10. Tulsa, OK

 

November 22, 2023

Tulsa, Oklahoma. My first time there was this past Thanksgiving. Naturally, as a new visitor to a city, I went to explore. It was much than I expected for the South, a brisk afternoon around 52 degrees with the brightest blue skies with clouds not to be found. However, in contrast to the frigid Northeast Novembers, I joyfully embraced the perfect fall weather that beckoned me outdoors. There was so much to be explored, but my first stop took me to the Philbrook Museum of Art. Now, one might ask why for a nature exploration I would go to an art museum; however, this museum is known for their beautiful gardens behind the main building, and as a fanatic for a beautiful garden, I needed to visit the grounds. The sights were quite stunning beyond initial thought. I do not think my amateur photographs do these grounds justice. I just so happened to be visiting at the perfect time of year. While much of the rest of the country's peak fall season had passed, it was prime autumn in Tulsa. The tall, bright and bold trees were what mainly captivated me. (I have learned throughout the course of the semester, that something about trees are so awe-inducing to me.) It seemed as if no matter the direction that I looked the colors of fall jumped boldly off the canvas of the azure skies above. Every shade of red, orange, and yellow painted the immaculate gardens. My favorite trees stood tall in front of the entrance to the museum. I've included their picture above. They were the most striking red I've ever encountered. They were crimson. Not a fleck of any brown or green on the leaves, as close to perfect on this side of heaven I think that I've seen. Behind the lustrous crimson trees and the art museum hid the most perfect garden. Trees outlined the rectangular gardens, their leaves a faded yellow and orange creating a dense wall for the property. One could hardly guess that you were in the middle of a city and houses surrounded the museum on all sides. I sat and swung under a tree on a small swing for awhile feeling the cool breeze tingle my cheeks and throw my hair back. The garden was its own little escape into the woods. Pushing through the layers of trees that surrounded the walking path of the gardens was the sound of rushing water, a calming noise not often heard in the midtown of any city. But alas, a small canal, no more than five yards wide, curved through the back of the property, hidden from the museum building by the wall of trees. A familiar and peaceful sight of rushing water over a small pile of rocks that created a miniature, 1-foot waterfall.  I was more infatuated with the trees and the swing and the canal than the perfectly carved bush arranged in a diagonal pattern that one could overlook from the museum balcony. Seemingly, the natural trees and water and grass and rocks interested me far more than the architectured, planned, perfectly cut flowers and bushes that created an intricate design in the "main" gardens and outdoor walking paths. Maybe that is coming from my childhood and the reminders of home in the forest, but I walked from the garden to the trees. They were far more interesting and far more exciting. I only stayed in the garden for about an hour, the setting sun threatening my enjoyment. But, considering my stay in the city, it was the perfect reprieve into nature, and who would have thought it would be in a suburban neighborhood in Midtown, Tulsa, Oklahoma. The art at the museum is beautiful, don't get me wrong, but I argue the most beautiful and profound art is found when you descend the stairs of the balcony to the garden and nature below.