[SubieGuy]

Hi all, my wife and I will be moving from Tucson, AZ to Milwaukee, WI this fall and would like to see the country on our way.

What should we see on our way through OK?

Thank you all!

[StillwaterTownie]

Get off the Interstate and get on Route 66.

[eddie gein]

Unfortunately a lot of the good stuff in Oklahoma is not on your route but route 66 WAS the old route and is the most famous highway in the world.

Quite frankly, the western part of the road to OKC isn't really that great as it is basically the access road to I-40 and you can see it pretty much all the way to OKC from the interstate.

However, there are great Rt 66 museums in Elk City and Clinton. The courthouse scene from the "Grapes of Wrath" can be seen in Sayre. Roger Miller (King of the Road) and Sheb Wooley (Rawhide and the song Purple People Eaters) share a museum in Erick which is right across the Texas line. You get to interact with the crazy owners there who will entertain you as you take in the museum.

Not route 66 oriented but interesting nonetheless is the Thomas P. Stafford space museum in Weatherford. Stafford was one of America's orginial astronauts.

Just past Weatherford is Lucille's (between Hydro and Weatherford). Lucilles was a gas station that was notorious for bootlegging and famous for the coldest beer in Custer county for years. (There is a restaurant in her memory back in Weatherford)

You go down across the Canadian river and climb up to El Reno (the prettiest spot on the trip through western OK) and come to El Reno which is home to the original onion fried hamburger. There are two or three places in downtown that are nostalgic onion fried hamburger joints.

None of these places I have mentioned are more than 3 minutes off of I-40.

From there you can take 66 through old town Yukon (home of Garth Brooks) and on into Bethany which has a quiant downtown and into OKC. Obviously OKC has it's own set of attractions and if you actually take the 66 route it will slow you down considerably.

Once out of OKC 66 goes up to Edmond and is a much prettier more isolated road. I am not as familiar with the eastern side of 66 so I'll let somebody else pick it up from here.

[StillwaterTownie]

In Oklahoma City visit the National Memorial. Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum – Official Website
Take Route 66 out of Oklahoma City to see the Round Barn. If you're a Garth Brooks fan, you may want to exit off to Highway 177 to Stillwater and and see Willie's Saloon and the Tumbleweed, night clubs he went to, until he was finally discovered by Nashville. You can also see the yellow house on Duck St. he lived in for a year after going back to Stillwater when he got rejected by Nashville the first time around. Of course, while in Stillwater, Oklahoma State University may be interesting to visit. The remodel to the north side of the Student Union is nearly complete.

From there get on the Cimmaron Turnnpike to see Tulsa. One of Tulsa's art museums, Gilcrease, isn't far from the highway as you enter Tulsa. Visit Gilcrease Museum If you like architecture, you might want to venture north to downtown Bartlesville to visit the only skyscraper built that was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Bartlesville also has an architecturally interesting community center that many towns would love to have.

[debzkidz]

While passing through OKC I would recommend stopping by the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum. It's the site of the 1995 Murrah Federal Building bombing. It's a beautiful memorial and the museum in very nice. It's located in downtown and is a quick side trip off I-40. Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum – Official Website

There's also the National Cowboy and Heritage Museum. It's located just off I-44, and would also be a quick side trip. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum

Sorry. Didn't see Stillwaters post.

[SluggoF16]

Since you're coming from Tucson I assume you're taking I-10 to Las Cruces, US 70 through Alamogordo and Roswell to Clovis, US 60 to Amarillo, etc. Used to do that trip annually, still do it almost every year. Side trips:

The Big Texan in Amarillo. Just because.

In Weatherford not only is there the Stafford museum mentioned above, but also a small touch-it museum with an actual wind turbine blade. Right off OK 54 [exit 80A north]. Or take OK 54 [exit 80] south 5 minutes and you can drive right up to a line of wind turbines.

There's the Cherokee Trading Post between Hinton and El Reno [exit 106]. Cheesy but you can get up close to a bison. My dog liked that once when I moved from Tucson to AR. Or wait for El Reno for the onion burger (as mentioned above).

Between OKC and Tulsa, in lieu of using I-44 which is a toll turnpike, a lot of people use 66 out of Edmond. There's Arcadia and Pop's, with an interesting array of soda pop.

If you appreciate good wines, Greenfield's in Chandler has some very decent Oklahoma wines. Maybe not a good suggestion for a long trip.

While it's not really that close to I-44, a few miles off it, in Claremore there is the Will Rogers Museum. My brother-in-law used to live right nearby, said it was really quite interesting. For him to say that means a lot.

There's a famous restaurant over the interstate between Tulsa and the Missouri line at Vinita. Used to be a Glass House restaurant in the 60s when I saw it as a little kid, but later a Ho-Jo's and now supposedly the world's largest McDonalds. Not really a must-stop.

[linicx]

I-40 to I-44 to Tulsa. Once you leave OKC you will the red earth changes to more greenery. NE Oklahoma is noted for Grand Lake, You can take a cruise on Cherokee Queen at Grover or just enjoy the last; it's 60 miles long. Tom Cat Corner is gas station with the best BBQ in the world.

To do this follow I-44 past Tulsa to Afton Exit. When you come out of the exit turn RIGHT. You'll drive 1-2 miles to US 69South. Turn left. You will pass Fairland and when you come down the last hill you will see parts of Grand Lake and Grove. The first gas station on your left at the bottom of the hill is Tom Cat Corner. You will smell the BBQ before you every pull in the driveway.

OK is the Native State. At the other end of Grand Lake at Langley you will find the world's longest Multiple Arch dam. There are free tours most days. If the lake is high and the dam gates are open it is even better.

[westernkansas]

at this rate it may well take you 6 months just to get from point A to point B.

anyway spend a few nights in OKC. hit the memorial, national cowboy museum , infantry museum, was the three places i enjoyed last time i was there. steak and catfish barn north of edmond had great food, man vs food made a stop there so you tube that. our next trip there i want to hit bricktown and the underground and maybe see if the gene autry museum is open, but that would be out of your way.

Hope you have a safe and enjoyable trip

[prerunner1982]

Not sure of your exact route, but on I-40 just west of Amarillo is Cadillac Ranch.

I also suggest the OKC National Memorial/Museium and the 45th Infantry Museum, they are not too far from each other.

Route 66 heading east out of Edmond is a nice slower drive as you will wind you way through quite a few small towns.

As mentioned visit Pops and the Red Barn in Arcadia. Just east of Arcadia on the north side of the road you will also find an old gas station, or what is left of it. Stop and read the info about it, pretty interesting.