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Posted
1 hour ago, Kennythetiger said:

Almost the same as @justhookit being in Italy, but not quite. I am considering a ranching class there in September, and am completely unfamiliar with the area. Any cool shit to do or places to eat?  

No. 

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Posted

I've had the misfortune of driving through Oklahoma twice in my life, in order to get to Kansas (which is also nothing to be proud of).  When passing the Ardmore area on I35, I recall momentarily forgetting that I was in such a shithole state, because that part of the state actually has some very pretty terrain.

That's all I got.

Posted

Other than Turner Falls being 26 miles north, I got nothin'.  And that's a smaller private park, so not much hiking. Might be worth a visit because it's nice scenery and it would still be warm enough to swim. Took the kids camping there once on the way back to Wisconsin.

Like most Surly posters, I've generally just passed through Oklahoma as fast as I can, especially Ardmore, as it's too close to Texas to stop most of the time. But it's big enough that there's gotta be a decent restaurant or two, and probably a surprising little museum, a good boot store or something for when a guy has to be there. 

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Posted (edited)

Two Frogs Grill is a decent place to eat. The cocktails are good and they have live music sometimes. Dornick Hills Country Club is a Perry Maxwell design, same guy that did Prairie Dunes and Southern Hills, if you golf. That's all I've got. We usually stop for gas and bathrooms and move right along on our way to Austin.

Edited by Shoxthemonkey
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Posted

 

As a kid, so 40+ years ago, we would go to Turner Falls for the day. It wasn't too bad of a drive from granddad's farm near the Red River. Large swimming hole with a slide, smaller swimming holes downstream, or maybe upstream, from the main swimming hole. Also a scenic water fall. 

The area around Turner Falls was actually pretty nice. Of course, I'm remembering it through the eyes of a kid, and that was a long time ago. 

I know nothing of the thriving metropolis of Ardmore. 

 

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Posted

Lake Murray south of town is nice.

IMG_1747.jpeg.2a8cc91d2c6723afb3bb16d20d162323.jpeg

Dornick Hills CC is a great track if you get a chance to play golf there.

A buddy of mine lives not too far from Ardmore and says Cafe Alley has excellent food.  Aforementioned Turner Falls north of town is cool.

Other than that, I’ve got nothing.  I’ve driven by there several hundred times but rarely stopped.

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Posted

Winstar Casino if you're into that I guess. Turner Falls and Chickasaw National Recreation Area aren't too far and have some nice scenery.

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Posted
7 hours ago, texasdago said:

There is a great cafe' in Ardmore called "Il Riposo" that has the best suppli and olive ascolane this side of the Atlantic.  Ask the owner for his recommendations on wines from Le Marche.  You'll be amazed by their selection.  They have an amazing sparkling pecorino.  Also, excellent espresso.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just kidding.  Maybe Starbucks on 35?

This fucking killed me.

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Posted

Lake Murray, Turner Falls, and the springs in Sulphur.  I usually stop there to fill up on the way to the kids in Shawnee.  The Braum’s is good and has clean restrooms.  Swadley’s bbq sucks.  Two Frogs is good.  

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Posted

I second the Swadley’s sucks claim. Do not go there under any circumstances. Like, starve rather than go there. Makes Dickey’s look like Franklin. 
 

There is also a Whataburger. 

Posted
20 hours ago, Kennythetiger said:

Not impressed. My grandmother lived near the largest. 

Yeah, at that point, you might as well drive on up to Kansas to see the largest (reputedly).

16 hours ago, burns_312 said:


I also live close to the largest.

Is the proper response "sorry about that?" if it's the Cawker City ball?

Regardless, it seems that there are several making the claim (Reddit post on the subject), so you gotta figure anybody shilling Ardmore based on the second-largest is a pretty lousy huckster.

Now, if we're just talkin' figuratively, I'd say Surly is the world's largest ball of twine -- especially if that Quinn Ewers post keeps spinning around like it has been.

 

 

 

Posted
On 5/17/2025 at 6:07 AM, Bobby Western said:

I second the Swadley’s sucks claim. Do not go there under any circumstances. Like, starve rather than go there. Makes Dickey’s look like Franklin. 
 

There is also a Whataburger. 

That Whataburger is a good one.  As is the one in Shawnee.  It’s like Chicago didn’t know about stores in Oklahoma.  

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Posted
Is the proper response "sorry about that?" if it's the Cawker City ball?
Regardless, it seems that there are several making the claim (Reddit post on the subject), so you gotta figure anybody shilling Ardmore based on the second-largest is a pretty lousy huckster.
Now, if we're just talkin' figuratively, I'd say Surly is the world's largest ball of twine -- especially if that Quinn Ewers post keeps spinning around like it has been.
 
