You might ask what is in Pawhuska, OK? Well, it is the home of Ree Drummond, The Pioneer Women. If you watch the Food Network you probably know who that is. My wife is a fan and when we began planning our cross country trip, we had to add Pawhuska to our list.
Pawhuska is a quaint town with a population of just under 3,500 people. It is home to the Osage Nation Museum, along with the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve. In downtown Pawhuska, you will find several eateries, gift shops, and antique stores along two main streets: Main St (Route 60) and Kihekah Ave. You’ll want to stroll along these streets after eating a large breakfast at the Mercantile.
As you drive into town you can’t miss the Mercantile, which Ree Drummond, The Pioneer Women, opened in October 2016. This building houses a General store, deli, and a bakery on the second floor. There is a restaurant as well which serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
The General store is all about the Pioneer Women: cookbooks, kitchen utensils, clothing, jewelry, and more. Here you can also sign up for Tours of the Lodge, where she films her show for the Food Network. Tours are free and are only available on specific dates. If interested, stop at the Mercantile for tickets and details. Give yourself about an hour to walk through the shop.
For those who would rather eat instead of shop, visit the bakery located on the second floor. Tables placed in front of large windows overlook Pawhuska, while large sofas make this a comfortable and enjoyable space. Our favorites were the scones and a lemon blueberry twist.
On the subject of eating, we also enjoyed breakfast at the Mercantile, where I indulged myself with the blueberry and white chocolate pancakes and a biscuit with homemade jam. This did not disappoint.
For dinner, we ate at her restaurant across the street called P-Town Pizza, where they specialize in wood-fired pizza in a brick oven. We went all out and ordered the notable Not Knots. With a description that reads “little bites of pizza dough fried to pillow-like perfection, tossed in creamy parmesan garlic butter”, how can one say no. As for the pizza, we ordered the Pizza-Ree-A. We enjoyed dinner on their outdoor patio overlooking downtown Pawhuska.
Make sure you come to Pawhuska hungry! I left this town 10 pounds heavier!
In addition to the Mercantile and P-Town Pizza, Ree Drummond operates the Boarding House, an eight-room “cowboy luxury” hotel as described on the website and Charlie’s Sweet Shop. Sorry, I can’t provide any comments regarding Charlie’s Sweet Shop as I couldn’t bear to eat anything else. However, I am sure it is outstanding based on the quality of food we ate at her other establishments.
As we had time between breakfast and dinner, we stopped in the many shops that line the downtown and then decided we would drive out to the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve. After reading it was home to 2,500 free-ranging bison, we were in for the adventure.
The Tallgrass Prairie Preserve is a 39,650-acre preserve, the largest protected piece of Tallgrass Prairie area left on earth. We entered the preserve at the south entrance, about a 30-minute drive from downtown Pawhuska. We figured we would take county road 4201 to the visitor center with hopes of seeing some bison along the way. You should be aware that this is a dirt road and can be driven on by any vehicle, and the bison roam free! Upon our arrival at the visitor center, we found that it was closed. A little disappointed, we made our way back. However, the drive did not disappoint. We must have seen hundreds of wild bison roaming the preserve! At the intersection of county road 4450 and 4201, we came across the largest heard we had seen. It was a magnificent sight!
There is a bison loop road but due to time, we chose not to take it. We had already seen plenty of bison leading to the visitor center. We spent about three hours in the preserve as we took our time enjoying the landscape lined with bison. This was time well spent and a highlight during our three-month trip cross country.
Although our time was short in Pawhuska, it was a great experience. I truly enjoyed our visit and would recommend spending a day, or two, if you are in the area. It is a must if you are a fan of The Pioneer Women.
What’s your favorite place to eat in Pawhuska? Let me know in the comments below.
Savvy-Traveler 