Oklahoma is located in the southwest central part of the United States and is known as the Sooner State, a nickname acquired during the great land rush of April 22, 1889. The name Sooner was meant to be an unpleasant undertone, meaning one who came in sooner or left before the firing of the cannon and sent the future homesteaders in a race for their new settlements. The name Oklahoma originated from two Choctaw words: okla, people and humma, red. Oklahoma has more Native American citizens (250,000 plus) than any other state and 37 federally recognized tribes are headquartered here. Oklahoma is bordered on the north by Colorado and Kansas, to the east is Missouri and Arkansas, Texas is south and on the west is Texas and New Mexico. Oklahoma covers an area of approximatly 69,956 sq. mi. and ranks 18th in size among the other states. Oklahoma's population is approximately 3,277,700 - Oklahoma City, with 463,201 residents and Tulsa, with 374,851. The next largest cities are Norman, population 87,290, and Lawton, population 86,028.

Oklahoma first came into U.S. possession as part of the 1803 Louisiana Purchase and was called Indian Territory in the 19th century. Oklahoma joined the Union on Novemeber 16, 1907, making it the 46th state to achieve statehood. Oklahoma's Constitution is the longest of any of the 50 states. During ratification, it took 18 hours just to read. Oklahoma's motto is Labor Omnia Vincit ("Labor conquers all things"). The state colors are green and white. The state flower is the mistletoe (Phoradendron Serotinum) while the state wildflower is the indian blanket (Gaillardia pulchella); the official state bird is the scissor-tailed flycatcher (Muscivora Forficata); the state tree is the redbud (Cercis Canadensis) was chosen as the state tree in recognition of the fact that its pink spring flowers greeted homesteaders during the 1889 Land Run; the state animal is the American buffalo (Bison) which roamed across the plains until it was hunted and to the verge of extinction. Oklahoma now has the second largest bison population; the state fish is the white bass (Sand Bass) (Morone Chrysops); the state rock (which was adopted on April 8, 1968 by the Oklahoma Legislature on House Bill #1277 signed by then Governor Dewey F. Bartlett.) is the rose rock (Barite Rose). The Barite Rose bears a striking resemblance to an American Beauty rose in full bloom; it's actually a barite crystal formed from barium sulfate and sand as a huge prehistoric sea evaporated. There is an old Indian folklore which claims Great Spirit wanted to pay tribute to the courage of the Cherokees for the blood shed on the Trail of Tears. Therefore, when the tears of the maidens fell on the ground at the end of the trail, He turned the drops into the shape of the Cherokee rose, a flower native to the tribe's eastern home. The state reptile is the mountain boomer (Collared Lizard); the official state song is Oklahoma: a Toast, words and music by Harriet Parker Camden. Oklahoma has 77 countries; the state capital is Oklahoma City.

As one travels through Oklahoma, a vast variety of scenery can be seen from mountains, hills, broad plains, rolling praries and plateau land. Overall view, the traveler can see the Oklahoma's crazy quilt pattern which can be divided into ten physiographic regions, providing each with its own relief. The Ouachitqas, Arbuckles and the Wichitas. Four of the areas are mostly plains/prairies while two of the regions have a hilly relief. The last one is a plateau, the Ozarks. Archaeologiest have uncovered dinosaur bones from the pits of Boise City in the Panhandle and near Enid. The shape of Oklahoma resembles that of a saucepan with a long handle or a butcher's cleaver. According to "Alfalfa Bill" Murray, a former governor, the cleaver was favored for the state seal by a few delegates at the constitutional convention of 1906. The highest point of the state is located on the Black Mesa in Cimarron county, 4,978 feet above sea level. The lowest being on the Little River in McCurtain county, 287 feet above sea level.

Oklahoma's weather can change very rapidly. Will Rogers was exaggerating when he said "If you don't like the weather, wait a minute!" I personally have seen it rain, snow, sleet/hail and cast sunshine within a 24-hour time frame. We do have some radical weather here but that is caused by the state's location. Most of the changes occur when the cold polar air from the north collides with the warm southerly winds and that often produces tornadoes. Oklahoma lies in what is called tornado alley. The tornado can be a monsterous storm. It consists of strong winds whirling at a high speed which can travel slow but can strike with disasterous affects. They have been know to completely rip apart a town by destorying its buildings, uprooting the trees and tossing cars or trailers in the air like a kid's toy. Almost every city or town in Oklahoma have had some damage from a tornado but Oklahoma City. According to an old Indian story, Oklahoma City was built over an ancient Indian burial ground. Therefore, to my knowledge, Oklahoma City has never had any tornado inflict damage on the sacred grounds. However, few states are blessed with as many Indian summer days as we have each year.

