Oklahoma Kids And Grown-Ups Dig For Real Selenite Crystals On The Salt Plains Near Jet
Picture a flat, white stretch of ground in Oklahoma that looks like nothing at all from the car window. Then you kneel down, scoop away a little salty dirt, and spot the glassy...
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This Oklahoma Country Store Near Turner Falls Is Packed With Homemade Jams, Candy And Fried Pies
I only meant to grab a quick snack before a day in the Oklahoma hills, and I walked out with a bag so heavy it needed two hands. The smell of warm cinnamon hit me at the door,...
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Citizen Potawatomi Nation Shares Its Own Journey Home At This Free Shawnee Cultural Center
Some of the best stops in Oklahoma never announce themselves with billboards or bright signs. I pulled off the highway expecting a quick stretch and a look around, and I walked...
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This Is Why So Many Oklahomans Grab Burgers At This Diner Off Route 66 In El Reno
I almost drove right past it, a small corner spot with a sign that did not promise much beyond lunch. Then the smell of onions hitting a hot grill drifted through my cracked window,...
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Route 10 Still Runs Past These 10 Old Oklahoma Stops That Never Closed Their Doors
You pull off the highway expecting a quick bite and a bathroom break, and somehow you leave with a full belly, a story, and a plan to come back. That happens a lot on the old roads...
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Meet The Old Mining Town Where Picher’s Story Lives On In An Oklahoma Museum In Miami
Some of the best afternoons in Oklahoma start with a wrong turn or a lunch stop that runs long. You pull over expecting nothing much, maybe a quick look around, and suddenly you...
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This Oklahoma Go-Kart Track Turns A Casual Race Into 15 Minutes Of Squealing Tires Through Technical Corners
I figured it would be another slow loop around some cones, the kind of ride you forget before you reach the parking lot. Instead, I climbed out of a kart in Oklahoma with shaky...
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This Oklahoma Kitchen Serves Lamb Shawarma And Lebanese Favorites Worth Driving Across Town For
Some of the best meals in Oklahoma come from places you would drive past a hundred times without blinking. A plain storefront, a small parking lot, a hand-lettered menu, and then...
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Oklahoma’s German Deli Makes Sausages So Authentic You’ll Forget You’re On The Plains
I pulled into a plain strip-center parking lot in Oklahoma expecting a quick lunch and nothing more. Then the smell of smoked sausage and warm pretzels hit me at the door, and...
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The Osage Nation Has Told Its Own Story At This Pawhuska Museum Since 1938
I pulled off a quiet road in northeast Oklahoma expecting a quick stretch and maybe a vending machine snack, nothing more. Instead I found a modest stone building that held more...
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Mofongo, Pernil And Heaping Plates Make This Oklahoma Puerto Rican Kitchen Worth The Drive
I pulled in expecting a quick lunch from a small window and left planning my next trip back before I even reached my car. The smell of slow-cooked pork drifted across the lot,...
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8 Oklahoma Stops Between Tulsa And Bartlesville Worth Pulling Off The Highway For
Most of us treat the drive north out of Tulsa like a hallway, something to get through on the way to somewhere else. But this short stretch of Oklahoma highway hides farm stands,...
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This Oklahoma Yarn Shop Turns A Quick Skein Run Into A Whole Afternoon For Knitters
I only needed one skein of sock yarn, the kind of errand that should take ten minutes in and out. Somewhere in Oklahoma, though, a small shop had other plans for my afternoon,...
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Real Indian Tacos On Fry Bread Are Worth The Drive To These 6 Oklahoma Kitchens
Some of the best meals in Oklahoma come from places you might drive right past without a second look. A plain little building, a paper plate, and then a golden circle of fry bread...
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This Oklahoma Ranch Sells Grass-Fed Longhorn Beef Straight To Families Ready To Fill Their Freezers
Some of the best meals in Oklahoma never start at a restaurant counter. They start on a quiet country road, at a small family ranch you might drive right past without a second...
