Whether you're in the area for The Will Rogers & Wiley Post Fly-In or you're contemplating a fun day trip, Claremore has more than enough to keep you busy - even for an entire weekend.

Here are some of our favorite spots you should consider for a fun family itinerary, from shearing sheep at a farm and buying fresh milk and cheese to sipping fine tea, shopping antiques and learning more about the history of a town that Will Rogers called home.

The Oklahoma Military Academy (OMA) Museum

Rogers State University, Meyer Hall, 1701 W. Will Rogers Blvd.

Telling the story of the 10,000-plus cadets who attended the academy from 1919 to 1971, the museum collects, preserves and exhibits items relevant to the school's history.

In its day, OMA was hailed as the West Point of the Southwest. It was a cavalry school until the mid-1940s, when tanks arrived. During this time, OMA fielded strong polo teams. The legendary Will Rogers was a strong supporter of OMA.

Be sure to see the Lone Cadet, standing sentinel by the flagpole at RSU, which evolved from OMA.

Admission is free. Hours are 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday, except holidays.

For more, 918-343-6888. tulsaworld.com/rsuomam

The Pink House

210 W. Fourth St.

This culinary landmark in Claremore has been serving lunch and tea for more than 30 years.

Warm and inviting as the swing on its porch, the pink-painted restaurant offers a delectable menu, featuring quiches (the bacon and spinach is a must), salads with a variety of homemade dressings, sandwiches and wraps, and specialties like the Chicken and Broccoli Casserole and Chicken Enchilada Casserole.

You can't come here without having dessert, with the Baked Fudge and Coconut Cream Pie deserving your attention.

Don't forget tea, which can be had by appointment, serving tea and scones for $4.99 per person, up to a mini tea for 10, afternoon tea for 16 or high tea for 22, with four courses. Also, they serve dinner 5-8 p.m. each Friday, and the restaurant's shop is brimming with great gift ideas, from cards and candles to jewelry, books and tea accessories - and, of course, lots of tea.

Hours are 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 5-8 p.m. Friday, with tea any time by appointment.

For more, 918-342-2544. tulsaworld.com/pinkhouse

Hammett House Restaurant

1616 W. Will Rogers Blvd.

Open since 1969, Hammett House is another Claremore landmark - one that's best enjoyed when you're not on a diet or at least having a cheat day.

Among our favorite menu items are the fried green tomatoes and Hammett House's award-winning chili - and those are just the starters. You'll find great soups du jour, plus eight salads (the Caramelized Salmon Spinach one is amazing). Or you can feed your inner carnivore via fresh-cut steaks, pamper-fried chicken or, the speciality, pamper-fried steak. You'll also find sandwiches, seafood and burgers.

Or be a little more daring and order the lamb or turkey fries - or a combo of both. If you don't know what they are, ask your server. To celebrate your bravery, you have to have pie. From Sour Cream Raisin to our personal favorite, German Chocolate, the pies here are legendary. The Lemon-Pecan and Coconut Cream are also to-die-for.

Hours are 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday.

For more, 918-341-7333. tulsaworldcom/hammetthouse

Belvidere Mansion

121 N. Chickasaw Ave.

The family home of Claremore businessman John M. Bayless, this beautiful home has outlasted other beloved structures from his day, such as the Windsor Opera House and Sequoyah Hotel, said Morgan Williams, the buyer and manager of the mansion's gift shop.

Among the intricate details of the 9,000-square-foot Victorian mansion are mosaic tiles, parquet flooring, stamped-tin walls and ceilings, marble wainscoting, decorative woodwork, four fireplaces, and a grand three-story ballroom. Although the house was converted into 12 apartments in the 1930s, the nonprofit Rogers County Historical Society bought it in 1991 and began an extensive renovation - and it's still a work in progress, and it's all volunteer.

On the first floor, you'll find the tea room, which serves lunch 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday - and we recommend the Canterbury Classic chicken salad with pineapple, grapes and almonds, plus a peach iced tea. Also, the gift shop boutique is open 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday - the same hours visitors may tour the mansion for free. Donations are appreciated for the mansion's ongoing work.

