Cherokee Heritage Center

  There are three different areas at the center –the museum which has an excellent exhibit about the forced relocation of the Cherokee from their native lands in North Carolina, a reconstructed 1710 traditional village, and a 1890s rural village representing life in Oklahoma after relocation. The museum and rural village are self guided but the traditional village can only be toured with a guide. Various native crafts are demonstrated as visitors walk around the village. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable about all aspects of early Cherokee culture.

  The museum is accessible. A small elevator is operated by museum personnel to access the museum level from the building lobby. The traditional village has a paved path with just a few rough spots. A couple of the buildings may be entered but most wheelchair users will need to have some help due to uneven ground.The rural village has a paved path and ramps into the buildings but the ramps are poorly constructed – too steep,  uneven boards, and they don’t fit flush to the grounds. Most of the buildings have high thresholds. It’s similar to other reconstructions of small villages so you won’t miss much by skipping it.
      
  The parking lot is fan shaped with lanes radiating out. If it’s not busy RVs can park down any lane. Signs are posted directing RVs and buses to a separate lot which is farther away from the main entrance but the regular lots were barely used when we visited. Heritage Center
35.86794, -94.9552

Cherokee Casino - Tahlequah

  The parking lot of this casino slopes in two different directions so it hard to get level plus a busy four lane highway runs right in front of it. We would have slept much better at the one a few miles away which has a large level lot.

  It’s pretty good for accessibility with easy to move chairs and plenty of room in the aisles. Casino
35.84783, -95.01046

Fort Gibson Historic Site

  Fort Gibson was established in 1824 for military expeditions exploring the west. It also served to keep peace between the Native American tribes, and between settlers, outlaws, and squatters. It was abandoned in 1890. The fort was reconstructed in the 1930s as part of a WPA project. After eighty years sections of it are deteriorating and even though it’s opened to the public there isn’t much to see. A few other buildings have either been reconstructed or repaired and are also opened. A small visitor center has historical exhibits and a walking tour brochure.

  Very little is accessible. A small section of walkway in the fort is paved with flat stones. The visitor center is accessible but the door is very heavy and the stone in front of the threshold is worn and uneven. The threshold is pretty high.

  The fort and the visitor center are on opposite ends of the site. There are parking areas at both spots large enough for RVs. Large RVs will have to park lengthwise at the visitor center.  Fort
35.80769, -95.25346
    
    

Ataloa Lodge Museum

   The beautiful little building this museum is housed in is worth a visit in itself but the collection of Native American art and artifacts is really good too. Most of the art is from southwestern tribes - Hopi kachinas, Navaho rugs, and Pueblo pottery.

  The museum is fairly accessible. Some areas might be a little tight.

  The parking lot is large enough for RVs. Museum
  35.77758, -95.33543
 
 

Seminole Nation Museum

   Wewoka, Oklahoma has an interesting history. It had its start as the capital of the Seminole Nation and became the county seat after Oklahoma was opened to white settlers. It was a small town of just 1,500 people when oil was discovered in1923 and the population skyrocketed to over 20,000 in a few years. The boom had a short life and today the population has dwindled down to less than 4,000. Half of the buildings along the main street are neatly boarded up and empty. The small museum has good displays but is lacking when it comes to telling the story of the town.

  Everything is fairly accessible. One room has a brick walkway with a slight ramp along the side where it meets the floor. Wheelchair users with wide chairs may not fit on the walkway. The war and soldiers room has a small step without a ramp.

  All parking is along the street. Museum
  35.1537, -96.49135
 

Creek Nation Casino Okemah

  This casino doesn’t look like much from the outside but we were pleasantly surprised. It’s pretty small but very clean with little smokiness and very nice employees plus the machines seem a little looser than normal to us. The chairs are easy to move and the aisles are fairly wide.

  The parking lot is small. Larger RVs should be able to park during the week but the lot may fill on weekends. It’s close to the interstate but the buildings block almost all of the noise.
Casino   35.41856, -96.30079

 

Fort Washita Historic Site & Museum

  In the1830s when the federal government forced all of the southeastern Native American tribes onto reservations in Oklahoma they forgot an important detail. The land was already being used by other tribes as their hunting grounds and the newcomers weren't welcome. Forts were built to keep the peace. Fort Washita also served as a staging point during the Mexican-American war, a gathering place for settlers on the way to California, and a Confederate post during the Civil War. Eventually most of the Indian Territory was divided up into individual allotments and the fort structures were put to use as housing and farm buildings. The Oklahoma Historical Society has restored some of the buildings. There's a small museum in the visitor center.

  The visitor center is accessible. The walking tour follows the roadways so it's possible to see most of the existing structures. None are opened for tours of the interiors. A wagon display is located outside with information about the California wagon trains. It's a little hard to push along the path because of large gravel.

  RVs can be parked in the lot or along the road but the entrance to the park may be too narrow for large RVs. Museum.
34.10317, -96.54607
    
    

Pennington Creek City Park

   We love these little city parks! Most of them are found in the middle of the country in small, sleepy towns. They’re usually well cared for, quiet, inexpensive, and many times free. This one has primitive and hookup sites plus a nice playground and splash park for kids.

   None of the sites are accessible. The tables are on concrete pads which aren’t flush to the ground. The parking aprons are narrow with uneven gravel surfaces.

  The sites are large enough for all RVs. Pay envelopes are deposited in the water bill box at city hall. Campground
34.23479, -96.68387

Choctaw Casino-Durant

   This casino has two sections connected by a long, wide,ramped hallway. The lower section is older and kind of smoky. The new section has a little Las Vegas glitz and a much better air filtering system. Both of them have very heavy chairs so wheelchair users will be restricted to using the end machines but there are enough of them so it’s not a big problem. Most of the ticket and card slots are easy to reach.

   A search of the internet shows some conflict about whether overnight RV parking is permitted. The casino has a RV park that is managed by KOA and one of the stories circulating is that RVs would be required to use the RV park. When we’re faced with this type of situation we usually just give it a try, keeping an alternative spot in mind just in case we are asked to leave. We parked in the south lot near the employee lot and stayed from Friday afternoon until Saturday afternoon without a problem. Casino
33.94915, -96.41332

Fannin County Museum of History

  Artifacts pertaining to different aspects of the history of Bonham and Fallen county are nicely grouped together in this small museum. The volunteer working at the museum, a woman who had lived in the town her whole life, was very knowledgeable and interesting.

  A ramp leads to a small landing with a door that opens inward. Most of the museum is accessible but a few areas are a little tight and some of the display cases are too high. Garages house a fire engine, an antique Ford, and a PT-19 airplane. The garages have steps and are not accessible but it’s possible to see the fire engine and the car from a landing.

  The museum is located on the right hand side of the old train depot. The parking lot is large enough for vans and small RVs. Larger RVs can be parked along the street. Museum
33.57364, -96.17858