Oklahoma’s Rhythm and Routes
Music that has Touched the World
6 Days | Spring | Summer | Fall
Starting At $Flexible Pricing
This tour explores Oklahoma’s unique musical past and present. From the songs of the common man written by legendary folk singer Woody Guthrie to the chart-topping hits of country superstars Garth Brooks and Blake Shelton, Oklahomans have long been churning out tunes that touch world. Music has long been an integral part of the Oklahoma experience.
This Land is Your Land
Highlights
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U S Tours Flexible Pricing:
- Customizable Comps
- Commissionable or Net Rates
- Luxury or First Class Hotels & Meals
- Motorcoach Transportation & Professional Tours Managers are available
Whatever you want, U S Tours will be happy to structure tour prices to match your needs. Just let us know!
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Itinerary
Day 1 – Historic Coleman Theatre w/ lunch – Pawhuska, OK – Pioneer Woman Mercantile
Your tour begins in Miami, OK at The Coleman Theatre. The Coleman Theatre opened on April 18, 1929 and was built by George L. Coleman Sr., a local mining magnate. The opulent structure with Louis XV interior design dazzled the audiences of the day. From that day forward, the Coleman Theatre has never been “dark.” Today, a Box Lunch on the Historic Stage is included.
Then you move on to Pawhuska to visit the Pioneer Woman Mercantile, owned by Food Network TV show host Ree Drummond, aka The Pioneer Woman. This shop is a must-see destination. The Pioneer Woman Mercantile began in 1910 as Osage Mercantile and was a place for trading goods and browsing. Ree and family wanted to honor The Merc’s legacy by creating a shopping experience that hints to an earlier time in small town America. It takes time to see it all, so stop in and stay awhile!
Come explore the glorious cabinets, browse the abundant shelves, and peek in all the drawers! Shopping at The Merc is a treasure hunt, with surprises everywhere you turn. There is also a Deli and a Bakery where you can enjoy comfort food classics in the deli, to hand-crafted bakery items, the offerings are endlessly delicious.
Before leaving, enjoy dinner that consists of a 4-course meal, appetizers, salads, entrees, dessert and beverage – all made in The Mercantile and served family style. Continue travel to Ponca City, OK for the night. (D)
Day 2 – Roaring ’20s Breakfast & Tour of Marland Mansion – Oklahoma City – American Banjo Museum Performance
Start the day with a Roaring ’20s-themed breakfast at the Marland Mansion & Estate. Then tour the 1920s-era, Italian-inspired home whose elegance earned it the nickname “Palace on the Prairie.” You’ll hear the stranger-than-fiction tales of the life of E.W. Marland, the late oil baron and Oklahoma Governor – and Lydie, his adopted daughter who went on to become his second wife.
Then you stop in Stillwater, for a photo opportunity at Willie’s Saloon. A Stillwater tradition since 1974, Willie’s Saloon is a historical staple on “The Strip” near OSU. Home to the first public performances of Garth Brooks.
No stop in Stillwater would be complete without lunch at Eskimo Joe’s. The restaurant is one of the nation’s most well-known college bars and regularly hosts live music, earning it the nickname “Stillwater’s Jumpin’ Little Juke Joint.” Enjoy a delicious charbroiled burger with a plate of their famous cheese fries. You may want to stop in the gift shop for souvenirs featuring the restaurant’s recognizable logo: a grinning cartoon boy and his dog.
Next you’ll head to the outskirts of Stillwater to The Farm. The former home of late songwriter Bob Childers is considered the “Birthplace of Red Dirt Music,” a genre that takes its name from the color of the Oklahoma soil. While Childers’ home burned down years ago, the garage that he turned into a performance space remains. Here you will enjoy live music from local artists.
Arriving in Oklahoma City, you check into your hotel, located in the Bricktown District, for a two night stay. Then head to The American Banjo Museum for dinner along with an exclusive performance and a tour. The museum houses the largest collection of banjos on public display in the world and is the only museum dedicated to just the banjo. Discover banjo history from its humble African roots through its heyday during the roaring ’20s to its present-day voice in bluegrass, folk, jazz and world music. Then, take a seat in the performance venue modeled after one of the wildly popular banjo nightclubs of the 1960s, known as Your Father’s Mustache, to enjoy dinner followed with an exclusive banjo performance. (B,D)
Day 3 – National Cowboy & Heritage Museum – Toby Keith – Vince Gill
Visit the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum. From Albert Bierstadt’s glowing landscape, Emigrants Crossing the Plains, and works by Remington and Russell, to Native American art, see some of the finest Western art in the country. Round out the tour with a look at the evolution of the working cowboy to their portrayal in film and pop culture. The Museum’s Hall of Great Western Performers includes musicians (and Oklahoma native) Gene Autry, Vince Gill and Reba McEntire.
