Where the waving wheat....
Trip Start
Nov 03, 2004
1
62
165
Trip End
Nov 23, 2006
Oklahoma City,
Oklahoma,
United States
Tuesday, October 4, 2005
Oklahoma" ... actually, we've driven clear across the state and what
we've seen is more oil derricks than Texas, cotton and peanuts. In
fact, most of the advertising on commercial radio has been for peanut
grubbing blades, cotton defoliant and salvation.
Oklahoma City is host to the National Cowboy and Western Heritage
Museum. We thought this would be good for a laugh. You know, the
Stetson room, how many ways can you tie a lasso, famous neckerchiefs
through history, Dolly Parton warbling in the background
Cotton
. Wow. Whatan amazing facility. To begin with, this is a world class art
museum - western art, yes, but serious art nonetheless. Additionally
there are beautifully curated, informative displays of the daily life
of the west, the role of women, the military, the myth and mystery of
the iconic Colt and Winchester, modern traditions. They didn't shy
away from the shameful, forcible removal of Native Americans from
their homelands to reservations in the west - the Trail of Tears.
They had respectful exhibits of Native American life and culture (as
well as art in the museum). The Western was paid homage but as an
entertainment genre, definitely not a reflection of fact. If you're
ever in the area, it's worth a visit, if only for the gallery - it's
free on Wednesdays.
That evening we celebrated our "10th anniversary". Since we won't be
going to New Orleans we went to Bourbon Street Café on the Oklahoma
City canal for a shot at Creole cuisine. David had crawfish which it
turns out are not lobster but a sort of fluffy prawn
Its windy on the plains
. I hadblackened tilapia (a river fish) in caramelised rum coconut sauce.
We shared a bottle of fine Californian chardonnay and alligator bites
(exactly like old fashioned fish-and-chip-shop "shark" but a bit
chewier). Beats hell out of take-out in the motel
room.
Oklahoma City presented such navigational challenges that I was
thrilled to hit the road for Muskogee the following day on our way to
Fayetteville. Muskogee was on our route for the Five Civilized
Tribes Museum (not very informative but a brilliant exhibition of the
works of self-taught Native American painter, Jerome Tiger) and the
Cherokee Heritage Centre (with dignified, understated diary excerpts
and survivors' recollection telling of the Trail of Tears). We also
visited 3500 Batfish Road to tour the USS Batfish, a decommissioned
WWII submarine - go on, look up the map.
