bigtyke

As part of my ongoing goal of visiting all 50 states and capitals, I will be going to OK during spring break 2007. I see very liltle on this forum about OK. What are the best things to see and do.

I will be seeing the state capital, U of OK (where my son may decide to go) and visiting relatives in Enid. I will aaslo be visiting AR, so i would want to see places on the eastern side of OK.

keymom

Don't miss the Cowboy Hall of Fame in OKC. The memorial to the victims of the Oklahoma City bombing is heartbreaking. Bricktown is a vibrant place to eat and walk around.
OU has many cool things. In 2000, the University of Oklahoma received the single most important collection of French Impressionism ever given to an American public university. It also has an amazing natural history museum.

MauiPigFarmer

Bigtyke -

Don't miss Beaver's Bend state park in Broken Bow OK. It's gorgeous, and well worth your time. If you plan on staying though, you'd have to make reservations now. We love that area of OK and visit several times a year, but we've stopped trying to stay at the state park because it stays soooo booked. Instead we go on up to a tiny little town (not even a town really) called Battiest and stay at some cabins on the Glover river. Complete and total seclusion. No TV, no noise, no cell phone, and no hopes of ever getting a signal. It's my own personal getaway. You can let me know if you'd like more information on those cabins, but you should definitely check out Beavers Bend at least.

Neopolitan

I was quite impressed with Oklahoma City, and I'd second that thought about the heartbreaking memorial there. There were beautiful gardens downtown as well.

Be sure to keep your eyes open for a surrey with the fringe on top. The corn won't be as high as an elephant's eye at that time of year, but the wind might come sweeping down the plain.

RedRock

Plan a trip to the Seminole Nation Museum in Wewoka OK. Its about an hour or so to the east and south of OK City, I-40 exit 212 south.

http://www.wewoka.com/museum.htm

coldwar27

Another vote for the Cowboy Hall of Fame - was surprised I liked it so much. The memorial was very moving as well.

designmr

You've got to see the Oklahoma City Museum of Art. Part of the permanent collection is the largest Dale Chihuly glassworks exhibit in the world. From February to April 2007 it will host an exhibition on Napoleon. The museum store stocks a lot of fun gifts and the cafe serves French fusion cuisine. Its theater shows classic, foreign, and independent films at night.
http://www.okcmoa.com/

If you want to learn about Oklahoma, next to the state capitol is the Oklahoma History Center, an engaging museum covering many aspects of the state's history.
http://www.okhistorycenter.org/

For shopping while in central Oklahoma, go to Penn Square Mall.
http://www.simon.com/mall/default.aspx?ID=811

For elegant dining in Bricktown, go to The Mantel. For family dining, try Toby Keith's I Love This Bar and Grill.
http://www.themantelokc.com/
http://www.ilovethisbarandgrillokc.com/

The Man of La Mancha will be playing at Civic Center Music Hall:
http://www.okcciviccenter.org/index.html
And the NBA Hornets should be in town (at the Ford Center in downtown OKC) at least one night of the week you're here:
http://www.nba.com/hornets/

If you have any further questions, let us know-

Have fun and tell us how it went!

wsoxrebel

If you are considering flying, here is my tip. OKC airport is my new favorite airport. No hassle, great layout, intelligent signage, cheap parking.

jbrown

I definitely recommend the Oklahoma City Museum of Art. I'm a big OKC booster and I was even impressed by the museum when I finally went. To add to what designmr said, the museum get's REALLY impressive traveling exhibits. Just as an example, we will be one of only 3 U.S. cities to get a Roman Art exhibit from the Louvre in 2008. It will be here June through October.

I also second the vote for Beavers Bend State Park. It will definitely defy the sterotypes you've heard about our scenery. Robbers Cave State Park is nearby and is also great.

www.touroklahoma.com

In the Southwest corner of the state is the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, the oldest park in the NWR system. Its a great place for hiking, photography, and rock climbing. It's massive granite boulders and craggy peaks also surprise people expecting cornfields in every direction.

www.wichitamountains.fws.gov
www.wichitamountains.org

Also in OKC I recommend the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum (fka the Cowboy Hall of Fame) for Western art, as well as the Zoo, the International Photography Hall of Fame, Bricktown for restaurants and nightlife, Myriad Botanical Gardens and Will Rogers Park Rose Garden for urban nature, Western Avenue District for great local restaurants, Penn Square and Spring Creek in Edmond for shopping, definitely a Hornets game in "Loud City" if you like basketball, and the Memorial is a must see.

www.downtownokc.com
www.visitokc.com

If you make it to Tulsa, check out the Philbrook Museum of Art, especially for it's fabulous European-style gardens. It was once the home of oil-tycoon Frank Phillips (Phillips 66). Also go downtown during the day and check out the great art deco (third best after NYC and Miami). But stay out of downtown Tulsa at night--it's dead after dark unlike the revitalized downtown Oklahoma City.

www.visittulsa.com

Also, next year is Oklahoma's Centennial (ranked #1 U.S. event by the National Motor Coach Assn) and there are tons of events going on next year to celebrate it.

www.oklahomacentennial.com

You can order free travel guides at: www.travelok.com

wsoxrebel

Know anything about Quartz Mountain?

jbrown

Quartz Mountain State Resort is a branch of the Wichita Mountains, further west near Altus. It's a very scenic park next to a lake. There is a very nice lodge there, which replaced an older one that burned down about 10 years ago. It is also home to the Oklahoma Summer Arts Institute.

bigtyke

trip report posted