typically these types of people evoke a nice blend of jealousy and annoyance out of me. But Lisa defies any stereotypes and is an incredibly relatable, low key yogi. She teaches with a great sense of humor and encouragement. She sells Okie Yoga t-shirts that say, “Namaste, Y’all” on the back. I think that pretty much sums up Lisa.

A main part of The Canebrake is the Yoga Barn where all the classes take place. While The Canebrake is incredibly polished and well done it has a down home sense as people walk through the lobby in their yoga ware with yoga mats in hand. Since The Canebrake is located on 400 acres there is plenty of space and outdoor options. I find the space to be welcomed relief from my usual busy routine.

All the rooms and suites at The Canebrake are luxurious yet comfy. They employ a variety of green energy practices, many of which you wouldn’t know about if I didn’t tell you. The property uses geo-thermal for heating and cooling as well as solar. The insulation for the aforementioned Yoga Barn is denim. Yep, old blue jeans. This is effective insulation keeps the temperature consistent no matter the season.

The Canebrake has an aggressive recycling program, ensuring a reusable home for almost all disposed products. They participate in the Clean the World program. Clean the World collects shampoos and soap from lodging properties, sterilizes and recycles them and distributes them to children in parts of the world where soap is needed but not accessible.

The spa, oh yeah, there is a spa. So the spa uses products that are kind to you and the earth. At this point I hope you see a theme. Thoughtful. The Canebrake is a thoughtful destination. Lisa, Sam and their team are committed to running a thoughtful business. No one is doing anything because they have to, rather because they believe in it and they have seen the benefits of the choices they make. As a visitor, I benefit from their thoughtfulness, but so does a whole bunch of people from local farmers to kids on other continents. It’s a good cycle of thoughtfulness they have created. So when you need respite from the crazy of your daily grind head over to Wagoner and chill with the Brackens. You can thank me later.

-Jessica