Kansas and Oklahoma
REAL TIME!
diners? Country stores? Cowboys? Native American tribes? Kansas and Oklahoma has all of these
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in abundance. In fact, the two Mid- western states embrace many of the iconic images likely to appeal to holidaymakers in search of the beating heart of the US. The most famous US highway (or
freeway) for UK visitors is Route 66 – and more than 400 miles of this iconic road pass through Kansas and Oklahoma. Holidaymakers are sure to get plenty
of kicks as they take a nostalgic trip along the Mother Road. Old road signs and retro-style diners, gas stations and motels recall the road’s heyday from the 1930s to the 1960s. For an extra touch of authenticity, operators such as North America Travel Service and Bon Voyage offer the chance to explore Route 66 by classic convertibles and Harley Davidson motorbikes as well as standard car hire. Oklahoma has three excellent
museums devoted to the great road. The National Route 66 Museum in Elk City spotlights the people who lived, worked and travelled the tarmac, while the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum in Clinton showcases memorabilia and the cultural impact of the highway. The Route 66 Interpretive Centre in Chandler, near Oklahoma City, focuses
Above: Konza Prairie, Kansas. Right: Little Sahara State Park, Oklahoma; Route 66 diner. Opposite: Buffalo; bull riding, Oklahoma City
18 May 2012 •
www.sellinglonghaul.com
hat does the ‘Real America’ conjure up for your clients? Roadside
on the connections between the Mother Road and the American dream. Visitors can take a look at the Dust
Bowl years from the seat of a Model A Ford, the booming 1940s and 1950s while sitting in a Jeep, and the hippy days of the 1960s from a 1965 Mustang seat. Other top attractions along the route
range from the quirky – such as the world’s tallest totem pole at Foyil and the Blue Whale, a former water park at Catoosa – to the classic, including the Art Deco architecture of downtown Tulsa and the Rock Cafe at Stroud. Several towns stage Route 66 festivals
featuring classic-car parades, concerts and other vintage entertainment. These include Clinton and Elk City (May), Sapulpa and Miami (June), Vinita (August) and Claremore and Sayre (September.) The variety of sights along Route 66 is matched by the striking landscapes of Kansas and Oklahoma. Rolling green hills give way to dazzling red canyons, and vast prairies dissolve in the face of majestic buttes and mesas.
Most of all, this is
cowboy country. The Flint Hills, Kansas, have some of the best cattle-grazing land in the US,
which can be seen from the Flint Hills
National Scenic Byway. Oklahoma City stages the
country’s largest weekly live cattle auction. Visitors can watch wranglers moving thousands of cattle through auction pens every Monday and Tuesday. For city slickers wanting a taste of the
cowboy lifestyle, the two states have an excellent choice of working ranches that accept overnight guests. Operators offering ranch holidays in Kansas and Oklahoma include Ranch Rider and Western & Oriental. Oklahoma is also rich in Native American culture. A range of colourful events enables visitors to sample tribal traditions and heritage. Major dates include the Red Earth Festival, North
Kansas and Oklahoma are winning their spurs among travellers looking for the authentic USA, says Howard Carr
America’s largest multi-tribe pow wow staged in
Oklahoma City every June, and the Osage
Nation’s National Indian Taco Championship in
Pawhuska every May. However, visitors don’t
have to wander far off Route 66 to discover 17 more roads classed
as Scenic Byways and Historic Trails. These include the Wetlands and Wildlife National Scenic Byway in Kansas. This 77-mile route across golden prairies connects two major natural wetlands – Cheyenne Bottoms and Quivira National Wildlife Refuge. Covering a total of more than 60,000 acres, the two areas host millions of migrating birds from plovers to whooping cranes.
Selling Tip Combine travelling
Route 66 with a stay at a working ranch featuring ‘real’ cowboys
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