No
more. Oklahoma City (OKC) is now a great place to visit for
history, the Wild West experience and even the arts!
BEST TIMES to VISIT
The
annual Festival of the Arts has grown into one of best outdoor art shows in the country.
Each April, selected painters, sculptors and artists in other media
gather to show and sell their work in an atmosphere of food, fun and
entertainment. Proceeds from the food booths benefit local
charities, and vendors go all out to prepare local favorites.
Every
June, Red
Earth brings together over 1500 dancers in beautiful
traditional costumes for the world's largest celebration of Native American
culture.
SIGHTS
to SEE - more photos in One Bear's Blog / Oklahoma
Statehood Centennial
The
first stop on any tour of OKC is the Oklahoma City National Memorial.
April 19th, 1995 marked middle America's initial look at terrorism when the
Alfred P. Murrah Building was destroyed by a bomb that took the lives of
168 people. The hauntingly simple outdoor memorial is dedicated to
them.
The National Memorial Center has been opened on the site and includes the Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism. The
24,000 square-foot museum tells the story of victims, survivors, families
and rescuers as a living legacy to the human spirit.
Urban
blight can be salvaged. OKC officials took a rundown warehouse
area [article link] just east of downtown and built a
canal modeled on San Antonio's Riverwalk.
The result is Bricktown, an ever growing entertainment
neighborhood complete with water
taxis, a Triple-A baseball stadium - the home of
the Oklahoma City Redhawks and
restaurants.
click on the photo of the Bricktown
canal to enlarge it
You can walk from Bricktown to the Myriad
Botanical Gardens and Crystal Bridge, though the parking is
usually better just outside of Bricktown. Trolley service is also
available. However you get there, the Crystal Bridge Gardens are a
fascinating oasis on 17 acres in the middle of downtown OKC.
Crystal Bridge
Botanical Garden |
Philodendron Dome 
|
click on these photos from the Myriad
Gardens to enlarge them |
iris |
 |
Families
and zoo fans won't want to miss the Oklahoma City Zoo. It was the first zoo in the
Southwest, and new, specialized habitats have been built for great apes,
big cats and other species. The Omniplex is right next door and features museums, a garden, a planetarium, a
seven story theater, and hands on science exhibits for both children and
adults.
The zoo's other immediate neighbors include Remington
Park, a track for thoroughbred and quarter horse racing, and several more
of the many local museums: the Oklahoma
Firefighters Museum and the National
Softball Hall of Fame and Museum.
Two
more Oklahoma City must sees are the National
Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Center, 220,000
square feet dedicated to the American West, and the 45th
Infantry Museum, a little known gem dedicated to the National
Guard - even if things military aren't your first choice for
entertainment, this museum is worth a visit.
But our new favorite museum is the Oklahoma City Museum of Art.
we all love the permanent Dale Chihuly Collection of glass
masterpieces.
For
more information on what to see and do in the OKC area as well as time and cost
details,
contact the Oklahoma City Convention and
Visitors' Bureau at 405-297-8912 or 800-225-5652.
LOCAL DINING FAVORITES
Charcoal
Oven: The quintessential drive-in with exceptional fast
food. You'll eat in your car, but the parking lot landscaping
reflects the care that goes into everything they do. [5911
NW Expressway 405-722-7588 / 2701 NW Expressway
405-842-8911]
Eddys: You can't get a drink here was the house
policy for a while - it didn't last, but if you're looking for a good Lebanese
steakhouse, Eddy's is the place. [4227 N. Meridian
405-787-2944]
Hideaway
Pizza: What started as a university hangout for
Stillwater's
Oklahoma State University crowd has branched out to Tulsa, Norman and OKC.
The pizza is decent in a part of the US where the national chains
often receive high marks, and the other offerings are worth the lines.
[6616 N. Western
405-840-4777 / 2 S. Mickey Mantle Dr. in Bricktown 405-232-4776 / 116 E. 5 in Edmond 405-292-4777]
Jamil's:
If you have business at the state capitol, you have
an excuse to visit Jamil's for a great meal. It's another Lebanese
steakhouse.
[4910 N.
Lincoln Blvd. 405-525-8352]
Oklahoma City Museum of Art Cafe:
Great food, bad service. Attached to the museum at 415 Couch
Drive. [405-235-6262]
Primo's: Located in the main
shopping center in nearby Yukon, OK on Garth Brooks Blvd. (his high
school is just down the street), Primo's has the world's best bread sticks
& dip combo and great
Italian food at reasonable prices. We love it. Plus, the movie
theater across the parking lot has first run movies for $3.50 and $4.00
depending on the time of day. Who knew? The new location is
in Midwest City, just west of Rose State College and north of Tinker Air
force Base on Interstate 40.
Service Station: OK burgers and so-so fries in a fun
atmosphere at 502 S Webster Avenue in Norman.
Someplace Else: Family owned, family run
deli and bakery. Sandwiches and sweets. [2310 N Western.
405-514-0887]
SHOPPING SPOTS
Native
American Treasures: You'd think the capital city of
a state that bills itself as "Indian Territory" would have more stores just packed with wonderful souvenirs of the real
Oklahoma. Fortunately, Inter-Tribal Designs is making an
effort of sorts. [1520 N. Portland 405-943-7935]
Penn
Square Mall is the biggie, but 50 Penn Place is right across the street.
While smaller, it's slightly more upscale. [Corner NW
Expressway and N. Pennsylvania]
Bonus: Bill Kamp's Meat Market - a local tradition reborn on N. Western
at NW 73rd.
ACCOMMODATIONS
Up to 70% OFF hotels in Oklahoma City!
OKC
is the second largest city in the US in terms of area. Choose a
place to stay based on the places you plan to visit.
Downtown / Bricktown: New convention-size hotels and the facilities to
match are springing up in downtown OKC including the Renaissance
Hotel and Westin Hotel [405-235-2780].
Interstate
35: There are inexpensive motels on the south side of
the city. Once you get on the north side of town, the Red
Stone Inn [3101 NE 50th St. 405-427-383] bed and
breakfast is a lovely oasis.
Meridian
gateway / airport / Interstate 40: This is hotel / motel
city. There are lots of restaurant and motel favorites here AND
the inexpensive trolley system will take you downtown.
MidWest
City / Del City / Tinker Air Force Base
Norman
North / Edmond: I had a personal tour of the very nice La Quinta Inns & Suites at 3003 W.
Memorial Rd [405-755-700]. The owner's wife went above and beyond her
budget in the inn's decor.
Northwest
OKC / Penn Square Mall: Northwest Expressway has lots of
restaurants and several hotel / motel names you know. Drive west
from the mall and keep your eyes open for the likes of Holiday Inn
Express, Hilton Inn and Hampton Inn. A short drive north of Penn
Square Mall is the deluxe Waterford Marriott [405-848-4782].
