The capital of the Cherokee Nation, Tahlequah is the place to begin learning about the Cherokee people. You'll want to visit the Cherokee Heritage Center, a complex that contains the Cherokee National Museum, where multimedia exhibits are used to portray Cherokee history. Also at the center is Adams Corner Rural Village, a faithful re-creation of a late-1800s Cherokee village, where you can watch crafts demonstrations. Tsa-La-Gi Ancient Village is another reconstruction, this time of a Cherokee settlement from the 1600s. Tahlequah was the end point of the Trail of Tears, so it's an appropriate setting for the Trail of Tears, a moving portrayal of the events the Cherokee encountered after their forced removal from the eastern U.S. It takes place late June-August at an amphitheater at the Heritage Center. The Cherokee National Holiday coincides with Labor Day each year and includes sporting and cultural events, a parade and more. 150 mi/240 km east of Oklahoma City.
