Tickets available Friday, May 29 for
WinStar World Casino and Resort
Tickets available Friday, May 29 for
Tickets available Monday, June 1 for
If you are looking for a knowledgeable staff that provides complete knowledge of each and every bike and bike part, an expansive inventory of all things cycling and excellent customer service, a visit to Charley’s should be your next stop on the trail. With one of the more expansive selection of bikes and bike parts in Oklahoma City, Charley’s offers a complete cycling experience, friendly staff and a community of riders who welcome newcomers with open arms.
One thing we love about Oklahoma is its location, surrounded by great states that offer fun day-trips, weekend getaways and long, extended vacations. You don’t have to travel far from home to enjoy quality time with your friends and family. Cross over the state line to visit our neighbors: Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas, Texas, Colorado and New Mexico. Travel a tad bit farther for the excitement that awaits in Arizona and Louisiana. In each of these states, there’s something to do for every type of traveler.
Slide Rock State Park
Sedona, Ariz. Slide Rock’s slippery creek bottom offers its guests a natural waterslide. Glide across a smooth, red-sandstone surface and careen over the edge down into the swimming hole below.
Big Bend National Park
Texas Here, more than 150 miles of trails welcome outdoor enthusiasts to explore its 1,100-square-mile, 800,000-acre wilderness. River, desert and mountain habitats make up Big Bend’s landscape, and hiking, bicycling, water adventures through the park’s five river canyons and horseback tours that range from short, hour-long trips to multi-day camping excursions are available.
Hueco Tanks State Park & Historic Site
El Paso, Texas Hueco Tanks’ rocks entice climbers, hikers and explorers from all over the country. Whether hanging from its sheer rock faces or hiking over its bulging boulders, Heuco Tanks is a great destination for outdoor fun. Because it’s such a unique environment, only 70 guests are allowed in its self-guided area at one time, and guests are required to watch a 15-minute orientation video before treking out alone.
Open Space & Mountain Parks
Boulder, Colo. This mountainous terrain is home to more than 50 miles of bike trails, welcoming its visitors’ wheels and gears for exercise and exploration. With more than 145 miles of hiking trails, escaping into silence, solitude and beautiful scenery is easy. Waters teeming with bass, bluegill and trout provide fun catches, and boulders and sheer rock walls offer exciting climbs that provide challenges for any skill level.
Beaver Lake
Rogers, Ark. This 28,370-acre lake offers boating, skiing, fishing, swimming and camping. With more than 2,000 acres of campgrounds, Beaver Lake offers more than 650 individual campsites along its shores. Facilities include picnic sites, swimming beaches, hiking trails, boat launching ramps and amphitheaters. Get lost in adventure on the waters and shorelines of this beautiful destination.
Museums and Galleries
Santa Fe, N.M. Named a Top Ten International City for Art by Reuters in 2012, this quaint mountain town is a go-to destination for art and education. Uncover its rich history and art by exploring the New Mexico Museum of Art, Georgia O’Keefe Museum and Museum of Contemporary Native Arts, along with Canyon Road, downtown Lincoln Avenue and the Railyard District.
Arkansas Art Trail
Ozark Mountains, Ark. Explore these 11 sites to unearth nature, art and culture unique to Arkansas. Daylong, driving adventures take visitors across Arkansas’ scenic landscape to must-see destinations: Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville Square, War Eagle Mill, Harrison Square and more. With the ability to hit all 11 sites in three days, this one-of-a-kind way to experience Arkansas can be accomplished on a short trip to the Ozarks.
Tlaquepaque Arts and Crafts Village
Sedona, Ariz. Designed with a traditional Mexican village in mind, Tlaquepaque sits on the banks of Oak Creek. This quaint, relaxing destination is a great place to find local artisans exploring all mediums of art. Sculptures, ceramics, glass, contemporary and Southwestern fine art paintings, weavings, photography and more can be found here.
Dallas Museum of Art
Dallas, Texas Its history begins in 1903 in the Dallas Public Library where the first exhibit was held. Since, the museum has shared with its community and its visitors artists from around the world that span the last 5,000 years. 2015 marks the second year of DMA Friends, a free membership program that rolled out in partnership with the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Denver Art Museum and Minneapolis Institute of Arts.
