Only 24 Hours From Tulsa - The Movie. Pre-trip report.

[UKDEB]

Director

Debbie Churchill​

Producer

Susan E Yates​

Script Writer

Debbie Churchill​

Post Production Editing

Susan Yates​

Release date

22 July, 2010​

Runtime

15 days​

Genre

Epic, Action, Adventure, Comedy, Historical Drama, Western, Road Trip, Thriller​

Filming locations

Tulsa, Oklahoma
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Historic Route 66 through Oklahoma
Guthrie, Oklahoma
Houston, Texas
Dallas, Texas​

Co-starring

Matt “Mad Dog” Churchill
Debbie “Bowlegs” Churchill
Susan “Little Falling Bear” Yates​

Guest appearances

Sally Stone (Susan’s sister)
Darla Grimes (family friend)
Michael Wallis (Route 66 historian and champion, and the voice of “Sheriff” in Disney’s Cars - a real movie star!)
Sally Stewart (resident of the historic Sophian Plaza Park, Tulsa)
The Millers (Amish family of Chouteau)
Rena Mae Rucker and daughter, Debbie (proprietors of Jincy’s Kitchen in the Cookson Hills, a restaurant housed in an old general store that served as a primary location for the 1974 movie Where The Red Fern Grows as well as the 2003 remake)​

Plot synopsis

A chance encounter spawns a friendship which spans two continents and an ocean. Debbie is married to Matt who likes his wife to stay quiet in the kitchen so that he can watch sport on TV. One day they decide to break out of their rut and jump on a plane to visit Susan who is only 24 hours away in Tulsa. Whilst on a short weekend getaway in Oklahoma City, they unashamedly have too good a time at Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar and Grill. Due to the incriminating circumstances, they make a run for it, heading out along the Mother Road. They’re soon followed by the authorities including a local policeman who is sympathetic to their plight. The federal authorities, however, have less compassion and thus a cross country chase ensues. Along the way the three fugitives rediscover the strength of their friendship and surprising aspects of their personalities in trying times.​

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This trip report owes its existence, unequivocally, to another. A chance remark in one written by the unrivalled king of trip report writing, the legend that is Kevin Stringer, led to contact from a complete stranger on the other side of the Atlantic. Searching the internet for information on something else entirely, a certain Susan Ellen Yates stumbled across Kev’s report of the Stringer family’s trip to Walt Disney World on the eve of the new millennium.

Bwahahahaha!

This seemingly insignificant incident was, in actuality, highly prodigious. It marked the start of what was to become a very real friendship and one which would witness a number of shared vacations in the ensuing years. As good friends of the Stringers (dang, who am I kidding here? We’re the best friends they could ever hope for!) we’ve had the very good fortune of accompanying them on some of these shared trips. So, in turn, we too have the honour of counting the aforementioned Mrs Yates amongst our closest friends.

Now, being of a sociable, hospitable disposition, Susan never misses an opportunity to remind us of the open invitation to visit her at her home in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

It’s probably worth mentioning here that Susan is a Disney enthusiast. Her home is a tasteful shrine to all things Disney (did you spot the Mickey Head wreath on the door?), but it pales in comparison with the previous home she shared with her late husband, Scott. Scott was a multi award winning ad man and radio presenter, who wrote and produced commercials and ad campaigns. Heck, I’m underselling the man – ‘award winning’ doesn’t even come close – he had no less than 14 Addys to his name! He was a great admirer of the Disney company’s quest for excellence and a devotee of both Disneyland and Walt Disney World. He was a Disneyphile of epic proportion; a true aficionado. In his lifetime, he amassed a large collection of Disney memorabilia, some of it quite remarkable. The story which infatuates me the most (apart from the one which sees Susan staking out his home and his collection before clapping eyes on the man himself) is that of the map of Magic Kingdom and Bay Lake as it NEVER was. The map in question was a room decoration in the Contemporary when it first opened (one in each of the 1500 rooms) and was the concept the Imagineers intended to develop.

