January 13, 2020

OKLAHOMA: A DRIVE THROUGH MANY NATIONS ON HIGHWAY 177

A noble face looked back at me as I waited at the Cimarron Turnpike toll booth. The license plate in front of me wasn’t an Oklahoma “tag.” The tag read, “Chickasaw Nation.” Another close by said, “Cherokee Nation.”  In Oklahoma, the chances are good that you are driving through a sovereign nation.    You’ll be immersed in towns, counties and highways that are named for the many Tribes and Tribal Elders in Oklahoma. Oklahoma has the second highest number of Native Americans of any state in the U.S.   There are 38 sovereign Tribal Governments in Oklahoma. To learn about each, click on the names below:   Absentee Shawnee Tribe Alabama-Quassarte Tribal Town…

January 6, 2020

A COMPLETE GUIDE TO THE CLIFF DWELLINGS AND MORE IN MANITOU SPRINGS, COLORADO

Just 6 miles east of Colorado Springs is one of the towns we love the most in Colorado.  Manitou Springs sits at the base of Pike’s Peak at an elevation of 6,414 feet in the Rocky Mountains. Manitou Springs has an historic, Old West feel, with many buildings from the early 1900s still in use today.   Leave your car parked on the street and stroll the town. There are mom-and-pop shops, art galleries, restaurants, and more!   You can go fishing, try both easy and difficult hikes, soar on a zip line, go rafting, or caving!     TOWN HISTORY     Manitou Springs was home to the Ute Indians who…