South Central Oklahoma
LAKE COUNTRY
From the days when buggies used to carry ladies with parasols, bustles, and baskets of fried chicken out to picturesque picnics at the mineral springs near Sulphur, south central Oklahoma has had a reputation as Oklahoma's playground. Consider all the possibilities along just one highway, SH-77: driving south from Pauls Valley, meandering through the Arbuckle Mountains, you'll pass the town of Davis and Turner Falls, a 77-foot waterfall that splashes into a cool, deep pool. Generations of central Oklahomans can't picture summer without seeing themselves bobbing in an inner tube underneath the falls. The town of Sulphur flourished long ago when folks thought that bathing in mineral water had restorative properties. The mineral wells and park property once belonged to the Chickasaw Nation, a tribe first settled on Choctaw land in the 1830s and now the 13th largest tribe in the United States. The Chickasaws soon built schools, churches, and a granite capitol building in Tishomingo. Further south on SH-77 is Lake Murray State Park, Oklahoma's first and largest state park. Governor "Alfalfa Bill" Murray began construction of the park as a WPA project during the Depression and much of the park's construction still has a hand-hewn look. About 25 miles east of Lake Murray on SH-70B is Lake Texoma, home to world-class striped bass fishing, dozens of inviting coves, and a generous sprinkling of islands with white sandy beaches. At Lake Texoma's northern tip is Tishomingo, the Chickasaw Nation's historic capital city. Nearby Blue River is a favorite of trout fishermen. Two newer lakes, Atoka Lake and McGee Creek Lake, are less developed, with fewer campers, boaters, and fishermen. With so much water, it is not surprising the area celebrates the National Sand Bass Festival in Madill during June, the Striper Festival in Kingston in July, the Catfish Festival in Mannsville during August and the Presidents' Day Trout Derby in Tishomingo in February. Local chamber of commerce offices in these towns will supply more information.
ATfRACTIONS Lake Country's most popular attraction is, of course, water. The region is home to several watery attractions--including the state's second largest body of water, 89,000-acre Lake Texoma; the freshwater springs and mineral springs of the Chickasaw National Recreation Area; and just down the highway, the state's biggest waterfall, the creek-fed Turner Falls near Davis. Also, visitors can take advantage of Atoka Lake, 14 miles north of Atoka on US-69, McGee Creek, on US-69 just east of Atoka, and Arbuckle Lake, eight miles south of Sulphur on SH-177. But having fun in south central Oklahoma doesn't always mean getting wet. Visitors to Turner Falls often combine their trip with a stop at nearby Arbuckle Wilderness where it is possible to gawk at a bevy of zebras or pet a giraffe and never leave one's automobile. (If you do opt to exit the vehicle, paddleboats, go-carts, and a variety show starring live animals await.) Twelve miles south of Atoka and four miles east in the rolling hills, visitors can trek to Cimarron Cellars Winery and Vineyards, one of two wineries in the state and by far the oldest. Founded in the 1970s as a way to proVide jobs to the needy,
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