Much of it never came to fruition. For instance, locate where the Grand Floridian should be and you'll see a drawing of something very different; very Asian. Directly across the lake there's another resort where there is none to this day. On the lakeshore just next to Tomorrowland Indy Speedway there's a Taj Mahal looking resort. Scott rescued this piece whilst walking back to the Contemporary many, many years ago when the rooms were being remodeled. He came upon some maintenance men breaking these and putting the pieces into a dumpster. When he asked if he could buy one, Housekeeping gave him one and all he had to do was arrange for it to be packed and shipped. A few years ago, Susan wrote to Dave Smith, Disney Archivist, asking him how many of these maps survived the Contemporary refurb. He told her, ”some were sold to cast members and collectors at Disneyana Conventions and others can still be found on the walls in various offices around Walt Disney World, but the vast majority was destroyed. There is no way of knowing how many still exist, but I would guess that it would not be a great number."

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[UKDEB]

In September of 2009, Matt and I finally made the commitment to take Susan up on her kind offer and the seeds of a summer 2010 trip were planted. Of the international hub airports, Dallas/Fort Worth is the closest to Tulsa, with both British Airways and American Airlines operating daily flights from the UK. At the time, BA flights were coming in at £444 per person, or £375 plus 2400 Airmiles, including all taxes. More than acceptable. By the time we were in a position to book, the Airmiles option was no longer available and the regular fare had doubled to just under £900. AA prices were even higher. Reluctant (some would say unwilling) to pay that, we started to research other options. At £325 each (+ 2400 Airmiles), including all taxes, BA into Houston was a no-brainer. Our only question: where do we bite your hand off, Mr Airmiles?

Now, the original plan had been to fly into Dallas/Fort Worth and drive the 260 miles to Tulsa, but as the more observant amongst you may have spotted, Houston has inconveniently located itself at the wrong end of Texas, almost doubling the driving distance. Our first thought was to fly to Tulsa, but our flight into Bush Intercontinental isn’t due to land until 18:30 CST, leaving us less than 2½ hours to clear customs and immigration and make the 90 minute journey across town to Hobby Airport for the domestic flight. So, faced with the inevitability of an overnight stay in Houston together with the certainty that we’ll be awake at the crack of dawn the next morning (and not forgetting my supreme loathing of the big silver bird) we came to the conclusion that driving was still our preferred option. Add to that the fact that Hobby Airport is 90 minutes from Bush Intercontinental in the wrong direction and the decision is almost made for us. In any event, we like driving Stateside and we resolve to make the journey a pleasurable part of the trip rather than something to be endured. The combined wonders of Google and Google Earth, along with a good dollop of tenacity, turn up the dream location for our first night. Market Steet, The Woodlands, 30 minutes north of Bush Intercontinental, is a brand new lifestyle district, complete with a boutique hotel, swanky shops and – wait for it – a Tommy Bahama Tropical Café. Woohoo! There is a god! We waste no time in booking our first night at Avia, The Woodlands.

Avia, The Woodlands

Tommy Bahama Tropical Café, The Woodlands

We know this will suit us down to the ground and it makes for a very exciting start to our trip. The following morning we will embark on the journey to Tulsa and have arranged to meet Susan and her sister, Sally, at Pete’s Place in Krebs, Oklahoma for an early dinner.

Pete's Place, Krebs

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Since 2006, Susan has been promoting “reasons for visiting Susan in Oklahoma”, both by email and USPS (United States Postal Service). The exchange of correspondence has escalated since our decision to commit to the trip and, in the last couple of weeks, has engaged warp drive. As a result, we now have the semblance of an itinerary. In reality, we have very little hope of achieving everything on our wishlist, but we’re going to try our darnedest.

Oklahoma, the Sooner State, was the 46th admission to the union on 16th November, 1907 and was formed by combining Oklahoma Territory and Indian Territory. Its name is derived from the Choctaw words okla and humma, meaning red people. [More about Native Americans later.] It sits directly above Texas in the south-central region of the US. Ecologically, it is one of the nation’s most diverse states boasting mountain ranges, limestone hills, forests, valleys, mesas, plains and prairies. It also experiences extremes of weather from snow in winter to sub-tropical temperatures in summer, and lies bang slap in the middle of Tornado Alley.

Tulsa is the state’s second largest city (after the capital, Oklahoma City). It is situated on the Arkansas River at the foothills of the Ozark Mountains in northeast Oklahoma, a region of the state known as Green Country. In 2009, it was awarded 5th spot in Forbes magazine’s America’s Most Livable Cities and has received similar accolades from other organisations. It has no fewer than fourteen historic districts listed in the National Register of Historic Places and one the the largest concentrations of Art Deco architecture in the US. Historically it is infamous for the Tulsa Race Riot of Black Wall Street in 1921 and the Dust Bowl disaster of the thirties.

