So here's how the trip was initiated. I got an email from Southwest with the best deals I've ever seen. I also needed to fly one more time before February 4th in order to get a free flight. Since we had planned to go somewhere for our anniversary but then didn't b/c Dave had knee surgery, we still had money earmarked for a quick get-away. I had to book the flights that night so I called Dave at work. We talked about a few different places, most of them being in Cali however since I've never been we wanted to do that right and be there for a week. So we threw out some other options and finally we decided that I would just pick a city and surprise him. My criteria: a big enough city where the airport is close to downtown so we could take an airport shuttle and not have to rent a car. A small enough city so that we could stay in a swanky hotel w/o breaking the bank. The chosen city: Tulsa. Yep, Tulsa. We were gone for literally 36 hours but we had a great time. It was so nice to get outta dodge for a little bit and to spend so much time together (given we work opposite schedules, it's a bit trying at times).
I chose to stay at the Hotel Ambassador b/c that's where The Pioneer Woman stayed when she did her cookbook tour and she gave it good reviews. One of the pluses is that they not only pick you up from the airport but they also will drive you anywhere within a 5 mile radius of the hotel (in a black Escalade no less, not one of those hotel buses). As we're approaching the outside doors at the airport I spot the Escalade and tell Dave there's our ride. He thought I was joking. No honey, when I plan a trip, I plan it right (ask him about our fun honeymoon). So we go to the hotel and settle in and then pick up a walking tour map of downtown Tulsa. One of the employees warned us that there might not be many places open for lunch but told us of the Blue Dome district that would surly have something. Dave and I set out towards downtown (the hotel is on the outskirts) in search of food and knowledge. We weaved our way towards the Blue Dome district with Dave reading information from our map on our way. Here's how the various stops went: This building used to be the tallest building west of the Mississippi. Next stop: This building used to be the tallest building in Tulsa. Next stop: This building used to be the tallest...ah, you get the picture. Tulsa is apparently known for their architecture and apparently kept outdoing themselves. One notable building was designed by the same guy who built the World Trade Center. One thing that immediately struck us about downtown was how deserted it was. It got to a point where we'd get to an intersection and we wouldn't even have to look both ways before crossing. I guess I take Denver for granted and now appreciate it even more.
There are lots of churches in Tulsa. We think the reason they're so big is that they were built during the time that oil was huge in Tulsa and all these people had lots of money to build such large churches. Oh, I just read on the "Tulsa Tidbits" sheet that I kept that the Glen Pool oil strike in 1905 put Tulsa on the map (once known as the "Oil Capital of the World"). So there you go, I feel that our theory is likely true.
Then we came upon this arch:
to a parking lot?
Finally we made it to the Blue Dome district and we picked Joe Momma's (a pizzeria). Now, I love pizza and I don't believe in messing it up with all kinds of fancy toppings...pepperoni is the way to go. But since we were in Tulsa I agreed to try The Oklahoman. It was basically a pulled pork sandwich without the bread and put onto pizza. It was AMAZING! I know what you're thinking, gross right? Well you're wrong. Dave and I decided to splurge on drinks. They had Miller High Life on tap for a whopping $1. And listed under "Premium Beers" was PBR Tallboy for $2. Since Rob loves PBR I had to get one in his honor.
I also couldn't resist the dirt pie. My mom makes this for the kids. Gummy worms and everything. This was just like mom's, gummy worms and everything (but yours is better Mum).
This is the Atlas Life Building.
At first I was excited to see another human being out-and-about and wondered why he was all dressed up.
But then realized he was painted on the wall.
When we got back to the hotel we asked for advice on what to do next. One of the suggestions was Utica Place, an outdoor mall type place. It was a very cute area and we had fun looking in all the boutiques. After a quick nap we got ready for dinner. A couple of suggestions were thrown at us and in true Sara form I picked the place where the locals go. Next time I should do a little more research. Let me set the stage first. Our diet has been mostly meatless for over a year. We are smack dab in the middle of ranching country. Meatless diet + ranching country = well let's just say these two things don't go together as well as peas and carrots for example. So this restaurant, Jamil's, is touted as a Lebanese restaurant. The only thing Lebanese about it was the hummus & pitas and Tabouleh they served (instead of bread). The menu was literally all meat. Not wanting leftovers Dave and I shared a steak and the recommended hors d'oeuvres. What are the hors d'oeuvres you ask? Great question! It is bologna, ribs and a cabbage roll (stuffed with ground meat). The steak was pretty tasty. The rest of the stuff was a little overwhelming for me. It was definitely a local joint...this place was packed! While I wouldn't necessarily recommend this place, it was definitely an experience and made for a few good laughs.
I'm feeling much better so I'll sign off for now and post about day 2 another time.
1 comment:
The place does look deserted. Love the coat.
Post a Comment