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On this week's Discover Oklahoma: Old-fashioned American favorites! Spirited traditions and cool locales that'll have you feeling the freedom of summer--plus, places honoring those who fought for that freedom.
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Location: Bell Cow Lake in Chandler
Enid Baseball Tradition
Contact: Bill Mayberry, director 580-548-0396
davidallenballpark.com
When Paul and Joan Allen volunteered to underwite the cost of a new baseball field in downtown Enid, they did so with the intention of memorializing their beloved son, David. What they actually did was help to further enrich an already bountiful baseball tradition in the town.
David Allen Ball Park
301 S. Grand
Enid, OK 73071
Liberty Theatre in Carnegie
Contact: 580-654-1188
www.libertytheatres.com
Experience a cinema treasure from a by-gone era. This beautiful art deco/art nouveau cinema house is Oklahoma's oldest continually-operated movie theatre. Since 1915, people have been coming to this silver screen for entertainment... not to mention the best, mouth watering chili dogs money can buy.
9 West Main
Carnegie, OK 73015
Mike Klemme Photographer Tips
Contact: Margaret Wright 800-338-1656
www.celebratingoklahoma.com
Oklahoma's Official Centennial Photographer Mike Klemme has weekly photography tips for Oklahoma's shutter bugs. View more of his work and order his must-have coffee table book "Celebrating Oklahoma," which captures the character and grace, brillant colors, depth and richness of the state we call home.
Don't forget to use Promotional Code "DOK" at check out when ordering "Celebrating Oklahoma"!
War Memorials in Enid and Broken Arrow
Contact:
It's sometimes easy to forget the sacrifices brave souls have made for our country, but Enid and Broken Arrow are doing their part to put names and faces on the men and women who have helped secure American liberty.
Woodring Wall of Honor
Elaine Johns, director, 580-233-4530
Located at Enid Woodring Regional Airport
Women's War Memorial
Commander Ralph Pointer, 918-258-9855
Veteran's Park
111 S. Main
Broken Arrow, OK 74012
Wayne's Drive Inn in Lawton
Contact: Chuck Abshere, co-owner 580-353-7444
www.waynesdriveinn.com
People come from all over--and we mean all over--just to get one of Wayne's Drive Inn's world-famous burgers. It's been a Lawton favorite for nearly 60 years, and those addictive burgers, fries, and onion rings just keep on coming.
#7th S. Sheridan
580-353-7444
6810 NW Cache Road
580-536-9000
Wheat Harvest in Frederick
Contact: Cassidy Grain Company 580-335-2104
Amber waves of grain--wheat grain, to be specific--rustle serenely in the rolling fields of Frederick. Farmers flock to this Oklahoma town every year to harvest one of our state's biggest crops, and pass the tradition on to the next generation.
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Location: Frontier City in Oklahoma City
Arbuckle Trail Rides near Turner Falls Park
Contact: Cheri Wolfe 800-623-2364
www.arbuckletrailrides.com
City slickers and greenhorns alike will find a sense of that pioneering spirit when they settle into the saddle for a scenic tour through the ancient Arbuckle Mountains.
Full-day and half-day tours available by appointment year round. Rides on private ranches also available.
Comanche Nations Water Park in Lawton
Contact: Kevin Wahkinney, General Manager 580-353-6110
It's one of those places the whole family can enjoy. Plenty of splashing opportunities for kids, and relaxing opportunities for parents, combine to make Comanche Nation Water Park a great summer stop.
Open Monday-Wednesday, 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday-Saturday, 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 6 p.m.
501 NE Lawrie Tatum Road.
Lawton, OK 73507
Eliza Cruce Hall Doll Museum in Ardmore
Contact: Lorena Smith 580-223-8290
www.ardmorelibrary.org
Consisting of over three-hundred dolls, this corner of the Ardmore Public Library was a gift from the niece of the second governor of Oklahoma. These porcelain faces, some centuries old and coming from the world-over, have been lighting up the faces of admirers since 1971.
