[okie1962]

I have lived in Both Eufaula and Muskogee. Eufaula is a small town but it is kind of the gate way to SE Oklahoma, where you will find the Ouachita National Forest and the Ouachita mountains. These mountains/tall hills are a surprise for out of staters. Some of the peaks are over 2,000 ft taller than the surrounding valley and are covered in pine trees so it looks kind of green all year long. They look a lot like the Smokey Mountains back east. Then Eufaula of course sits right on Lake Eufaula, the largest body of water in Oklahoma and one of the largest man made in America. Its not a very clear lake in fact it is some what dingy most of the time but the beaches are some of the best around. The water is not polluted but it picks up sediment from the rivers that feed if from western Oklahoma. The land around lake Eufaula is plentiful and cheep.

Muskogee has a lot of work to do. I would not move there. Think Gary Indiana on a smaller scale. Miles of blight and were talking about a town that is only about 35,000 people. Some of the areas around Muskogee are nice like Ft Gibson, Wagoner and Tahlequah. Tahlequah is the gateway to the Ozark Mountains which is another beautiful part of the state. There are tons of lakes around Muskogee. Eufaula is just south of there. Tenkiller, very pretty, is just to the east. Ft Gibson lake, which is pretty nice is just north and Greenleaf is almost in Muskogee, just across the river and then south. The navigation channel runs through there

NE Oklahoma is very nice and Tulsa is a nice city to look at as well.

[Ecovlke]

Originally Posted by sirenicangel

Thank you for the great reply, yeah some of the negatives of Oklahoma does tend to me a bit squeamish but something about it just keeps drawing me to it lol. I'm 50/50 with religion and conservative politics, I'm pretty conservative for the most part with a bit of laid back tendencies. And I am open to religion, I was raised Catholic, but I don't really practice it all that much. I'm a believer but not...extreme I guess? lol.
I am relieved to know there are things in Tulsa, I have been looking at Tulsa for my landing point, especially with the Universities. I will miss the beauty, scenery and cleanliness of WA. But, they aren't as clean as they make themselves out to be though. Especially up where I live, they wont do anything about the run off from the farms that end up in the streams and eventually flow into the bays. Nor will they fix the sewage run offs from a gated community not far from my house. I live like a block away from the bay and I'm scared to step into the water at times. The lakes up here aren't the best to swim in, a lot of places don't recommend it due to the homes being built on the lake and once again, the sewage run off. I knew of one lady that couldn't even drink her tap water because of it. Washington is good with some things but they ignore a lot of other things as well. And I will NOT miss the Canadians, lmao.
They do have a lot of tribes up here, but I'm not really into the northwestern culture, I like the totem poles and that's pretty much about it. I've always been interested in the southwestern/southern tribes.
So I guess there's once again, positives and negatives no matter where you go. I do love Seattle, I will always make plans to visit there when ever I can.
I do like how Oklahoma sounds though, regardless of the negatives lol. I like the down home and southern/mid-western small town feel it has. Sure, I'm not looking forward to the un-godly heat of the summers and the...scariness of the tornadoes *shivers at the thought* but, I guess as long as there's still population...I guess it isn't too bad, right? lol.
I am planning on making a couple of trips over there after I settle into New Mexico for a bit.
Aside from Tulsa, what are the other cities that would be good for someone about my age? What's Muskogee like? I want to stay in the eastern part of the state. Also, whats Eufaula like? I have looked up sites and as much information as I could for those, but it's nice to get others points of view on them.
I hope it's easier to make friends down there than it is up here, I've had a little luck...but not as much as I would have liked, I guess I am a bit too conservative for the crowds here lol. I like how you described the Okies, hopefully I'll have better luck down there.

Girl, you're just going to have to come on down here. Don't worry too much about the tornado's. We have the best meteorologist in the nation and the best warning systems. Funny story, I had been living in Seattle about two months and it was late fall, so it rained everyday. I woke one night with an odd feeling like something was missing. As I listened to the rain I realized that I missed the Boom! Crack! Ka-****, Ka-**** of the Oklahoma thunder storms. I've lived in WA off and on since I was 18, but mostly it was in the Tri-cities which is way diff. from Seattle.

I think it's very easy to make friends in Oklahoma. Don't worry about the conservatism or the strong religious base. People will let you live as long as you give them the respect you would want to receive.

If you do move down here I think you'll make friends easily. And our air conditioning usually works, LOL......so the humidity and heat is just one of those things you'll adapt to. or bit ch about.

[sirenicangel]

Originally Posted by Ecovlke

Girl, you're just going to have to come on down here. Don't worry too much about the tornado's. We have the best meteorologist in the nation and the best warning systems. Funny story, I had been living in Seattle about two months and it was late fall, so it rained everyday. I woke one night with an odd feeling like something was missing. As I listened to the rain I realized that I missed the Boom! Crack! Ka-****, Ka-**** of the Oklahoma thunder storms. I've lived in WA off and on since I was 18, but mostly it was in the Tri-cities which is way diff. from Seattle.

