What to do in Oklahoma City? OT

[Steve Wargo]

As some of you know I've accepted a new position with the FAA and I'm headed to Oklahoma City for 10 weeks starting January 31st. I've never been to OK City before so I need some ideas of things to do while away from the family. I'm attempting to get some teaching in at the local Woodcraft while down there, but need more things to do to kill time. I'll have a good portion of my tools with me on the trip, as well as my faithful companion, Toby a 7 year old Weimaraner (but he hardly makes up for the missing wife and kids). Creeker visits are also a possibility since I'll be driving. Anyone up for a visit please feel free to e-mail me, and for good eatin' and tool shopping please post below. I'll have internet access down there, but I'll print this thread out before I leave. Thanks in advance.

[Doug Evans]

Hi Steve:

Doug Evans here from Shepherd. Although I have not done a lot of research yet, we seem to have a good proportion of customers in and around Oklahoma City. Although we dont plan on going anywhere until the fall of 2006 (Inventory Build and a new product line), we have looked at a stop there because of this (Texas/Oklahoma/Georgia/North Carolina). There is a club in Tulsa (Tulsa Woodworkers Club) and some contacts there might assist in finding a club in OC. I will also try to search our School database, when I get home. Like you, I would be interested to find out moe about the area.

Cheers,

Doug

[Greg Heppeard]

Steve,

You could stop by the Tulsa Woodcraft store and see me :D . I'm here Sun-Thurs. As for OKC, there's the zoo, Cowboy Hall of Fame, Brick Town, Bass Pro Shop, Murrah building memorial, several trips to Tulsa ;) .

[Wolf Kiessling]

As some of you know I've accepted a new position with the FAA and I'm headed to Oklahoma City for 10 weeks starting January 31st. I've never been to OK City before so I need some ideas of things to do while away from the family. I'm attempting to get some teaching in at the local Woodcraft while down there, but need more things to do to kill time. I'll have a good portion of my tools with me on the trip, as well as my faithful companion, Toby a 7 year old Weimaraner (but he hardly makes up for the missing wife and kids). Creeker visits are also a possibility since I'll be driving. Anyone up for a visit please feel free to e-mail me, and for good eatin' and tool shopping please post below. I'll have internet access down there, but I'll print this thread out before I leave. Thanks in advance.

A must see, of course, is the National Memorial dedicated to the Murragh building bombing. It is also worthwhile to visit Bricktown, a work in progress, which is a knockoff of the San Antonio Riverwalk. If you like flowers/plants, be sure to see the Botanical garden which is conveniently located right downtown. Toby Keith also has a new bar there called "I Love This Bar". (I wonder why he named it that :-))) ) Several museums are there, arguably the most notable the Cowboy Hall of Fame. The OMNIPLEX is worth a visit and the adjacent zoo. The zoo is really nice with what I consider a world class Gorilla habitat. There is also the Oklahoma City Woodcarvers Club and the American Turners have a branch there.

My two favorite restaurants are a Taste Of China at 4700 W. Reno which has a Mongolian BBQ and Gopuram Taste Of India at Meridian and 23rd if your palate runs in those directions. Gopuram has as good Indian food as I've had anywhere in the country.

Tulsa is about a three hour drive away. From there, Branson, Mo, is only a couple hours away.

[Tyler Howell]

What they said, But stay out of the Red Dog Saloon!!!!
They check for weapons and if your clean, they issue one at the door:D .

I usually stay on the NW side of town. There is a development of old oil baron mansions(Victory Hill??) just north of Downtown worth the drive through. They often have tours.
Lake Hefner is good for inline skating and biking & you could rent a sail boat in season.
There is a lot of theater and live music in Norman, Just south of OKC.
And lastly if you want to really become a full fledge Okie, you gotta go Noodling . Google it;) .
OKC is the #2 Eat-Out city in the world. Many food chains do market testing there. There's always something newpoping up in that area....not all good.

[tod evans]

tyler, i`m a hillbilly and i don`t noodle! have you ever seen a glove avulsion? ain`t nothin pretty!
steve, if you`re a carnivore and it`s still open there`s a restraunt on the stockyards property that i barely walked away from last time i was in tulsa, great food.....02 tod

[Greg Heppeard]

What they said, But stay out of the Red Dog Saloon!!!!
They check for weapons and if your clean, the issue one at the door:D .




So, Tyler, when were you at the Red Dog? In the early 80's it was a nudie palace. I have no idea what it is now. I left OKC in 86. I only went to the place once for a bachelor party. Honest! !:D And it was a ruff & tuff place then too.

