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AN ODDS-AND-ENDS ROAD TRIP
Finding a unique day trip from Stillwater doesn’ t require much planning, time or expense. Here are some one-of-a-kind ideas to ponder. Do a little research and grab onto your spirit of adventure.
About 22 Miles from Stillwater – Next Stop, Boot Hill
A s Wild West outlaws go, Elmer McCurdy barely deserved a footnote. Nothing in his brief criminal career suggested his legacy would endure. But his death? That, pardner, is a different story.
In 1911, McCurdy, 31 and often drunk, had small hauls from robbing one bank in Kansas and two trains in northeastern Oklahoma. A posse shot him dead, but no one claimed his body from a
Pawhuska funeral home. For decades, in traveling carnivals, his embalmed corpse became proof that“ crime does not pay” before disappearing into obscurity. Remarkably, in the 1970s, his remains were discovered and identified at a Los Angeles-area amusement park. Guthrie leaders invested in his return to Oklahoma and burial in the town’ s Summit View Cemetery, and their idea, indeed, gained the town some notoriety.
Visitors can find McCurdy’ s grave in the“ Boot Hill” section of the cemetery, reserved for outlaws and other sketchy characters. As a bonus, tourists will see McCurdy is buried next to an A-list outlaw, Bill Doolin, a founder of the famous Doolin-Dalton gang.
McCurdy’ s story was explored in an aptly titled biography,“ Elmer McCurdy, The Misadventures in Life and Afterlife of an American Outlaw.” In 2025, a Tony-nominated Broadway musical,“ Dead Outlaw,” was inspired by his journey.
Michael Williams, site director of the Oklahoma Territorial Museum in Guthrie, has become the resident expert on McCurdy and contributed to numerous media interviews, podcasts and documentaries about the outlaw. He has received inquiries from France to Japan.
Why are people intrigued by dead outlaws?“ I love this question,” Williams said.“ I’ m amused that the people who are most into outlaws are the same ones who are pro law enforcement; it’ s such a dichotomy.
‘ Everyone craves adventure and the freedom of the open road, living life on a whim, bowing to no societal norms or laws made by man, I think outlaws are the truest representation of that freedom and adventure.”
About 48 Miles from Stillwater – Clothing Optional
T he most conspicuous imagery at the Oaklake Trails Naturist Resort is obvious – most of its guests are nude. But promoters of the destination hope patrons are wearing one thing: a smile. Party planners use wordplay in hosting“ Nude Year’ s Eve” and“ Nude-Stock.” Among holiday-themed parties, Halloween is among the most popular, with costumes elaborately painted on nude bodies.
That fun-loving approach of Oakdale Trails is evident on its website, a resource that answers almost any question you could imagine about visiting a“ textile-free” or“ clothing optional” resort.“ First time( visitor)? We’ ve got you uncovered!”
But the Q & A makes sure rookies know that the levity is balanced with structure and boundaries,“ What if I see someone that I know?”“ Are body piercings allowed?”“ What are the most important rules?”‘ What if I become aroused?’
With more than 400 acres, Oakdale Trails is the largest naturalist resort of its kind in the U. S. and offers scenic hiking trails, an immense swimming pool, seasonal recreational activities, and multiple lodging options.
Oakdale Trails spokesperson Lanette Clark said business has flourished for the privately owned resort in the post-COVID society as a premium was put on nature, freedom and a fresh-air environment.
Oakdale Trails spokesperson Lanette Clark said business has flourished for the privately owned resort in the post-COVID society as a premium was put on nature, freedom and a fresh-air environment.
Clark said the resort helps people understand“ it doesn’ t matter what your physical body looks like. We welcome all shapes and sizes” and offer guests an opportunity to“ claim their self-worth and the ability to love themselves and be thankful for what your body is giving you.”
Oakdale Trails is located in Depew, about halfway between Oklahoma City and Tulsa, and Clark says they appreciate guests from Stillwater and Payne County but would not mind attracting
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