Bloom Town: Muskogee, Oklahoma

Art in the Park
Muskogee's strong American Indian heritage blossoms as well this month, especially at The Five Civilized Tribes Museum. Housed in the 1875 Union Indian Agency building in Honor Heights Park, the museum hosts the annual Art Under the Oaks juried competition. Artists who are members of the tribes (Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole) submit pieces in specialized categories such as basketry, pottery, beadwork, and textiles. While the artwork is judged the first weekend of April, all submissions will remain on display for public viewing throughout the month.

You'll also want to make a special trip across town to the Ataloa Lodge located on the Bacone College campus. Built in the thirties, the lodge serves as a museum featuring an extensive collection of American Indian baskets, textiles, pottery, and other arts and crafts. The most popular exhibit includes an intriguing collection of 88 cottonwood kachina dolls.

Director John Timothy, a member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, can lead you on a tour through the facility if you're interested. Be sure, though, to ask if the Bacone Memorial Chapel right next door is open. Here you'll find a painting by Richard West called The Last Supper, which depicts the famous scene of Jesus and the disciples, except they are Indians sitting around a fire eating corncakes instead of bread.

Blooming Appetite
Now that you've experienced the local colors of Muskogee, you're ready for the flavors. For lunch, try the 'cue at Smokehouse Bob's Barbecue on North 11th Street. Bob Newton and his brother, Eugene, smoke their pork, beef, chicken, bologna, and hot links in a scientifically calculated mixture of pecan and hickory wood. Squeeze in at one of the community tables where you may make a few new friends after you polish off a slab of ribs ($18 per slab, $6.75 for a rib dinner).

For dinner, we recommend a trip downtown to Miss Addie's Cafe & Pub, an elegant restaurant with the feel of an old English tavern. While enjoying the atmosphere, start with a cup of the tortilla soup ($3.50), a local favorite. For an entrée, try the potato-crusted salmon ($14.95) served on a bed of julienned vegetables and finished with a lobster cream sauce. Relax and reminisce on your day spent soaking in the unforgettable colors and aromas of Muskogee in April.

This article is from the April 2004 issue of Southern Living. Because prices, dates, and other specifics are subject to change, please check all information to make sure it's still current before making your travel plans.