shejustlaughed

I had read many good things about Suede in local alternative weekly magazines so one night I decided to go and check it out for myself. I found it to be EXTREMELY over-rated, overpriced and unattractive. They brag about being swank but I personally found the decor hideous.

This memorial is beautifully designed and peaceful. The only thing I dislike about it is some of the crowd that comes through that are very disprespectful and exhibit tacky “tourist-y” behavior in a place that should be quet and serene, not over run with people being loud mouths and forgetting why it is there. If you haven’t lost a loved one in the tragedy or been very affected by it I don’t suggest traveling very far to visit, but if you are in the city and feel curious it is worth a quick look. One of the best designed and well thought out memorials I have seen in this region.

There isn’t a whole lot to do in Bartlesville, but if you are a fan of Frank Lloyd Wright or Mid-Century Modern architecture and design then I suggest you visit for a day or two to visit Frank Lloyd Wright’s Price Tower and Inn at Price Tower. The Price Tower is beautiful, the museum is nice, and the Inn at Price Tower as well as the Copper Resturaunt + Bar are very impressive. The guest rooms are high class and high style, something you might not expect in Bartlesville but that isn’t a shock because you are in an FLW building after all. This is one of his greatest masterpieces, and it cannot be missed.

I lived in Okmulgee and attended Okmulgee high 1/2 of my freshman year of High School, and I also spent many summers there as a child. The city has it’s charming points; an adorable downtown square with the Creek Nation Museum as the center, the amazing Orpheum Theater, and some really cool architecture. It also has many negative points. A huge heavy-drug culture (lot’s of meth and heroin) and lots of prostitution. Way more than there should be in such a small city. It has potential… but it’s not there yet. My advice is: don’t bother unless you come for a day trip or are visiting family.

Denton can be a good, affordable weekend getaway. It’s a beautiful little city (although the streets are hard to navigate if you’re from out of town) and there are several good shows and a decent music scene. I suggest hitting up Luigi’s for pizza or lasagna and then going to Hailey’s for a show.

Good beer and excellent traditional Irish grub, but don’t bring more than a few people. They are notorious for poorly accomadating crowds larger than 3-4 people, even if you are sure to call ahead.

Then you should make a trip to Woodward Park if you’re in the Tulsa area. It’s a large, beautifully landscaped park in one of the nicest and most eclectic areas of town. There’s plenty of room for games of frisbee and many nice, flat areas (some covered) for setting up a picnic or an afternoon gathering with friends. I advise against going on weekends during the month of May because of all of the senior photos, prom photos, and wedding photos being taken in Woodward Park around that time. During the first few weeks of summer it gets a little chaotic and the park turns into a sea of bad tuxedos, frantic brides in white, and ugly prom dresses. Any other time of the year and you should be good.

I also suggest checking out Philbrook Museum, which is located right off of the park grounds.

McNellies is easily one of the best pubs in Tulsa. An EXCELLENT beer menu, fantastic food including sweet potato fries, pita chips with artichoke spinach dip, and $3.00 hamburgers (fries included) on Wednesday nights. I have never had any problems with any of the servers or bartenders, and although McNellies could be considered a larger pub by some people’s standards it has always felt very cozy and intimate to myself and my friends.

The city as a whole is beautiful. I’ve been dozens of times, with trips starting when I was a child. You might find Silver Dollar City to be a little over-rated, depending on what you expect, but I think over all it is pretty nice and entertaining for an amusement park, although the prices can be a little steep if you don’t get a discount of some sort. Several of the music and comedy shows around Branson are fun if you can get a good dinner package. I prefer to drive into the mountains and drink wine while looking over the green, beautiful hills but there is plenty to do should playing tourist be your thing.

I suggest this bar to anyone who likes laid back bars with a good crowd and awesome music. The layout is nice, the bartender’s seem friendly enough, and they serve Ace Pear. They are also known to show a lot of Animal Planet on the tv’s above the bar, which can make for interesting bar conversation. Also, the guys from My Morning Jacket like to hang out there, so it can’t be all that bad!