Viewable during regular library hours: Monday-Thursday, 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., Friday-Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
320 E. Street NW
Ardmore, OK 73401
Frontier City in Oklahoma City
Contact: Stephen Ball, General Manager 405-478-2140
www.frontiercity.com
Oklahoma's largest theme park sits on 55 acres of downright fun. The rides you've always loved have been revamped, and, along with some new attractions and the always popular concert series, this frontier experience is sure to have you whoopin' and hollerin'.
Open all day, everyday. Specific times vary, so check the website for more details. Tickets are $19.99-$27.99.
Located on I-35 between NE 122nd and Hefner Road.
Kiddieland Park in Duncan
Contact: Johnny McFatridge 580-467-3269
From a fundraiser to a fun-raiser, Kiddieland Park has come a long way from its beginnings as a solitary carousel. Now with a passenger train, Tilt-a-Whirl, merry-go-round, airplanes, and a snow-cone stand, this summertime destination has become absolutely irresistable for kids of all ages.
Open summers: Tuesday-Thursday, and Sunday, 7 a.m.-9p.m., and Friday-Saturday 7 a.m.-10 p.m.
Located at the intersection of Highway 81 and Beech, in Fuqua Park.
Medicine Park Ice Cream & Candy Company
Contact: Lee & Connie Green, owners 580-529-3340
friendsautohauz.com/IceCream.htm
Fudge is their specialty, but not their only talent. Along with a smorgasbord of fudge flavors, Lee and Connie Green offer old-fashioned cones, taffy, shakes, malts, ice cream sodas, and root beer floats. Can you feel that? It's your sweet tooth calling.
Open Wednesday-Friday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday-Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
205 East Lake Drive
Medicine Park, OK 73557
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Location: Tulsa Garden Center
Bivin Garden in Shidler
Contact: Mollie & Ray Bivin 918-793-4011
www.thebivingarden.com
From less-than-modest beginnings to a six-acre oasis, Mollie and Ray Bivin have managed to turn their backyard into a tourist attraction. With all the charm and sophistication of an English garden made for Oklahoma, there's plenty to see, smell, and enjoy.
Open weekends May-Sept or by appointment.
Admission is $2 per adult
West of Shidler on State Hwy 11
Molly's Landing in Catoosa
Contact: Linda Powell, co-owner 918-266-7853
www.mollyslanding.com
This beloved establishment is best known for delectable steaks, but that's not all Linda Powell and her sons have to offer. In addition to their fine, Made in Oklahoma menu, Linda sells homemade jewelry right from the porch.
Open Monday through Saturday, 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.
3700 N. Highway 66
Catoosa, OK 74015
OSU Botanical Gardens in Stillwater
Contact: 405-744-5414
www.osubotanicalgarden.okstate.edu
Education is the name of the game at the site that is also home to the popular television program Oklahoma Gardening. Students use it as a study destination, sometimes even as a homework project, and the casual visitor will find an example of just about every type of garden known to man.
Admission is free. Open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Group tours by appointment.
3425 W. Virginia
Stillwater, OK 74078
Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation in Ardmore
Contact: Mike Cawley, President 580-223-5810
www.noble.org
The Noble Foundation was established by oil entrepreneur Lloyd Noble with the express purpose of helping agriculturists use their land to its fullest potential. Tirelessly improving production techniques, advancing plant science, and even researching an alternative energy source, the scientists there are definitely making good on his promise.
2510 Sam Noble Parkway
Ardmore, OK 73401
Tulsa Garden Center in Tulsa
Contact: Barbie Raney, Executive Director 918-746-5125
www.tulsagardencenter.com
Tulsa's horticultural headquarters is devoted to educating the masses about plant life. Offering classes, a library, and all-natural growing techniques, the Tulsa Garden Center is a perfect example of what can be done in your own backyard.
Open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Group tours available.
2435 S. Peoria
Tulsa, 74114
Under the Sun Garden Center in Tulsa
Contact: Craig and Amy Bay, owners 918-493-7118
underthesungardencenter.com
Nowhere will you find two people who want to help you create a beautifully colorful garden more than Craig and Amy Bay do. With locations all over Oklahoma City and Tulsa, you don't have to travel too far to seek their expert advice.
