on location: west O randy mink COWBOYS INDIANS

&&Groups find cultural treasures and slices of the rip-roaring West in Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico

n big cities and wide-open spaces, pockets of Western heritage abound. Awaiting tour groups are top-notch Imuseums, lively historic districts, Native American communities and special events like rodeos and powwows. At many attractions, glimpses of yesteryear will bring back a flood of memories for baby boomers who grew up watching Western movies and TV shows or playing cowboys

and Indians with their toy six-shooters and tomahawks. Visions of the West: A young cowpoke at the National Travelers of all ages enjoy learning about lifestyles in the Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in West today and traditions that have survived. Oklahoma City and a storefront in Old Town Albuquerque.

The following states offer a gold mine of itinerary ideas: www.kipmalone.com

12 February 2011 LeisureGroupTravel.com OKLAHOMA Museum. The Red Earth Festival, one Cherokee Tourism offers an itiner- Once known as Indian Territory, of the largest powwows in America, ary devoted to the late humorist Will Oklahoma is still home to more Amer- takes place the first weekend in June in Rogers, America’s most famous Chero- ican Indian tribes than any other state. Oklahoma City. Representatives from kee (and a cowboy as well). The tour Thirty-nine tribal headquarters and more than 100 tribes gather to celebrate visits the Will Rogers Memorial Mu- members of at least 67 tribes make their their heritage with competitions, dance, seum in Claremore and Will Rogers home within the state’s borders. Okla- music and food. Birthplace Ranch near Oologah. homa license plates bear the words “Na- For more Western encounters in Tulsa is home to the Gilcrease Mu- tive America,” and you’ll see many plates Oklahoma City, groups should see a cat- seum, which boasts one of the world’s with “Cherokee Nation,” “Muscogee tle auction at the Oklahoma National most comprehensive collections of Na- Nation” and other tribal designations. Stockyards, a historic commercial dis- tive American and Western art. Paintings The state also has strong cowboy trict with Western wear stores, shows at of bronco busters, covered wagons, cattle roots. Ranches dot the landscape, rodeos the Rodeo Opry and the landmark Cat- drives and Indian life, along with the take place every month of the year, tleman’s Steakhouse. OKC pays tribute Grand Canyon and Rocky Mountains, Western wear and tack stores are nu- to the cowboy’s trusted companion, his all romanticize the early West. Among merous, and you’ll find one horse for horse, at six major horse shows at the the renowned artists: Remington, Rus- every 12 people, more per capita than State Fairgrounds Arena sell, Moran, Caitlin and Bierstadt. any other state. Oklahoma City, the state capital and biggest metro area, abounds with re- minders of the state’s wild ’n’ wooly past with attractions like the National Cow- boy & Western Heritage Museum. Anyone with a passion for America’s cowboys-and-Indians past can spend hours roaming the galleries. From ranching and rodeos to Native Ameri- can cultures, it’s a sterling showcase of Western life. The nostalgia-loaded Western Performers Gallery spotlights movie and TV favorites like John Wayne, Gene Autry and Roy Rogers. Props, posters, comic books, trading cards and lunch boxes recall the good old The Will Rogers Memorial Museum draws groups to Claremore, Oklahoma. days. Actor Sam Elliott narrates Silver Screen Cowboys, a film about Western In Northeastern Oklahoma, groups Remingtons, Russells and Native stars who rode the range righting will find many Cherokee attractions American artifacts are on display at wrongs, usually with the help of their and can take advantage of day-long Woolaroc Ranch, Museum and Wildlife pistols or fists. The museum also tours offered by the Cherokee Nation Preserve in Bartlesville and Duncan’s abounds with world-class Western art Cultural Tourism Department. (After Chisholm Trail Heritage Center, and sculpture. Save time for the museum the Navajos, the Cherokees are the where a theater presentation and inter- gift shop, a treasure chest of Western largest group of American Indians.) active exhibits tell the story of the leg- lore, from artwork and jewelry to books At the Ancient Village, one of the out- endary route used to move herds of and DVDs of old movies. door museums at the Cherokee Her- cattle from Texas to the Kansas railroads The Oklahoma History Center, an- itage Center in Park Hill, you can see in the late 19th century. Andarko pre- other must-see museum, also immortal- demonstrations of various crafts, from serves its Indian heritage at the Indian izes Western stars with movie clips. One cooking and gardening to arrowhead City USA, National Indian Hall of gallery spotlights all 39 Indian tribes of and basket making. Sights in down- Fame for Famous American Indians Oklahoma, which means “land of the town Tahlequah include the Cherokee and Southern Plains Indian Museum. red man.” In 2014 the city will unveil the National Capitol and Cherokee Na- At the Chickasaw Cultural Center, American Indian Cultural Center and tional Supreme Court Building. near Sulphur, groups can immerse them-

