Jaunted - OK

Four Days and 1,407 Miles Later, We Turn In The Rental Car

pbb — 2009-05-15T14:26:13-05:00

Jaunted editor Paul Brady is back on terra firma in the U.S. after nearly a year away in South America. So how did he get back here? By taking the ultimate road-trip. All this week, he'll be telling us just how he did it. Any questions or suggestions? Let us know.

If 24 hours before, we'd been dreading a six-hour drive, the final leg of our one-way road trip started with a bit of melancholy of a different sort. Not because we'd been having a bad time but because it meant my trip--through South America, through the Gulf Coast and onward to Oklahoma--was about to end. It'd been so long since I'd stayed in one place, I didn't know what might happen when we arrived in Oklahoma.

But I put facing doubt about my future on hold while Pat Faser at the Fairfield Place served up a big plate of veggie frittata, sausage links, fresh fruit and a truly Southern biscuit alongside orange juice and coffee. I'd say the emphasis at this B&B was on breakfast if the bed hadn't been so comfortable.

We See London, We See France But Tulsa Sees Your Underpants

juliana — 2009-02-20T14:19:31-05:00

TSA's controversial full-body screeners have landed at the Tulsa International Airport with passengers already testing the pricey machines (each one costs $170,000) to largely positive reviews. From USA Today:

The 35-year reign of airport metal detectors began its slow descent this week in Tulsa, where for the first time some passengers are skipping metal detectors. People are instead being screened in a 9-foot-high portal with glass shields that rotate to produce vivid pictures of what is underneath passengers' clothing.

Yet the machines did not stir as much "privacy rights" concern as we would think.

Frank Lloyd Wright Travel: Price Tower

kjb — 2008-06-25T13:30:05-05:00

We wouldn't normally assign the title of skyscraper to a building that's only 19 stories tall. But when it's a tower designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, that's exactly what we'll call it. Harold Price, chairman of an industrial firm in Oklahoma, commissioned it for his corporate headquarters, and the skyscraper first opened to the public in 1956.

Summer Vacations With An Edge: Be Your Inner Freddie Mercury

egw — 2008-06-04T14:04:05-05:00

Inflict some extreme ear damage on yourself this summer at Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy Camp, where your counselors are members of famous rock bands, writing your own song is the new making your own lanyard and there are no swim tests.

Your basic option is a day camp that includes a concert you play (as the opening act to a real band), but you can also choose to go "on tour" with the camp for five days, being a camper in each city and hanging with Elliot Easton of the Cars on the (no doubt wild) days off.

Some campers last year got to play at BB King's in Times Square and rock out with Paul Stanley from KISS! Be in the first class at rock school when Fantasy Camp kicks off July 9 at the Rocklahoma Festival in Pryor, Oklahoma.

More money but less time this summer? Book yourself now into camp in London this November, which traces the Beatles' early years with jam sessions at Abbey Road Studios and a performance at Liverpool's Cavern Club. Your $13,000 fee doesn't include lodging, though, so jog over to HotelChatter to beat the Euro.

Related Stories:
· Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy Camp [Official Site]
· Summer Vacations with an Edge coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: ewbeyer]

Missed Connections in Tulsa: American Idol Winner Edition

egw — 2008-05-23T15:33:10-05:00

David Cook, the winner of the seventh season of "American Idol," may have been born in Houston, Texas, but when the 26-year-old graduated from college he decided to pursue his career in music in... Tulsa, Oklahoma. (To be fair, he didn't audition there but in Omaha.)

We hope the city's borders are prepared for an onslaught of shaggy, sideburned dudes with a weakness for rock ballads. If you are one, or want to meet one, you might do well to look in these hot spots:

Club Maverick :: Maybe leave the mustache at home when frequenting this bear-friendly gay bar. 822 S. Sheridan Rd.

Four Aces Tavern :: Live local bands stop by this watering hole every weekend, but you and your friends can also do karaoke there and live your local-stardom dreams. 11035 E. 41st St.

River Park :: Desert, schmesert! Wander along the city's source of fresh water alone or with man's best friend. Hwy. 44 and Riverside Dr.

Related Stories:
· Missed Connections coverage [Jaunted]
· Tulsa Hotels [HC]

[Photo of a statue on the Arkansas River: Tulsa Topics]

Oklahoma's Million Pound March

The Lost Girl — 2008-02-05T09:30:01-05:00

We're not sure if Oklahoma City saw an unflattering picture of itself, got too big for its fat jeans or simply got tired of being known as one of America's porkiest towns, but last month, the entire place went on a diet. Mayor Mick Cornett, who at one point had "a bit of a weight problem" himself, is spearheading the campaign to help his constituents get off their size XXL duffs. He's hoping that with a little encouragement--and fewer double cheeseburgers--they can shed more than 1 million pounds by 2009. The mayor says:

Putting an entire city on a diet may seem a little extreme but we have to get people's attention. This is a serious public health problem that's not going to go away unless we act.

Since the program launched on New Year's Day, more than 10,000 people have registered on OKCMillion.com, a website that allows dieters to confidentially track their weight loss progress and calculate their body mass index. Just five weeks in, the city has already collectively lost more than 10 tons. No telling, of course, if the other 680,000 residents not registered on the site have been pulling their weight too--or taking advantage of slightly shorter lines at Sonic.

Related Stories:
· OKC Million [Official Site]
· Oklahoma City mayor puts city on diet [MSNBC]
· Lose Weight in Italy [Jaunted]
· Oklahoma Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: KB35]

Ok, Seriously: What's Up With Clay Aiken's Feet in Airplanes?

dasubermeg — 2007-07-11T08:31:41-05:00

Apparently Clay Aiken didn't learn his lesson about keeping his feet (and their smell) to himself after we mentioned it last month. According to People, when Clay was on a Continental flight to Tulsa on Saturday, his foot ended up in a stranger's lap. Ok, hold up here. His FOOT ended up in a stranger's LAP? A head on the shoulder, even a hand on the leg, that we can understand. But a foot on the lap? Are this kid's legs as flexible as his voice?

The best part is that because the woman woke Clay up with a "hit to his chest," the FBI was called in. Apparently, they didn't find any bombs in Clay's foot, so no one was charged with anything. Clay, meanwhile, has promised that he's "taken steps to prevent any foot wandering in the future." Still, we're not going to sit next to him on a plane. Even if he is famous.

[Photo: Celebitchy]

Related Stories:
· Clay Talks to ET About Airline Drama [Entertainment Tonight]