
I was recently on a training junket to Bartlesville Oklahoma.
I enjoyed it. I stayed in the Phillips hotel which is soon to be no more.
When the training was over, most of the attendees left town. I however could not get a flight out of Tulsa and had to stay the night.
Any time I visit a town, I like to do something that is unique to that town. The Tom Mix Museum was closed for that whole month. So that was ruled out. But it just so happens that Bartlesville has a landmark that I have wanted to see since I was a boy. Bartlesville is home to the only skyscraper Frank Lloyd Wright ever built, Price Tower.
So, I went over to Price tower with the intention of asking the inn keeper to let me look around. I walked in and was greeted by people from the Price Tower Arts Center. They had an exhibit there and invited me into the arts center to see it. They took my coat and walked me into see the art. It was a fantastic exhibit featuring paintings of Wright’s Fallingwater, one of his best houses.
I met with a young lady who gave me a tour of the hotel. Then she encouraged me to eat supper at Copper, the dinner club at the hotel. This sounded great but I had to ask, “Can I afford to eat here?” She replied, “Oh don’t worry sir. Your bill shouldn’t run more than $50.” “Outstanding.”
Since I was by myself I opted to eat at the bar. As you can imagine the place was covered in copper and was classic Wright architecture.
I looked over all three items on that evening’s menu. I chose the bone in bison ribeye. I needed to order a drink. I was contemplating a glass of wine since the beer in Oklahoma is 3.2% and doesn’t even taste right. The young bartender told me, “Sir, all of our imported beers are the real deal. You look like the type to appreciate a Chimay with your steak.” “You sized me up pretty well. I would love a Chimay.”
The steak was good. The beer was better. But, the conversation was the best. The locals that came in and out of the bar were very friendly and all somehow connected to ConocoPhillips. Folks in the oil business are typically friendly no matter if they are ditch diggers or high dollar executives.
I told the bartender, “I may have to split my bill into what I can expense and what I can’t. So, figure it up and I’ll figure how to split it.” He came back with the bill. It was more than $50. Significantly more. The beer alone was $14. I can buy it at the store for $3.
As if the bill wasn’t enough of a shocker, the Arts Center was closed with my coat in it. Nobody at the hotel could open it. My flight left Tulsa before anybody was going to be available to retrieve my coat.
It all turned out alright. My coat was mailed to me. I’ll always remember the fantastic scenery. And, I learned a valuable lesson about eating above my pay grade.