Monday, October 4, 2010

Bartlesville, Ho!

When you think "Oklahoma day-trips," what comes to your mind? (Or does your mind go blank, like mine?) Haha... well, it seems like a lot of people here travel to places like Dallas, or Branson, or even Kansas City for mini-vacations. Tim and I were in the market for a mini-vacation last weekend, when our month-long plan to go camping evaporated thanks to a firm forecast of rain (which never came... argh). We had been REALLY excited about our first family camping trip, which had the potential of being either spectacular or dreadful. We did our research, and I requested off work on Saturday while Tim requested to get off early on Friday. But instead, in light of the forecasted rain, we completely changed our plans at the last minute and decided instead to have an overnight in...

EXCITING, CHARMING, HISTORIC BARTLESVILLE, OKLAHOMA!! Wooooooohooooooo!!

Okay, I'm not even exaggerating. Bartlesville (about an hour north of Tulsa) is actually a pretty cool little town. Well, if you're a "Sooner" (aka, an Oklahoman). If you're, say, a Californian and accustomed to extreme attractions, then you might get kinda bored. But I headed out to Bartlesville with Tim, Weston, a tentative schedule, and a whole lotta gleeful optimism; after all, any adventure is a good adventure, right? And you can never go wrong with having 100% family time, free from work, errands, and chores. So anyway, I ended up photo-journaling our entire 21-hour mini-vacation there, for your pleasure.

[Editor's Note: this blog post is dedicated to Rob and Rebecca, because wouldn't you know it, but Bartlesville happens to be Rob's old stomping grounds!! Here's a tribute in your honor, Rob.]

On Friday evening, we checked in at our hotel (hahahahaha the Weston Inn):
... and then headed to dinner at Frank & Lola's, the talk of the town:
You can't beat a longhorn with a flower on its head:
I loved these huge picture windows (and hello, Random-Man-at-Bar):
We displayed our "smiles" for the camera...
... and ultimately got very full.
Then it was off to Crossroads Raceway, a sketchy little go-kart track, for some racing! (It was really fun, especially for Weston, but seriously, isn't it majorly sketch?? Maybe not so much in the daytime...):
Then of course we hit Braum's for a Mormon-style nightcap:
We spent the night in our hotel room with Weston sandwiched between me and Tim on the big king bed. We realized that Weston is much too big for those portable hotel cribs, but much too unstable to sleep in a bed by himself. So, we got to act as the barriers to keep him from rolling off, and he got to kick and punch us all night. (There's nothing like coming home to your OWN bed after a vacation, huh?) Anyway, all was well in the morning thanks to a few cartoons:
Then it was breakfast time! Our hotel offered a made-to-order complimentary breakfast, which I've never seen before. Pros: you get exactly what you want, hot and fresh. Cons: it takes 20 minutes, instead of zero minutes.
Pancakes AND eggs? Weston was in heaven:
Next up: a quick stop at Walmart, complete with a special new toy for the kid:
And then, off to the beautiful Frank Phillips home!
Frank Phillips (of Phillips 66 fame) struck it rich in Oklahoma on black gold, and then built a residence in Bartlesville for his family, plus a big ranch just outside of town. OIL!
We took a tour of the inside of the home (the kitchen was comprised of four different rooms); unfortunately, photos weren't permitted indoors. But it was lovely!! Back outside, we explored the yard:
... and played in the weeping willow (while taking pictures of Mommy's brilliant albino legs):
... and hid a little bit in the weeping willow:
... and looked at pretty flowers:
Then we made the one-minute drive from the Bartlesville suburbs into "downtown" Bartlesville for a drive-by of the Price Tower, a big tourist attraction and the only Frank Lloyd Wright skyscraper in existence. Doing a drive-by was pretty lame, as there's a lot to see inside the building; however, we were on a schedule!
And then it was off to the countryside and the Keepsake Candle Factory for some super smelly-goodness. (I bought, among other things, a mulberry candle, and it is heavenly.)
There were also train cars:
... and kitties:
... and even a couple cows across the street (this is the Oklahoma countryside, after all):
And finally, the Woolaroc Museum and Wildlife Preserve! (That's Mr. Phillips' big ranch that I mentioned before!)
We ended up really enjoying Woolaroc, and we definitely could've spent much longer than a couple hours there. Native American and Western heritage aren't exactly our passions, but the museum and the grounds were amazing. Just a word of advice, though: be careful around this big fella, and do NOT make him angry:
In addition to cattle, we saw bison:
... and butterflies:
... and lots of Western/mid-western art:
... and some interesting chairs (rustic Western meets Tim Burton?):
... and more Phillips 66 memorabilia:
... and a ridiculous number of Colt firearms (Tim and Weston were excited, I was bored):
... and a playground:
... and a petting zoo:
... and of course some zebras (??):
Haha! Overall, the trip was quick and interesting and fun, and I'm so glad that we still had a mini family vacation even though we couldn't go camping. Yay Bartlesville! After Woolaroc, we grabbed lunch at Sonic and then drove home, giving me just enough time to get dressed and head to church for a training meeting, a Relief Society dinner, and a Relief Society broadcast. It was a fun-filled weekend!

