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Might be the outlier in this discussion. Cimmaron County Oklahoma is a place of transition, where the Great Plains begin to give way to the Intermontaine West.
Black Mesa, the highest point in Oklahoma, is almost a mile high, at 4,973 feet above sea level. It's one of those quirky places on my bucket list of where I would love to ''summit' one day.
Is that western Oklahoma?! If so, I had NO IDEA. That's freaking awesome. Part of the reason I started this thread is because I don't think most people realize Oklahoma is mountainous and has such a diverse landscape. Yet I've learned a couple of new things - what you just showed me with your picture, plus about the Arbuckle mountains. What you just showed with the picture reminds me of the spotty mountains that crop out of the ground that I've only seen from my window flying to Puerto Vallarta, directly west of where the plane crossed the Mexican border - which must be far west Texas along the border and whatever's on the other side in Mexico.
IMO, I would classify all of western Oklahoma as being part of the West. It does not feature much in the way of an agrarian Plains vegetation environment since the primary economic activity is ranching, oil and gas anyway.
There are some areas in the more rugged portions of western Oklahoma that are just ranching and oil and gas but a lot of western Oklahoma is cultivated in wheat, cotton, peanuts, various types of feed grain and alfalfa.
However, there are other patches in NW Oklahoma that are covered in sagebrush and places in southwestern Oklahoma that are mesquite patches,
There are some areas in the more rugged portions of western Oklahoma that are just ranching and oil and gas but a lot of western Oklahoma is cultivated in wheat, cotton, peanuts, various types of feed grain and alfalfa.
However, there are other patches in NW Oklahoma that are covered in sagebrush and places in southwestern Oklahoma that are mesquite patches,
Sage and mesquite are very western to me.
It is very much the West in my opinion. The climate is very semi-arid, the sky has an "enormous feeling," the rural population density is low, and very few trees. Also, irrigation agriculture is much more common with center pivot irrigators. That doesn't really occur in the Midwest. If someone from the Great Lakes Midwest took a trip to western Oklahoma I would wager most would classify the area as western.
It is very much the West in my opinion. The climate is very semi-arid, the sky has an "enormous feeling," the rural population density is low, and very few trees. Also, irrigation agriculture is much more common with center pivot irrigators. That doesn't really occur in the Midwest. If someone from the Great Lakes Midwest took a trip to western Oklahoma I would wager most would classify the area as western.
I agree totally. I don't think western Oklahoma is midwestern at all.
I think the only place that has any midwestern culture in it would be Tulsa which may have a bit of KCMO in it's DNA.
IMO, I would classify all of western Oklahoma as being part of the West. It does not feature much in the way of an agrarian Plains vegetation environment since the primary economic activity is ranching, oil and gas anyway.
I agree with you about Western OK being more like the west, same as west texas and much of central Tx. Tulsa feels more midwestern than southern. I cant see Oklahoma being called southern, its either Western or Midwestern on balance to me.
I havent seen all of Mo by a long shot but will side with those saying OK is more interesting..it has more geo diversity than many states not just Mo
I agree with you about Western OK being more like the west, same as west texas and much of central Tx. Tulsa feels more midwestern than southern. I cant see Oklahoma being called southern, its either Western or Midwestern on balance to me.
I havent seen all of Mo by a long shot but will side with those saying OK is more interesting..it has more geo diversity than many states not just Mo
Tulsa is located in a transiton zone. It has combinations of the Ozarks, South, and Plains all mixed together. Tulsa is too far south to be considered part of the Midwest and the built environment leans more to the Southwest than any other region.
Tulsa is located in a transiton zone. It has combinations of the Ozarks, South, and Plains all mixed together. Tulsa is too far south to be considered part of the Midwest and the built environment leans more to the Southwest than any other region.
Granite,
You're a tried&true Midwesterner still having to convince a few of these Midwestern wannabes that Oklahoma is not part of the Midwest?
Oklahoma is a lot of different things at once. Midwestern is not one of those things. The people I've met from Oklahoma (including Tulsa) in college have a completely different mindset than those from KCMO and STL even though they are part of a young generation.
Last edited by GunnerTHB; 04-19-2012 at 07:57 AM..
Oklahoma is a lot of different things at once. Midwestern is not one of those things. The people I've met from Oklahoma (including Tulsa) in college have a completely different mindset than those from KCMO and STL even though they are part of a young generation.
Tulsa is also a very new city, most of its architecture in its Downtown was built in the 1920s and 1930s, correlated with the oil boom. So, oil basically built most of Tulsa in its earlier years, but the mindset and built environment of the metro leans more Southwest and Plains with a Sunbelt component based on its 35N latitude. Trust me the sun is very intense there!
Oklahoma is a lot of different things at once. Midwestern is not one of those things. The people I've met from Oklahoma (including Tulsa) in college have a completely different mindset than those from KCMO and STL even though they are part of a young generation.
Right on the money here, Gunner.
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still having to convince a few of these Midwestern wannabes
that Oklahoma is not part of the Midwest?
