#Gates50States

Oklahoma was the second stop on our spring break of 2023 road trip, and we set up shop in Oklahoma City, having driven from Bel Air, Kansas.

We took advantage of a very fun way to stretch our legs after the drive in and learn some Oklahoma history by visiting Centennial Land Run Monument in Bricktown right past Bass Pro Shops parking lot. The sculptures are very cool and the story of the runners and Sooners was very neat. I recall as a kid seeing it portrayed in Far and Away, but years had passed since I’d been reminded of the story.

To make a long story short, land was taken from the natives, and made available to anyone who would claim it and live upon it for five years. For many who were seeking opportunity, this was their chance. Of course there were the Sooners, for whom the state is nicknamed, and that was a whole-nother topic of education for these out-of-towners.

For an authentically western experience generally, and a very Oklahoma experience specifically, we visited the Oklahoma National Stockyards cattle auction. What an eye-opener for these Midwestern suburbanites.

Make sure to check the National Stock Yards Facebook page on Sunday night for Monday morning auction time- most cattle go thru in lots on Monday while Tuesday is more about individual or small lot stragglers beginning at 8am. We learned more than 6,000 cattle were auctioned the day before our visit! But we still enjoyed our Tuesday morning experience listening to the auctioneer, watching the ranchers and bidders, and seeing the cattle move through the auction room.

Get there early or plan to stay through the whole event so you can ask questions of the ranchers regarding what they’re looking for when purchasing.

Having witnessed the auction, and having already participated in a legitimate Nebraska cattle drive (and Lincoln and I attended branding at the Furman ranch in 2021), we decided to partake in the end stage of this whole process and enjoy a dinner at a famous steakhouse, Cattleman’s, just down the road from the stockyards. On the advice of a friend and native Oklahoman, I ordered the T-bone with house dressing on the salad. (He was spot on.) We also got adventurous and started with the Lamb Fries (testicles!). The Gateses know how to immerse themselves in the local foodie culture!

John Wayne founded the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. We can’t visit too many Museum as before the kids start to deteriorate, but this was worth the stop. I had recently read the Remington chapter in McCullough’s Brave Companions, and so many of Frederic Remington’s sculptures and paintings were on display that it really made him come to life for me.

We learned so much of what cowboys really meant to American history and our agricultural economy, as well as how westerns and cowboys really made Hollywood over the years. This was a very well-done museum, in a similar spirit with New Orleans’ WWII museum with very well-made interpretive displays and wonderful collections of memorabilia.

On our way out of Oklahoma City, we really wanted to visit Pops 66, but the were closed all day on Tuesday… the day after their normal day of closure… for maintenance. Bummer! It looks very cool, and we were sorry we’d missed out.

So we drove a bit further on Route 66 to a place just off the beaten path called Farmstead Cafe at 116 Main St in Luther, and wow, are we glad we did! If you park on the street just down the road from it, you’ll see two beautiful murals on the building. The menu was absolutely fantastic, with fresh ingredients and a creative options, including gluten free options. The fountain drink selections were unique and very tasty.

Some other Oklahoma items we enjoyed included shopping for western wear on Exchange Street, and grabbing a lunch at Braum’s, which was validated by my OK friend.

We didn’t have a bunch of time to spend in Oklahoma, but we got an eyeful and brain full during our time there, and left with an appreciation for its founding and history.