La Vallita: Historic Arts Village
San Antonio, Texas This block of galleries and shops has been a Historic Arts Village since 1939. With art from all over the region, stroll La Vallita’s cobble stone streets and uncover oil paintings, sculptures, water-colors, metal art, rock art, textiles, copper wares, pottery, jewelry, stained glass and regional folk art.
There are many reasons to love our great state: beautiful parks, rich cultural heritage and the adventures that await around every corner. And what better time to explore the great opportunities Oklahoma offers for education and entertainment than in the care-free summer months?
American bison once grazed upon the plains of modern-day Oklahoma. Today, these majestic creatures can be spotted in a few places around the state. On the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve in northern Oklahoma, around 2,500 bison roam the land and help balance the delicate ecosystem on the largest protected area of tallgrass prairie left. More than 650 bison call the Wichita National Wildlife Refuge home in southwest Oklahoma’s Wichita Mountains. Pawnee Bill Ranch is home to a herd of bison that lives alongside other animals native to Oklahoma.
Oklahoma is steeped in musical tradition. From the strums of Woody’s guitar to the raucous performances of Red Dirt, the state’s music festival scene offers audio stimulation for all. Enjoy tributes to the Dust Bowl Troubadour at The Woody Guthrie Folk Festival (July 8-12) in Okemah. The third annual Center of the Universe Festival (July 24-25) in downtown Tulsa will bring popular rock acts to the masses and provide a platform for local acts. The Backwoods Music Festival (Sept. 4-6) in Stroud is three days of music and camping with a variety of musical acts, from country to metal to electronic music. Dusk ‘Til Dawn Blues Festival (Sept. 4-6), began by the late blues legend D.C. Minner, celebrates its 25th year of bringing legendary blues acts to festival-goers in tiny Rentiesville. Medicine Stone (Sept. 24-26) is a celebration of Red Dirt music in Tahlequah and will feature festival founder Jason Boland and his band, The Stragglers.
There are also great museums featuring Oklahoma’s history in music.
Woody Guthrie Center in Tulsa
Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame in Muskogee
American Banjo Museum in Oklahoma City
It’s a water world.Oklahoma has plenty of shoreline, despite being a land-locked state, and with more than 200 lakes, water sports are popular in the state. The Blue Hole Park, located outside of Salina, is a summer destination for those seeking to cool-off from scorching summer temps. Floating the Illinois River is also a popular water activity for families and friends during the summertime. The Water-Zoo, located in Clinton, is Oklahoma’s first indoor water park and offers a splash pad, wave pool, lazy river and plenty of water slides. For those who enjoy being on top of the water instead of in it, the Cherokee Queen offers riverboat rides on Grand Lake.
![route-66-shutterstock_179096177-[Converted]](https://b1523572.smushcdn.com/1523572/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/route-66-shutterstock_179096177-Converted.jpg?lossy=1&strip=0&webp=1)
We’re home to the longest stretch of Route 66 in the country.There’s more than 400 miles of it here. And, of course, there are lots of sights to see along the vast stretch of the Mother Road. Consider stops at Stroud’s Rock Café, POPS restaurant and fueling station in Arcadia and the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum in Clinton.
In tiny Wakita, Okla., the Twister Museum commemorates the movie released in 1996 and set in Oklahoma.
Celebrate movies in downtown Oklahoma City at this year’s deadCenter Film Festival June 10-14.
Take a self-guided tour of sites featured in August: Osage County.
More than just a college mascot, Oklahoma cowboys brought national attention to the state, and the state is constantly celebrating cowboy culture. Will Rogers Memorial Museums, located in Claremore and Oologah, commemorate Rogers and his contributions to the stage, screen and written word. The Gene Autry Oklahoma Museum pays homage to Autry, a B-Western movie star, and to the other actors who popularized the craft. The Tom Mix Museum, located in Dewey, features movie memorabilia and other artifacts that belonged to the Western star. The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, located in Oklahoma City, is full of Western art, historical relics and American Indian artifacts.
The Arcadia Round Barn was restored two decades ago and now greets visitors along Highway 66 just east of Edmond.
Ed Galloway’s Totem Pole Park is the largest example of folk art in Oklahoma. Find it on Highway 28A in Chelsea.