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This Oklahoma Bookshop In Guthrie Has Cozy Seats And Shop Dogs Where You Read For Hours
I only meant to duck in for one paperback, maybe ten minutes tops. Two hours later I was sinking into a soft couch with a stack of books beside me and a sleepy basset hound snoring...
Read More 9 min read
Adoptable Rescue Cats Are Waiting For Their Forever Homes At This Cozy Oklahoma Cat Lounge
I only stopped for a quick coffee on a busy errand day in Oklahoma, and I figured I would be back in the car in ten minutes. Then I spotted a cat stretched across a cushion behind...
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Oklahoma Families Roll Through Glowing Light Displays In Pajamas At These 7 Small-Town Christmas Drives
There is a special kind of magic in buckling sleepy kids into the back seat, still in their flannel pajamas, with a thermos of cocoa rattling in the cup holder. Across Oklahoma,...
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Since 1926 This Tulsa Diner Has Been Flipping Burgers On The Same Griddle
I almost drove right past it, a small, bright little stand that looked like it had been there forever, because it pretty much has. My stomach was growling, the smell of onions...
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Did You Know Old Frontier Ruins Still Crumble Quietly In Oklahoma’s Woods
Some of the best afternoons start with a two-lane highway and a sign you almost drive past. In southern Oklahoma, one of those signs leads to weathered stone walls, old log cabins,...
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Real Dinosaur Skeletons Tower Over Kids Inside This Free-Feeling Norman, Oklahoma Museum
I expected a quick rainy-day stop, maybe an hour of looking at old rocks behind glass. Instead, I found myself craning my neck at a creature so tall it seemed to poke right through...
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Warm Butter Bread Turns A Plain Oklahoma Highway Market Into A Sandwich Worth Driving Hours For
I almost drove right past it, a small, plain building beside the highway that looked like a quick place to stretch my legs and nothing more. Then the door opened, and the smell...
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Chicken-Fried Steak Covers The Whole Plate At This Route 66 Cafe Oklahomans Keep Returning To
Some of the best meals in Oklahoma show up when you least expect them, right after you pull off the highway hungry and a little tired. You walk in thinking it will be a quick bite,...
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Red Canyons And Bubbling Limestone Springs Hide Just Off The Highway in Oklahoma
I pulled off the highway expecting a quick leg stretch and maybe a gas station snack. Instead, the road dipped into a canyon of rusty red cliffs, and cold spring water was gurgling...
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Opened In 1929, This Oklahoma Theater Still Dazzles Audiences With Its Wurlitzer Pipe Organ
You might roll past a plain stretch of old Main Street in northeast Oklahoma and never guess what waits behind one carved front door. Step inside, though, and the air turns cool,...
Read More 8 min read
From Lakeside Strolls To Steep Climbs, These 8 Oklahoma Trails Show Off Fall
Some of the best fall color in Oklahoma hides at the end of a short gravel road you almost skipped. You pull over expecting a quick leg stretch, and an hour later you are standing...
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Benedictine Monks Have Kept The Quiet Grounds Of This Oklahoma Abbey Open Since 1915
I went looking for a jar of honey and somehow walked away with an afternoon I still think about. Tucked off a busy road in central Oklahoma, there is a place where bells mark the...
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Indian Tacos Outsell The Burgers At This Old-School Oklahoma Drive-In Locals Still Talk About
I almost drove right past the little walk-up window with the faded sign and the line of cars idling out front. Then I smelled warm frybread drifting across the parking lot, and...
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How A Tiny Woodward, Oklahoma Museum Packs Plains Pioneer Life Into Five Full Galleries
You pull off the highway in northwest Oklahoma expecting a quick stretch and maybe a cold soda. Then a modest brick building swallows you for an afternoon you never planned on.
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Some Of Oklahoma’s Best Fried Chicken Comes Out Of A Gas Station Kitchen In These 5 Towns
I only stopped for gas and a cold soda, but the smell drifting from the warmer by the register changed my whole afternoon. A few minutes later I was standing beside the pumps with...
