Five things to love about Tulsa

 Five Things to Love about Tulsa: Tulsa is Green Country.

Things I’ve only seen in books grow here. Even when I have seen something in person…Tulsa produces a perfect example.

Each year has something else glorious shows off. This year the dogwood trees are singing a song.

The Tulsa Garden Center is a shining example of what can grow in Tulsa. Visit during the peak bloom time (mid May – June) to see nearly 250 varieties of roses bloom in the Rose Garden.

Five Things to Love about Tulsa:  Native America 

The 5 Moons Statue at the Tulsa Historical Society show admiration to Native American ballerinas.  Each sculpture represents the ballerina in her favorite ballet.

Rosella Hightower, of Choctaw heritage, took the ballet world by storm in the early 40s. After dancing her way into the hearts of Europeans she opened one of Europe’s leading ballet schools in Cannes, France.

Yvonne Chouteau, (born 1929) of  Shawnee heritage, was the youngest dancer ever accepted into the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo and at 14 was the youngest memberevery admitted into the into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame.

Yvonne is in the back.

Moscelyne Larkin, of Shawnee-Peoria Heritage, founded the Tulsa Ballet.

Maria Tallchief, of Osage heritage, was the first Native American to hold the title of Major Prima Ballerina and she founded the Chicago City Ballet.

Marjorie Tallchief, of Osage heritage, and yes sister to Maria, was the first Native American to be named the Premiere Danseuse Etoile in the Paris Opera Ballet.

Five Things to Love about Tulsa:  Tulsa is green.

Besides an active recycling program, notes like this one on the curb keep Tulsans focused on taking care of the Earth

Five Things to Love about Tulsa:  Tulsa has great restaurants.

There are so many to pick from but the Memories of Japan sushi place in Broken Arrow is my favorite!! If you get to visit, order the sushi in a boat. It really comes in a wooden boat!

The new Nourish Cafe has healthy and delicious shakes. How often do you hear healthy and delicious in the same sentence? This is a real treat! You can find them at the impossible to forget address: 1717 east 17th street.

Five Things to Love about Tulsa:  Tulsa is historic.

Tulsa was built on oil money and the Golden Driller is a monument to that! Wonder what size shoe he wears? He is 76 feet tall, weighs 22 tons and is Oklahoma’s official state monument. When he was built in 1953, Tulsa sat on the world’s largest known pool of oil.

Route 66 passes right through town. Opening in 1926, Route 66 ran from Chicago, Illinois to Santa Monica, California for a total of  2,448 miles. It served as a major path for those heading west and in 1938 became the very first US highway to be completely paved.

Have you been to Green Country?

Happy Travels,

Natalie, The Educational Tourist