8988 S. Sheridan, Suite L Box 236
Tulsa, OK 74133
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Location: Admiral Twin Drive-In in Tulsa
Billie Letts in Tulsa
Contact:
Billie Letts may be a best-selling author, but she still considers herself to be the schoolteacher and family matriarch she's always been. Her first novel, Where the Heart Is, began as a short story, grew into an Oprah Book Club selection, and blossomed into a film starring Natalie Portman and Ashley Judd. Two published novels later, and more on the way, Billie Letts continues her legacy of superior storytelling.
Dayna Dunbar in Yukon
Contact:
www.daynadunbar.com
Acclaimed and award-winning author Dayna Dunbar takes Discover Oklahoma's Shel Wagner on a tour of Yukon. The two explore the sites featured in Saints and Sinners of Okay County with a renewed vision of the different time and places that give shape to Dunbar's first novel.
Jacque's Family Hair Styling
302 Elm Ave. #A
405-354-5886
Poquito de Mexico
422 E. Main
405-354-9902
Granny Had One in Guthrie
Contact: Mary Coffin, owner 405-282-4482
www.grannyhadone.biz
This Guthrie eatery may have one of the most intriguing names you've ever heard, but it also has some of the best Made in Oklahoma home-cooking around. Located in an 1891 Victorian-esque brick building, Granny Had One offers a look at Oklahoma history with a few touches of personal flair, from the murals covering the walls, to the menus.
Open Thursday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Catering and event center available anytime.
111 W. Harrison
Guthrie, OK 73044
Lynn Riggs Memorial in Claremore
Contact: 918-342-1127
www.members.cox.net/lynn.riggs
His 1929 play Green Grow the Lilacs was adapted by legendary collaborators Richard Rogers and Oscar Hammerstein II into the famed musical Oklahoma! Though Lynn Riggs passed away in 1954, his vision of the state has endured and cultivated in the Lynn Riggs Memorial. Filled with memorabilia and a statue of the writer, the Lynn Riggs Memorial is a fitting tribute to the man who was one of the first to give Oklahoma an identity.
Open Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and groups by appointment.
121 Weenonah
Claremore, OK 74017-7302
Star Spangled Salute at Tinker Air Force Base
Contact: Eastern Oklahoma County Tourism Council
www.starspangledsalute.com
High flying aerobatics, live entertainment by Tops in Blue, walk-through tours, and even an autograph signing by Miss America 2007 Lauren Nelson, promise to make the 11th Annual Star Spangled Salute another day of fantastic family fun. Be sure to stick around for the crowd favorite and headlining event, Tora Tora Tora, a pyrotechnic reenactment of Pearl Harbor.
May 24th, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.
The 'Real' Sallisaw
Contact: Judy Martins, Sallisaw Chamber of Commerce 918-775-2558
www.sallisawchamber.com
Nearly 70 years after its portrayal in John Steinbeck's classic The Grapes of Wrath, the city of Sallisaw is eager to shed its Dust Bowl image. No longer the desolate victim of the Great Depression, Sallisaw has turned into a thriving community with lush green landscapes and potential summer weekend activities.
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Send us your story ideas!
Contact: Shel Wagner - Producer
DiscoverOklahoma@TravelOK.com
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Integris
Health's Discover Oklahoma is shown Saturdays at 6:30 pm
on KOTV-6 in Tulsa, KWTV-9 in Oklahoma City, and KSWO-7 in Lawton.
Also check local listings for show times on these cable outlets:
Cox Communications in OKC, Tulsa, Muskogee, and McAlester, CUTV
in Lawton, KWEM-TV in Stillwater, Edmond Cable, Fort Sill in
Lawton, WIRE-TV in Norman, KOMI-TV in Woodward, CMS in Ponca
City. |
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Copies of Discover
Oklahoma stories are available for $27.00, including tax & shipping by calling,
toll free, 1-877-423-8233 . |
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Send us your story ideas!
Contact: Shel Wagner
DiscoverOklahoma@TravelOK.com
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