LeisureGroupTravel.com February 2011 13 on location: west O selves in the culture of the Chickasaw the nation’s largest such auctions; the shops. One hotspot is Billy Bob’s Texas, Nation through state-of-the-art displays, American Quarter Horse Hall of the world’s largest honky-tonk. Cele- an authentic Chickasaw village, large- Fame and Museum; Kwahadi Mu- brating its 30th anniversary in 2011, format theater and Chickasaw foods. seum of the American Indian; and the Billy Bob’s hosts top country acts Cowboy and Indian heritage also excellent Panhandle-Plains Historical every Friday and Saturday night, along unfolds at the Five Civilized Tribes Museum on the campus of West Texas with live bull riding in its indoor Museum in Muskogee, Old Town A & M University. arena. The Stockyards Championship Museum complex in Elk City and The little town of Bandera, in Texas Rodeo takes place nearly every week- Pawnee Bill Ranch in Pawnee. West- Hill Country less than an hour from end at the Cowtown Coliseum, where ern movie actors are immortalized at San Antonio, bills itself as the “Cowboy the world’s first indoor rodeo was held the Gene Autry Oklahoma Museum Capital of World.” Groups can choose in 1918. The Texas Rodeo Cowboy in Gene Autry and Tom Mix Museum from dude ranches in various sizes and Hall of Fame recently moved into the in Dewey. price ranges. Besides horseback riding Coliseum after 35 years in the small and campfires, ranch guests also town of Belton. TEXAS have fun tubing, canoeing and kayaking The city’s most famous rodeo is the Countless attractions across our sec- down the cypress-lined Medina River. Fort Worth Exposition and Livestock ond largest state reinforce its cowboy Fort Worth brands itself with the slo- Show, which attracts nearly a million image. From cattle roundups to buckin’ gan “Where the West Begins.” Unlike visitors every January and February to broncos, it’s all there. any other big city in the United States, the Will Rogers Memorial Center, a

Amarillo CVC Fort Worth CVB Fort Worth CVB Worth Fort

Take stock of Texas at Fort Worth’s National Cowgirl Museum, the musical drama TEXAS and the Stockyards District.

In the Texas Panhandle, the Amar- Fort Worth captures the spirit of the landmark in the Fort Worth Cultural illo area personifies the Wild West. Take American West with a rich variety of District. Founded in 1896, it is the old- a scenic jeep tour to the floor of Palo attractions and events. No district is as est stock show in America and boasts Duro Canyon State Park, distin- distinctly authentic as the 15-block the world’s longest non-mechanical pa- guished by the colorful strata of rock. Stockyards National Historic District, rade, with hundreds of horses and riders At the base of 600-foot cliffs, the park’s where you can see an actual cattle drive heralding the start of this mega-event. Pioneer Amphitheater serves as the twice daily. Longhorn cattle, guided by Also in the Cultural District are the magnificent setting of the musical cowhands in period dress, make their National Cowgirl Museum and Hall drama TEXAS, a summertime pageant way down Exchange Avenue, a fitting of Fame and Amon Carter Museum of featuring horses, sound effects, fireworks tribute to Fort Worth’s heritage as a American Art, renowned for works by and more than 60 performers. Have a major stop along the Chisholm Trail. Western artists Frederic Remington and chuckwagon breakfast or supper at Tourist magnets in the historic Charles Russell. Special exhibitions and nearby Elkins Ranch. district include the Texas Cowboy Hall events will mark the museum’s 50th an- Amarillo, a major cattle-feeding and of Fame, located in the Stockyards’ niversary this year. There are 39 more shipping center, is home to Tuesday’s original mule barns, plus plenty of sa- Remingtons and Russells at the free Sid Amarillo Livestock Auction, one of loons, restaurants and Western wear Richardson Museum in downtown’s

14 February 2011 LeisureGroupTravel.com Experience Two American Icons! “Will Rogers” and “The Mother Road” Will Rogers, Oklahoma’s Favorite Son, welcomes you to his hometown: Claremore, Oklahoma! Just 20 miles northeast of Tulsa! Let us customize your tour! Historic Route 66 Tours Native American Tours in the Cherokee Nation Cowboy & Oil Baron Hub & Spoke Tours Holiday Tours • Mystery Tours Factory - Industrial Tours

Claremore! Oklahoma’s Cast of Legends

LeisureGroupTravel.com February 2011 15 on location: west O

Sundance Square entertainment district, a model of urban revi- talization. Once known as Hell’s Half Kitchen, the historic quar- ter, named for the notorious Sundance Kid, drew cowboys to its saloons, gambling halls and brothels. In the Piney Woods of East Texas, 26 miles west of Nacog- doches, travelers can learn about ancient Native American civi- lization at Caddo Mounds State Historic Site. More than 1,200 years ago, a group of Caddo Indians known as the Hasinai built a village and ceremonial center for the great Mound Builder culture. Visitors can see exhibits and follow an interpretive trail through re- constructed sites of Caddo dwellings and ceremonial areas, in- cluding two temple mounds, a burial mound and a village area. Nacogdoches, named for a Caddo tribe, is the oldest town in Texas, dating from 1687. The historic downtown abounds with specialty and antique shops, and the city offers a number of mu- seums and historic homes. Millard’s Crossing Historic Village is a reconstruction of a 19th century East Texas village, with log and framed houses, a school, chapel and country store. The Tigua Indian Cultural Center, on the Tigua Indian Reservation and Pueblo near El Paso, spotlights the little-known Tigua (TEE-wah) people, who have lived for more than three cen- turies in this corner of Texas near the Mexican border. Visitors to the center, located adjacent to the 1682 Ysleta Mission, can witness tribal danc- ing on weekends, watch artists at work, and smell and taste fresh bread made in traditional ovens, or hornos. Three miles east of Ysleta is the So- corro Mission, built in 1681 by the Piro Indians.