 
 

Yes, the Cawker City ball. Nothing to be sorry about, I love it here, it’s home. Not Cawker City proper though.
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Posted
8 hours ago, burns_312 said:


Yes, the Cawker City ball. Nothing to be sorry about, I love it here, it’s home. Not Cawker City proper though.

Having lived in Kansas four years, I can relate. There's certainly a simple and basic kind of beauty in that part of the world -- always enjoyed driving down 70 to western Kansas and Colorado where others would complain about the lack of scenery.  And folks tend to have a more human and often humane set of priorities in smaller communities. 

Your response made me look at the map to figure out where we'd have to go shopping. Never knew until today that Salina had a Sam's Club. And now I know where the Solomon drains into the Smoky Hill River.

I imagine if I lived out there I'd have more chances to grab a bourbon and watch the sunset, which is what @Kennythetiger might have to do in Ardmore, even if it is about 50 times the size of Cawker City.

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Posted
32 minutes ago, Hayduke said:

Having lived in Kansas four years, I can relate. There's certainly a simple and basic kind of beauty in that part of the world -- always enjoyed driving down 70 to western Kansas and Colorado where others would complain about the lack of scenery.  

Count me in with complainers.  I had to make the drive to Norton, Kansas twice in my life to visit former in-laws.  The drive on 70 from Salina to Hays is god awful.  

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Posted

The answer used to be that you should go to the Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park.  But thats no longer an option.  Thanks, Carole Baskin. 

People in other parts of Oklahoma make fun of Ardmore.   

 

 

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Posted
5 hours ago, South Austin said:

Count me in with complainers.  I had to make the drive to Norton, Kansas twice in my life to visit former in-laws.  The drive on 70 from Salina to Hays is god awful.  

I’m glad you didn’t go west of Hays. 

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Posted
4 hours ago, Kennythetiger said:

I’m glad you didn’t go west of Hays. 

4 hours ago, burns_312 said:

I’m a simple guy, Hays is home.

If Gella's is as good as I remember it, you should skip Ardmore and just go to Hays.

Posted
On 5/16/2025 at 4:07 PM, Jerry Callo said:

A must see is the second largest ball of twine on the face of the earth.


 

On 5/17/2025 at 3:18 PM, Hayduke said:

Yeah, at that point, you might as well drive on up to Kansas to see the largest (reputedly).

 

 


 

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Posted (edited)
On 5/16/2025 at 4:27 PM, 'stache said:

Winstar Casino if you're into that I guess. Turner Falls and Chickasaw National Recreation Area aren't too far and have some nice scenery.

That was my recommendation, plus they have bison and bison are cool.

 

Edited by SimonBolivar
Posted
On 5/19/2025 at 9:08 AM, Ollie Slatt said:

The answer used to be that you should go to the Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park.  But thats no longer an option.  Thanks, Carole Baskin. 

People in other parts of Oklahoma make fun of Ardmore.   

 

 

I guess they’ve never been to Antlers, OK.  

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Posted
7 minutes ago, Texzilla58 said:

I guess they’ve never been to Antlers, OK.  

According to Wikipedia, people used to travel to Antlers from the world's finest cities:

"Antlers has served as a local resort town, as it is a gateway to the Kiamichi Mountains. Many tourists came to fish, hunt, and relax in the town and nearby mountains. Many came from Paris, Texas. "

Posted
On 5/20/2025 at 10:01 AM, burns_312 said:

We get some pretty cool views too. Here’s one from the house last night. d8e18e679c727a266e1c8d1030c56715.jpg

Can we get the after picture? Were the Chitauri pissed they landed OK by mistake?

Posted
Can we get the after picture? Were the Chitauri pissed they landed OK by mistake?

No after pic and I’m in KS.

Sent from my iPhone in another Galaxy
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Posted

Agree with Chickasaw National Recreation Area. We were driving back from a wedding in OKC yesterday and I made a point to drive down 177 from OKC to hit up that area. Then we joined back with 35 at Ardmore. It's about 30 miles north from Ardmore. 

Posted

welp, if i were stuck there i would go nose around the airport and ask the fbo if there are any remnants of the usaf 477th still on the field to pay homage to the world's first, and last, C-130 demonstration team, the thunder weasels:

image.thumb.jpeg.942eb0d2e05f4b6d914908649ebf9232.jpeg

https://avgeekery.com/four-horsemen-these-showmen-flew-airlifters-instead-of-fighters/

the field was decommissioned the 2nd time in '59 just after the 477th became the first squadron to get the new c-130

american used to house a training base at this field - runway 13/31 is 9000'

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ardmore_Municipal_Airport

2025 satview shows a few oddities scattered around; a couple of 732s (why they haven't been scrapped is .... odd) and a 722 sans power

the irrelevance of the field is told by the date of the last (and probably only) google street view imagery from 2008, which shows an L1011, which at that date was probably one of the last remaining airworthy on the planet

image.thumb.png.b7925be4ac16b2b52333dcdff862965e.png

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