Travel to Oklahoma – Episode 295
categories: USA TravelThe Amateur Traveler talks to Robert Reid from Lonely Planet about his home state of Oklahoma.
Robert recommends when you are driving through Oklahoma on your great American road trip you get off the interstate and explore for a few days. From the hills and woods of Eastern Oklahoma to the tall grass prairies, to the oldest mountains in the United States (The Wichita Mountains).
Oklahoma has more variety than you might have guessed from the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical of the same name. Even the shape of the state holds clues to its unusual history. It is a state shaped by treaties made and broken with the Native Americans and by slavery and the Compromise of 1850.
Its people are influenced by its history, its oil, its tornadoes, and of course its football. Ever a storyteller, Robert talks about African American towns, football upsets, buffalo, songwriters, authors, cowboy poets, onion burgers and Route 66.
right click here to download (mp3)
right click here to download (iTunes version with pictures)
Show Notes
Reid On Travel
Robert Reid’s top 22 Oklahoma experiences
76 Second Travel Show
Oklahoma Territory
Route 66
Cyrus Avery – father of Route 66
Rock Cafe in Stroud
Will Rogers
Will Roger’s Memorial Museum in Claremore
Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath
Woody Guthrie
Indian Territory
Choctaw Nation
Osage Nation
Osage County
Woolaroc
Hominy Indians football team
Boley, Oklahoma
Cherokee Nation
Compromise of 1850 – why Oklahoma has a panhandle
Black Mesa State Park & Nature Preserve
True Grit
Oklahoma in the Civil War
Frank Lloyd Wright
Medicine Park, Oklahoma
1000 Places To See Before You Die
Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum
Oklahoma City
Jake’s Rib in Chickasha
Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve
The Outsiders
News
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Community
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Podcamp Boston 6
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7 Responses to “Travel to Oklahoma – Episode 295”
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Tags: audio travel podcast, oklahoma, podcast, robert reid
Lisa Spears
Says:September 7th, 2011 at 2:29 pm
Loved this episode! The enthusiasm of the host made me want to road trip to Oklahoma from Los Angeles. “Best Shape Ever!” Thank you both for a great show.
David Elwood
Says:September 9th, 2011 at 5:54 pm
Thanks for this one Chris. My father’s family is from this area and it was a real treat hearing the passion in your guest’s voice as he spoke of the people and the state. I really felt closer to my own heritage as he told of traveling the plains and mountains of Oklahoma, and mentioned the towns where my relatives still live. This was a great episode and a great guest. Keep them coming.
Rae
Says:August 14th, 2012 at 8:51 pm
Thank you Chris for featuring Oklahoma. Mr. Reid did an excellent job of highlighting my home state and indeed many of the areas he discussed are places I have never explored but hope to someday.
If in the OKC area, I would like to suggest adding the Science Museum Oklahoma and the OKC Zoo to the list. These are essentially next door to each other and in the vicinity of the National Softball Hall of Fame, Remington Park, and Oklahoma State Firefighters Museum.
If anyone will be around in September, there is an annual event in OKC called September Fest. The Oklahoma History Museum, the Harn Homestead and the Governor’s Mansion are available to the public for free. There are also other events going on outside of the buildings.
If anyone fancies the Czech pastry known as the kolache, the Czech Festival is Yukon, OK in October and the Kolache Festival in Prague, OK in May. For the other times of the year, there is a little bakery called Kolache Kitchen in north OKC.
The Chickasaw tribe recently opened the Chickasaw Cultural Center in Sulfur, OK. I have not yet had the chance to go but everyone that I have talked to who has gone has said that it is fabulous.
We also have a theme park called Frontier City and a water park called White Water Bay.
Most of these are probably not reasons to go to Oklahoma but something to think about if someone is already in the OKC area. There are a ton more things to do which are listed here: http://www.travelok.com/
chris2x
Says:August 15th, 2012 at 8:38 am
Thanks Rae!
Jeff | Planet Bell
Says:March 7th, 2013 at 9:16 am
I am an Oklahoma native and like Mr. Reed, I’ve lived away for about 13 years and have traveled the world in that time. I can totally relate to his perspective.
I now have some new places I’ll have to visit when I return to visit family. Thanks for the great podcast.
Oklahoma has a new brand. I have a different idea. - reidontravel
Says:February 20th, 2020 at 10:02 am
[…] I’ve long held a sort of private dream to return from covering the world to Oklahoma, and help my old home state get on a bigger map. In fact, during the past quarter century, many of my favorite projects were already about Oklahoma. My story on the Oklahoma Panhandle with my Uncle David stands out as one of my all-time favorite trips. I found my “spirit animal” while trying to follow the unfabled Little River in the state’s southeast. And I had as much fun as I’ve had in any of many interviews while talking up Oklahoma for Chris Christensen’s superb Amateur Traveler podcast. […]
Casa Tundra
Says:May 22nd, 2024 at 6:58 am
Traveling to Oklahoma offers a rich blend of cultural experiences, natural beauty, and historical attractions. Visitors can explore vibrant cities like Oklahoma City, home to the bustling Bricktown district and the poignant Oklahoma City National Memorial. Tulsa offers Art Deco architecture and the renowned Philbrook Museum of Art. Nature enthusiasts can enjoy the diverse landscapes, from the rolling hills of the Tallgrass Prairie to the stunning rock formations of the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge. Oklahoma’s deep Native American heritage, celebrated in museums and cultural centers, adds a unique dimension to any visit, making the state a compelling destination for travelers.