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Bad River Development Idea No. 24

Everyone agrees that Riverside Drive is one of Tulsa’s most unique and beautifual assets.

Why then are so many people dead set on screwing it up? Over the years I have heard some of the silliest ideas pitched as “river development” along the Arkansas. Skyscrapers on a sand bar, a miniature Branson next to a refinery, sailboats beside the Pedestrian Bridge, a shopping center with no shopping… oh, wait, that one actually happened.

Proposed Tulsa Harbour — photo courtesy Hammerhead Bicycles

Then today I came across a new kooky idea: build an amusement park on Turkey Mountain! Yeah, the lovely urban wilderness where people love to run and ride bicycles would become (drum roll, please): Tulsa Harbour.

It must be classy because they put a U in harbor. And this isn’t just some Photoshop ha-ha. Here’s a rather disturbing post I found on the Turkey Mountain events calendar– Avid Hiker writes:

Just a note to all of you that enjoy Turkey Mtn – this small bit of “urban wilderness” that we are so blessed with in Tulsa: I ran into a group of developers in the parking lot today. They are wanting to develop the lower SE corner of Turkey Mtn. from 71st to the south end of the trails into an amusement park similar to Frontier City with hotels. It would take up 140 acres. It would be called Tulsa Harbour. You can verify this with Jeannie Cue, District 2 City Councilor, and Nick Lombardi, Stan Frisbie Real Estate.

This isn’t just a bad idea. It’s a terrible idea. I’m all for development and better utilizing our riverfront’s natural resources- but screwing it up to do so seems a little short-sighted.

Save Sixty Years

As you enter Oklahoma on I-44 in the northeastern corner of our state you pass a sign. It’s an official highways sign, but it’s really an advertisement. It’s an advertisement for the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority touting the benefits of traveling the Will Rogers Turnpike. It shows an I-44 marker and says something like “save two hours, follow this sign.”

Many years ago I imagined a similar sign that should be posted along that same stretch of highway. I sketched it on a long-forgotten paper device known as a “sketchbook.” I recently created the digital version you see here.

I was prompted to share this after reading a Tulsa World article about a new task force dedicated to helping Tulsa promote its Route 66 history. I wrote a short article about the topic for our Two Wheel Oklahoma blog:

Task Force Promotes Route 66 in Tulsa

Oklahoma has more miles of Route 66 than any other state and Tulsa has lagged in her efforts to market this rich history. I hope this endeavor gains traction.

Memories of the Kon Tiki

Jackie discovered this vintage postcard from the Kon Tiki Hotel in Phoenix, Arizona. On the back it explains the Kon Tiki offered a “fabulous Polynesean (sic) atmosphere in the midst of Phoenix.”

Back in 1989 we made the trek to Phoenix, Arizona for the U.S. Grand Prix. Now as Formula One Grand Prixs go it was a mediocre affair- the course was set out on the streets of downtown Phoenix and, needless to say, it was hotter than hell. And yes, it was a dry heat.

One of the non-automotive highlights of that trip for me was our accommodations. A friend from Spartan had told me about a unique hotel at the corner of 26th and Van Buren. “You’d love the place,” were his words, “And it’s across the street from the State mental institution.”

Hmmm, lovely. Not knowing much more than that I dug around and found out a hotel called the Kon Tiki was located at 26th and Van Buren. Turned out it was a mecca of island kitsch, soaring Fifties rooflines and orange Trimline phones. It was also smack in the middle of the red light district- but that’s a story for another day.

“Come to KON TIKI and take away a life long memory.”

Classic Tulsa Archive

Anyone interested in vintage views of Tulsa should visit the vast archive of photographs from the Beryl Ford Collection. The database has been made available online by the Tulsa City-County Library system and the Tulsa Rotory Club. Prints are also available through the Tulsa Historical Society.

The collection offers more than 22,000 images collected over a lifetime by this humble historian of Tulsa’s early years. This collection is so amazing because of the numerous scenes of everyday life- like this scene showing a traffic accident at 11th and Denver.

Courtesy of Beryl Ford Collection/Rotary Club of Tulsa, Tulsa City-County Library and Tulsa Historical Society

Set the Wayback for “then” and explore the Tulsa of yesteryear. I think you’ll agree, it’s an invaluable resource for our City.

Browse the Beryl Ford Collection

Tulsa One of Many Potential Shuttle Stops

Tulsa is hoping to land one of NASA’s surplus Space Shuttles. And we’re not the only ones- cities from Huntsville to London have lined up for a piece of that ceramic tile action.

But we have one ace in the hole, something no other city can boast. We have Roadside America rooting for Tulsa!

www.roadsideamerica.com/blog/land-that-space-shuttle

Monorail… monorail… monorail…