NEW MEXICO Indian cultures are woven into everyday life in New Mexico, which is home to 22 distinct tribes, each with a separate, sovereign govern- ment. Pueblo tours, museums and ceremonial dances provide plenty of insight. Casinos lure many groups to the reservations. The Indian Pueblo Cultural Center in Albuquerque is the official interpretive center for the state’s 19 Pueblo tribes, offering a mu- seum, exhibition galleries, a gift shop and the Pueblo Harvest Cafe & Bakery. Indian dances are held every weekend. Acoma Pueblo, perched atop a 370-foot sandstone mesa 65 miles west of Albuquerque, is the oldest continuously inhabited community in North America. Fewer than 50 tribal members live year-round in the earthen homes of “Sky City,” where Native guides offer tours. An addi-

16 February 2011 LeisureGroupTravel.com tional 3,000 people live in nearby vil- Pueblo, a home for the Tiwa people for ONLINE EXCLUSIVE lages. At the Sky City Cultural Center more than 1,000 years. Located north of Go online and read about the and Haak´u Museum, groups can see town, the apartment-like adobe Oklahoma museum and ranch potters crafting Acoma’s distinctive thin- dwellings—the upper levels accessible by dedicated to Will Rogers, a 20th century celebrity who was both a cowboy and an walled pottery and sample Acoma and ladder—have changed little over the cen- Indian. The article also mentions “Cow- New Mexican fare at the Yaak´a (corn) turies. Of New Mexico’s 19 pueblo com- boys, Indians and Oil Barons…the real story,” a new Oklahoma tour being mar- Restaurant. The tribe maintains the munities along the Rio Grande (there keted to the motorcoach industry. Log on massive San Estevan del Rey Mission, once were 76), this is the oldest and most to http://leisuregrouptravel.com/?p=22075 completed in 1640. Gaming enthusiasts photogenic. Besides the multi-story flock to the Sky City Casino & Hotel. structures, the village has ground-level the Lincoln County Cowboy Sympo- Zuni Pueblo, 35 miles south of adobe houses as well. Corn dances and sium every October. In the historic Gallup, is famous for inlaid jewelry with other events are open to the public. Western town of Lincoln, 32 miles mosaic patterns, needlepoint and stone Shopkeepers in the ancient buildings northeast of Ruidoso, museum exhibits carving. Jicarilla Apache Indian Na- sell jewelry, pottery, moccasins, drums at Lincoln State Monument spotlight tion, in the mountains and mesas of and other souvenirs. Also for sale are Billy the Kid, the 1878 Lincoln County Northern New Mexico, is known for its cookies, mini pies and hot fry bread War, cowboys, Apaches and Buffalo baskets. In fact, Jicarilla means “little made in outdoor hornos, or igloo-shaped Soldiers. Also highly regarded is the basket.” Groups enjoy the Jicarilla Arts adobe ovens. Other sights include an New Mexico Farm and Ranch Mu- and Crafts Shop and Museum, and the 1850 Catholic church and the ruins of seum in Las Cruces. tribe operates two casinos. one burned by the U.S. Cavalry. Anyone looking to explore the true The Navajo Nation sprawls across Anyone with an interest in horses cultural fabric of the American West— the Four Corners area, in the northwest and cowboys will find plenty to like at or in pursuit of romantic stereotypes— corner of New Mexico north of Gallup. Ruidoso’s Hubbard Museum of the will find plenty of places to fuel their The largest U.S. tribe numbers 298,000 American West, an affiliate of the home-on-the-range dreams in Okla- members, 70,000 of them in New Mex- Smithsonian Institution. Ruidoso hosts homa, Texas and New Mexico. LGT ico. Navajo rugs and other crafts are available throughout the nation. From June to September, the Navajos put on nightly Indian dances at the Gallup Cultural Center, which occupies a re- stored Santa Fe Railroad depot. The center offers films about American In- dian culture, audio-narrated exhibits, displays of sand paintings and other arts, and a bronze statue honoring World War II Navajo code talkers. The Gallup Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremo- nial in August, centered at Red Rock Park, draws thousands with a rodeo, dances, and arts and crafts. One of New Mexico’s special places is Taos, a laid-back art colony on a plateau at the southern end of the Rockies, locally known as the Sangre Crisco Mountains. No visitor to Taos should miss Taos

Obtain Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico visitor guides and itineraries – and contact group-friendly suppliers directly – at leisuregrouptravel.com/instant-info

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