Tulsa for the directionally challenged

For anyone traveling to Tulsa for the rest of the project there (display ad just going live and editorial phase just starting), a Tulsa Driving Tips document has been posted to Open Air.

It's under the Tulsa workspace, same area where you'd find agendas and audits, but in a folder titled "Miscellaneous Project Documents."

I wrote most of it, but Danielle and Lisa verified that (most of) it was correct.

[Danielle added this]
OR, find it right here:

Airport to Residence Inn

Coming up out of the rental car garage, turn left at top of ramp, get in second-from-left lane. Look for SR 11 East ... At the first traffic light you hit, and you'll turn right, pass under the freeway, then bear left (it's a weird one-lane curve with a tree growing right in front of the helpful sign) to get on highway.

After a short distance, you'll see directional signs for I-244. You'll want to select I-244 East toward Joplin, MO. Two lanes on the left veer toward Joplin. (The other choice is toward downtown, which is I-244 West, and exits to the right.)

You only stay on that freeway (I-244) a very short distance, and will exit right onto 169 south (you'll be heading toward Broken Arrow). ... This is a nice long drive, and you'll see the exits pointing to increasingly higher number street names: 31st St., 51st St., 61st St. Exit right at 71st St.

At the bottom of the ramp for 71st street exit, where there is a traffic light, two lanes turn left. If there's traffic, it's better if you're in the right lane of the two left-turning ones. If not, after the turn, get very quickly into the right-hand lane.

The second traffic light after the turn is 109th Avenue. The four corners of the intersection will sport (clockwise from the 9 o’clock position): a Fuddruckers, an Abuelos, a Chipotle Grill and an AT&T. Turn right.

You'll see Springhill Suites on your left: Behind it is the Residence Inn.


From hotel to paper

Two ways, but this is easier and shorter (although not always quicker, depending on traffic).

At high-traffic times, leave 30 minutes (by either route) to play it safe. That’s usually enough time to make the drive and get you to wherever you need to be in the building.

From hotel, turn left on 71st St., (if you start out on 109th, two lanes turn left) and get quickly in right-hand lane. A block up, you merge right onto 169 North. You'll stay on that about two miles.

Then, watch for SR51West. Don't confuse this state highway with 51st St., which is two exits before what you'll need. Exits you’ll see will be 51st St., then SR51 East, and then your exit: SR 51 West. (There will be a University of Phoenix building visible on your right, and you’ll see it almost in front of you as you curve from 169 to access SR51 West). Then settle down for the long part of the drive.

About 10 or so miles later, look for the Denver Avenue/Cheyenne Avenue exit (no exit numbers). (There will be a Blue Cross-Blue Shield building directly above you just before you exit. The highway sits below street level.)

Exit upward and curve right at the top (sharp curve, no stop sign).

At the end of the block, there will be a stop sign. You want to continue across the first intersection to the second stop sign. That will be Boulder Avenue, the street the paper is on. Turn left onto Boulder.

At the first light, Boulder becomes a one-way street/four lanes. Continue through four more traffic lights. You should see, up ahead on the right, the Tulsa World building and its old-style vertical sign.

In the block before the Tulsa World building, there is a parking garage. It's not where you'll park, but it does tie up the right lane of traffic (with cars turning into the garage), so stay in the second-to-right lane until you pass that garage. Then quickly get to the right. You'll see a Domino's sign above you on the right side.

Cross the intersection(Fourth and Boulder). Use extreme caution. The traffic light is out, and there is a four-way stop (signs are in the middle of the intersection, which people keep missing/ignoring.)

Immediately after crossing the intersection, turn right into the Tulsa World's small guest parking lot (not covered). It has security-controlled arms, but there is a box with a call button into the lobby. You just have to say you're with DTI, and they'll buzz you into the lot. Speak loudly and clearly (since there likely will be traffic and construction noise around you).

In the lobby, sign in, tell the pleasant security man that you'll be there all week. He'll probably give you a pass, so you don't have to sign in every morning.


From work back to the hotel

You can't really retrace your steps, since Boulder is one-way, plus SR51 back toward the hotel is always heavy with traffic (and a rough road, to boot). The following directions take you the long way, but it doesn't take any more time.

Turn right out of the Tulsa World parking lot (no choice, since it’s a one-way street). Go to the second intersection (the first will be a 4-way stop sign with construction: the second has a working traffic light).

Turn right again, and follow that straight until you come to a three-directional split involving four lanes of traffic. You’ll want to be in either of the middle lanes, which curve right, then left and merge onto I-244 East. (Yes, the same one you took from the airport.) You will stay on it until you hit the Highway 169 South exit (get over to the right early during rush hour, it's a fight for the one-lane exit).

Take 169 South to 71st St. (More detailed directions in the "airport to hotel" section above.)


