Best of Oklahoma: From Tulsa to Tahlequah

Highly recommend this trip. Friends asked "Why Tulsa" when I told them where I was going. The diversity of the history was a wonderful surprise.

The Road Scholar tour of Tulsa and the Cherokee Nation was superb. The sites and activities were diverse and quite interesting. The pacing was very good, and we had plenty of free time to explore the city on our own. The tour group was congenial (about 25); and the restaurants were excellent. I very much enjoyed the Indigo Hotel as our base camp. It is centrally-located and relatively new, with a great view of the city from its sky-top bar. The staff were very helpful. The group leader, Sue, was the paradigm of a successful Road Scholar group leader. She was enthusiastic, well-organized, friendly and knowledgeable. She went out of her way to show us several sites that were a bonus to the day's schedule (e.g., the Blue Whale on Rt 66). Because Sue has been a group leader for the Detroit Signature Cities tour, I enjoyed her frequent comments and comparisons between Tulsa and Detroit. Two years ago I went on this trip (though Sue was not my guide), and I enjoyed it so much that I have returned to Detroit a few time since then. I also intend to return to Tulsa based on this trip! I should note that we had a number of lecturers and tour guides during our week in Tulsa and Tahlequah. They were uniformly excellent. One suggestion: My least favorite activity was the Jewish museum (focused on the Holocaust). Because I’ve seen similar presentations, e.g., Holocaust Museum in DC, I would have preferred to spend my time touring Oral Roberts University, or going to the Osage Reservation, given its proximity to Tulsa and the current interest in this tribe due to the book and movie: Killers of the Flower Moon. This would have been in line with a theme of this Road Scholar trip (Native American history and culture). I happened to visit with an Osage tribal leader while I was in Tulsa, and he said the Osage Museum can’t be topped, and that the tribe would be happy to provide an evening of food and Native American dancing to a group such as ours.

So fortunate to have had Tari as our group leader and Eric as our bus driver. They are the best!! So enjoyed the lecturers who provided such valuable insights into the history of Oklahoma and of course the Cherokee nation. I especially enjoyed the lecture by Vanessa Adams-Harris. The visit to the Sherwin Miller Museum of Jewish Art, the day at the Cherokee nation and the day spent at Greenwood Rising created such indelible and moving experiences for me. And then there was the day spent at the Bob Dylan Center - what a wonderful job the center did in showcasing why this man enjoys such a following and had such an impact in activism. This was such a wonderful trip - both in content and of course having Tari as our group leader.

If you look at this program and think, "what's in Tulsa", just read the itinerary. This program exposes participants to a multi-faceted city with a rich and important history that many are unaware of. Instructors exceeded expectations by sharing their passion and expertise in interesting presentations. Hotel accommodations are super with a hotel staff that is friendly and responsive. Dining on this program would satisfy any Foodie looking for unique, local culinary experiences. After this program, participants will never think of Tulsa as a destination to overlook.

This program educated me about the Cherokee Nation and Greenwood race massacre for which I am very grateful. There is also a very good mix of places to visit. No one could be bored with this program. Hotel Indigo was very good and it was a real treat to be able to order off the menu for breakfast. There was a variety of food at different restaurants and it was all good. The group leader was exceptional - very knowledgeable and also very organized. I would highly recommend this program.

I had no idea of the outstanding and diverse aspects of Tulsa and Tahlequah. I made connections with the Cherokee Cultural Center, felt like I was in Europe at a grand estate with formal gardens at Philbrook, and was saddened by all I learned about the 1921 massacre of Black Americans in Tulsa.

This was a wonderful trip enhanced by our group leader, Tari Intardonato and our terrific bus driver, Eric. We learned so much in a week about the Cherokee Nation, Greenwood Massacre, Bob Dylan, Woody Guthrie and the Art Deco period. The meals were top notch and our guides gave fascinating lectures. Hotel Indigo was a great downtown location. I have traveled with many tour companies but Road Scholar is at the top of my list for future travel.

Hotel Indigo was a good location for local restaurants. I enjoyed this tour which had provided a variety of things to see and different restaurant foods to try. We had an excellent bus driver and tour director which were friendly and knowledgeable. The local guides were good on their subject. I had a great time.

Great tour with excellent guides

Put Tulsa on your bucket list! Important historical events happened here. Museums honoring great musicians are here. Come and check them all out!

This is another very fine Road Scholar Signature City program. It is jam-packed with high quality excursions visiting various museums, taking interesting walks and getting lectures that are of a high quality. Learning about the Cherokee Nation, the race massacre of 1921 and its aftermath, Bob Dylan, Woody Guthrie, Native American Art and Jewish Art,seeing the interior of a splendid Methodist Church, sampling different types of cuisines, all lent to making this a superior trip. This is a part of our country to truly explore.

Five Stars. The RS Tour of Tulsa is a keeper. There were sights of historic interest--the Cherokee Nation, Greenwood Rising, Art Deco downtown Tulsa, the Philbrook Art Museum--as well as interesting characters--Will Rogers, Woody Guthrie, & Bob Dylan-- to learn more about. The pace was fine, the restaurants good, and my fellow Road Scholars affable. I highly recommend this tour.

Five Stars! This program provided an excellent overview of Oklahoma and its history, both good and bad. We appreciated all the work that went into delivering a well-balanced experience. The suggested readings promised and the program delivered. Well Done!

This is a general statement. You must accommodate solo travelers better..trips are quickly sold out for solos..I don’t like this. We are many solo travelers, mostly women. Find a way to increase solo accommodation If not, this will leave me no choice but to seek out other travel companies

Who knew there was so much to see, do, and learn in the Tulsa, Oklahoma area? Our small group visited the site of the Black Wall Street Massacre, the Will Rogers Museum, the Cherokee Nation Center, downtown Tulsa's incredible Art Deco architecture, the gorgeous Philbrook Art Museum and gardens, two religious instititions, and the Golden Driller for some local color. Our group leader, Tari, was awesome and we didn't have to change hotels once. I highly recommend Road Scholar Best of Oklahoma from Tulsa to Tahlequah.

Surprising hidden gem of place. Great museums (the Gilcrease, in particular was outstanding), plus a variety of sites. I particularly enjoyed the day we sent at the Cherokee Nation, plus the quick stops not listed on the itinerary - the Golden Driller (the 6th tallest statue in the US) and the Blue Whale, a bit of Route #66 nostalgia. Excellent group leader, Kim, who shared her enthusiasm for the state with us. Good meals, nice hotel, a great experience. Definitely recommend this trip to see a part of the US not on the normal tourist trail. In fact, I enjoyed this so much, I would do another trip to OK if Road Scholar would offer one focused on Oklahoma City.

I choose this program because Oklahoma was my 49th state. While Tulsa is not the most physically attractive city that Road Scholar offers (an understatement), it has some world class museums that are very much worth your while: the Sherwin Miller Museum of Jewish Art, the Thomas Gilcrease Institute of American History and Art, the Woody Guthrie Center, the Will Rogers Memorial Museum, and the Philbrook Museum of Art. We also had a great program leader.

The windy state of Oklahoma has quite a variety of museums and sites, from gardens to art to cultural to history (including famous people). I enjoyed my learning experience and our RS leader!