The Creek Indians, relocated to MUSKOGEE in the 1830s, established the town as the central meeting place of the Civilized Tribes, fifty miles southeast of Tulsa; decades later in 1905, Native American leaders gathered here to draw up a plan for their own separate state, which was never to be. The arrival of the railroad in the 1870s and the discovery of oil in 1903 both guaranteed that the town would be usurped by white settlers. The Five Civilized Tribes Museum , Honor Heights Drive, Agency Hill, tells the Native Americans' story through costumes, documents, photographs and jewelry, along with a reconstructed trading post and a printing room (Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 1-5pm; $2). The other unlikely attraction in town is the USS Batfish , a WWII-era submarine moored in the Oklahoma grass, 3500 Batfish Rd (Mon, Wed, Thurs, Fri, Sat 9am-5pm, Sun noon-5pm; $4).

Muskogee is an appealing place, with a dozen motels within a few blocks along US-69, including a Days Inn at 900 S 32nd St (tel 918/683-3911; $50-75). It also makes a good base for the crystal-clear Lake Tenkiller , thirty miles southeast on US-64. Surrounded by woods, cliffs and quiet beaches, the lake is perfect for fishing, boating, swimming and scuba-diving, and has camping facilities, but is (unsurprisingly) very touristy; call 918/457-4403 for full details. The Muskogee Tourism Center, Hwy-69 at Shawnee Street (tel 918-684-6363 or 1-888/687-6137, ), can provide details about the popular azalea festival held in April.