I've spent the last week and a half preceptoring for a veterinary clinic in Osage County, Oklahoma. My grandmother lived in Pawhuska with her family until she was sixteen. She talked about this place and the Osage Nation with a certain reverence that always fascinated me. Maybe it's silly to arrange a trip like this around something so simple, but I what can I say? I'm a romantic. Really, I just wanted to spend some time here, and I haven't been disappointed. I've gotten some great experience with a local vet and put some real large animal work under my belt.
As for Osage County, I'm completely in love. You can see for miles and miles across the rolling prairie. The valleys and river bottoms are full of trees and wildlife that conjure up images from the works of John Joseph Mathews and the like. When I was younger, I remember thinking that this part of the country was too flat and barren compared to my home state. This visit has completely changed my mind. Arkansas will always be home, but I've got to tell you, Oklahoma is quickly becoming my new number two. This place has a beauty that is subtle. You have to stop moving to see it, and once you do, you find yourself holding your breath so it won't change. You certainly miss it if you never get off the interstates. One of the best things about working for a vet is spending so much time on ranches and back roads. I've been staying at a bunkhouse on a local ranch, and I've spent a good deal of time just sitting on the porch there. In the last week, I've watched storms roll in on the horizon. I've seen a parade of the most beautiful watercolor sunsets I could imagine, all the while listening to coyotes howling in the distance and cows bellowing from across the yard. It makes me wonder what Osage County must have looked like through my grandmother's eyes so many years ago or her mother's before that.
If you do find yourself visiting Osage County, let me make a couple of suggestions. My family came to visit during my time here and stayed at a local inn called the Wah-Zha-Zhi House (http://www.wahzhazhihouse.com/) (Wah-Zha-Zhi is the name by which the Osage Nation refers to itself in the traditional language.) The inn was really vintage and well kept. I would definitely recommend it. Another great, local establishment is Bad Brad's Bar-B-Q for lunch or dinner. I especially recommend it on steak night, because they cook everything on the grill outside. There are locations in Pawhuska, Yukon, and Stillwater (http://www.badbrads.com/). After you find food and a bed, you'll want to see the sites. I recommend checking out the Osage Nation's Museum and Library while you're in town (http://www.osagetribe.com/museum/). It contains a lot of really interesting records, artifacts, and art from the history of the tribe. My last recommendation is to head north of town to the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve. There is a lot of history and ecology here, including great birding and a free-ranging bison herd. (http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/northamerica/unitedstates/oklahoma/placesweprotect/tallgrass-prairie-preserve.xml).
As for Osage County, I'm completely in love. You can see for miles and miles across the rolling prairie. The valleys and river bottoms are full of trees and wildlife that conjure up images from the works of John Joseph Mathews and the like. When I was younger, I remember thinking that this part of the country was too flat and barren compared to my home state. This visit has completely changed my mind. Arkansas will always be home, but I've got to tell you, Oklahoma is quickly becoming my new number two. This place has a beauty that is subtle. You have to stop moving to see it, and once you do, you find yourself holding your breath so it won't change. You certainly miss it if you never get off the interstates. One of the best things about working for a vet is spending so much time on ranches and back roads. I've been staying at a bunkhouse on a local ranch, and I've spent a good deal of time just sitting on the porch there. In the last week, I've watched storms roll in on the horizon. I've seen a parade of the most beautiful watercolor sunsets I could imagine, all the while listening to coyotes howling in the distance and cows bellowing from across the yard. It makes me wonder what Osage County must have looked like through my grandmother's eyes so many years ago or her mother's before that.
"Drummond Ranch" Pawhuska, Oklahoma
Photo by Jenn Ballard
If you do find yourself visiting Osage County, let me make a couple of suggestions. My family came to visit during my time here and stayed at a local inn called the Wah-Zha-Zhi House (http://www.wahzhazhihouse.com/) (Wah-Zha-Zhi is the name by which the Osage Nation refers to itself in the traditional language.) The inn was really vintage and well kept. I would definitely recommend it. Another great, local establishment is Bad Brad's Bar-B-Q for lunch or dinner. I especially recommend it on steak night, because they cook everything on the grill outside. There are locations in Pawhuska, Yukon, and Stillwater (http://www.badbrads.com/). After you find food and a bed, you'll want to see the sites. I recommend checking out the Osage Nation's Museum and Library while you're in town (http://www.osagetribe.com/museum/). It contains a lot of really interesting records, artifacts, and art from the history of the tribe. My last recommendation is to head north of town to the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve. There is a lot of history and ecology here, including great birding and a free-ranging bison herd. (http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/northamerica/unitedstates/oklahoma/placesweprotect/tallgrass-prairie-preserve.xml).
