So…how did this all begin?

I began The Oklahoma Explorer project one year ago. This blog was launched on the one year anniversary. The idea was born after a trip to Natural Falls State Park. I have lived in Oklahoma my entire life, in various cities and towns around the state, and had resided in Tulsa for many of those years. Yet in May of 2018, I found myself at this beautiful state park, just over an hour’s drive from Tulsa, standing under an astounding 77-foot waterfall, and I could not believe that in all my years in Oklahoma I was only now setting my eyes on beauty that had been so close all along. It occurred to me that if this gorgeous state park was right under my nose, there must be so many more things to see out there, and I decided to make it my mission to find out just what I had been missing all this time.

I am an avid traveler, and have always had a deep interest in travel photography. But though I had traveled thousands of miles around the globe and admired the beauty of Slovenian castles, Japanese temples, and Peruvian markets, there was something very special and deeply personal about hitting the road and exploring the highways and back roads of my home state.

I’ve always had a bit of a complicated relationship with Oklahoma. In my earlier years, like many twenty-somethings, all I thought about was how I was going to get out of Oklahoma, make my way west or east, to the mountains or the ocean, anywhere but here. But life has a way of carving a path for you, and Oklahoma remained my home despite my restless yearnings.

What this journey has offered me is the opportunity to see with fresh eyes the place I have called home all my life. From the quirky roadside attractions of Route 66 to the beauty of the Black Mesa; the resplendent beauty of the Philbrook Museum or the Myriad Gardens to the natural wonders of the Great Salt Plains, I have reveled in the opportunity to see with new eyes all the beauty that this great state has to offer. It has made me a better photographer, and I daresay a more satisfied person. And the journey is far from over. In the coming weeks I will travel back to Oklahoma City, south to Ardmore and the Chickasaw National Recreation Area, Paul’s Valley, and more. I can’t wait to share more of my explorations with you. See you on the road!