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[UKDEB]

In Susan’s adopted home town of Tulsa, we’ll be checking out the Art Deco buildings and the city’s two world renowned art galleries, the Gilcrease Museum and the Philbrook Museum of Art. We’ll be scoping out the revitalised entertainment and arts districts of Downtown. We’ll visit the brand new ONEOK Field, home of the Tulsa Drillers baseball team for Thirsty Thursdays ($1 beers – why wouldn’t we?). We’ll shop at the upscale Utica Square and pay a visit to Oklahoma’s largest Bass Pro Shop. We’ll dine at Trula, the restaurant of the magnificently restored iconic hotel, The Mayo. We’ll breakfast with Michael Wallis (more about Michael later) and Sally Stewart at the 5 & Diner. And we’ll take in several Tulsa originals.

Philbrook Museum of Art

Gilcrease Museum

Boston Avenue Methodist Church

Mayo Hotel

ONEOK Field

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More thrills await in the capital, Oklahoma City. Amongst the cultural treasures we’ll be exploring are the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, the OKC National Memorial & Museum, the OKC Museum of Art and the Capitol Building. A good ol’ nosh-up awaits at the state’s oldest restaurant, Cattlemen’s Steakhouse in historic Stockyards City (where I can’t wait to sample the lamb fry – if you’re not sure what it is, feel free to Google provided you’re not squeamish about what you put in your mouth). For a couple of reasons we’ve made the decision to stay overnight in Downtown’s Bricktown, a restored warehouse district now posing as the metro area’s entertainment hotspot. One inducement is the freedom to sample the many bars (not least Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill) without the need for any one of us to drive.

National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum

OKC National Memorial

Dale Chihuly sculpture at the OKC Museum of Art
(DCL aficionados will have seen his beautiful chandeliers in the atria of the Magic and the Wonder)

The Capitol Building

Cattlemen’s Steakhouse

Bricktown

Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill

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[UKDEB]

Oklahoma boasts more drivable miles of Route 66 than any other state. It enters Oklahoma at its most north easterly corner in Quapaw at the border with Kansas and exits in the west in Texola on the Texas border, passing directly through both Downtown Tulsa and Downtown OKC.

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Our goal is to drive it border to border, albeit not in one outing. For us, based in Tulsa, it conveniently divides into 3 distinct stretches and so we can intersperse our road trips with other activities. We aim to see as many of the Mother Road’s landmarks as humanly possible and no amount of protesting from our stomachs will prevent us from sampling its many diners, drive-ins and dives. I’m so excited, I could almost burst right now.

Coleman Theater, Miami
(pronounced My-am-ah in Oklahoma)

Clanton’s Café, Vinita

Totem Pole Park, Foyil

Will Rogers Memorial Museum, Claremore

Blue Whale, Catoosa

Molly’s Landing, Catoosa

Ollie’s Station, Tulsa

Frankoma Pottery, Sapulpa

Rock Café, Stroud
(Owner Dawn Welch was the inspiration for Sally the Porsche in Disney/Pixar’s Cars)