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Over 700 Real Cars Line The Floors Of This Route 66 Museum In Oklahoma
I pulled off the highway expecting a quick stretch and a bathroom break, maybe ten minutes of looking at old signs. Instead, I lost the whole afternoon wandering past shiny classic...
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This Nearly Century-Old Barbecue Stand In Norman Serves Smoked Bologna Worth Skipping The Ribs For
I almost drove right past it, just another low-key barbecue joint on a regular street in Oklahoma. Then the smell of hickory smoke rolled through my cracked window and changed...
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Always-Fresh Pan Dulce And Oaxacan Specialties Keep Regulars Coming Back To This Oklahoma Mexican Bakery
I only stopped because I needed coffee and something sweet, and the plain little storefront did not promise much. Then the door swung open and the smell of warm sugar and butter...
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This Ordinary Oklahoma City Storefront Hides A Warehouse Of Fabric Prints From Around The World
I only stopped because I needed a couple yards of plain cotton for a quick project. From the parking lot, the place looked like any other shop in a strip of ordinary storefronts...
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Why Do Grandkids Beg To Come Back To Oklahoma’s Pioneer Woman Mercantile In Pawhuska
We almost drove right past it, an old brick storefront on a quiet Oklahoma street that looked like it belonged in a sepia photograph. My stomach was growling, the kids were restless,...
Read More 9 min read
Nobody Starts Your Chicken-Fried Steak Until You Order At This Oklahoma House-Turned-Diner With Homemade Pie
I almost drove right past it, a little house on a corner that looked more like somebody's grandma's place than a restaurant. Then I caught the smell of fresh biscuits and gravy...
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Six Oklahoma Drive-In Theaters Still Light Up The Screen Under Open Summer Skies
The first time I pulled onto a gravel lot at dusk, I figured it would be a cheap night out and not much more. Then the speakers crackled, the smell of burgers drifted across the...
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Over 50 Dealers Pack One Building At This Antique Mall Along Route 66 In Oklahoma
I only meant to stretch my legs for ten minutes on a quiet Oklahoma stretch of Route 66. Then I opened an ordinary-looking storefront door and lost most of an afternoon.
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Thousands Of Bats Hang Overhead Inside The Gypsum Cave You Can Tour At This Oklahoma Park
Somewhere out on the quiet prairie of northwest Oklahoma, the road dips into a canyon you would never spot from your windshield. Down there, a cool cave glows like frosted glass,...
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Inside This Oklahoma Museum The Seminole Nation Tells Its Own Story In Wewoka
I pulled over expecting a quick stretch of the legs and maybe a postcard. Instead, a modest stone building in a quiet Oklahoma town held me for nearly two hours with stories I...
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Filipino Lumpia Is Worth Driving Across Oklahoma For At These 5 Spots
I almost drove right past the little strip-mall door, and I would have regretted it for years. One bite of a hot, crackly lumpia changed my whole idea of what a quick lunch in...
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Some 300 Rare And Antique Dolls Fill This Library Museum In Oklahoma
I walked into a quiet public library in southern Oklahoma expecting bookshelves, a water fountain, and maybe a cool spot to rest from the heat. Instead, rows of glass cases stared...
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Over 100,000 Pairs Of Antlers, Horns And Mounts Wait Behind The Doors Of This Oklahoma Cowboy Museum
I pulled into a big, quiet parking lot in Oklahoma expecting a quick look at a few old saddles and maybe a dusty painting or two. Three hours later, I was still wandering, standing...
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One Oilman’s Lifetime Of Treasures Still Fills This Preserved Oklahoma Mansion, With A Free Museum Out Back
I almost drove right past it, figuring a big old house in the middle of town would just be something nice to glance at through the windshield. Then I stepped inside and found closets...
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Clear River Water Runs Beneath Tall Pines At This Southeast Oklahoma Park Made For Fall
I expected a quick leaf-peeping stop and maybe a sandwich at a picnic table in the far corner of Oklahoma. Instead I found a river so clear I could count the stones on the bottom,...
