A Walk Down Memory Lane in Rose, OK
When people think of Oklahoma, they don't exactly picture a bustling metropolis. Mostly, what comes to mind are rolling hills, fields, and ranches. Native Americans are also synonymous with Oklahoma.
Rose, Ok is where I grew up. Sometimes, it is good to go back to the times before and remember the past. So this weekend, we did just that. My husband and I took the day and drove up to Rose, to spend time with my family in my old stomping grounds.
On this day trip to Rose, Oklahoma, we visited a Cherokee Heritage site, a state park, and possibly the best cafe in the area.
Our Day Trip journey began here, at the Saline Courthouse. The courthouse is located just off 412 hwy between Little Kansas, OK and Locust Grove, OK. It has recently been restored and turned into a museum on Cherokee Heritage. The small museum features two exhibits, a permanent exhibit telling of the history of the court house itself, including the courthouse's very own unsolved mystery. You can read about that here:
The second half of the museum is a rotating exhibit, featuring various Cherokee Natives and their contributions to the Cherokee Nation.
This particular exhibit showcased the craftsmanship of one woman, Weynema Smith. She is a weaver of baskets and a maker of dolls and jewelry. She also served as an educator, teaching the Cherokee language. Here are a few samples of her work.
The dolls above were made of gourds. Also on display were corn cob dolls. The second picture is a wedding basket, traditionally the man would place meat in one side, while the woman would place bread in the other. A lovely sentiment expressing the promise to nourish, care and provide for one another.
The Saline Courthouse stands on a beautiful park area out in the middle of nowhere. But luckily for you, this courthouse is near and dear to my heart. My husband and I had our engagement pictures taken on the front porch of the courthouse, before it was fully restored and refurnished.
After exploring the exhibits and reminiscing about our engagement, we went over to Little Kansas (10 min away) and ate at the fabulous cafe, Harvest House.
The Harvest House serves your basic cafe foods; burgers, fries, and chicken strips. But it also serves some down home country favorites such as fried chicken, roast beef and beans and cornbread.
As a side piece of information, this is the restaurant where my husband met my whole family for the first time ever!
Everything I have ever tasted in this restaurant has been good. BUT my favorite dish to have is the famous Indian Taco. YUM!!!! The Indian Taco is a hunk of fry bread topped with beans, hamburger, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese and sour cream and salsa. If you have never tried an Indian Taco, take it from me, YOU NEED THIS in your life.
Finally, to finish off our day trip to Rose, Ok. We traveled a ways further than Little Kansas, Ok. Just before you cross over the border into Arkansas on 412 you will find a state park called Natural Falls State Park. You must really be careful not to miss the sign. It is pretty nondescript and easy to overlook. BUT if you manage to find the sign, you will also find a little hidden gem in the area.
Natural Falls in Northeast Oklahoma, in the area known as Green Country by Oklahoma Natives boasts of it's Dripping Springs Falls, a 77-foot waterfall. The park is a great place to hike and camp and have a picnic. You will often see area persons taking pictures of the scenery or birds in the area.
This site is another place of sentimental value to my husband and I. He knows my love for all waterfalls and deemed this, the perfect location to pop the question and propose to me all those years ago.
As you can see, this was not just another travel article for me. This day trip was so much fun and reminded me of special times from my past. I loved making memories here, and you can make your own memories here too!
Photographs of John and Julie Forthman are done by www.sarajohnson.photography. My sister-in-law is amazing at what she does, we love our pictures. You will love her work as well.
