The OK Panhandle

[SMS]

The closest I've been is Shattuck...go there pretty regular. I'd like to actually see it someday.

 

[TedKennedy]

I end up driving through there a couple times a year. Not much to see, but at least it ain't Kansas.

 

[SPDguns]

We occasionally road trip through there. Go west out of Boise city and up to Kenton through Black Mesa. Hit Capulin Volcano and then the town museum at Folsom. Keep going west through the grasslands and go through Sugarite Canyon into Raton. Very scenic and interesting drive.

 

[THAT Gurl]

Property is hella cheap out there.

Are you saying I might could own a vacation home?? Hmmmm ...

 

[Perplexed]

Years ago, I helped with a project where we sampled the fish population in Optima Lake. Don’t laugh, there ARE fish in the “lake!” What I remember was how difficult it was to launch a flat bottom jonboat - we had to drive past the end of the boat ramp over dry, brushy land till we got to the water’s edge. Then we had to back the truck into the water till tailpipe deep, and wade back in shin-deep water and push the boat off the trailer. When we got back, we had to winch the boat onto the trailer. Thank goodness the latter had rollers.

IIRC, the water was about 8-9 feet deep along the creek bed, but mostly less than 4 feet in the areas we sampled. Caught the usual carp, but also sunfish, bass, and catfish. I was surprised how many fish we caught.

 

[CorpsVet]

In the 60's my Dad and I would go pheasant hunting there every year.

 

[Snattlerake]

Ha! Even this sum***** from CA has been through the panhandle. Several years ago driving out from CA to Tulsa area we decided to take the "scenic" route and got off I-40 at Tucumcari and took 54 up through and to Guymon. Holy geebus, it seemed like it took 37 hours to get from Guymon to Tulsa. THat just seems long as hell. There were some real pretty areas but, wow!

I have heard the longest straightest road in the U.S. is the one between Hardesty and 5 miles or so east of Slapout and I have driven it hundreds of times. That is one long 4.5 hour trip to get to Guymon from OKC

 

[Jwryan84]

Liberal Kansas is a fairly large city. I have lived and worked there for months. I worked in Hooker, Guymon, Boise City, Buffalo and Keys. Keys Oklahoma is not the end of the world but if you climb a tall windmill you can see it. Boise City is not the metropolis you think it might be. It's about a mile long from the Dairy Queen to the telephone company office and about 1/4 mile wide. The courthouse is the biggest building in the county and sits in the town square. Hooker has a lot of interesting people. Their baseball field is the home of the Horny Toads.
Guymon is a pretty big town and has a huge Radio Shack. I bought items there in February 2020. Eddie's is a great steak house. The pawn shop guy has high prices on his guns. Buffalo has an OTASCO store!

Before covid I usually was out there for work, insurance adjuster, at least a handful of days. I always made it a point to stay and go to Eddies. Really good meal after a long day working.

We've stayed there a few times when going to Colorado or Red River with friends just to cut the Drive in half and just eat.

 

[xseler]

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There are places on our great blue marble whose sole function is to hold the rest of the world together.....



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[TerryMiller]

Raised in Keyes, OK, which is about 18 miles east of Boise City on Highway 56. Still have family out there, so we get there occasionally.

Link to pictures of Black Mesa and Kenton area

Link to pictures of Lake Carl Etling near Kenton

Link to pictures of New Mexico from about Kenton over towards Capulin

Those are the really pretty areas to go see. As for getting there, one will see rolling hill of grass getting to Guymon and then between Guymon and Boise City, it kind of looks like this.