I think it's very easy to make friends in Oklahoma. Don't worry about the conservatism or the strong religious base. People will let you live as long as you give them the respect you would want to receive.

If you do move down here I think you'll make friends easily. And our air conditioning usually works, LOL......so the humidity and heat is just one of those things you'll adapt to. or bit ch about.

If the people are anything like the people on these boards, I think I may adapt pretty well, everyone seems pretty cool. Lol, I bet the rain seemed so empty with out all that thunder you were used to. We've had a couple bouts of thunder every now and then, just like one or two big booms and that was it.
I used to live near Tri-Cities when I was in high school, I lived in Hermiston, OR, across the Columbia River. I'm pretty used to thunder storms from growing up in New Mexico. I'm sure I'll adjust and b*tch about the weather at the same time LOL.
I will definitely work my way down there, the more I read about the place the more I like it. ^,^

[mkfarnam]

Originally Posted by Ecovlke

Girl, you're just going to have to come on down here. Don't worry too much about the tornado's. We have the best meteorologist in the nation and the best warning systems. Funny story, I had been living in Seattle about two months and it was late fall, so it rained everyday. I woke one night with an odd feeling like something was missing. As I listened to the rain I realized that

I've lived in WA off and on since I was 18, but mostly it was in the Tri-cities which is way diff. from Seattle.

I think it's very easy to make friends in Oklahoma. Don't worry about the conservatism or the strong religious base. People will let you live as long as you give them the respect you would want to receive.

If you do move down here I think you'll make friends easily. And our air conditioning usually works, LOL......so the humidity and heat is just one of those things you'll adapt to. or bit ch about.

Oklahoma rolling thunder and lightning effects


YouTube - Thunderstorm SOUND EFFECT

[StillwaterTownie]

Originally Posted by okie1962

Muskogee has a lot of work to do. I would not move there. Think Gary Indiana on a smaller scale. Miles of blight and were talking about a town that is only about 35,000 people.

I'm glad Stillwater is not like that. Not everyone does, but a lot of people here take pride in their homes and businesses and don't let them run down too bad. And Boone Pickens cleared out the rather blighted neighborhood north of OSU for OSU to help things. Construction for the Athletic Village has yet to start there.

[StillwaterTownie]

Originally Posted by Ecovlke

Oklahoma:

Bad:
Schools. We have a high dropout rate, high rate of teen pregnancy, and not great scores on standardized tests.

Oklahoma pays for its low abortion rate with a high rate of teen pregnancy. Of course, I reckon a lot of pro life people find that real easy to live with.

[StillwaterTownie]

If you're scared of torndoes it helps to believe in God, so you can get on your knees and pray to God to protect your home and your town from a tornado approaching. By doing that, I have found for myself that God answers prayers.

[mkfarnam]

Originally Posted by StillwaterTownie

If you're scared of torndoes it helps to believe in God, so you can get on your knees and pray to God to protect your home and your town from a tornado approaching. By doing that, I have found for myself that God answers prayers.

[Pauledward]

I have lived in many places including Philadelphia and New York! I grew up in Bartlesville in the Norheastern part of the state. It is a thriving and bustling small city with much to offer! First, its the home of Philips Petroleum Company-now Conoco Phillips! Despite the merger, they are always hiring qualified people. Over the last 10 years, in order to diversify its economy, the city has attracted Siemens(large German Co), ABF, and Walmart built a regional distribution center, among others. Its a city of 36,000 people. It has an amazing downtown, thanks to Philips, and a new library and ball park. The Bartlesville Community Center is a wonderful place that plays host to the OK Mozart festival every year! People from all over the world come here for the 2 week festival to hear all kinds of music and arts and crafts... You will find close by, the famous 19 story Price Tower, the only skyscraper designed by Frank Lloyd Wright! Its amazing to look at! It is now an art gallery, bed and breakfast, and has an bar and bistro on the top floor that gives you an awesome view of Bartlesville! Housing is very affordable, and you will find diverse neighborhoods to chose from. If you have kids, you can be relieved to hear that the Bartlesville school system ranks as the best in Oklahoma and the surrounding region! The high school is unbelievable-new fieldhouse, auditorium, new science labs and list goes on! Bartlesville has been blessed over the years to have deep pockets, with the community supporting first class quality of life issues, first class education, and first class employment and entertainment opportunities! If you ever need a break, Tulsa is less than an hour away! Almost forgot-Wooloroc Museum is one of the most impressive western museums in the country. It is surrounded by over 3500 acres of scenery and exotic wildlife. Frank Phillips, founder of Philips Petroleum, has a rustic lodge that is open to the visitors. Its about 20 miles west of Bartlesville but worth the trip. I wish you the best and I hope you will come and visit us here and you will not be disapointed!

[StillwaterTownie]

You left out the Bartlesville Community Center. It is something else for it's beauty and fancy architecture. I bet many towns big and small across America would love to have such a public gem.