Alternate: Hotel from work

Turn right out of the Tulsa World parking lot. Go to the end of the block and turn right again. When you get to Cincinnati Street, turn right again. Get in the second from left lane on Cincinnati. This street will feed you onto SR51 East. (This is the highway you likely took to work.)

Follow SR51 East until you reach highway 169 South. There is construction on the exit, and even when there wasn't, it was a fight for position into the exit lane. Plan on getting into the lane at least a mile early (watch for traffic backing up as a clue to the congestion ahead).

Or you can weasel your way into the lane at the last minute. (Good luck with that, because local drivers are possessive about the road real estate: Lisa can attest to the struggle through traffic and honking horns!)

Stay on 169 South to 71st St. … and you know the way from there.


Hotel to airport

Tulsa’s airport is pretty small, and on it’s website it suggests being there an hour early (as opposed to many airports that suggest two hours). Unless you’re traveling at peak traffic times, I’d say 90 minutes from hotel door to flight departure is adequate.

Of the several times of day and on different days I’ve flown out, the TSA line was only long on a Friday morning. American Airlines also had a small gathering on Friday morning, too, but I rarely check luggage, so don’t know if that’s common.

From hotel, turn left on 71st St., (if you start out on 109th, two lanes turn left) and get quickly in right-hand lane. About a block up, you get on 169 North.

Stay on 169 North for several miles, and watch for I-244. The 1-244 West and East roads exit together, but then you’ll veer toward the left, taking I-244 West toward Oklahoma City.

You only stay on I-244 a short distance: You get on the freeway, and take the very next exit (Exit 12B), which is highway 11: it’s clearly marked as heading toward the airport.

Stay on Highway 11 for another brief drive. When you exit, you’ll exit right, curve left, and then turn right at the traffic light toward the terminal. Signage outside the airport is good; inside, not that great.

If you’re turning in a rental car before business hours, you’ll have to drop the keys, etc. at the counter inside, not at the kiosks in the garage.

If you’re also checking luggage, here’s your path: take escalator out of garage up to terminal. It actually dumps you out near baggage claim.

You have to go through baggage claim, past the car rental counters (drop your keys), then down the escalator to ticketing to check bags. Then back up the same escalator (going other direction) to access TSA security (one screening area for all airlines).

Coming out of TSA, gates for American and Delta airlines are both on the concourse to the right (Southwest to the left). Good signage here, if you look high enough, above the arch to the concourses.


From newspaper to airport

Quick and easy. Even in 5 o’clock traffic, 90 minutes from leaving paper to flight departure time is adequate.

Turn right out of the Tulsa World parking. Go to the second street (the first will be a 4-way stop sign with construction: the second has a working traffic light).

Turn right again, and follow that straight until you come to a three-directional split involving four lanes of traffic. You’ll want to be in either of the middle lanes, which curve left, then right and merge onto I-244 East.

Stay on I-244, until you see signs for highway 11 East (Exit 13B: It’s a LEFT exit).

Drive a short way on Highway 11, and watch for airport exit. You exit right, then curve left, and then turn right at the traffic light to get to terminal and rental car parking garage.

Random information

There are lots of great restaurants scattered around town:
• Cherry Street (which is actually 15th Street between Utica and Peoria streets) has lots of quaint spots (JazMoZs [complete with gravelly voiced piano player], Camille’s, Doe’s Eat Place, the Palace, Kilkenny’s, Chimi’s, and many more, including a Jason’s Deli). Several feature outdoor dining options;
• Utica Square (just south of SR 51 on Utica Street) also has several options,
including the Wild Fork (see Danielle’s review in the blog mentioned below).
• There also is a neighborhood known as Brookside, which is along Peoria Street south of about 31st St. Elmer’s Barbeque is in this area, and there’s an old movie theater that’s been converted into an eatery (watch for the movie marquee, and vertical sign saying “Brook”.) Also many more options in that neighborhood.
• Downtown also offers an assortment of lunch choices.

Read more about Tulsa’s dining choices on http://trainerstravelingtips.blogspot.com

Near the hotel, there also are a lot of options (dining, shopping and some entertainment).
•There is a Target across 71st Street from the hotel, a movie theater across 109th, and a park/lake with walking/running track across 73rd Street (which runs along the right side of the hotel … well, right if you’re standing and looking at the hotel entrance). Go down 73rd a half block to Garnett and turn right: the park is about a half-block down, just past apartment complex. Further down 71st is a Bonefish Grill and a Pei Wei.
• The other direction on 71st (like you’re headed to the paper, but don’t get on Highway 169) is Woodland Hills Mall, and a few shopping plazas and multitude of restaurants (assorted independents, such as Zio’s Italian Kitchen – I think it’s a local chain – to all the standard chains, ranging from McDonald’s to Mimi’s to Cheesecake Factory).