You know how you hear stories of people in a small town driving into the city for a special shopping trip or occasion? Perhaps driving an hour to the big shopping mall for that special Easter dress found only in a department store, or even driving an entire state over to do some super special, only once in junior high school, clothes shopping. Well, now that we’re a little older, we like to do it backwards. Just a couple hours up a major interstate, with a dogleg off onto a US highway, is a little town called Pawhuska, and it is the boomingest little town in Oklahoma!
There are all sorts of treasures to be found. A trip over to The Bucking Flamingo will get you the cutest metal yard art you ever did see, such as flying pig birdhouses and even a Margaritaville sign for your deck. There are socks and dishtowels with funny little sayings, plus a few tackier items for that trickster in your family. You know the one, he has the best stories, but you’re always a little leary about what they may say in public….
For the more refined individual, a trip down Main Street will get you to a hidden gem of a store, which truly doesn’t look like much from the outside. Occasionally there is a sleepy dog in the window basking in the sun. Wandering into the shop, you’ll find tons of empty space, which may seem somewhat odd, but the vacancy of large displays lends itself to the huge pile of cowhide rugs. Shopper spread them out all over the concrete floors, picking the best brindled pattern or a hide with only spots. While the types of items sold seems to be slim, the owner certainly has good taste according to the beautiful sepia and grey scale photographs throughout her shop. She even has a large selection of gently worn fur coats and stoles for the fancier lady in your life, and yes, that lady might even be you!
Now you may be thinking, how did we find what at first glance looks like a quaint but sleepy little town? Well this is where the Pioneer Woman lives! A trip to Osage County, Oklahoma isn’t complete without some of the best food you’ll ever feed your stomach! She has several tasty restaurants, with a large selection of meals to choose from – if you can choose that is! We often find ourselves timing the arrival of our trips so we can maximize the number of meals and snacks during our stay, hoping to squeeze in at least a snack at each of her eateries. Of course if you’re more an afternoon cocktail kind of person, no judgement here, Ree Drummond has some uniquely crafted beverages over at her pizza parlor!
So next time you’re thinking that weekend getaway to the metropolis sounds pretty good, you might consider slowing it down and taking a drive through what we fondly call Green Country.
The White Hat Journal 