The Blue Whale, located along Route 66 in Catoosa, is one of the most recognizable objects to those living in northeast Oklahoma.
A 20-foot replica of Paul Bunyan watches over Bud’s Cycle Salvage & Auto on Highway 8 in Aline.
A cement mixer tank painted like a space capsule can be found on Winganon Road near Talala.
Oklahoma has played a vital role in the history of space exploration. Learn about the aerospace industry and famous astronauts from Oklahoma at three great museums.
Stafford Air & Space Museum in Weatherford
Tulsa Air & Space Museum & Planetarium
Oklahoma Aviation and Space Hall of Fame, housed in the Science Museum Oklahoma in Oklahoma City.
Visit some of the world’s oldest artifacts at these sites.
Visit one of these museums to see works from world-renowned artists.
Oklahoma’s unique topography has created caves all over the state, perfect for exploring.
Robbers Cave State Park houses an infamous cave that reportedly hid famous outlaws in sandstone hills and cliffs.
Alabaster Caverns State Park has a cave made entirely of the rare form of gypsum, the only gypsum cave in the U.S., and it’s open for tours.
Turner Falls Park is tucked away in the Arbuckle Mountains and features three caves that are open for exploration.
We’re more than just football and the Thunder.Summertime in Oklahoma belongs to baseball and soccer. Catch Minor League Baseball teams, the Oklahoma City Dodgers and the Tulsa Drillers, and root them on during home stands at their respective downtown ball fields. The Oklahoma City Energy FC are enjoying a successful season at a new stadium, while in Tulsa, the Tulsa Roughnecks FC of the United Soccer League and the Tulsa Athletics of the National Premier Soccer League light up the pitch.
Escaping hectic city life is easy with urban hiking trails.
Martin Park Nature Center provides 2.5 miles of hiking trails that meander through woods and grasslands on the west side of Oklahoma City.
Oxley Nature Center, located in north Tulsa, offers 10 hiking trails for various levels.
Turkey Mountain in south Tulsa offers both hiking and biking trails.
The state’s parks are teeming with beauty. There’s nothing better than a family retreat or long weekend away at one of the lodges in these parks. Try the Lakeview Lodge at Beavers Bend State Park, The Lodge at Sequoyah State Park or Quartz Mountain Resort, Arts & Conference Center.
This summer, mark your calendars for the McLoud Blackberry Festival July 3-4, the Porter Peach Festival July 16-18 and the Rush Springs Watermelon Festival Aug. 8., to indulge in nature’s sweetest delights.
You can still drive in to catch a flick.A few Oklahoma cities still offer the ultimate drive-in experience.
Stunning architecture can be found throughout the state.In cities large and small, architectural wonders abound. Tulsa Foundation for Architecture hosts Second Saturday tours, which meet at the Mayo Hotel and consist of an hour-long guide of Tulsa’s remarkable downtown buildings. Price Tower, in Bartlesville, is the only skyscraper designed by renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Take a guided tour of the building and take a peek into a 19th-floor executive office as well as the H.C. Price Company Corporate Apartment. Claremore’s Belvidere Mansion was built the same year that Oklahoma became a state. Victorian design runs throughout the impressive home. Built prior to statehood in Billings, the Dr. Renfrow-Miller Museum, once known as the “Castle on the Prairie,” features a metal-domed roof, a hexagon-like exterior and four rock chimneys.
There’s plenty of proof all around. Several oil derricks and pumpjacks stand around the state, including on Main Street in Barnsdall, at the Oklahoma State Capitol, at the Oklahoma Oil Museum in Seminole and one of the tallest derricks on display: The Parker Drilling Rig #114 in Elk City.
And to their histories. Discover the past and present of Oklahoma’s tribes at the many heritage centers and museums dedicated to the American Indian’s legacy.
Museums and memorials pay homage to the thousands of Oklahoma veterans that have fought and paid the ultimate price in wars both stateside and overseas. Large or small, these tributes are worth a trip.
Wake Island Veteran Memorial
During the sleepy months of summer break, Fayetteville, Ark., enjoys a break from the raucous crowds of co-eds calling the hogs. In August, those University of Arkansas students storm back into their picturesque college town, and the residents of Fayetteville celebrate the end of summer with the Fayetteville Roots Festival, three days of music, food and culture.
