Gutrhie is a Dream Town (Oklahoma City, Tulsa: credit, real estate, tornadoes)

[jessaka]

Grand Lake outside of Hulbert is just beautiful. Then the land begins to remind of swampland, with water up to the leaf level of the trees on both sides of the highway. We drove into Wagner. The town has a many beautiful historic homes, and then a nice historic downtown. After leaving 51, we finally arrived west of Tulsa on 33. Rolling hills, ranches, wildflowers, trees, and a few oil wells. Drumright has a historic downtown too and was pretty but it didn’t seem to have nice shopping. The downtown was hilly, and the area had cattle and dark yellow flowers along side of the highway and in the fields. Next was Cushing with their Wal-Mart, and blocks and blocks of newer section of downtown, which I have always said is the uglification of America. But the told was hilly, and continues to be so until we reach the 32-mile mark to Guthrie. Red cedar trees cropped up, which are one tree that I feel should be cut down for firewood. Cedar chests would even be okay, but they ruin the landscape to me. Then the land began to flatten out some, but there were rolling hills near Langston, Ok.

When we reached Guthrie we came into more rolling hills, and the highway entrance showed more new development but done a lot nicer than that of many newly developed areas. Then we historic homes came into view, and they were so beautiful. I admired the clean yards and nice landscaping as well. I was ready to move to Guthrie when I saw their downtown. It was far more beautiful than Van Buren, Arkansas, and so much more inviting. I felt rather let down that I had moved to Tahlequah before seeing this place. I changed my mind later on, which I thought over some things, all it sour grapes. Now if they had had a town square with shopping around it I would have been in the highest heaven, but I still felt that this place was heavenly and a dream town at that. I keep asking why other towns had not kept their historic district in good condition? Every building in town seemed like a piece of artwork. I took many photos, but I don’t believe that they will do it justice. And it seems that the town was four to 8 blocks long and one block each way—all historic.

There was plenty of shopping in Guthrie, and I know longer found myself missing Julian, CA, which is also a small historic tourist town in Southern California. The antique shops here had wonderful items, and the gift stores were also a delight. While most of the restaurants listed in the phone book were common ones, they had a wonderful Victorian Tea House and then a new restaurant in the old train depot called Café Brian. And that is where we ate. The menu had so many items on it that I wanted to try, but I settled for a Greek Salad to be split with my sister, and then we ate a butterscotch truffle that was really delicious, and next I had to buy a slice of their Italian Crème cake.

We shopped some more. The woman who ran the only dress shop in town was a delight to talk with, which made our shopping there fun. Then she said that tornadoes went right through Guthrie, but that everyone had tornado shelters. The tornado shelters were comforting.

Then we left Guthrie and headed for Oklahoma City. As we were driving into the city, I realized that I could never live in Guthrie and have to drive to the VA in OKC. I guess I have just come to hate cities. So that is the biggest reason not to move there. I also liked the terrain better in East Oklahoma, but still it was beautiful enough for me. They had a lot of trees, and rolling hills, but the trees seemed different in some way, not like the forest of East Oklahoma.

My niece wanted to see Stockyard City, so we drove though it, and if you are a farmer or rancher is it pretty nice, or if you wish to eat at a steak house, I understand that it was good. Other than that there were just a few blocks, with a veterinarian hospital and a large western wear store, Mexican bakery, and a few other stores.

So not staying there to even look at any of the stores we went to Bricktown, which is the remodeled warehouse district. They also put in a canal and have boat rides. We had hoped for shopping but it was all bars and restaurants, which would be fine for nightlife, but not much more. Maybe some day they will put in shopping.

And then we came home on I-40 and stopped east of Prague at the Grape Ranch winery. If anyone goes there they must try their Frozen Country Rose wine. We bought some wine glasses because they were so different in that the logo was of a steer with grapes for the rest of his head.

It was a 3-hour trip to Guthrie, and how much I wish it were only an hour away or that in place of OKC they had Muskogee. Or that it had been built in East Oklahoma. Guthrie, we were told only had a population of 10,000 but it seem so much bigger to me, but maybe because they had a large downtown. But, oh well, I like Tahlequah too.

I will do my best to finish up my roll of film here in Tahlequah and get some photos on the net.

May Guthrie always stay the same and not become a city with all of those ugly buildings. But then again, how would I know, maybe they have none that in another part of town already, and that would be okay too, in some ways, because they have left the best.

[Jammie]

Jessaka, I still think you missed your calling and should be a writer. It was so descriptive (Once again) that I felt I was there. It sounds like you had a very nice trip with your family who's visiting there. What do they think of OK?

[StillwaterTownie]

Yes, I'm not surprised you admired Guthrie so much. I find it difficult to find much fault with that charming town.

It's nice of you not to be real down on Drumright and Cushing. To me, their downtowns are rather run down to a heart breaking extent with too many empty stores. You won't see much of downtown Cushing by staying on Highway 33.

