The Beauty of Green County

First of all, we chose this hotel because they allow pets. If you have read any of my entries, you know that we have two Jack Russell Terriers that travel along with us. They love hotels. We never leave them at home so anywhere we stay must allow pets. This hotel did not charge us for the pets or make us sign any paper.

This hotel previously was a Holiday Inn but recently changed names so the exterior does not look like a La Quinta Inn. The hotel building itself is quite old and the exterior looks dingy and needs a good paint job. One good thing is the location. It is located on the main highway going into town. It was very easy to find. Our room was the typical budget hotel room with a king bed, TV, desk, and bathroom. I do have to say that the bed was quite comfy (for a hotel). The mattress was a pillow top so it was not as firm as most. The room was clean - nothing to brag about. But for $89 a night, it was fine.

The hotel does offer an indoor pool, fitness room, sauna, and restaurant. We did not visit these so you will have to find out how they look when you go. The service was fair. Our check-in and check-out was painless and the staff were friendly enough. I did have a complaint when I called for more pillows and an hour later still no pillows. I called again to find out that they do not have extra pillows but they could bring me a blanket wrapped up in a pillowcase. Not the same, but OK.

We chose this hotel for a relaxing weekend away for the reason of the price and the fact that they accept pets. I find that most Best Western hotels look the same. The room had a king bed, a small table with 2 chairs and dresser with TV. It also had a refrigerator which is always nice. There is one picture on the wall which was probably bought at the hotel store. Nothing special was it was clean and well cared for.

The hotel offered a small outdoor pool area but no hot tub or fitness area. There was quite a bit of grassy area for the dogs. The service was basic with no extras offered.

We would probably try another hotel in the area the next time we visit Bartlesville.

We just wanted a weekend away so we chose to drive 45 minutes from Tulsa to Muskogee. It is a small city but filled with history and things to do. Finding a hotel that accepts pets is sometimes a daunting chore so when we found this one we thought we would give it a try. We found the Regency Inn on the Oklahoma Tourism site but it didn't have pictures or much information.

When we first saw the motel we thought we were in trouble. It is an older, drive in style motel without a pool, resturant, or much of anyting else. It does have a laundry room and a continental breakfast. We found a room that was on the large side but was old and had mis- matched decorations, but it was very clean. The room had a small table and 2 chairs, a king bed, dresser, TV, microwave, and refrigirator. There was also a small alcove that is used for a make up mirror. The bed was very comfortable and made for a good night's sleep. The pillows were new and fluffy. What surprised us the most was the large whirlpool tub in the bathroom. We loved this and took turns taking bubble baths with plenty of hot water.

The hotel does not have many amenities. They have a laundry and serve a small breakfast of cold cereal, donuts, coffee and juice. We decided to try one of the many resturants near by for both dinner and breakfast.

I would recommend this motel to anyone who is looking for a inexpensive place to have a good night's sleep and relax in the whirlpool tub. Not bad for $47.00 a night.

We just moved to the Tulsa area and have heard great things about "Cheddar's" so we had to try it out. I was sorely disappointed in the entire experience. It started with the seating girl. She left me standing for 3-4 minutes to giggle and whisper with a co-worker before she acknowledged me. We were then seated in the bar area which was very noisy and crowded. I would never choose the bar if we were asked, but we were not asked our preference. The atmosphere was one of a loud college bar scene but does cater to families. There is an outdoor dining area that looked nice and the inside decor was warm and inviting. The bar area had numerous TV screens for the sports fan.

The menu was varied but not very large. It has burgers, sandwiches, and a small assortment of dinners. The menu was definitely standard with no real specialness to it. We ordered the Texas Cheese Fries as our appetizer and was please with the amount of cheese and bacon piled on top. The portion side was generous. I did ask for two small plates that never came. The bar was very slow for a Wednesday night at 6:30pm, it took over 20 minutes for my drink to arrive at our table. My husband ordered the chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes which he said was very good. I ordered the Honey BBQ Baby Back ribs which were a little to tough and sweet for my taste. My baked potato arrived 8 minutes after our meals and we had to ask twice for the "warm, mouthwatering, honey-buttered croissants" which were cold when they arrived. The tasted like the croissents I had bought last week at the grocery store with a small amount of honey drizzled over the top.

The prices were very reasonable. Each of our dinners were under 10 dollars and the Cheese Fries were 6 dollars. Since we have heard great things about this restaurant, we might try it again but not for a while.

I had the pleasure of visiting Fleming's Steakhous for a business meeting. It is located in Utica Square, which is an upscale dining and shopping area. The atmosphere of Fleming's is one of a old library in a fine home. The walls are deep in color with wood coverings. Immediatly when you walk into the doors, you feel relaxed and welcomed.

The wait staff was attentive. Our waiter spent time at our table explaining the specials and the wine list. He was pleasant and made our dinner a wonderful experience.

We shared the appetizers around the table. The sweet chile calamari was lightly breaded and the chile sauce was spicy but not hot. We also had the cheese & charcuterie plate which was served with olives and toasted bread. Both were very tasty. Each of us decided to have the steak. My filet was perfectly cooked and just the right size. The sides are large enough to share so we did just that. We had Fleming's potatoes which is filled with cheese and peppers, very good; the choptle mac & cheese; and the asparagus. Dessert came with what else but cheesecake served with chocolate sauce and blueberries.

I really loved the experience of this restaurant, the food was fabulous, but the prices will put it in the "special occasion"
category.

Where do you take two, very active 2 1/2 year old boys? The Oklahoma Aquarium, of course. We arrived at the opening hour of 10am and found that we were not the only adults bringing the children to this adventure spot. The admission of $13.95 for adults and $9.95 for children 3-17 with kiddos under 2 being free, is money well spent. Of course you can buy a family annual membership for $85.00 if you plan to visit often.

The aquarium houses over 200 exibits including a casting pond outside. Some of the exhibits we found were the Coral Reef, Oklahoma fishes, Ozark Stream, Shark tank, and the Oceans room. The Oceans room was the highlight of the day for the boys. You buy shrimp pieces and a feeding pole for $3 and you get to feed a hungry pool of stingrays. With all the fighting over the food, watch out you may get wet. The flat fins of the rays cause quite a spray of water. Next to the feeding tank there is the touch tank where you can feel the differences of the stingrays and the small sharks. All the children, and adults, really enjoyed this exhibit. There is also a feeding area for the turtles. This didn't hold the boys' attention as well as the fast moving stingrays.

The Shark Adventure exhibit was my favorite. Its walk-through tunnel and dome allows you the feel and sound of being under water with some small and quite large sharks. I have to say it was pretty neat having a large 6-8 foot shark swimming so gracefully over my head.

Of course the tour ended with the well placed gift shop filled with stuffed eels and clown fish, and the all too popular t-shirt. We bought a few cheap toys for the boys and went on our merry way, knowing we enjoyed ourselves as much as the children.