Lunch is included at Toby Keith’s “I Love This Bar” Restaurant. Toby Keith, a native of Moore, OK, began is rise to fame in the early 1990’s. In 2018, Keith ranked in the top 10 highest paid country music stars by Forbes’.
After lunch, stop by Northwest Classen High School for a photo with a statue of one of the school’s most famous alums: country singer Vince Gill. The school honors Gill with a 9.5 foot statue featuring him with his beloved 1952 Fender Telecaster.
This evening enjoy a night in OKC’s entertainment district, Bricktown. Dinner is on your own this evening. (B,L)
Day 4 – Rhythm & Routes Mural – Old Red – MsSwain Theatre Performance & Dinner – McAlester
Travel southwest this morning and start the day in Duncan, OK. Stop at the town’s Rhythm & Routes Mural, which honors two former area residents, who penned legendary tunes.
Then you head over to the Stephens Country Historical Museum to learn their stories. One is Mae Boren Axton, who co-wrote the Elvis Presley hit “Heartbreak Hotel” and the second is her son Hoyt Axton, a singer and songwriter who wrote hits like the Kingston Trio’s “Greenback Dollar” and Three Dog Nights’s “Joy to the World” and “Never Been to Spain.”
Then head to Ardmore for lunch at Two Frogs Grill. With autographed guitars and rare photos of music legends filing the walls, this restaurant exudes some serious rock-n-roll vibes. Listen to stories about the restaurant’s history, which has included visits from some big name musicians, while you dine on Southern favorites with a Cajun twist.
After lunch, you travel to downtown Tishomingo, the adopted hometown of Blake Shelton. Here you visit the country star’s newest venture, Ole Red restaurant, inspired by one of Shelton’s earliest hits. Try a slice of pecan pie or an ice cream sandwich while you listen to live music.
Next, travel to Ada to visit the McSwain Theatre & Art Gallery. Built in the 1920s, this magnificent building has been restored to its original form. Blake Shelton, who grew up in Ada, was once a regular performer at the McSwain. Here you will enjoy a performance and dinner. Continue to McAlester, OK for the night. (B,L,D)
Day 5 – Down Home Blues Club & OK Blues Hall of Fame – Wood Guthrie – Cherokee National Youth Choir – Tulsa
Start the morning in the small community of Rentiesville at the Down Home Blues Club & OK Blues Hall of Fame to sit in on one of its frequent jam sessions. Started be blues musicians D.C. and Selby Minner in D.C.’s childhood home, the hall of fame contains photos and memorabilia celebrating Oklahoma blues musicians.
Next, you stop in Muskogee, the town that Merle haggard made famous with his hit, “Okie from Muskogee.” Start with a photo op at the Ed Edmondson United States Courthouse where Haggard said in his lyrics, they do still have Old Glory out front.
Then visit the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame & Museum where you see memorabilia and learn about the history of Oklahoma music.
After lunch you head to Broken Arrow, OK, the hometown of singer and actress Kristin Chenoweth. Stop to tour the Broken Arrow Performing Arts Center. See this state-of-the-art venue whose main theater is named after Chenoweth.
Heading to Tulsa, you visit the Woody Guthrie Center. Guthrie was one of America’s greatest folksingers and most influential songwriters. Although born in Okemah, Oklahoma, Guthrie’s true home was all of America—“from California to the New York island,” to take a line from his most famous song, “This Land Is Your Land.” The Woody Guthrie Center, preserves his legacy and life story and communicates the social, political, and cultural values found in his vast body of work. The Center is a repository for Woody’s writings, art, and songs and an educational resource for teachers and students everywhere.
Afterwards, enjoy a performance of the Cherokee National Youth Choir. The group performs traditional songs in the tribe’s native language. Dinner is included this evening at a local restaurant. Following dinner, check into your Tulsa hotel for the night. (B,L,D)
Day 6 – Claremore Museum of History – Will Rogers Memorial with Lunch
Head to Claremore, OK this morning and visit the Claremore Museum of History. Here you will see exhibits on Claremore native, Lynn Riggs and Patti Page. Riggs wrote the play “Green Grow the Lilacs,” which was used by Rodgers and Hammerstein as the basis for the musical “Oklahoma!” Among the museum’s treasures is the surrey with the fridge on top from the movie version of “Oklahoma!” Patti Page, who died in 2013, became a pop legend in the 1950s thanks to hits like “Doggie in the Window” and “Tennessee Waltz.”
Visit the Will Rogers Memorial Museum in Claremore, Oklahoma, where you will be greeted by a Will Rogers impersonator. Today the Museum houses the world’s largest collection of Will Rogers memorabilia and his entire collection of writings. A Catered BBQ lunch is included with your visit. (B,L)
Depart for home this afternoon.