Muskogee, OK Road Trips

Muskogee, seat of the eponymous county, is one of the larger Oklahoma municipalities, at around 37,000 people. Back in 1830, when Andrew Jackson sent many indigenous people packing with his mean-spirited Indian Removal Act of 1830, this area became a center of government for the "Five Civilized Tribes" at a place called The Indian Agency. Of course, white settlement didn't stop with the Southeast and eventually made its way to Indian Territory, where land rushes in 1889 led to the start of communities like Muskogee, which became incorporated in 1898. An entrepreneur by the name of Charles Haskell made great strides to develop the town, with a downtown sector and railroads that came to be called the Muskogee Roads. The Five Civilized Tribes tried to secure a political state called the State of Sequoyah for their own autonomy, but it was in vain, as President Teddy Roosevelt and Congress struck it down. Today, many people know Muskogee from the Merle Haggard song "Okie From Muskogee," and the city bears some signs of turmoil with poverty and crime. For instance, 2010 saw the advent of a mass shooting at the Arrowhead Mall.

1 Five Civilized Tribes Museum, 1101 Honor Heights Dr, ☏ +1 918 683-1701. M-F 10AM-5PM, Sa 10AM-2PM. This reflects on the history, art, and culture of the Five Civilized Tribes (i.e. the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Muscogee, and Seminole) whose center of government was located at The Indian Agency here on Agency Hill, even before white settlers had arrived. $4 adults, $3 seniors, $2 students. (updated Oct 2021) 2 Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame, 401 S 3rd St, ☏ +1 918 687-0800. Tu-Sa 10AM-5PM. Kind of small, but gives some background on Oklahoma's past and present music scene, as in Merle Haggard and Carrie Underwood, the latter of which hails from Muskogee, for instance. Free. (updated Oct 2021) 3 Three Rivers Museum, 220 Elgin St, ☏ +1 918 686-6624. W-Sa 10AM-5PM. A regional history museum, covering railroads, old schoolhouse days, Native American affairs, Muskogee citizens' contribution to the US military, etc. $5 adults, $3 seniors/kids. (updated Oct 2021) 4 USS Batfish (Muskogee War Memorial Park), 3500 Batfish Rd, ☏ +1 918 682-6294. F-Sa 10AM-6PM, Su 1PM-6PM. This salvaged US submarine serves as a military museum. Oddly enough, it nearly came untethered in a flood in 2019, so it was almost like there was a submersible floating around in the Arkansas for a while. (updated Oct 2021)

1 Honor Heights Park, 1400 Honor Heights Dr, ☏ +1 918 684-6302. Daily 6AM-9PM. One of Muskogee's premier parks with a botanical garden, butterfly pavilion ($3 admission), ponds, and, in December, the highly attended Garden of Lights show. (updated Oct 2021) 2 Creek Nation Casino - Muskogee, 3420 West Peak Blvd, ☏ +1 918 683-1825. 3 The Castle of Muskogee, 3400 Fern Mountain Rd (North of Muskogee on HWY 69), ☏ +1 918-687-3625. 9-5. The Castle is the home of the Oklahoma Renaissance Festival, The Halloween Festival, The Castle Christmas, The Boare's Heade Feaste, and one of the largest selection of fireworks in the state of Oklahoma.

1 LaQuinta Inn and Suites, 1701 N 32nd St, ☏ +1 918-913-9541. Hot tub.

A meshwork of highways connect Muskogee to the rest of the world, but State Highway 351, also known as the Muskogee Turnpike, is a principal thoroughfare for one directly connecting the city to Tulsa. Greyhound, 3950 N 32nd St, ☏ +1 918 682-1371. The intercity bus carrier makes a stop at this Philipps 66 gas station. (updated Oct 2021) No commercial passenger air or train service is available.

Muskogee County Transit, 4401 E Hayes St, ☏ +1 918 682-1721. Stops at the mall, VA medical center, and places like that about once an hour. (updated Oct 2021) Otherwise, a personal vehicle might be your best bet to get around, unless you really like to ride a bike.