Oklahoma: The Old West Revisited

• Gilcrease Museum 1400 N. Gilcrease Museum Rd., Tulsa, 888/655-2278, gilcrease.org, free

Day 2
After breakfast at the inn, we set out for the African-American district of Greenwood, which was so prosperous a century ago that it was known as the Black Wall Street. In 1921, how­ever, white mobs torched 35 blocks of the neighborhood in one of the worst race riots in U.S. history, leaving an estimated 300 people dead and thousands of homes and businesses destroyed. At the Greenwood Cultural Center on Greenwood Avenue, which is now home to just a few businesses, we're awestruck by the photos of the devastation.

WHAT'S NEW IN THE OLD WEST Just how charming are Tulsa, Bartlesville, and Oklahoma City? These photographs will have you daydreaming about your next road trip. • Launch the slide show

Next, Mom insists we see one of her favorite Tulsa landmarks: the 76-foot-tall Golden Driller statue, erected in 1953 for a petroleum exposition. It currently stands in front of the state's fairgrounds, and as I sit awkwardly on the driller's size 393 boot, Mom reminisces about going to state fairs that had live music, cattle competitions, and, of course, fried food. I'm a little disappointed that this year's fair is still a month away--I'm curious about the deep-fried bacon and cheddar mashed potatoes on a stick.

We sate our appetites at Weber's Superior Root Beer, a fast-food stand across town. Its founder, Oscar Weber Bilby, claimed to have grilled up the world's first hamburger on July 4, 1891. Although the burgers are filling enough--they're served on buns five inches wide--we also have root beer floats served in old-fashioned mugs. Waddling back to the car is starting to feel like a trend.

An hour later, we're driving past fields dotted with hay bales and happily singing country songs on our way to Cherokee country. The mood turns somber, though, when we get to the Cherokee Heritage Center near Tahlequah to see the Trail of Tears exhibit, which details the forced relocation of Cherokees in 1838 from the southeastern U.S. Outside is a replica of a village showing what life was like in the Cherokees' homeland, and our guide, who is part Cherokee, demonstrates how to use a blowgun made out of river cane.

The sun is setting when we reach The Hydrangea Bed & Breakfast, a 102-year-old Victorian house in McAlester. We walk to Chef Billy's, owned by Billy Green, a former mechanic with a foot-long ponytail. After trying the pork tenderloin with "mop sauce" (a mix of brown sugar and vinegar), I'm thankful Green pursued his culinary dream.

Lodging

• The Hydrangea Bed & Breakfast 349 E. Washington Ave., McAlester, 918/423-5050, thehydrangea.com, from $99

Food

• Weber's Superior Root Beer 3817 S. Peoria Ave., Tulsa, 918/742-1082, webersoftulsa.com, burger $3
• Chef Billy's 214 E. Choctaw Ave., McAlester, 918/423-4200, tenderloin $17

Activities