[happytown]

qoute- "So not staying there to even look at any of the stores we went to Bricktown, which is the remodeled warehouse district. They also put in a canal and have boat rides. We had hoped for shopping but it was all bars and restaurants, which would be fine for nightlife, but not much more. Maybe some day they will put in shopping. "


The shopping in Bricktown can be limited, but its 100 yr old warehouses with sooo much sq. ft can only be used for big restaurants and clubs right now. Shopping is expected to explode once a 200 million private development is completed next to the ballpark. The development calls for more condos situated above retailers who will have SMALLER spaces and a Bricktown grocery store(Grocery store in the Brick=urban). More shopping is a short walking distance since Bricktown and Downtown are basically combined. A short stay in a major league city never does justice. OKC Downtown and entire area is going under a major renaissance, so its very confusing. Urban development is everywhere for condos and downtown living. Which has to be established for more shopping. Give it 5 years. Bricktown has only been under development for about 12 years! Next time take a second to look at the memorial and all the developments- but NOT in your car.

Here is a CURRENT list of shopping in DT/BT if you ever attempt to venture back-

Painted Door
OK Native Art and Jewelry
Casady and Company
Oklahoma Import Grocery
Bass Pro
Exchange Emporium
Fire Fly
Laughing Fish
LIT Lifestyle Fashion
Nancy's Farha's
Teena Hicks and Company
Taylors News Stand- Bookstore
Embellishments
Stow's Furniture
Eden Salon and Spa( 2 others)
OKC Florist
Harolds
B.C. Clark's- Oldest, Finest retailer in the state.
Claybourne's Haberdashery (for men)- new

Stokyard City-(maybe you went on a bad day or were confused) or just dont like western apparel.

Dining and Entertainment
Cattlemen's Steakhouse (405) 236-0416
Grant's Rodeo Opry (405) 297-9773
Panaderia La Herradura (405) 232-3502
Stockyards City Cafe (405) 604-3308
Taqueria Los Comales (405) 272-4739

Western Apparel and Services-

Bentley-Gafford Supply (405) 232-2641
Stockyards Mercantile (405) 236-8860
Lorec Ranch Furniture (405) 488-1165
Jack J. Wells Western Artist (405) 789-3920
Gellco Clothing and Shoes (405) 232-4445
Langston's Western Wear (405) 235-9536
McClintock Heritage Collections (405) 232-0151
Mike's Custom Saddle Shop
National Saddlery (405) 239-2104
Shorty's Caboy Hattery (405) 232-4287
Stemwinder Custom Hats (405) 231-4287
Western Wear Outlet (405) 232-5018
Dreamcatcher Designs
Abalache Book & Antique Shop (405) 235-3288

Miscellaneous-

Cattlemen's Liquor (405) 232-8640
Delco Diesel Services
DeShields Truck Service (405) 235-3573
Exchange Pharmacy (405) 235-4242
Industry Car Wash
Members Trust Federal Credit Union
Save-A-Stop Convenient Store
Silver King Chutes and Fireplaces
Swaim Serum Company (Veterinarian) (405) 236-8581
Twin C Convenient Store
UMB Bank (405) 239-5977
Wright Public Library (405) 235-5035

Professional Organizations

Corn Medical Clinic (405) 235-3933
International Professional Rodeo Association (405) 235-4958
Oklahoma Beef Council
Oklahoma National Stockyards (405) 235-8675
Stockyards City Main Street (405) 23

[Guthrie Kid]

Jessaka, I about missed your post!
Glad to hear you had a good time in Guthrie, yes there is a new part and yes the population is somewhat misleading because the city limits has not expanded with the new growth.

Regardless you wrote a fine report, I was holding my breath thinking you all might be dissapointed! LOL!

[jessaka]

Thank you all for your comments, and Jammie thanks for what you said about my writing. I wish I were only better.

Guthrie Kid, you were holding your breath. LOL. I can be a critic when it comes to towns and cities. LOL. I want some perfection, but at the same time I like the older run down buildings in some areas as they remind me of my childhood in the fifties. I would rather have them than the newer ugly ones, and Tahlequah has its share of that old run down and the ugly new. I often look at the over all picture, and that is why I like Tahlequah. The rest of Guthrie wouldn't bother me since the downtown is so wonderful.

I had a friend that felt like I do, and she had an imaginary zap gun in which she would zap buildings but never the older historic ones. I feel the same way.

I lived in Del Mar, CA for a while, and it was a very expensive town that was picture perfect, and I hated it. We lived in the trailer park at the time, and I am sure the town hated the park. I did too but I hated the town. Whenever I told people that I lived in Del Mar they would think I was wealthy. All BMW and Mercedes there. So I don't like perfection either. The style of buildings there reminded me more of English tutors.

Guthrie was "perfect" like I liked--old and rustic. They even left some of the older buildings nearby, and so I took a photo of one of them. I could have spent more time there taking photos. Maybe someday my husband and I will go spent the night and I can do that.

One of my friends said that Jackson, Oregon, being historic, is now too expensive to shop in much less buy a home. I imagine that Guthrie is becoming expensive too. I have not looked at real estate there.

[jessaka]

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