Wichita to Mobile Road Trip Guide

The oil industry plays a prominent role in the modern Oklahoma economy. The Golden Driller is a 75 foot tall concrete and plaster statue of an oilman with his right arm resting on an oil derrick. It was originally built for the 1952 International Petroleum Exposition. It was popular enough that it was reused and eventually donated to the Tulsa Expo Center for the 1966 International Petroleum Exposition.

Prior to his permanent installation at the site, he got a makeover. In 1979 his belt buckle was redone with the word “Tulsa” across it and Oklahoma officially named him the state monument. The statue is the sixth tallest statue in the United States and it is dedicated to the men of the petroleum industry.

The Warrior RV Park on the south side of town is the best RV park in the area to stay at. The park is highly rated and convenient to the downtown attractions.

In the up and coming Oklahoma city of Broken Arrow is the opportunity to dine on the BBQ of a World Champion BBQ Pitmaster. Oklahoma Joe's is a family-owned restaurant chain started by Joe Davidson who began building his BBQ empire over 25 years ago by selling hand-built smokers at the Oklahoma State Fair. With the success of his smokers, he became a master BBQ chef, winning over 300 titles including the Grand Champion Title at the Jack Daniel’s World Championship.

As part of his BBQ empire, the company operates five restaurants spread out across Oklahoma and Nebraska. One of those is located here in Broken Arrow, OK. The restaurant is highly rated overall, and the BBQ is first-rate. Smoked turkey, ribs, pulled pork and their signature BBQ Brisket are all on the menu here. This is one of those rare restaurants where you can enjoy a marquis example of a specific food style in the area it was born. It's like eating world-class sushi in Tokyo, or top-notch Pho on a street corner in Hanoi, only better.

The closest good RV parks to Broken Arrow are in Tulsa, see The Golden Driller listing above for more info.

Two of the best ways to live the culture of a region is through your stomach and through your ears. We covered the stomach portion at Oklahoma Joe's, we'll tackle the ears at the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame in Muskogee, OK. This outstanding museum is dedicated to the careers of the major musicians that came from Oklahoma. It has both an exhibit hall and a live performance venue where they hold their annual induction ceremony as well as other live performance events.

Since it's inception in 1997, they have inducted over 37 musicians including Merle Haggard, Vince Gill, Woody Guthrie, Roy Clark, Wanda Jackson, Carrie Underwood and many more. This is not a genre-specific hall of fame, it honors Oklahoma musicians who made significant contributions to music of all styles. As such, it makes for a great stop to experience the broad range of culture and influence found across the state through its music.

Meadowbrook RV Park is located just of I-64 near downtown Muskogee. This park provides a decent place to stay for a quick trip to the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame and other Muskogee attractions.

The riverfront area of Little Rock, AR from the William J. Clinton Presidential Bridge to the US-70B bridge offers a fantastic revitalized area to spend the day shopping and seeing the sights. In this area, you'll find the excellent River Market Area where you can shop for souvenirs, fresh veggies or pick up some international food at a food stall. A couple of blocks to the east is the William J Clinton Presidential Library where you can learn everything you ever wanted to know about our 42nd president. A few blocks west of River Market is the excellent Old Statehouse Museum, where you can catch up on Arkansas history within a stunning building first constructed in 1833. All along the riverbank in this area is a beautiful park with walking trails, an amphitheater and a splash pad for the kids. This area makes for a wonderful day out in a great little city.

The best place to stay the night here is the Downtown Riverside RV Park. This excellent facility is literally right across the river from the River Market area. You can even walk across the river by foot on the William J. Clinton Presidential Bridge which has trails that connect to the campground.

The Vicksburg National Military Park is the site of the Siege of Vicksburg, a civil war battle that lasted from May 1863 until July. Both the Confederate and the Union sides of the war considered Vicksburg to be key in controlling the Mississippi River and therefore key to their overall success in the war. The battle was actually the culmination of a Union campaign to capture the area which had begin months earlier. Up to this point, the Union Armies had been unsuccessful in securing the area. Initial attempts by General Grant to take the city were repelled by General Pemberton's forces. Grant instead opted to put the area under siege. Low on supplies, Pemberton was finally forced to surrender seven weeks later. The Union now controlled the Mississippi River, splitting the Confederate States apart, ultimately leading to overall victory for the north.

Today, the site is a sprawling battlefield memorial operated by the National Parks Service which offers great historical educational facilities that cover this battle in detail.

The Rivertown Rose RV Park is located on the river just a few miles south of the Vicksburg National Military Park. This highly rated campground provides the perfect place to stay while visiting the area.

The petrification of wood is the process of wood fibers of fallen trees being filled with mineral deposits over time. This lengthy process occurs over thousands of years and results in the wood of the tree appearing to have turned to stone. The conditions for this to occur have to be perfect over a long period of time, which is rare. There are very few large deposits of petrified wood in the United States and one of them happens to be on our route to Mobile, AL.

In Jackson, MS you'll find the Mississippi Petrified Forest which is only one of two petrified forests in the Eastern US. This is a privately owned, but publicly accessible park-like area covering about six blocks with hiking trails through it. Along those trails, you'll find several examples of petrified wood to examine. There is also a visitor center/museum on-site with several excellent examples of petrified wood and other fossil examples.

LeFleur's Bluff State Park is a good place to camp in the area. This beautiful park not only offers great camping opportunities, but it is considered by many to be a must-visit site while in the area. Staying here, while visiting Mississippi Petrified Forest gets you access to two great sites in one trip.

It's hard to find anything that rivals the beauty of a great southern rose garden and the All American Rose Garden is one of the finest. Located at the main entrance to The University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, MS, this sterling example of rose horticulture is one of the most visited gardens of its type in the country. The collection of roses here contains over 750 varieties and they are kept in tip-top shape for enjoyment by visitors from all over the world.

During the peak blooming season, the 32 beds are awash in beautiful color and the air fills with the amazing fragrances of the blooms. Make sure you don't take any of the flowers as a souvenir; the university applies heavy fines to anyone caught snatching up the flowers.

The Forest County RV Park is an excellent county park with RV camping facilities. This large park is located just south of Hattiesburg and provides convenient access to the city center.