We got any Okies here? Question about Sans Bois Mountains

[zxcvbob]

I'll be driving thru Oklahoma on my way to Houston in a couple of weeks.  I don't like taking the exact same route every time, even when I've found a good route.  Last time, I went through the Picher ghost town and drove around to see what's left (there's not much of anything left but chat piles, but at least the gorilla statue is still there.)  And I've taken a couple of different routes that completely avoid toll roads (that's kind of a challenge)

This time I'm looking at State Highway 2, thru the Robber's Cave State Park area.  Then connect to US 271, and take that into Paris, TX.  What's that area like this time of year, is the scenery nice?  Or is it just narrow twisty roads where I'm gonna get stuck behind that old Indian woman in a Datsun pickup driving 20 to 25 MPH that I can't pass? (that last happened on US-259, near the 3 Sticks monument)

[RoadKingLarry]

Yes, no, maybe.

Some serious scenic twisty 2 lane roads and some pretty good multi-lane state highways.
Robbers Cave is a pretty neat place with some good hiking trails, short loops and longer routes. If you've got the time 1/2 a day (minimum) or better could be well spent there.
Another historic visit might be the Choctaw Nation Council house just outside Clayton.
Another potential neat thing would be the Talamena Skyline Drive between Talahina, OK and Mena AR. It would be pretty easy to spend a week down in that area and not see everything worth seeing.
Just outside McAlester in the town of Krebs is Pete's Place, some of the best traditional Italian food to be found (Italian immigrants came to the area to work the mines in the late 1800s) as well as Choc beer.

The area is known as Little Dixie, not as bad as it used to be but keep your ears out for the banjos, there are still cases of people just going missing n the area.

[zxcvbob]

I was planning to drive through Robber's Cave SP on highway 2, but not spend any real time there because I'll get there pretty late in the day. Mainly scope it out for another trip. (Possibly my return trip a week and a half later, where I can get there a little after lunchtime.)

Update: I'm gonna drive the entire length of SH-2, from the Kansas state line to Vinita, and Warner to Antlers.  Then I'll head south on US-271.  No real reason, other than I need a gimmick cuz it's a long drive from MN to TX.  I'll be sure and bring MY banjo.