For more, 918-342-1127. tulsaworld.com/belvidere

Downtown shopping

West Will Rogers Boulevard

You'll find plenty of shopping opportunities in Claremore's historic downtown.

For antiques and collectibles, pop into Antiques Et Cetera for old costume jewelry, glassware, home-decorating accessories, and old and new furniture. Other stops to make include Emerald Antiques & Collectibles, Hudson-Metcalf Antique Mall, Now & Then coffee house and antique mall, Nostalgia Nook and Willow Tree Mall.

Specialty shops include A Gallery of the Arts, A Place of Grace Book Store, Bike-About Bicycles, Boarding House Books, Crafted (with hand-crafted, artisan items), Heins Jewelry, Leslie's Pottery Cottage, My Doll Castle, Savannah's Boutique (new women's clothing and accessories), Second Impressions Resale, Spot Lite Magic & Costume, Steve's Saturday Store (an old-fashioned country store), Taps Unlimited (dance and gymnastics apparel), The Horse of Course (largest inventory of horse equipment and tack in a five-state area), The Orange Owl Boutique, Thrift Harbor resale shop, and Waterfront Frame and Art.

Hungry from all that shopping? Check out the '50s-style Boom-A-Rang Diner, which serves breakfast all day, or Dot's Cafe, which offers home-style favorites.

For more, call Claremore Main Street, Inc., 918-341-5881. tulsaworld.com/downtownclaremore

Will Rogers Memorial Museum

1720 W. Will Rogers Blvd.

Overlooking the scenic Tiawah Valley, this eight-gallery museum is constructed of native limestone, and it hosts a dozen theaters or television kiosks, as well as a famous saddle collection, and fine arts and artifacts depicting the life of Oklahoma's most famous humorist.

Every day, visitors can view one of Rogers' 21 feature-length motion pictures or a documentary of his life. The lower-level children's museum features interactive exhibits and educational activities.

And don't forget the famous statue of Rogers, which was cast twice - one copy in the museum's rotunda, the other in the Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.

Hours are 8 a.m.-5 p.m. every day of the year. Members and those 17 or younger enter free; $5 adults, $4 seniors 62-plus and military with ID.

For more, 918-341-0719. tulsaworld.com/willrogersmuseum

The J.M. Davis Arms and Historical Museum

330 N. J.M. Davis Blvd. (at the corner of Lynn Riggs Blvd and Fifth Street)

J.M. Davis was a Claremore businessman, who for many years ran the city's Mason Hotel, and a long-serving mayor whose fascination with firearms began with his receiving his first rifle at age 7.

By the time of his death in 1973, Davis had amassed some 50,000 weapons - from a 500-year-old Chinese hand cannon to modern machine guns from around the world. These form the foundation of what is now the J.M. Davis Arms and Historical Museum.

Guns of all types are on display in often dizzying profusion - rifles, shotguns, pistols, both antique and modern. But the museum's collections go beyond things that go "bang-bang," with exhibits of beer steins, model trains and cowboy-related toys, antiques, saddles, Daisy BB guns, and items from Claremore's history.

Hours are 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday. 1-5 p.m. Sunday (March through October). Admission is free, with suggested donation $5 individuals $10 families.

For more: 918-341-5707, tulsaworld.com/gunmuseum

Will Rogers Downs

16305 Oklahoma 20

Billed as Oklahoma's No. 1 "racino," Cherokee Casino Will Rogers Downs offers casino gaming action and more. You can experience live-horse racing, including quarterhorse racing September through November and thoroughbred racing March to May, plus simulcast racing action each day from around the country. The new casino and entertainment complex offers Vegas-style electronic games and video poker, as well as dancing and food in the Dog Iron Saloon - breakfast, breakfast buffet, lunch and dinner, each day of the week.

Hours are 11 a.m.-1 a.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-4 a.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-4 a.m. Saturday, 10 a.m.-1 a.m. Sunday. Simulcast is daily at 10 a.m. (see tulsaworld.com/wrdsimulcastsched for schedule).

For more, 918-283-8800. tulsaworld.com/willrogersdowns

Swan Bros. Dairy

938 E. Fifth St.

Started in 1928 with one cow by Harley Swan Sr., this farm has grown to include a herd of Holsteins, Brown Swiss and crosses of Holsteins, Brown Swiss and Jersey. In 1985, the dairy started producing quality cheeses.