14 comments:

Bridget said...

Yay for Bartlesville! Ben's sister and her little family live there :) We visited them at Christmas last year. I've been to that Braum's, that Walmart, and Woolaroc! And I also drove by the Price Tower :) Small world!

Tiff said...

I feel like I can't even SAY that without getting all twisted up in my throat: Barrrrttttlleesvillle. *gag*

Looks fun, though! Leave it to the Andersons to make the best out of any ol' armpit state... er, I mean, awesome state! ;)

P.S. You basically referred to yourself as Californians up there, I'll have you know. Poor ol' PA has been betrayed... *tsk, tsk*

daMawma said...

Don't you think Weston should get a free meal at Weston Inns? Seems only fair.
Again, I love taking a mini-vacation with youse guys. I get all the highlights and my rump doesn't get numb from sitting in a car too long. Fun times!

Liz Johnson said...

Awesome, although I think I prefer the trips to the donut shop. Plus that creepy longhorn cow kind of gives me the heebie-jeebs.

We need to start planning our Super Awesome St. Louis Extravaganza. I'm getting giddy just thinking about it. :)

Headle said...

Jean-I love that you are wearing a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle shirt...ha ha ha!!! You guys are so awesome!

chartie said...

Who you callin' Ho!?

Your picture of hiding behind the willow reminded me of my CD cover for All I Fear:

http://www.amazon.com/All-I-Fear/dp/B0012D9LIQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&qid=1286291441&sr=8-1

Sounds like a fun trip!

Kendra said...

Hey, I'm from California and that still looks like a fun trip to me! It's too bad you didn't get to go camping, but way to still turn it into a great weekend. :) that long horn guy is crazy! And what's up with the zebras? Maybe that's how they spice things up out there. ;)

Lesley said...

I have actually heard of Bartlesville! A friend of mine says they put on a spectacular July Fourth show -- the best around. So perhaps you will find yourself there again next summer!

What a fun mini-vacation! I have grown really fond of those -- especially with kids and the terrible sleeping arrangements that often result! One night = perfect.

What fun memories. Thanks for sharing!

Abbie said...

Thanks for planning our next family vacation!

Lisa said...

Those chairs are seriously creepy! And I am in awe of how the Andersons can make anywhere fun :) Yay Bartlesville!

Rebecca said...

I feel very ashamed not to be the first to comment on a blog dedicated to Rob and me! I've never been to Bartlesville, but now I have a much better feel for it. Rob never told me about the sketchy go-cart track, the creepy cow, the ridiculous chairs, OR the zebras!

And I second the motion that you are totally awesome in your TMNT t-shirt.

Rob said...

AWESOME, thanks for going to Bartlesville for me, guys! I haven't been back there since we moved away in 1990. I remember lots of willow trees, and it certainly is Phillips country. I only ever went downtown to either pick up my dad from work or go to a barber, so I probably wouldn't recognize it.

Let me know the next time you go and I'll tell you my old address, so you can go there and... Well, stare at it I guess. Maybe stand on the driveway for a few minutes. :) Bartlesvexellent!

James Cramer said...

Bartlesville sounds like a lot of fun, I'm glad you had a good mini-vacation! [Love the shirt Jean] Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles...Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles...Their the worlds most fearson fighting team! Their hero's in a half-shell and their green! Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles...When the evil Shredder attacks, those turtle boys don't cut him no slack! [Best cartoon song ever!]

dietcokegrrl said...

That picture at Braum's is my fave! Hilarious! Although that one with Weston and the kitty is a close second. And yeah...what's with the zebras? Totally random.

LOVE the mini-vacay recap. Nice job!