On the Osage: Could This Be Oklahoma?

Could this be Oklahoma? The Beauty of Osage County Offers Healing for the Soul by Kelly Bland

I remember the first time I came up to Osage County, Oklahoma. My daughters were taking me to Pawhuska for my birthday. As we drove on Highway 11 between Skiatook and Barnsdall, I couldn’t get over the green — EVERYWHERE — in the ditches, in the pastures, and in people’s yards. Now, when you grow up in Mesquite Country, it lends itself to a perspective etched upon the beholder by the cutting edge of drought, the stubbornness of rocky soil, the penetration of sweltering summers, and the scarcity of flowing waters. Osage County looked like paradise. You might say that a “Texas Troubadour” of a disposition makes one appreciate country where the creeks aren’t dry.

Could this be Oklahoma??? I was used to vacations in Ruidoso or the mountains of Colorado; it had never hit my radar that country could be so beautiful in Oklahoma. But here it was, calling to me with every intoxicating green drink my eyes were downing. I was thirsty, and it wasn’t just my optics needing a swig — it was my very soul.

It would seem America is the land of commodities — like goods and services, purple mountains majesty, and amber waves of grain. Yet, there seems to be a scarcity these days of commodities of the heart like wholesomeness, old-fashioned kindness, honesty, and down-home hospitality.

The day we visited the Osage, it was like stepping back in time or onto the streets of Mayberry. A lady wearing a red checkered shirt with a sheriff’s badge greeted the line on the sidewalk outside of The Pioneer Woman Mercantile, telling stories of Ben Johnson and John Wayne on the streets of Pawhuska, of Rolls Royce’s in abundance, and million-dollar oil deals / wrestling matches being made up by the courthouse in the days of the early oil boom.

As we walked across the wooden floor to our table for lunch, The Marlboro Man (Ladd Drummond) walked through the doors, spurs jingling, stopping to visit amongst the dining tables filled with patrons. Could this be Oklahoma??

Yes, this is Oklahoma. They say our famous Route 66 connects the East to the West across the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave. I would like to propose that it brings both East and West to Oklahoma — the heartland of America.

Osage County has an abundance of heart commodities. It’s a place where respect and honor can still be found. Legends live on in places like The Ben Johnson Cowboy Museum, Woolaroc, the Osage Co. Historical Society Museum, the Osage Nation Museum and more. You can take a family drive through the rolling hills between Bartlesville and Pawhuska or Bowring and drink in the beauty. Let things get a little western on the western edge of the Osage with a stay at the HaT Ranch Lodge or the Ben Ranch Cabins, where you can kick back or kayak on the Arkansas River or just count cows from the front porch. Enjoy a steak at Mandy’s Café in Shidler on a Saturday night or watch the sun go down on the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve. Catch your second wind at Lake Skiatook or relax at the pristine Postoak Lodge on 1,000 acres of gorgeous land just outside of Tulsa in the Osage Hills. Find your happy place in Hominy at Buck’s Eats & Treats or visit with Cha’ Tullis at his downtown gallery. Tip the scales in your favor, take a tour and even visit the Pioneer Woman Lodge where her Food Network TV show is filmed.

Whatever activity you choose, one thing is certain — while other parts of the country may be running dry on sweet, oldfashioned goodness, there’s healing for the soul in the place where #TheCowboyNeverRidesAway, #TheSmilesAreAlwaysFree and #ImagineThat ��, right smack dab in the middle of some of the prettiest country God ever made — and yes, this is Oklahoma — Osage County, Oklahoma. Y’all come see us! ��

“IT WAS THE SESSION OF MY DREAMS!”

I really loved the way Molly truly cared about my opinion during my session. I loved the investment she placed in me and the way she made me feel confident through the entire experience.

- Shiloh M.

523 County Road 4955, Shidler, OK 74652 918.604.1077

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