Phillips 66 Gas Station, Chandler

Round Barn, Arcadia

POPS, Arcadia

Lucille’s Service Station, Hydro

Oklahoma Route 66 Museum, Clinton

National Route 66 Museum, Elk City

Formidable woman that she is, Susan has spent a considerable amount of time discussing our Route 66 game plan with Michael Wallis. Michael is a historian and biographer of the American West who has gained national notoriety as a speaker and voice talent. Most recently his voice was heard as Sheriff in Cars. A storyteller who likes nothing better than transporting audiences across time and space, Michael has published thirteen books, including Route 66: The Mother Road, credited with sparking the resurgence of interest in the highway (we own a signed copy, thanks to a certain Mrs Yates of this parish). He is a Tulsa resident who dedicates himself to championing the cause. It was he who led John Lasseter and his Pixar team on their inspirational tour of Route 66. Michael has been nominated three times for the Pulitzer Prize and was a nominee for the National Book Award. He has won many prestigious awards and honors, such as the Will Rogers Spirit Award, the Western Heritage Award from the National Cowboy Hall of Fame, the Oklahoma Book Award from the Oklahoma Center for the Book, and the Best Western Non-fiction Award from the Western Writers of America. He was inducted into the Missouri Writers Hall of Fame and the Oklahoma Professional Writer's Hall of Fame and was the first inductee into the Oklahoma Route 66 Hall of Fame. He received the Arrell Gibson Lifetime Achievement Award from the Oklahoma Center for the Book as well as the Lynn Riggs Award and the first John Steinbeck Award. Phew! Not content with getting the input of such alumni of the Mother Road, Susan has enlisted him as a tour guide. We will be meeting with him for breakfast at the 5 & Diner in Tulsa where he houses his restored motorcycle.

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[UKDEB]

Native Americans and the Indian Territory they founded are a big part of Oklahoma history. In fact, one could go as far as to say they are Oklahoma history. Indian Territory served as the destination for the policy of Indian Removal, a policy pursued intermittently by American presidents early in the nineteenth century, but aggressively so by President Andrew Jackson after the passage of the Indian Removal Act of 1830. The Five Civilized Tribes in the south were the most prominent tribes displaced, a relocation that came to be known as the Trail of Tears during the Choctaw removals starting in 1831. The trail ended in what is now Arkansas and Oklahoma, where there were already many Native Americans living, as well as whites and escaped slaves. Other tribes, such as the Delaware, Cheyenne, and Apache were also forced to relocate to the Indian territory. The Five Civilized Tribes set up towns such as Tulsa, Ardmore, Tahlequah, Tishomingo and Muskogee, which often became some of the larger towns in the state. They also brought their African slaves to Oklahoma, which added to the African-American population in the state. Members of these tribes fought primarily on the side of the Confederacy during the American Civil War in Indian territory. In time, the Indian Territory was gradually reduced to what is now Oklahoma; then, with the organisation of Oklahoma Territory in 1890, to just the eastern half of the area. The citizens of Indian Territory tried, in 1905, to gain admission to the union as the State of Sequoyah, but were rebuffed by Congress and an Administration which did not want two new Western states, Sequoyah and Oklahoma. Citizens then joined to seek admission of a single state to the Union.

There are 39 Indian tribes in Oklahoma. They were assigned land that was considered sovereign territory. Each Indian nation was (and is) entitled to their own government and laws and during the past couple of decades many tribes have turned that legal oddity to a very profitable advantage - the casinos. Oklahoma state law forbids gaming and owning a gambling business, but each nation has the opportunity to build and operate casinos that are legal on their land. They can also sell tobacco products without imposing the considerable taxes that are charged everywhere else. There's poetic justice and a large touch of irony in these casinos that have sprung up across the nation on tribal land. Constitutional scholars and lawyers have managed to use the very laws that hemmed Indian people in for the past four centuries to gain for them exclusive permission to open, own and operate very lucrative enterprises. And more beautiful irony; the people whose ancestors (ethnically if not actually) robbed the many Tribes of their land are now lining up at casino parking lot entrances eager to go inside and hand over all the money they have.

Susan grew up in Muskogee and went to school in Tahlequah, the capital of the Cherokee Nation. Her sister, Sally, still lives in the family home. Needless to say, both places will feature in our travels. It’s in Chouteau that we’ll be having dinner with an Amish family at the Miller Farm. We’ll also be eating at Jincy’s Kitchen in the tiny hamlet of Qualls. The former mercantile, built in 1936, featured in the 1974 movie, Where The Red Fern Grows and the 2003 remake of the same name.

Cherokee Heritage Center, Tahlequah

Adams Corner Rural Village, Tahlequah

Jincy’s Kitchen, Qualls

Of the other places we’ll be visiting statewide, it would be remiss not to mention Guthrie (Oklahoma’s original state capital), Bartlesville (home of the Woolaroc Museum and Wildlife Reserve, and the Price Tower – Frank Lloyd Wright’s only skyscraper), Pawhuska’s Tall Grass Prairie Reserve, and the ranch of Wild West showman, Pawnee Bill.

