If you’ve got your heart set on a long-haul trip to the United States this year, Oklahoma should be your number one destination. As Bobby Troup once sang, “Oklahoma City is mighty pretty”, but that’s not all that lies in wait for you in this great south-central state.
Oklahoma is truly one of those authentic gateways to the ideal of the American West. It is at once both rugged and rural – wild buffalo still roam the planes – and incredibly cultured and cosmopolitan, with its numerous museums and galleries dedicated to international art.
Read on to discover five reasons why I’d recommend Oklahoma as your next holiday destination.
Enjoy the Open Road on Route 66
Route 66 famously stretches from Chicago to LA, but the longest length cuts diagonally through Oklahoma. Starting in the northeastern corner of the state, Route 66 travels through both Tulsa and Oklahoma City before heading through into Texas, making it the perfect route by which to enjoy the open road.
Along the way, you can even take in plenty of roadside attractions, from the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum which explores the history of the road, to Catoosa’s weird and wonderful Blue Whale.
Visit the Bullhead Sharks in the Oklahoma Aquarium
In the city of Jenks, Tulsa County you’ll find some ancient residents in the Oklahoma Aquarium. The aquarium is home to the world’s largest number of bullhead sharks, who you can see glide with ease and grace in the aptly-named Shark Adventure exhibit.
Elsewhere throughout the aquarium, you’ll find plenty of fascinating exhibits such as the Polynesian Reef, the Eco Zone and the adorable Sea Turtle Island. If you’re lucky, you might even catch a glimpse of the 120-year old alligator snapping turtle in the Aquatic Oklahoma exhibit.
Gaze at the World’s Largest Casino
When it comes to casinos, you’re probably thinking that the biggest in the world would be found in gaming capitals like Las Vegas or Macau. Well, in actuality the world’s largest casino is situated in Thackerville, Oklahoma.
The WinStar World Casino was once a small bingo hall, but now spans over 500,000 square feet of gaming floorspace. Included in that space are 7,500+ slot machines – so many that you could play every day for over 20 years and still not play the same machine twice.
Quick tip: if you are planning to try out some of the many one-armed bandits at the WinStar, it’s helpful to learn about the importance of RTP slots payouts. RTP stands for Return To Player and essentially determines how much you can expect to win back on your wagers.
Swot-up on Oklahoma’s Wild Weather at the National Weather Center
As a state, Oklahoma experiences some of the most severe weather occurrences of anywhere in the world, let alone America. From earth-shredding tornadoes to sky-cracking lightning, if you can name it, Oklahoma residents have probably experienced it!
Naturally, then, Norman, Oklahoma is where you can find the National Weather Center.
As you might expect, this is one of the best places to visit in the US in order to learn about all things meteorological. You can even enjoy a guided session through Oklahoma University’s School of Meteorology and the Storm Prediction Center as part of your pre-booked tour.
Meanwhile, the weather centre itself can be visited free of charge, and if all that learning proves to be thirsty work, there’s even a café on site that’s open to the public.
Broaden your Horizons in Oklahoma’s Museums
Oklahoma rivals great European seats of culture like Florence or Berlin for museums and art galleries. You can broaden your horizons here by visiting museums on just about anything, from art history to Native American culture.
The Gilcrease Museum in Tulsa, for example, presents one of the most extensive collections of historical art and anthropological artefacts in the US. Set in a sprawling 460 acres in the Osage Hills, it’s surrounded by lush gardens displaying historical styles such as Victorian, pre-Columbian and pioneer landscaping.
Alternately, the Woolaroc Ranch in Bartlesville is home to a quaint museum focused on art and artefacts from the historical west.
However, it’s the magnificent American bison, elk and longhorn cattle that are the biggest attraction. Roaming free across the 3,700 acres of the ranch, you’re sure to run into a few herds here and there if you head out and explore the landscape.
**This is a collaborative post. Images are from Unsplash.