[Jerry White]

Steve,

A lot of good information has been listed already. I've not been in OKC for a couple of years, but maybe I'm not totally out of date. Let me get my priorities straight here:

Steves Wholesale Tools, 4340 NW 39th and 2434 S. Walker. Name brand tools with a mix of some Chinese tools stocked. The S. Walker store is the best stocked.

The Oklahoma State Fairgrounds, off of I-44, has many events scheduled there. Once a month there is an antique show/sale. You might pick up a handplane there during this event.

Meridian Tools, 1400 SW 59th. A lot of handtools and some power tools, mostly of Harbor Freight caliber. Might find something of use.

Mid-States Industrial Supply, on South Shields Blvd, stocks Jet and Delta woodworking machines. Also, some used machinery.

The zoo is very good. The Cowboy Hall of Fame is outstanding if you like western art and history (I do and highly recommend it).

There used to be a nice historical museum on the Oklahoma State Capitol grounds in OKC. I haven't been in many years, but I assume is still there and it is worth a visit.

The Brickyard area downtown has many restaurants and clubs.

Also next to the brickyard area is a very nice baseball stadium. Oklahoma City has a AAA baseball team (the Redhawks, I think).

There is Remington Park for the horse races. It is near the intersection of I-44 and I-35.

Guthrie is a nice town for a day trip. It is the former state capital. Good if your wife can visit. Many enjoy the antique shops.

A lot of good restaurants are located near the FAA Academy along South Meridian and Reno area.

This is one you have to make! Ken's Restaurant, in the small town of Amber, Oklahoma. Wonderful steaks and ribs. I think they are only open on Thurs, Fri, Sat. Get a group and make it an outing.

I am happy to see that OKC now has a Woodcraft Store. It probably saved me money that it was not there when I was going to OKC regualarly.

This a little off topic as far as things to do: I believe you are going to take a portable bench with you...be sure to take some kind of supplemental lighting, such as the boom mounted flourescent lamps. Whether you stay in a hotel or corporate apartment lodging, the lighting is always substandard. On lodging, the roomiest corporate apartments I found was the Mansions North on NW 59th.

And like the others said. "Stay out of the REDDOG".

[Tyler Howell]

But Greg...... They had great burgers.:rolleyes: I think it has burned down at least 5 times since I was there.
Jimmies Egg For Breakfast on Weekends, NW 10th and May You can hear your arteries slam shut as you walk in the door.

Gutherie has a great Blue Grass fest I think in the Spring.
Did a lot of jammin with the good old boys throwing in a lot of Jazz riffs to go along with their old time pickin:D :D



So, Tyler, when were you at the Red Dog? In the early 80's it was a nudie palace. I have no idea what it is now. I left OKC in 86. I only went to the place once for a bachelor party. Honest! !:D And it was a ruff & tuff place then too.

[Tyler Howell]

[quote=tod evans]tyler, i`m a hillbilly and i don`t noodle! have you ever seen a glove avulsion? ain`t nothin pretty!
The guys I watched were doing it bare handed Tod. No thanks

[Jerry White]

Oh yeah, Tyler, I forgot to include Jimmy's Egg. That is a good breakfast!

[Steve Wargo]

Wow, Talk about southern hospitality. I can't believe how many PM's I've gotten about my visit. Must have half a dozen visits to make. Thanks so much for the great replies, and I'm suddenly looking forward to my trip out to OK. City. Even had a good link sent to me for a nice lumber mill. Doesn't look like I gave enough notice for teaching at WoodCraft, but certainly the next time down I'll have more notice to give. Thanks again everybody, and keep the suggestions coming.

[Pete Harbin]

I don't think you'll see much Red Hawks baseball in January...when the season starts up though you can go see them when my Albuquerque Isotopes come calling! :D

What you can find right now though is CHL hockey. The OKC Blazers play in the largest arena in the CHL, and have quite a fan following. They are always one of the top attendance draws in the CHL and usually put a pretty competative team on the ice.

Pete

[Richard Neel]

...forgot to mention this in my PM.

I work for the local cable/networking company and frequently get tickets to the OKC (formerly New Orleans) Hornets games. Don't know if you're interested but we could probably go.