No colors are added, and no hormones are given to cows. It's all genuine, fresh cheese and milk. They sell whole, 2 percent and skim for $4.50 per gallon. Cheeses include raw and pasteurized colby, mild cheddar and sharp cheddar, pasteurized mozzarella, pasteurized hot pepper and mild hot pepper cheddar, raw smoked cheddar, and, their top sellers, pasteurized cheddar and hot-pepper cheddar curds. Half-pound blocks are $5.25 per pound, 1-pound blocks are $5.15 per pound, and 2 1/2-pound blocks are $4.95 per pound.

Hours are 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Saturday.

For more, 918-341-2298. tulsaworld.com/swanbrosdairy

Shepherd's Cross

16792 E. 450 Road

A working farm, state-of-the-art touring facility and a Christian mission, Shepherd's Cross offers myriad activities, such as shepherding, Bible garden, wool mill and farm museum tours, as well as fiber classes and shearing. They also offer sheep for sale and handmade wool products, among others.

Fiber arts classes include spinning with a drop spindle, spinning with a wheel, knitting, crocheting, wet felting, needle felting, wool washing and wool dyeing. Plus, the farm offers seasonal activities, such as a pumpkin festival in the fall and a living nativity during the holidays.

Hours are 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday. Admission is free, but donations are appreciated.

For more, 918-342-5911. tulsaworld.com/shepherdscross

Upcoming Claremore events

Bluegrass & Chili Festival

The 34th Annual Bluegrass & Chili Festival will be held Sept. 5-7 at the Claremore Expo Center, 400 Veterans Parkway.

The weekend combines performances by some of bluegrass music's greatest talents, as well as an International Chili Society-sanctioned chili competition that attracts award-winning cooks from around the region.

Among the national artists scheduled to perform during the festival are the Lonesome River Band, Grammy nominee Sanctus Real, IIIrd Tyme Out, the Brooke & Darin Aldridge Band, Dave Adkins and Republic Steel, Rhonda Vincent & the Rage, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, and the Sam Bush Band.

Other activities include the Best Country in the City vocalist competition, a Junior Showcase for musicians and singers younger than 21, a Festival Market and Kiddie Korral, a car show, and antique tractor pull.

The winner of the Mid-America Regional Chili Cook-off and Salsa Competition will earn a $1,000 cash prize and entry into World's Championship Chili Cook-off, to be held Oct. 11-13 in Palm Springs, Calif.

Admission to the festival is free. For more information, call 918-341-2818 or go to tulsaworld.com/chilifestival

Will Rogers Museum diamond jubilee

The Will Rogers Memorial Museum opened to the public in 1938, three years after Rogers' death in a plane crash.

The museum will celebrate its 75th anniversary with two events, one in Claremore, one in Tulsa.

On Sept. 19, the Claremore museum, 1720 W. Will Rogers Blvd., will host an evening honoring those who worked to help create the Will Rogers Memorial Museum.

The evening will feature performances by fiddler Jana Jae, Wild West entertainer Kowboy Kal and world champion roper Doug Smith.

Former governors Frank Keating and George Nigh serve as honorary co-chairs, and Oklahoma City University President Robert Henry will be the keynote speaker.

Country music stars Jessi Colter and Shooter Jennings will be joined by Tulsa's own Red Dirt Rangers for a concert Sept. 20 at Cain's Ballroom, 423 N. Main St. Proceeds from this event will benefit the Will Rogers Memorial Museum.

Tickets start at $20. tulsaworld.com/cains

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Memorial

Thursday marks the 78th anniversary of Will Rogers' death, when the plane piloted by Wiley Post crashed just after take-off near Point Barrow, Alaska, on Aug. 15, 1935.

The Will Rogers Memorial Museum will mark the event with a wreath-laying ceremony 9 a.m. Thursday at the Rogers family tomb on the museum's grounds.

Rogers' great-niece, Doris "Coke" Meyer, along with Claremore Mayor Mickey Perry, state Sen. Sean Burrage and state Rep. Marty Quinn, will take part in the ceremony.