"Three Sticks" was built by the people of southeastern Oklahoma to honor Senator Robert Kerr…read more(1896-1963). Kerr served as the 12th Governor of Oklahoma, 1943-1947 and then US Senator from Oklahoma, 1949-1963. This spot is a peak in the Ouachita Mountains and has a fabulous view. Senator Kerr's book, "Land, Wood, and Water" that was titled after a lesson his father has told him, "To raise a family, you have to have three things - land, wood and water." And these three sticks represent those three things. Senator Kerr wanted to encourage tourism and development in SE Oklahoma and was key in improving dirt roads, connecting local roads, and building new connecting roads that resulted in this road, US 259. Some trash is scattered about in the parking area and in the nearby woods. There is a port-a-potty that was quite useful after driving two hours. [Review 694 of 2024 - 164 in Oklahoma - 21725 overall]

I love this place! Great photo op at the Eiffel Tower, and the cowboy hat on top is a hoot! Such a…read morefun area to take family when they visit from out of town. The veteran's memorial is so peaceful and nice.

If you happen to be in the area, you can stop by and say you've seen the Eiffel tower (of Texas)…read more One of those fun roadside attractions to mark off your bucket list. Not as tall as I thought it would be but still a fun, quick stop.

We enjoy this local landmark and sometimes grab a photo with the kids here to look back at and…read morecompare from year to year. This is a local food manufacturing provider with a global brand that is a great employer and great community partner in the area.

This sign I've seen a hundred times. It's at the planters peanut factory…read more When I worked at a canning factory for the tin cans that planters used to pack there peanuts and mix nuts this sign is at the entrance of Planters peanut factory. It's definitely a huge sign that you can see from the road. I definitely wouldn't make a road trip to see it.

I've seen a lot of historical markers in my travels and I think it's only Oklahoma that does them…read morelike this. Other states have signs on posts. Oklahoma has a carved stone, almost like a gravestone. There is a sign ahead that lets you know it's coming so that you can look out for it and be ready to pull over. This marker does not have much of a widening in the road, so watch for traffic when you stop. It reads, "On the hill to the east was home of Capt. J.E. Reynolds a Confederate veteran, a pioneer rancher and merchant. Built of native stone, like a castle, complete with turrets and walls two feet thick. Reynolds was a delegate to the Sequoyah Convention which attempted to bring it into the Union as a separate state." I looked to the east. I didn't see it. [Review 689 of 2024 - 159 in Oklahoma - 21720 overall]

It's fun to see for sure!! The building it is attached is closed and/or abandoned. The driveway is…read moreon an incline and there are potholes and broken glass everywhere. Just keep your eye out and you can avoid them.

Funny photo op in Ft Smith. No idea about the building and if it actually opens as a business…read moreduring the holidays. But the World's Largest Christmas Pickle is definitely worth a stop if you are in the area. Bonus: there's a cool looking water tower next door too.

"I still believe in a place called Hope." - President Bill Clinton…read more Interesting quick visit to the birthplace home of President Clinton. Although the house is closed and the movie is not available due to COVID, the park rangers are extremely friendly, knowledgeable and passionate about history. Apparently according to the park rangers, they have a very active presence using virtual media as well. Limited visitors to the welcome center which was previously the neighbor's home and face masks are required. We were the only ones in the center on our visit. Walk across the park to see the home from the outside and the porch. Stamp your park passport before you leave. Park across the street. The center is free and open for limited hours daily.

We went to Clinton Birthplace Home NHS while visiting Arkansas. I didnt know much about his story…read more(other than what happened while he was president), but I learned a lot by visiting here. Within a few minutes of our arrival, they announced there would be a tour of his childhood home. They took us to the house, walked us through it, and told us about his early life and experiences. I found it interesting and relatable. Overall, I enjoyed visiting this place and would recommend it.

Well, it's a hot day, we ended up spending a bit of time here learning about the history of Fort…read moreSmith, how integral it was into the colonization of the west, as well as their turbulent times trying to manage both the tribal communities and the white settlers who were moving into the area rapidly. It's a fascinating history And one that you have to spend a little bit of time going to the museum and understanding the different angles. I guess that's a purpose of a museum, right? We learned a little bit about Judge Isaac, Parker, as one of the first influences that had to deal with the wild West murderers and people committing heinous crimes that until he arrived, didn't face many consequences as there was no federal government system that was in control of the area and the tribunal process did not cover non-native Americans. Fascinating history. You can even see a replica of the courthouse as well as the gallows as they were over 160 people hang here. Take a rock across the railroad tracks and read a bit about the trail of tears. There are plenty of areas to contemplate the history. Bring a picnic, there are many places to relax and spread out. The museum is actually free, is air-conditioned and had clean restrooms

Really interesting historical site. We've been to a ton of National Parks and National Monuments /…read moreHistorical Sites. This is top 10 for sure! The information is presented in a fun way that really grabs your interest. There's a nice out door area to walk and explore more. The rangers were all very friendly and informative. Worth a stop for sure!

It's gone. No longer there. They tore it down and built a Walmart. We visited and could not find…read moreit Edit. The location is marked wrong. It's across the street. It's worth seeing.

Mister Peanut is both the advertising logo of the company and the mascot of the Planters…read moreCorporation. He looks like a proper distinguished gentleman, complete with top hat, monacle, white gloves and spats carrying a cane. Mister Peanut appears on every can and jar of Planters peanuts and has even appeared on TV as an animated character. This statue is in front of the Planters facility (canning? packaging?) in Fort Smith. It is accessible from the employee parking lot. He is 30 feet tall and looks exactly the same as the ones on my can of nuts. My visit was a quick in and out, so there was not enough time for any security patrol to get mobilized. Allegedly, there are smaller Mister Peanuts and a sit-with-Mister-Peanut photo-op but these are closer to the facility and in a specific "visitors only" area. If you find it, let me know. I'm curious. [Review 688 of 2024 - 355 in Arkansas - 21719 overall]

1943-1945 WW2, McAlester was home to almost 3,000 German POW's. It's hard to believe that less than…read more80 years ago McAlester was part of such significant history. I have heard rumors that originally it was an interment camp for Japanese Americans for one year prior to housing Germans. I also heard that it was going to house Italian POW's but due to the local population of Italian immigrants they where housed elsewhere. It would be very interesting to dive more in to this part of our local history. The miniature castle was built by the POW's and there is another one at the old McAlester High School.