The author's posts are entirely his or her own and may not always reflect the views of Movoto.
1. Tulsans Are Freakin' Weirdos
Austin's city motto may be "Keep Austin Weird" but
Tulsa is
living it. It's home to several eccentric characters including Biker Fox (see above) and the actor Gary Busey, who is known for saying and doing some pretty...umm...colorful things.
2. Tulsans Think Beef Is What's For Dinner...Lunch, Breakfast, Brunch, Second Breakfast, Etc.
Source: Flickr user kadluba
Tulsa is home to a large number of cattle companies, but the Tulsan beef loving doesn't stop there. There are a disproportionately large number of hamburger joints in town, almost
100, in fact, including the ever-popular Fat Guy's Burger Bar and Hank's Hamburgers.
3. Tulsans Are Cowboy Posers...
You don't have to look for long before you see cowboy boots and heavy belt buckles in Tulsa. Men and women alike proudly partake in their Western wear and shimmy to the beat of Western swing music at local hot spots like Boots & Diamonds Saloon or Caravan Cattle Company.
Tulsa is also home to several cowboy and western museums, like the Gilcrease Museum, as well as popular Western-themed bars and restaurants like the Go West Restaurant & Saloon.
4. ...But Their Native American Heritage Is Legit
Tulsa has a large Native American population and truly embraces its heritage. The city was first settled by Native Americans in the 1800s and today several tribes are still in existence. Many of the nearby casinos, like River Spirit Casino and Osage Casino, are operated by Native American tribes and many of the streets are named for Native American families.
5. Tulsans Have Some Bat$#1t Crazy Hobbies
Tulsans have perfected the bizarre art of noodling: fishing for catfish with bare hands. The noodler wades into knee-deep water and digs their hand into a catfish hole. When the catfish bites, they yank the fish out. It's actually banned in many states; people have drowned while noodling but Tulsans still rise to the catfish challenge at Hominy Creek and elsewhere.
6. Tulsa Is The Big, Shiny Buckle Of The Bible Belt...
Tulsa is home to the world's largest praying hands, a 60-foot, 30-ton bronze sculpture of two hands posed in prayer at the Oral Roberts University. A whopping 62 percent of Tulsans are affiliated with a religious congregation and, of those, Baptists are the largest with 20 percent.
7. But Tulsans Really Worship Big Oil
Tulsans might not actually
worship it, but oil is omnipresent enough that it practically qualifies for deity status in Tulsa. Tulsa is often referred to as the "Oil Capital of the World" and, for much of the 20th century, it served as a major hub for the American oil industry. As a result, many Tulsans work in oil-related fields.
8. Tulsans Are Great At Math--Oops, I Mean Meth, They're Great At Making Meth
Tulsa is officially the meth capital of the U.S. Authorities recently identified 979 meth labs in the city. Feeling the sniffles coming on? You can't purchase cold medicine in the State of Oklahoma without showing identification and signing a registry.
9. Tulsans Turn Into MacGyver When It Snows
Tulsans truly have perfected the art of making do in an icy situation. When their vehicles get stuck in the snow, they have been known to use all manner of things to get unstuck. Kitty litter, bacon bits, and crumbled pinecones are among the favorites.
10. Speaking Of Getting Stuck...Tulsans Are Still Stuck In The '80s
It's true than many Tulsans wear tight Wranglers and belt buckles, but Tulsa also has a large contingent of people who didn't get the memo that the '80s have ended. Big, teased hair and neon colors abound. White sneakers and skinny jeans are also quite the rage. Or maybe they're just really,
really ahead of the trend. They say trends are cyclical, right?
So what if Tulsa is fashionably challenged, packed with weirdos who catch fish by hand, and like a little beef for breakfast. Outsiders may think they're strange, but to Tulsans that's just part of what makes them so, y'know, Tulsan-y.
