Oklahoma Free Travel Guides

Gordon's Guide

Check out vacations and adventure travel in Oklahoma Oklahoma Travel Deals

If you’re thinking about heading out to Oklahoma for vacation soon, you’re probably looking online for the best travel deals available.  The tourism industry is alive and well in Oklahoma and deals on cars, hotels, and attractions are abundant.

A great place to start your search for Oklahoma travel deals is at the states official tourism website, which you can find at TravelOK.com.  The site offers a comprehensive listing of hotels arranged by area, and each listing has plenty of helpful information, like what types of discounts are available for you to take advantage of.  For example, the site lists the Holiday Inn Express in the panhandle region of the state as offering a AAA discount.

The site also has plenty of information available on area attractions.  Planning your trip before you arrive is a great way to save money, because you’ll know what types of coupons and discounts to look for.  You’ll also save time and gas by not driving around aimlessly once you arrive.

When you visit Oklahoma, you can get even more travel deals by just showing your military ID or group membership card at the hottest hotels, stores, and restaurants.  The tourism industry in Oklahoma is making a comeback and there are plenty of places willing to extend a discount to get customers through the door.  It never hurts to inquire about potential savings, and you never know what you’ll find.  With so many ways to save, an Oklahoma vacation has never been more affordable!

Oklahoma Overview

Oklahoma, also known as the sooner state, has long been luring tourists to its rolling hills and bountiful prairies.  The moderately sized Midwestern state is landlocked on all sides and is well known for its extreme weather.

Oklahoma sits in the part of the country known as tornado alley.  The combination of mountains, plains, and wide open spaces makes the state prime for extreme weather.  Most years, Oklahoma sees its worst outbreak of tornados in the spring and fall months, with relatively calm summers and winters.

The state of Oklahoma is home to more than three million people, making it the 28th most populous state in the Nation.  In terms of area, Oklahoma ranks 20th.  Energy and Agriculture are the states two primary exports.  Oklahoma is the third largest producer of natural gas in the United States, and the fifth largest producer of crude oil.  

A variety of plants and animals call Oklahoma home.  A whopping 24% of the state is forested, while other portions of the state are open prairie or even semi-arid.  Deer, coyote, bobcats, elk, and American bison can all be found in Oklahoma, making it one of the most diverse places in terms of wildlife in the country.

There’s a ton of variety in Oklahoma, which is part of the reason why so many people flock to the state each year for their vacations.

Places of Interest in Oklahoma

Oklahoma is a fun Midwestern state with thousands of things to do and places to see during your vacation.  No matter what types of things you enjoy doing, you’ll be able to find the right combination of activities and entertainment to keep you busy during your vacation.

For many people traveling through the Midwest, seeing unusual roadside attractions tops their list of things to do.  If that describes you, you’re in luck because Oklahoma is not lacking in bizarre road side oddities.  For example, the big blue whale outside of Catoosa, Oklahoma has been luring in tourists since the 1970’s when it was built.  The large whale structure sits in a pond that the owner converted into a public beach, and houses two water slides.

When you’ve had your fill of the unusual tourist attractions of Oklahoma, why not tour the states capitol, Oklahoma City, for a little bit of architectural sight seeing.  The states capitol building is a monumental structure that has stood the test of time.  In 2002, the dome on top of the capitol building was completed, giving the building a similar look to the Nations capitol in Washington D.C..  Even the Bell office building, which was formerly a high school, is a monument to incredible American architecture.  You’ll find plenty of old buildings throughout the city to enjoy during your vacation.

If your travels take you to the second largest city in Oklahoma, Tulsa, you’ll have a hard time missing the golden driller.  The golden driller is a giant monument that was originally erected for the petroleum expedition in the 1950’s.  Since then, the larger than life man has stood guard at the entrance to the Tulsa exposition center, welcoming tourists and posing for pictures.  He can withstand 200 mile per hour winds, and has survived decades of vandals and critics.

If you need more ideas of places of interest you may want to visit, keep your eyes open for signs along the highway or brochures in hotel lobbies.  No matter what part of the state you’re visiting, you’ll find plenty of fun things to do in Oklahoma.

Parks and Activities in Oklahoma

If you’re like many travelers, you may like to get outdoors during your vacation.  If that describes you, then Oklahoma is the place to be!  There are numerous parks and outdoor activities throughout the state to enjoy during your vacation, each offering a unique and exciting experience you won’t soon forget.

At the tip of the panhandle, you’ll find Black Mesa State Park.  The park is named after the black lava rock that covers the area.  Hiking, wildlife observing, camping, swimming, and water activities are all offered at the park and adjacent nature preserve.  If you’re lucky, you’ll catch a glimpse of one of the 23 rare plants or eight rare animals that live within the park and nature preserves boundaries.

In Southwest Oklahoma, you’ll find Great Plains State Park.  Visitors to the park can enjoy miles of mountain bike trails ranging from beginner to expert in difficulty.  Hiking trails and rock climbing are two of the other exciting activities offered.  The park sits on Tom Steed Lake and has 31 miles of shoreline along the lake.  Besides swimming and fishing, the lake also has a large playground for younger visitors.

In the extreme Northeast corner of the state, lies Twin Bridges Area at Grand Lake State Park.  The quite country park offers exquisite fishing for bass, bluegill, and spoonbill.  A fishing center with bait is located in the park, as well as picnic areas, and campgrounds.  The park is any fishing lovers paradise.

No matter what types of things you enjoy doing, Oklahoma’s many parks offer visitors an array of activities to entertain and delight them.

Getting to Oklahoma

There are many ways you can travel to Oklahoma for your vacation.  Regardless of whether you prefer to fly, drive, or travel some other way, getting to your favorite places in Oklahoma is easy and fun.

If you choose to drive to Oklahoma on the states many roadways, you’ll find plenty of options for traveling to your destination.  More than 12,000 miles of highway pass through the state, giving travelers plenty of options to reach their destinations.  In Oklahoma City, three interstates converge to form an important intersection in the American Interstate Highway system.  Oklahoma is also home to the longest span of Route 66 in America that is still open to driving by tourists.

If you’d rather fly than drive, you’ll find two major airports in the state.  The first, Will Rogers World Airport is in Oklahoma City.  The second, Tulsa International Airport is in Tulsa.  Between the two, thirteen major airlines have access to the Midwestern state.

Amtrak operates a rail system in the state.  The Heartland Flyer route connects Oklahoma to Fort Worth Texas.  Passengers will enjoy the convenient ride, while taking in the beautiful Oklahoma countryside.

No matter how you chose to get to Oklahoma for your vacation, travel to and around the sooner state has been designed to be easy for the thousands of visitors that arrive each year.