When Oklahoma native Brian Hembree partnered with renowned chef Jerrmy Gawthrop to begin the Fayetteville Roots Festival, which had its inaugural event in 2010, he viewed the event as a deviation from the traditional music festival.
“We definitely call it a food and music festival,” says Hembree. “Jeremy is on the forefront of the local and organic food movement [in Arkansas], and he has set the tone in Fayetteville.”
The food at the festival is rivaled only by the musical acts. Restaurants partner with farmers to bring a taste of local food to festival-goers. On Saturday, the Fayetteville Farmers Market sets up shop in the middle of the festival, allowing attendees to shop the bounty of northwest Arkansas. A chef’s competition will pit local chefs using local ingredients against one another.
The Chancellor Hotel is within walking distance of the festival and offers festival-goers a special rate. www.hotelchancellor.com
Inn at Carnall Hall is located on the University of Arkansas campus and offers a variety of well-appointed rooms. Located within a half-mile of festival activities, it’s removed from the hustle and bustle of Dickson Street. www.innatcarnallhall.com
• Swing north to the Crystal Bridges Museum in Bentonville. www.crystalbridges.org
• Head south to Devil’s Den State Park for picturesque scenery and hiking and cycling trails. www.arkansasstateparks.com
• Take a stroll through the scenic grounds of the University of Arkansas campus. www.arkansas.edu
Fayetteville Roots Festival Aug 27-30
This year’s music lineup features a who’s who of roots and folk music, including several renowned Oklahoma artists.
On Friday, Broken Arrow native JD McPherson headlines the main stage. Bearden, Okla., native John Fullbright and Tulsan John Moreland will also play to the audience. Roots musician and regular Cain’s visitor Pokey LaFarge is also scheduled to take the main stage on Friday.
Saturday’s main stage features festival headliner Punch Brothers, along with a trio of Sara Watkins, Sarah Jarosz and Aoife O’Donovan. Hembree and his wife, Bernice, who play as Smokey & The Mirror, will also take the stage for a set.
On Sunday, the legendary Watkins Family Hour, along with Fiona Apple, Don Heffington and other special guests, will wow the crowds on the final night of the main stage. Texan Jimmy LaFave and Devon Sproule are also scheduled for the Sunday slot.
Tips
A festival food court will feature local restaurants using ingredients from local farms to feed festival-goers. Gawthrop’s first restaurant, Greenhouse Grille, along with Brick House Kitchen, Ella’s Restaurant and Pure Joy Ice Cream are among those who will set up shop in the food court on Friday and Saturday of the festival.
Another aspect crucial to the mission of the Fayetteville Roots Festival is giving back. This year, the festival will partner with Feed Fayetteville and Fayetteville Public Schools to bring fresh, nutritious food to school children and those in need.
Nature was the perfect inspiration for the contemporary home Jim Roth envisioned in a forested area in northeast Oklahoma City.
[pullquote]“All the interior materials are organic; no shiny surfaces compete with nature.”[/pullquote]
Roth knew Oklahoma City’s back roads well. As a county commissioner for 10 years, he was familiar with the charm of country living. When he found the secluded nine-acre site on which his home now sits, he surveyed the rolling terrain and numerous trees that provided filtered sunlight and shade.
“I walked the ground,” he recalls. “I studied the sun to see how it would play throughout the home and at what hours of the day it would be at its brightest, or its ebb. I sited the house based on those studies. The southern side of the house was built lower to gain solar heat in the winter.”
A visionary, Roth looked beyond a cinder block house, too many cedars, two rusty pickups and three piles of industrial waste.
“Ecologically, the property was very happy,” Roth says.
He studied the plant life and wildlife and carefully preserved existing habitats. His environmental concern saved a colony of tree frogs and encouraged rabbits and deer to roam freely where they already resided. Some trees were repurposed to create furnishings and cabinetry. For every tree used, a new tree was planted.
“I wanted to minimize my footprint,” Roth says. “I wanted to put down roots, as I didn’t plan on building again.”
His goal was to build an evergreen house, in design, construction and décor.
