Case's Vacation Journal: T-Town Was Just Great

Okay, so I'm a wee bit late for this writing, but it doesn't help when the hotel computer is on the fritz. Technically, my vacation is still in effect through Monday, so I've got more goofing off to do. I'm home now, but I wish I were still where I just was.

So, this time, my road trip was in beautiful Tulsa, Oklahoma. It was just time to get back to Green Country and take in the great sights of the area and have some wonderful food. And the food portion included a couple of never-before-visited places which are Tulsa institutions, and so, I owed it to myself to partake in these diversions. I officially became the latest customer to consume a legendary Nelson's Buffeteria chicken-fried steak. I'll do the food review when I can get some time, but you should try it if you've never been there. And if you're a Tulsa resident who's never been to Nelson's (perhaps, one of the few), well, you're just plain missing out.

Oh, and that other place I haven't previously visited was Ron's Hamburgers & Chili, another Tulsa icon. I'll share more about that later.

Also, I took some leisure along the beautiful Riverside Drive, situated along the east bank of the Arkansas River. They have several parks and walking trails in that long stretch, and it appears city planners did a fabulous job with it. That's some mighty good planning. Lest we not forget, you've also got a friend in the old Route 66, which still has several throwbacks to a bygone era that remain in existence today (Its old route through Tulsa is along Southwest Boulevard and East 11th Avenue). One of the funny quirks that I spotted was a place that, at one time, had been a diner which served ice cream. The ice-cream cone replica remains atop the business sign, but the place is now an auto remarketer. Doesn't still look like a place that scoops up ice cream. Oops!

Aside from the many attractions (the Gilcrease Museum is worth a stop) in Tulsa and nearby Claremore, I managed to soak in as much real estate as I could. The topography in that metro area is absolutely incredible, as the city is definitely not flat. Take a drive westward along U.S. Highway 412 from Sand Springs to near the Cimarron Turnpike gate, and you'll see some breathtaking views of the awesome Keystone Lake. And if you don't like road trips, well, you just don't like descending hills and lakefront viewing from your favorite car on a sunny day. Oh, those views downward are better eastbound than west because it looks like you're dropping from a large mountain. Quite a sight.

As an infrastructure guru, I also need to give you an update on the Interstate 44 reconstruction through Tulsa. Oklahoma transportation officials and construction workers have done a magnificent job of widening the freeway between the Arkansas River and U.S. 169, and the final phase is underway for the new interchange and mainlanes at Lewis Avenue. It should all be finished by next year. Well-done, guys!

Here are some links for you: Ron's Hamburgers & Chili

The Gilcrease Museum

http://www.keystoneok.com/

About Nelson's, they currently do not have a website.

If only I could have a job where all I'd do is take road trips. I need to be an author. So many places to go see (and see again), and, yet, so little time.