Adair, Ababaster Caverns, Arowhead, Beaver, Bernice, Black Mesa, Boggy Depot, Boiling Springs, Boswell, Cherokee, Cherokee Landing, Crowder Lake, Disney/Little Blue, Lake Eucha, Fort Cobb Lake, Foss, Fountainhead, Great Plains, Great Salt Plains, Greenleaf, Heavener Runestone, Honey Creek, Lake Keystone, Lake Tenkiller, Lake Wister, Little River, Little Sahara, McGee Creek, Okmulgee/Dripping Springs, Osage Hills, Raymond Gary, Red Rock Canyon, Robbers Cove, Sallisaw at Brushy Lake, Sequoyah Bay, Snowdale, Spavinaw, Spring River Canoe Trails, State Capitol, Talimena, Twin Bridges, Wah-Sha-She and Walnut Creek.
*NOTE: For Reservations & Information call 1-800-654-8240

Oklahoma has a unique histroy formed from distinguished blending of American Indian heritage, pioneer and cowboy life combined with several impressive cultures. Throughout the state, stories of Oklahoma's beginnings are told in frontier forts, missions, museums and echoed in battlefields as well as other historically significant places in every part of the state. I list the following museums and historic sites which are operated or funded by the state of Oklahoma but most are under the direction of the Oklahoma Historical Society. For further information on hours and exact locations, please call toll-free: 1-800-652-6552.

Aline Sod House	Altus Museum of the Western Prarie	Anadarko American Indian Hall of Fame	Atoka Confederate Memorial Museum
Bartlesville Frank Phillips House	Cheyenne Black Kettle Museum Washita Battlefield	Clinton Oklahoma Route 66 Museum	Claremore J.M. Davis Arms & Historical Museum Will Rogers Memorial Will Rogers Birthplace (Oologah)
Dewey Tom Mix Museum	Durant Fort Washita Military Park	Enid Museum of the Cherokee Strip	Fort Gibson Fort Gibson Military Park
Fort Supply Fort Supply Military Park	Fort Towson Fort Towson Military Park	Goodwell No Man's Land Museum	Guthrie Oklahoma Territorial Museum
Healdton Healdtron Oil Museum	Heavener Peter Conser Home	Hominy Gred Drummond Home	Kingfisher Chisholm Trail Museum/Seay Mansion
Muskogee Thomas-Foreman Home	Oklahoma City Overholser Mansion State Museum of History 45th Infantry Museum	Okmulgee Nuyaka Mission	Park Hill George M. Murrell Home
Pawnee Pawnee Bill Ranch	Perry Cherokee Strip Museum	Ponca City Pioneer Woman Museum/Monument	Ralston White Hair Memorial
Rentiesville Honey Springs Battlefield	Sallisaw Sequoyah's Home	Spiro Spiro Mounds Archaelogical Park	Stillwater Museum of Higher Education
Tulsa Jazz Hall of Fame/Greenwood Cultural Center	Watonga T.B. Ferguson Home	Yale Jim Thorpe's Home

Oklahoma has been a popular place for the great movie makers such as directors, producers and writers which have found many reasons for shooting their films in Oklahoma. The people, the climate, the surroundings all make for favorable conditions. The following list was provided by Oklahoma Film Commission

"Dillinger"	"The Only Way Home"	"J. W. Coop"	"Four Days Home"	"Two Lane Blacktop"	"Oklahoma Bound"
"The Outsiders"	"The Blue and the Grey"	"Surviving"	"Tenkiller"	"Thompson's Last Run"	"Best Foot Forward"
"Dark Before Dawn"	"The Wrong Man"	"Dan Turner, Hollywood Detective"	"Offerings"	"Where the Red Fern Grows"	"A Simple Wish"
"Thirty Dangerous Seconds"	"Charge of the Model T's"	"Coonskin"	"Moonbeam Rider"	"Tex"	"Rumble Fish"
"Fandango"	"Blood Cult"	"The Ripper"	"Cole Justice"	"Rain Man"	"The Policy"
"UHF"	"My Heros Have Always Been Cowboys"	"All American Murder"	"Hotel Oklahoma"	"Twister"	"Eye of God"

"Oklahoma's character has been shaped by its landscape and heritage -- bison trails still crossed over the pine-topped mountains and through the tallgrass in the 1830s when Congress designated the area as Indian Territory. Cowboy country since the days of the Chisholm Trail, Oklahoma has long been a crossroads -- Route 66 was born here. Such cultural riches make for a wealth of activities, can't-miss attractions and major events." quote and map from the Oklahoma State Tourism Bureau