With his focus on conservation, Roth provided architect Jay Yowell, of JY Associates, with an energy-efficient checklist for which the home was supposed to include. Roth called for sustainability, environmentally friendly materials, a LEED-certified commercial roof with a heat-reflecting rubber membrane, passive solar glass panels, insulated concrete and Styrofoam-formed walls, geothermal heating and cooling units and wells and a built-in fresh water well and waste service.
“Building a green home is a paradigm shift for most Americans,” Roth explains. “I wanted to make a long-term investment in an energy-efficient home.”
It took two years of design consultation before one spade of dirt was turned. The U-shaped home was built evenly with the horizon.
“Horizontal lines do make people feel more comfortable than vertical,” Roth notes. “Glass and metal awnings were designed to deflect the sun away from south-facing windows in summer, conserving cooling expenses. These energy-saving concepts made a big difference in comfort and efficiency.”
During his first year of residency, Roth tested the home’s efficiency and comfort. He also established a buffalo grass lawn and chose resilient plants to tolerate Oklahoma’s mercurial weather. Roth found the exterior drought tolerant and a survivor of several flash floods and droughts.
The interior features abundant glass that brings the outdoors into the living areas. The stained concrete floors are warm brown and complement the rich wood and vivid color accents in art and two jewel-tone turquoise chairs.
“All the interior materials are organic; no shiny surfaces compete with nature,” Roth says. “The matte finish is easy on the eye. What the house frames in nature is art enough for me.”
A second story adds architectural interest.
It includes a guest suite, abundant storage and an office. A favorite view is downtown’s iconic Devon Tower and the Capitol Dome. They are framed by blackjack oaks and blue skies – nature’s backdrop for Roth’s country sanctuary.
A stylish upper patio offers expansive countryside views. It overlooks the salt-water swimming pool, safer for pools than frequent chlorine infusions, Roth says. It’s also a more soothing swim for Roth and his precious Golden Retrievers, Boo and Bella Rowdy.
“Living here is peaceful and serene,” Roth says.
The Tulsa Central Library opened its doors in 1965. At the time, the war in Vietnam was escalating, the space race was in full swing, The Rolling Stones were on a world tour, the Voting Rights Act was passed and Malcolm X was assassinated.
In the summer of that year, the new, 135,000-square-foot library opened with a grand ceremony.
This month marks the Central Library’s golden anniversary. There will be celebrations throughout the month of June and into July to commemorate the date, says Gary Shaffer, Tulsa City-County Library CEO.
However, for now, its doors will remain closed due to a $50 million renovation. Central Library closed on Aug. 30, 2013, so it could endure a multi-level makeover. The anticipated grand reopening date is summer 2016. Each floor is scheduled to be completely renovated to better serve its customers.
“Libraries are no longer book warehouses; they are more about ‘people’ space,” says Shaffer. “Today’s libraries are places where children first discover the world; where people access technology of all kinds, find resources for work and education, build job skills, seek employment, start a business or nonprofit venture, search for health information, gather for meetings, socialize and learn at all stages of life.”
Once complete, the lower level will be a place to convene, says Shaffer. It will include an outdoor children’s garden, which will be used for family movie nights as well as educational programming opportunities.
The second lower level will be a place to cultivate and will include the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation Education and Ideation Center, a place where children and teens learn as well as engage.
The main floor will be a place to create, with a café with outdoor seating, a new materials marketplace, a children’s area, a media production lab and a creation station.
The second floor is a place to collaborate. It will include eight, glass-enclosed study rooms, two conference rooms, a center for library innovation, print and electronic collections and a literacy lab, says Shaffer.
The third floor is a place for content. This floor will include a health information center, a nonprofit resource center, a business and legal center, a computer lab, a one-of-a-kind Oklahoma collection, as well as reference and government documents collections, says Shaffer.
Through the years, the Central Library has served thousands of people throughout Tulsa County. It has housed an in-depth research library, a telephone reference service, periodicals and newspapers, a large print collection and several well-used meeting rooms.
When the Central Library was opened in 1965, a dedicatory plaque with a time capsule was placed on the main stairwell. As a part of the 50-year celebration scheduled for this summer, another time capsule will be placed alongside the original one; both are to be opened in 2065.
Month after month, we present a colorful kaleidoscope of the people, places and culture that make Oklahoma such a fascinating place.
© Oklahoma Magazine
