Ok-la-ho-ma!

I'm in Oklahoma!  Where the wind comes sweepin' down the plain!

It's the National Main Street conference time of year and the Wyoming Main Street program asked me to come on their trip with them again this year.

Since Thursday, I've been traveling with about 50 people from around the state on a big coach bus.  We've visited four small towns outside Oklahoma City to see how those communities are putting Main Street principles to use.

It's been a lot of fun, and let me tell you, I really like Oklahoma!  The people are super friendly and have the best Southern accents - not too deep South and with some Western twang thrown in.  Their towns are cute, and this part of the state, anyway, is not at all what I thought Oklahoma looked like, which was brown, dry, and in the dust bowl.

Here's what we've been up to...

Our bus...

First stop: Newkirk, Okla.,...

After a tour of the Newkirk downtown we headed to the Stagecoach for some BBQ.  This place is award winning, taking national and state awards.  They've even been on the Food Network...

Jane, director of the Evanston, Wyo., Main Street program and myself...

I just thought this was funny...

On to Ponca City, Okla.!  After another downtown tour and some dinner at a local Italian spot, we had a private show at the Poncan Theater.  This place was COOL...

We watched a Vaudeville-style show...

And got a thorough tour of the place afterwards.  When they were renovating they found about 53 hand painted movie posters stacked in the rafters of a closet.  I guess back in the early Hollywood days, movie posters were created like this and sent to theaters.  What a find, huh?  Local folks "sponsored" paintings for $1,000 which would clean them up and get them framed.  The sponsor then got a plaque with their name beside the poster.  Super neat-o...

The next morning (Saturday), we landed in Perry, Okla.  Our first stop was a pioneer museum where many of us tried...smoked BEAVER!  If you could get past the mental block you'd discover it tasted just like brisket.  Not that I'd ever choose beaver over brisket, but I can at least say I've tried it...!

Later at the museum, a bunch of pioneer-dressed kids performed a Maypole dance before heading to the school house for a lesson by the m'arm...

Happy May Day!  (And anniversary to my mom and dad!)

Wyoming Main Street in front of the Perry Carnegie Library...

The local diner, which has been around for 80+ years hosted us for some sangria.  I have an obsession with old neon signs...

The cafe...

On to Guthrie, Okla.  Guthrie used to be the Oklahoma state capital before it moved to Oklahoma City.  This downtown was gorgeous!  It was huge and had beautiful buildings.  This photo doesn't do it total justice...

Another "eat" sign at the BBQ joint we went to for dinner...

Last stop on Saturday, Oklahoma City.  The Laramie, Wyo., Main Street director and I made our way to the memorial for the Oklahoma City bombing.  It's quite pretty at night.  Many of my other photos didn't come out too great, but here's one to give you an idea.  There's 168, I believe, chairs at the site - one for each person killed.  The chairs are in rows and where an individuals chair is located represents which floor of the Alfred P. Murrah building they sat on...

More reporting from Oklahoma to come!