Downtown Guthrie

Frontier Apothecary, Guthrie

Pawnee Bill Ranch, Pawnee

Tall Grass Prairie, Pawhuska

Woolaroc Museum, Bartlesville

Price Tower, Bartlesville

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[UKDEB]

After bidding a fond, and what will undoubtedly be an emotional, farewell to Susan, we’ll travel to Grapevine, Texas where we’ll spend the last two days of our trip holed up at the Gaylord Texan. As luck would have it, our wedding anniversary falls in August which allows us to avail ourselves of their "Anniversary Package" (two nights for the price of one). We might deign to take the short trip into Dallas for the obligatory glimpse of the Grassy Knoll, but after the packed itinerary in Oklahoma, this part of the trip will be all about chilling out. Susan will be mainly comatose, building up the stamina for her return to school. Did I mention that in her spare time when she’s not playing Sherpa to visiting Europeans, she’s a librarian at an elementary school in north Tulsa? A visit there is also on our agenda.

Like its counterpart in Orlando (Gaylord Palms), the Gaylord Texan houses an Old Hickory Steakhouse – one of our favourites. Similarly, it also has a buffet, Ama Lur, and, in place of Sunset Sam’s it has a sports bar, Texan Station. Although entirely different in concept and design, like Sunset Sam’s, it’s a huge structure housed inside the glass atrium. In addition, it has a standalone nightclub complex on the edge of Lake Grapevine, the Glass Cactus. All in all, an ideal venue for us to wind down before our journey back to the UK.

Gaylord Texan

Ama Lur

Texan Station

Old Hickory Steakhouse

Glass Cactus

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Congratulations and sincere thanks if you’ve stuck with me this far. I don’t do things by halves, do I? I promise to have the trip report finished in super-quick time. Christmas 2012 suit?

 

[SusanEllen]

This looks like so much fun! I want to go!! Please. Pleeeeease.

Pluto, the cats, and I are all thrilled to have you come to visit us. Charlie's looking out the front window watching for you now. So, come on. Let's get started.

 

[jockey]

Debbie, what a great report, very detailed looks like you have done a lot of research. The pics look totally amazing, wish I was coming too

I will look forward to more on your return

 

[jjk]

wow what an amazing Trip you have Planned, I am really looking forward to reading all about it on your return

 

[natalielongstaff]

Wow Deb !!! totally awesome pre-trip report

 

[jackieleanne]

Brilliant pretrip report Debs, very detailed and lots of pictures. Looks like you will have an amazing trip.

 

[wilma-bride]

Wow Deb, that pre-trip report is going to be one hard act to follow - I very much look forward to reading all about it on your return, although how you are going to better yourself I really don't know.

Sounds like the makings of a very enjoyable trip - I must say, there are certain aspects that I am green with envy over. I hope you both have a fantastic time - give Susan a kiss and hug from Gary and I

 

[SusanEllen]

I will look forward to the kiss and hug you're sending, Joh, but think you and Gary should let Debbie and Matt point the way and start planning your own trip to Oklahoma. I'm sure I could find room for your entire family here, although we might have to hang Daniel on a hook on the wall. He wouldn't mind, would he?

 

[Jets fan]

Fantastic start Deb, think this has to go down as the most in-depth pre-trip report I've ever read. I'm sure you'll have a fab time with Susan as she seems a lovely lady. Think of all those new drinks you'll be able to try.

Tina

 

[buzz for boys]

Amazing pre trip report and I would very much like you to give Susan a huge hug from all of us too!
i have so enjoyed reading this and the pictures of the places you plan to visit look amazing cant wait to read the trip report.

Susan Your house looks like it comes straight off a picture postcode I it !!

 

[strawberry blonde]

Wow, what a fantastic start to your trippie.

You could get a job with Susan Veness as a travel writer if you fancied a move to Orlando .

You certainly have a talent Debs . Can't wait to read more. Please take lots of photos.

 

[Chilly]

Now that's how you write a pre-TR!

 

[florida sun]

Ooohh wonderful start, to say Im just a teeny weeny bit jealous, but in a nice way would be an under-statement, that sounds like one of the trips of my dreams. I hope you have a wonderful time, I know you will and cant wait to hear all about it when you return

 

[bristolphil]

superb as always deb, looking forward to another great trip report with lots of drinking and eating along the way.

 

[Ware Bears]

Wow!! What an amazing trip.