A WINDOW INTO GETTING OFF THE BEATEN PATH IN OKLAHOMA

by ALANA OWEN

Years ago, my newly formed partner and I decided we wanted out of the crazy state of California’s disarray in search of a better life. We started planning trips to other states, and a family member suggested Oklahoma. I knew very little about the state except what I saw while driving through or flying over. My (now) husband was agreeable so we booked a ticket to Oklahoma City.

We were immediately pleased by how simple it was to rent a car at the Oklahoma City’s Will Rogers International Airport. More smiles came as we saw how quickly we could be outside the big city and have countryside all around us.

Before setting out, I purchased the book Off the Beaten Path in Oklahoma. Our first night in the state, we stayed over and ate at The Hillbilly Inn, one of the quirky little places the book identified. The decorations in the café and rustic small rooms were quaint and entertaining. Our experience was so pleasant we found ourselves quickly purchasing a small property with the hopes of someday leaving California. However, upon returning to our home state we could think of very little except claiming our stake in Oklahoma at the new 20-acre piece of property with a 1979 mobile home.

Looking back, it is amazing to think how the purchase of that book and the quick decision to move impacted my life’s journey. Had we not moved, neither of us would own a ranch and enjoy the lifestyle we always wanted.

I would have never known what it was like to sit in my own front yard and sip wine while watching fireflies on a humid summer night. Blackberries and canning became dedicated hobbies, along with food foraging and enjoying my own home-grown pecans. Our daughter would have never met her husband at Oklahoma State University (OSU), and the grandchild we are now expecting would never have come to be.

How true it is that the decisions we make drive the major outcomes of life’s journey.

When I was asked to write a story about the Tree House Tavern I was elated. Another quirky little place that belongs in Off the Beaten Path in Oklahoma, the book that led me to this state.

I interviewed Ed Suthers, who co-owns the Tree House Tavern with Georgeann Campbell. Ed grew up in northwest Oklahoma farming and ranching with his family. He ended up at OSU to finish up his bachelor’s degree in animal science with a business option. Ed always thought he would end up in the farming and ranching business, but he was also adventurous and found his own direction. Ed is a third generation OSU graduate which includes himself, both of his parents, and some of his grandparents. His last few years in college, Ed owned a shuttle bus business where he met Mark, the Corridor publisher’s nephew. Mark was the main driver of the shuttle bus operation.

The Tree House Tavern is located between Perkins and Stillwater at 3219 East 92nd Street. Originally the business was called The Spider Dome, followed by the Gypsy Spider Dome, and then The Dome. Ed is the fourth owner of the establishment. The Tree House Tavern seemed a fitting name to Ed because of the large outdoor deck areas he built around a group of trees which come up through the floor.

The tavern has regular events such as live music on Saturdays, a doubles blind draw dart tournament on Sunday afternoons, 3 ball pool tournaments on Mondays, Ladies Night Wednesdays, doubles blind draw darts on Thursdays, and free jukebox Friday nights. Happy hour specials are available weekdays from 5 to 7 P.M. Typically the bands play a variety of country music, blues, and southern rock. I had to inquire about the dart board games, since they clearly were much more than the round dart board I grew up with. Ed explained they are some of the latest in dart technology and are hooked into the internet allowing customers to compete with others around the world.

Ed spoke proudly of the decks he added for the outdoor seating. All have televisions which typically play current sporting events. The most popular time of the year is football season. The tavern is well-known for its unique setting, welcoming friendly atmosphere, prompt service, shaded outdoor areas, and being a great place for people to come and enjoy sports.

An added feature to the location is a 16-site RV park where some live year around. Some are out of town workers, others come for a temporary stay, while others are just there for the night. All options are available. Ed has owned and rented properties since 1998 in the area.

The food menu at the Tree House Tavern is simple: pizza, nachos, corn dogs, burritos and hotdogs. Ed once hosted a wedding at the tavern for a couple who stopped by scouting for a location, and the upper outdoor deck can be rented for events.

All of Ed’s guests are equally important, and he enjoys his customer base of locals, with quite a few regulars from throughout the state. Additionally, he believes he has had patrons from every state as well as people from Mexico. Ed has seen an increase in the number of people from the west coast areas as many are moving out of there.

Most of the advertising is on Facebook where weekly events, bands, and other announcements are made on a regular basis. A recent post shows a location clearly out of the ordinary for a tavern with a country entryway and an overhead sign reading “Tree House Tavern and Shady Acres RV Park.”

There is certainly something for everyone at the Tree House Tavern. Whether stopping in for a drink, catching a game, staying overnight, or looking to live the RV life, Ed has created a nice, relaxed environment for his patrons.

I explained my own journey from California several years ago to Ed. He said he recalls the book Off the Beaten Path in Oklahoma. I told him we need to check into getting The Tree House Tavern in the book; it is certainly worthy. After interviewing Ed, I went online and purchased the latest edition of the book, along with another one entitled Oklahoma Curiosities: Quirky Characters, Roadside Oddities & Other Offbeat Stuff. As I only live an hour from the Tree House Tavern, I feel a girls road trip coming on in the near future. Maybe I will get someone to teach me how to play modern darts, or just spend the afternoon on one of nthe shaded decks with a cold drink.