A few thoughts from my travels……………………………..
Welcome back. Traveling down the road near or far, a person finds many interesting subjects to look at, or in my case write about. Starting near in Tulsa at Oklahoma State University’s Central Campus as it is called has been a real treat for me during the past four weeks. It wasn’t that long ago that this area of downtown Tulsa was rough. Many houses had seen better days and it wasn’t an attractive area to visit but all that has changed now. Today the historical buildings are still standing, all updated and full of tenants. The Baseball Park and restaurants are full and the new Woody Guthrie Museum has become a major draw. This bustling part of town is less than an hour from Bartlesville and well worth a visit. Even closer to home is Caney, Kansas, a small town full of friendly folks with a rich history. The historical center on Main Street is a must see to get the feel of this community.
Ponca City was the next stop for me on Friday night. I’ve written about this town before and I don’t know what it is but whenever you visit the people here make you right at home. There are several outstanding museums in town including an oil baron’s mansion (The Marland Mansion) and the 101 Ranch Museum dedicated to one of the biggest and most successful ranches ever. Ponca City also offers plenty of shopping and restaurants so there is something for everyone. It’s a bit of drive but I found plenty of reasonably priced hotels and motels, some of which date from the oil boom but have been completely restored keeping the flavor of that era. If you can plan to stay two or three days in order to see everything the town has to offer.
I was also in Owasso for a book signing this past weekend and the growth this city is going through is quite remarkable. New shopping centers seem to pop up overnight and there have to be at least a dozen golf courses in the area. If you’re looking for a different place to eat, Owasso has an eatery on every corner. It all makes for an entertaining day trip so if you haven’t been there lately, check it out.
I’ll end this week where I could have started, with a quote from the new book by my friend Minisa Crumbo:
“The old people say “it’s not whether you will do it but whether you will REMEMBER to do it.’ Spirit Talk helps us to remember AND to do… in a good way.”
I was lucky enough to catch a little of Minisa’s presentation this past week when she spoke on campus at OSU Tulsa. A person who is deeply rooted in the Native American tradition, her speech was very captivating and created a special bond with the audience. The presentation was based on the ancient Medicine Wheel teachings which revolve around the cycles of the seasons. On November 6th Minisa will be giving a full presentation at Gilgrease Museum at 12PM and it’s free. Here’s a little background information about a woman I think you will be hearing a lot of:
Minisa Crumbo Halsey is the daughter of the famed American Indian artist Woody Crumbo. Woody was a close friend and advisor of Thomas Gilgrease when he was putting his art collection together. The Crumbo painting “Deer and Birds” was also the first Indian painting in the Philbrook collection.
Minisa is also the wife of the renowned music impresario Jim Halsey and both Woody and Jim are in the Oklahoma Hall of Fame. An artist and a writer in her own right, Minisa’s most recent book Spirit Talk is getting a lot of attention around the country. If you can get to Gilgrease on November 6th I guarantee you’ll come away with a new perspective on life.
As for me it’s nothing but highway so till next time, I’ll see ya down the road……
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