Day 61, May 2, 2023, Tuesday.  Tulsa, OK (101 miles) (elevation 700)

We departed Oklahoma City and checked into West Bend RV outpost (FHU).  We visited the Sherwin Miller Museum of Jewish Art.  An interesting museum with many varied types of art work and much about Jewish history. Note the beautiful stained glass made by Tiffany. Only a few minutes away from the Jewish Museum is Oral Roberts University. Note the prayer hands sculpture at one of the University entrances. We went up the 200 foot glass and steel Prayer Tower by selecting the second floor button of the elevator.  There were Christian prayers on every wall and a nice view of the varied architectural styles of other campus buildings.  We then drove around downtown to view the Art Deco style buildings.

Sherwin Miller Museum of Jewish Art

Oral Roberts University

Day 62, May 3, 2023, Wednesday.  Tulsa, OK 

Although the website requires timed entry tickets, we showed up to the Bob Dylan Center just a few minutes before the 10:00 am opening and were admitted without any problems. This is a complete history of Dylan’s life and music. Guests receive headphones and a device to tap at various exhibits to hear Dylan music or interviews of Dylan or others.  We spent over 3 hours there enjoying the exhibits while listening to the music. I played my favorite piece (Tangled Up In Blue) more than once!  After lunch we visited the Philbrook Museum of Art which was the home and gardens of Waite Phillips, a younger brother of Frank Phillips (the Phillips 66 founder), who founded his own oil company. Many different types of art and a special exhibit, “Rembrandt to Monet”, was here during our visit. After the museum we walked around the gardens. While walking we came upon a rabbit sculpture with a live rabbit also taking in the view. Next we visited the Boston Avenue United Methodist Church, a beautiful 255 foot high, 15 floor, Art Deco building. The sanctuary has an organ with 4,355 pipes. Next we drove along Route 66 which, unlike some other sections of this road we have visited, actually had some active businesses.

The Bob Dylan Center

Philbrook Museum of Art

Day 63, May 4, 2023, Thursday.  Barnsdall, OK (Bartlesville) (36 miles) (elevation 742)

We departed Tulsa for a short drive to Birch Lake, a US Army Corps of Engineers recreation area with an RV campground (30 amp E). We chose a beautiful lake front site. This would be our base for visiting Bartlesville, about 24 miles away.  We drove to downtown Bartlesville for the 2:00 tour of the Price Tower which was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.  It was built from 1953 to 1956 for the H.C. Price Company (a  pipeline construction company). This was the only skyscraper designed by Wright that was actually built. Our tour visited the 1st, 2nd, and 16th through 19th floors. There were many cramped angular spaces, especially the elevators which could  hold no more than 3 people. The exterior is concrete and copper. Since Wright was 86 when the tower was completed, he had the copper sprayed with a chemical to turn it green (figuring that his life span would not allow him to see it age naturally). Wright required the copper to be green so it would resemble nature - a tree. A museum on the second floor provided us with more information about the tower and about Wright. We then walked next door to The Center, which is the city’s performing arts center, and took a peek inside. This building was designed by a student of Frank Lloyd Wright and its features incorporated many of his ideas. We then drove to the Frank Phillips Mansion (founder of Phillips 66) but we had just missed the last tour of the house. So we viewed the museum on the grounds. Frank and his younger brother, L.E. Phillips founded Phillips 66 in 1917. Coming to Bartlesville after oil was discovered there, the brothers had borrowed enough money to drill 4 wells in 1908. Their first well found very little oil and the second and third found none. The fourth well was a gusher and the rest is history. 

The Price Tower

The Center

Day 64, May 5, 2023, Friday.  Barnsdall, OK (Bartlesville)

This morning we went back to the Frank Phillips Historic Home and had a private tour of the mansion. The 26 room 3 story house was built in 1909 and is 90% original as the house was left to a granddaughter who donated it to the City. Beautiful interior and furnishings shows what a successful businessman he was. Notice the barber’s chair in his bathroom.  Mr. Phillips started out as a barber before he got into the oil business and had his barber come to his house to give him haircuts. Mr. Phillips also gave back to the City. One example, when the Depression hit, he paid off the mortgages of all the churches in town so that none would be lost. A drive around town shows many of the downtown buildings are Phillips 66 buildings. The main street in town is the Frank Phillips Boulevard. Our next stop was 12 miles south of town to Woolaroc Ranch, Museum and Wildlife Preserve.  Woolaroc was initially a retreat for Frank Phillips and began in 1925. Today it consists of a 3,700 acre wildlife preserve and 50,000 square foot museum of southwest art. Among the animals on the preserve are bison, elk, deer, water buffalo, emu, ostriches, llamas, longhorn cattle, aoudads (see photo), zebra and Scottish Highland Cattle.  Although some are in fenced pens, the bison are not which leads to signs posted to not get out of your car while driving the Ranch’s loop road. The museum was huge and we had a private tour by a docent giving his first tour. Ten rooms of different items including Native American history, Cowboys, Native American Territory, Southwestern Art, the Woolaroc Airplane, a room of Colt Firearms, and not least, the history of Frank Phillips. Many of the rooms had animal heads mounted on the walls. None were hunted but were Woolaroc animals that passed away naturally or gifts given to Woolaroc. As we were departing our exit was delayed by the bison who were walking (slowly) on the road. Great opportunity for some close up photos!

Frank Phillips Historic Home

Woolaroc Ranch, Museum and Wildlife Preserve

Aoudad

Sunset at Birch Lake

Day 65, May 6, 2023, Saturday.  Barnsdall, OK (Bartlesville)

Last night was the first time since early in this trip we did not have the heater on at night. It appears we finally caught up with summer weather. So after getting into my shorts, we headed to the Bartlesville Farmer’s Market whose season started today. We bought a banana bread and a small jar of prickly pear syrup. The item was supposed to be jelly but did not solidify so it was for sale as syrup for $2. I figured for that price I’ll try it in my morning oatmeal.  Next was grocery shopping and then back to the coach for a relaxing afternoon before “date night”. Dinner at Luigi’s Italian Restaurant in Bartlesville. We entered with another couple and we asked how the food was and the response was “well it’s no Olive Garden”. Our expectations just went way down. However, the chicken parm with penne pasta was very good, the caesar salad not so much. Next was back to the Center for a performance by the Bartlesville Symphony Orchestra.  The Center has 1,700 seats but only about 200 were occupied so we were not sure what quality of orchestra we were in for. Fortunately, the orchestra was very good and an enjoyable concert resulted in a standing ovation. This was the season finale for the BSO and afterward we joined in the post-season celebratory dessert reception. Very glad we did not have dessert at Luigi’s as we took a couple chocolate chip cookies which each had about a 6 inch diameter.