Bison and Bald Eagles in Pawhuska, Oklahoma

In my travels I’ve run across many interesting western towns….

            Down The Road with the Original Buffalo Dale

Welcome back. This week I’d like to talk about an area I often visit. It’s just a short drive from Bartlesville and offers many options for entertainment that appeal to all ages. Like to fish? Well the city lake is stocked with over 11,000 pounds of trout each year. For bird watchers, America’s national bird, the Bald Eagle, also calls this lake home. If driving across thousands of acres of pristine prairie looking at buffalo in the wild is exciting to you then the 40,000 acre Tallgrass Prairie Preserve lies right outside of town.

And speaking of town, if history is your thing this place is filled with it. Of course you know by now that I’m talking about Pawhuska, Oklahoma which is also the headquarters of the Osage Nation. Their tribal museum and historical buildings are worth the drive alone. In downtown Pawhuska the old west comes to life with over 70 buildings that were constructed between 1872 and 1930. The renowned Constantine Theater, bronze artworks and unusual cafes and gift shops draw visitors to Main Street.

If you fall in love with the area, local realtor Brenda Pierce tells me that housing costs in Pawhuska are very reasonable and she even has a listing for what every golfer wants for Christmas: his or her own golf course. Founded in 1919, the Buffalo Hills Golf course, like most everything else here, has a great history but that’s another story for another day.

This week I  also want to bring up the volunteer work that Joe Sears has taken on in our community. You may not have noticed but Mr. Sears, in his Broadway stage persona Aunt Pearl, has been popping up at many local fundraisers and other community events. His recent appearance as Aunt Pearl at the Annual Chamber of Commerce dinner in Ramona doubled attendance. At Christmas time he organized the first cookie exchange Benefit for the Lighthouse in Bartlesville and it was a huge success. With the professional success Joe has achieved he could live anywhere but he chooses to be in Bartlesville which is pretty cool.

Here’s this week scoop: if you want to meet Joe or better yet bring all your friends to meet him and get a picture, he will be a guest judge for Family Crisis  & Counseling Center’s 3rd annual “Kick Up Her Heels” fundraiser on April 16th. April is Sexual Assault Awareness month and the organizers of this event came up with the cute idea of having men wear women’s shoes and parade through downtown Bartlesville. It’s a great idea and this year City Manager Ed Gordon, Woolaroc CEO Bob Frasier and one of Bartlesville’s big supporters, Rand Berney will all be participating along with many others. It will all be happening in front of Two Sisters Pub and you don’t want to miss it.

I’ve also heard that the planning is in full swing for Elder Care’s The Good, The Bad and The Barbeque which will be held at the historic Mullendore Ranch on May 11th. The committee is working to make this year as special as always so mark your calendars.

Before you know it June1st will be here and SUNFEST will be setting up in Sooner Park. I understand that their committee has been working hard to get ready and we should all be very grateful to the new members who have stepped up to take on this big project.

This week I’d also like to thank you readers for your comments and also for your support of the Bartlesville Examiner Enterprise. Times have changed a lot but as Will Rogers said “All I know is what I read in the newspaper.”

Till next week I’ll see ya down the road…………..

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