[Eddie Watkins]

My favorite restaurants: Cattlemen's at the stockyards, Ken's Restaurant in Amber, Ben's Barbecue in Seminole, Catfish Roundup on I-40 50 miles east of OKC, Countyline Barbecue in OKC, Hideaway Pizza on N. Western Ave (the original in Stillwater is better), Johnny Carino's Italian on I-240. As Tyler recommended, Jimmy's Egg for breakfast, best breakfast ever I go there at lunch sometimes it is so good!
The zoo is outstanding, Hornets basketball and OU and OSU basketball is a big draw. Remington Park has horse racing and a casino. There is a museum in at University of Oklahoma in Norman (15 miles south of OKC) which they tout as having one of the best dinosaur bones collections anywhere. The Murrah Building Memorial is a must, it just leaves you speechless. The Moore-Norman VoTech offers woodturning, woodcarving and woodworking classes. You can find their curriculum here:
http://www.mntechnology.com/enrollment/courses.asp?term=8&cat_id=25

The Woodcraft Store offers some classes as well. It is located at N May Ave and Britton Rd. I go to Whitton's Supply and Midstate Supply for my woodworking tools. For about any kind of wood you can go to Yukon Door and Plywood or Central Hardwoods and we have the box stores everywhere.

[Eddie Watkins]

I have watched noodling. The amazing thing to me was the guys doing it were actually SOBER!:eek: Notice I didn't say I did it. I may be able to arrange it for you if your interested but I think the water may be too cold this time of year.:p The last time I was at the Red Dog was about 1968 and some guy got shot, I haven't been back.

[Norman Hitt]

Gosh, I can't believe the "Red Dog" is still there.:rolleyes: Aaaaah but that was in the younger years of early '70's through '80's.:D

Back on the Subject, though, Don't we have a Top Pro "Wood Finisher" in Norman, Okla., or is my memory completely gone today?????????

[Tyler Howell]

[quote=Eddie Watkins]
Thanks Eddie,

A lot of new places to check out my next visit. Did you find the food at Jimmy's Egg is better on weekends:confused:, That weekday crew just didn't do it for me????

[Eddie Watkins]

Norman, the guy in Norman is Bob Flexner, the author of "Understanding Wood Finishing". I took a class with him last month at the Votech. He is also an excellent instructor.

Tyler, the only problem I have with Jimmy's Eggs is the close at 2:00 in the afternoon. You're right, weekends seems like biscuits are a little fresher and everything is a little hotter.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Am I right in thinking that noodlin' is fishing with your bare hands for large catfish? Where my folks come from it's called "hoggin". I had a great uncle who fished that way all the time. Did I mention he had the tip of a finger removed by an unhappy muskrat?

[Dennis Peacock]

Travel I40? Stop by and pay me a visit.....just 5.2 Miles off I40. ;) :D

[Richard Neel]

Eddie,

I live in Edmond. Tell me about Yukon Door and Plywood and Central Hardwoods. I've never heard of them. Are the prices good? Selection?

[Tyler Howell]

Hi Jack!!!! Local PBS has a special on OKC Noodling this very minute. Check your listings

[Eddie Watkins]

Eddie,

I live in Edmond. Tell me about Yukon Door and Plywood and Central Hardwoods. I've never heard of them. Are the prices good? Selection?

Hi Richard,
Yukon Door and Plywood is in Yukon (bet you guessed that!:) ) and sells wood any way you want it. Any thickness, Rough cut, surfaced 2 sides, surfaced 3 sides with a straight edge, S4S, plywood, etc. They carry a lot of exotics or can get it for you. Central Hardwoods is at SW 3rd and Classen and sells about the same thing. They are headquartered in Dallas, I think, or at least order their wood out of Dallas. I usually use Central Hardwoods simply because they are closer to me. I live east of Draper Lake. Last time I bought wood was about a month ago and I paid $2.45/ bf for red oak S3S with one straight edge.

Eddie

[Norman Hitt]

[QUOTE=Eddie Watkins]Norman, the guy in Norman is Bob Flexner, the author of "Understanding Wood Finishing". I took a class with him last month at the Votech. He is also an excellent instructor.

Yeah, Eddie, That's the guy. Heck, I've even got his book here Somewhere in my "Totally Organized Reference Library"::o , but I was having a Real Sr. Moment when I made the post. Steve should try to go by Bob's Place while he is there. I have heard that he does welcome visitors.

[Steve Wargo]

I will certainly look him up. Perhaps I'll pick the book up too.

[Scott Parks]

Steve, Whatcha going to be doing for the FAA?

When I'm in OKC, I frequent ZIO's Italian. Excellent lasagna and tiramisu. Went to Cattleman's once for prime rib, aslo excellent. Other than that, I've never left the hotel.



Travel I40? Stop by and pay me a visit.....just 5.2 Miles off I40. How close is that to west LR?

[Christopher Knight]

You need to go by the Bavarian Inn. Located on Sooner Road just south of Tinker Air Force Base. Authentic German Food. The owner moved from Germany about 10 years ago. He is a German Brewmaster and imported is equipment from Germany. His sausages are imported from Germany and his Jaeger Schnitzel is wonderful. He also makes some good beer.