Category: tulsa

Fourth of July Staycation

We decided to have a short Staycation. Like many Americans this Summer we found the idea of venturing far away too… um, expensive. With gas prices and the thermometer both rising rapidly it made sense to consider destinations close to home. With air conditioning.

We started by visiting a strange and novel place unfamiliar to most residents of Tulsa County. It’s called “Downtown Tulsa.” The landscape of this unique area is made up mostly of asphalt ponds and a forest of Art Deco. Tulsans seldom venture here for fear of one-way streets.

Amity- a statue in the Civic Center Plaza, circa late Seventies.Seriously, things are looking up downtown. But don’t look up too long, or you’ll step into an excavation! It seemed like every street was under construction of one sort or another. It appears to be utility infrastructure work is being performed in addition to asphalt renewal. Hopefully it will all be finished soon, and worth the wait.

It Means Roasted Corn
Our first stop was for lunch at a new Mexican restaurant call Eloté. If you’re not familiar with the name, you’ll probably know the location- they are in the old Nelson’s Buffeteria at 514 S. Boston. The menu is not the typical Texican fare, but a refreshing mix of authentic south-of-the-border and nouveau Mex. Eloté emphasizes fresh ingredients, and they use as much local produce as possible.

I had the fish tacos and Jackie ordered veggie tamales with sweet potato sauce. The fish was grilled just right- a little crusty and not too soft. The sweet potato side order is highly recommended. Oh, speaking of sides, eloté is roasted corn, a common snack sold by street vendors in Mexico.

After lunch we strolled Boston Avenue and admired our “art deco main street.” My favorite is still the old NBT Bank Building (now know as 320 Boston Building) with its ornate ceiling and dirigible mooring mast on top. In October this street will very busy as thousands of architecture geeks descend on Tulsa for the National Preservation Conference. We decided coffee and dessert sounded good, so we headed west toward the historic Mayo Hotel.

The main lobby is available to rent for special events, receptions, weddings, etc. That’s been going on for a couple of years. Renovations upstairs are finally underway at the Mayo, something Tulsans have heard over and over through the years. It appears it might actually be happening this time!

Not in Kansas
Another business on the ground floor of the once-grand Mayo Hotel is the Cafe Topeca. Topeca Coffee is from El Salvador and available in the US through this Tulsa business. They roast the beans nearby and serve light snacks and desserts, along with their excellent coffee of course. The atmosphere is calm and inviting. We enjoyed coffee and a creamy cake-thing and lounged for almost an hour.

Oh yeah- they pronounce it tow-PAY-kuh.

After our coffee break we visited the Central Library to pick up a couple of videos and then headed back home. All in all a very enjoyable staycation.

My Town…
more fun links and other tidbits for exploring Tulsa

Our Nation’s Birthday on the Mother Road

Turned out I had a free morning this Fourth of July. Jackie had most of her morning planned with errands to run, visits to make, etc. I, on the other hand, had not a care in the world.

It had been a while since I rolled out the bike for a solo pleasure cruise. It was a beautiful Oklahoma morning and the weather forecast was favorable, so this seemed like the perfect time. After checking the tire pressure I rolled the BMW out of the garage and saddled up. I honestly had no idea where I was headed as I pulled out of the driveway.

Continue reading Our Nation’s Birthday on the Mother Road

Local Grocery Now Open

Jackie and I finally found time to drop by the Blue Jackalope today. It’s a local grocery store near Newblock Park and the brainchild of my friend, Scott Smith. The official opening was May 29th, but we’ve been busy with this and that, so this was our first chance to see it “in action.”

Scott’s loaded the shelves with an eclectic mix of local produce, canned goods, cold drinks and Mexican candy. To satisfy those looking for instant gratification there’s also high-octane coffee and light fare to nosh on. Future plans include more prepared meals and gospel karaoke on Sunday mornings.

The Blue Jackalope is located at 306 S. Phoenix, which is just west of downtown on Charles Page Boulevard. For hours and more info visit www.bluejackalope.com.

Reclamation Party

Last week the demolition of homes along Skelly Drive began in earnest. These were the first houses in the Patrick Henry area to come down to make way for I-44’s expansion. Each evening a hardy few gather to glean plants, fixtures and lumber from the area. It all has an uncanny party atmosphere about it.

Wandering around the rubble I was struck by the sheer waste. With copper and aluminum prices soaring, the valuable scrap being hauled to the landfill was the first thing that caught my attention. Copper wiring, plumbing and air conditioner units had barely been touched. There is literally tons of building materials, doors, windows and fixtures, well worth salvaging, being wasted.

Most of these are duplexes that appear to have been abandoned in a Pompeian manner. Many still had various artifacts of life still present- cookware, cleaning supplies, even furniture. Some yards are well manicured and landscaped. We rescued several loads of plants.

A neighbor stopped by while we were digging up some particularly lush monkey grass. He had asked the workers if he could salvage a ceiling fan from a house soon to be razed. Not no, but hell no was their response. The foreman explained the Oklahoma Department of Transportation requires anyone on the premises to have insurance. So the ceiling fan left in a dump truck with the wood, bricks and porcelain that had once been a home.

The heavy machinery is parked for Memorial Day weekend, so I bet the reclamation party will continue. Party on.

Our Leisure Time in the Internet Age

I love trolling through Craigslist.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not an obsession. I don’t spend every waking moment there. But when I have a few minutes to kill that’s one of the bookmarks I occasionally visit.

You never know what you’ll find. This morning under motorcycles/scooters I spotted “Large gas powered train holds 5 people” located in Kansas, OK. How could I resist? You just have to click on this stuff. The train cars are made from 55 gallon drums.

Or last week I came across a jar of dirt. It was free.

The free stuff is sometimes a little crazy. Almost creepy. Like today’s post for “Fun random things,” that sounds a little scary to me. What sort of serial random murderer might be lurking behind that randomized email address?

A couple of months ago I saw a vintage BMW motorcycle. I sent it to a friend half-jokingly. Last week he called me up to tell me he’d just bought it. Which proves you must be very careful how you use this powerful tool. You can quickly put yourself, or a friend, in the poor house!

So remember- the ‘List has great power. Use it only for good, not for evil.

tulsa.craigslist.org

The best of Craigslist….