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The River Rolls Right Under Your Table At This Oklahoma Cafe Serving Catfish And Burgers
I only stopped because my stomach was growling louder than the radio on a back road in southwest Oklahoma. The building looked plain enough, just a rustic little spot sitting near...
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A Half-Mile Boardwalk Winds Through This Oklahoma Wildlife Refuge Even Locals Didn’t Know Existed
Some of the best places in Oklahoma never ask for attention. I pulled off a quiet country road expecting a quick leg stretch and found a wooden path floating through a forest that...
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Oklahomans Pack The Car Before Dawn For Brisket From This Legendary Barbecue Joint
My stomach was growling long before the sun came up, and all I knew was that a little smokehouse somewhere in Oklahoma had people lining up before the doors even opened. It looked...
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6 Historic Oklahoma Restaurants Where The Booths, Pie Case And Chicken Fried Steak Haven’t Changed
Some of the best meals in Oklahoma come from buildings you might drive right past without a second look. You pull in because you are hungry, slide into a worn booth, and suddenly...
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This Family-Run Oklahoma City Strip-Center Kitchen Serves Lasagna So Big It Comes Home In A Box
Some of the best meals in Oklahoma start with a shrug and a parking lot you almost drove past. I went in expecting a quick plate of pasta and walked out carrying a box heavy enough...
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Families Keep Coming Back To This Oklahoma Western Town Where The Saloon Pours 50 Flavors Of Pop
Some of the best family memories in Oklahoma start on a quiet county road you almost drove past. You expect a field, maybe a barn, and then suddenly there are wooden storefronts,...
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Living-History Guides Walk You Into The 1800s At Oklahoma’s Last Pre-Civil War Plantation Home
I figured I'd spend maybe forty minutes at an old house on a quiet country road in eastern Oklahoma. Instead, a guide in period clothing handed me a story, then another, and suddenly...
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Regulars Say The Grocery-Store Jug Tastes Flat After Milk From This Family Dairy Near Oklahoma City
I figured milk was milk until a cold glass from a small Oklahoma farm made me stop mid-sip and stare at the jar. No fancy sign, no gift shop, just a family, their cows, and a fridge...
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Inside This Oklahoma Museum The Cherokee Nation Tells The Story Of Its Own Courts And Jail
I almost drove right past it, a small brick building on a quiet corner that looked more like an old office than a place worth stopping. Twenty steps inside, I was reading about...
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9 Oklahoma Flea Markets Where Rare Collectibles Still Sell For Pocket Change
Some of the best afternoons start with a dusty parking lot, a cheap cup of coffee, and a table that looks like nothing special. Then you spot it: a toy truck like the one your...
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This Oklahoma Route 66 Diner Inspired A Pixar Movie And Still Serves Comfort Food
Some of the best meals in Oklahoma start with a stomach growling and a small building you almost drive right past. You pull over expecting a quick plate of something fried, and...
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In This Rural Oklahoma Town, Rodeo Means Bucking Bulls, Broncos And Kids Riding Sheep
Some of the best nights in Oklahoma start with a gravel lot, a set of bleachers, and no big plans at all. You show up expecting a quick look and end up staying until the last ride,...
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This Cozy Oklahoma Bakery In Yukon Serves Czech Kolaches, Klobasa And Goulash Right On Route 66
I almost drove right past it, a small storefront on an old highway that looked like any other building on the block. Twenty minutes later, I was halfway through a plate of beef...
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7 Small-Town Oklahoma Yarn Shops Where Knitters Lose Whole Afternoons Squeezing Skeins
Some of the best afternoons in Oklahoma start with a plain little storefront you almost drove right past. You step inside for a quick look, and suddenly your arms are full of soft...
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8 Small Oklahoma Towns Where $1,800 A Month Still Covers Rent, Groceries And A Diner Breakfast
Some towns don't look like much from the highway, just a water tower, a grain elevator and a cafe with a hand-painted sign out front. Then you sit down for breakfast, the coffee...
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