Sen and I spent my birthday weekend road-tripping from Tulsa, OK, to Oklahoma City, OK, for the first time, the capital city of Oklahoma State. Are you also heading to Oklahoma City, OK, for the first time? If so, you'll want to make sure that you take advantage of all this city has to offer since there is plenty to see and do in Oklahoma City! To help get things started for you, here are 6 things Sen and I did during our 48-hour trip and 3 things we wish we had done on this trip. The more reason to head back for another visit!
1) Eat at Nonesuch:
Sen and I are huge foodies, and we went to Oklahoma City, mainly Nonesuch, OKC. Its name is a clue to what they're best known for, non-traditional dishes with unique flavor profiles. It was voted the best restaurant in America by Bon Appetit in 2018 and only has 22 seats, so definitely make sure you make your reservation in advance! Here is Sen's full review of our experience and more photos.
2) See The Painters of Pompeii and Dale Chihuly exhibits at The Museum of Art:
We were pleasantly surprised to see The Painters of Pompeii exhibit on display during our visit. It is on display from now to October 17, 2021, and the Dale Chihuly exhibit is available until March 1, 2022. Here is a complete list of what they have on display and what's coming up.
3) Visit and bar hop at Bricktown:
When I first saw Bricktown on Google Maps, I knew we had to visit, see the Bricktown Canal, and ride the water taxi. This former warehouse district is filled with restaurants, nightlife, and entertainment options. We bar-hopped at Tipsy Tiki, Yucatan Taco Stand, Murphy's Dueling Pianos, and Pretty Please Social Room.
Tipsy Tiki is our favorite daytime bar since it sits right by the water and has a really chill vibe. Try tipsy Tiki OKC’s coconut drink they make with a real coconut (sorry, I forgot the beverage's name).
Murphy's Dueling Pianos was really fun; several performers were on stage, singing, interacting, and performing comedy banter with each other. There is a small cover charge for dueling pianos in OKC, but it's well worth it!
We learned about the Pretty Please Social Room from one staff passing out free shot flyers while walking around Bricktown. It was not really a shot, but we were glad we stopped by since it had great drinks and music to dance part of the night away.
We went to Yucatan Taco Stand since Sen was craving tacos, but we were pretty disappointed with them. However, they do have Mango Cart!
4) Eat in the Asian District:
There were so many Asian restaurants to choose from in the Asian District. I wish we were here longer to try more of them. Sen and I stopped at Kung Fu Tea for some boba and spicy Chinese food for lunch at Szechuan Story.
The Myriad Botanical Garden is one of the most popular things to do in Oklahoma City. The grounds are expansive and home to different types of plants worldwide! Unfortunately, it was closed for renovation while in town. However, we strolled through its exterior grounds and still enjoyed watching the Koi and ducks.
Closed until Fall 2022.
6) Watch the sunset at Lake Hefner:
It's a reservoir in Northwestern Oklahoma City built in 1947 to expand the water supply for the city. It was named after its mayor at the time, Robert A. Hefner (not the other one you are thinking of!) This location was more extensive and more popular than I thought. We arrived just before sunset, situated next to the Lighthouse, and watched the sun go down with many others along the bank. A couple of restaurants nearby if you want to make half a day out of it and then walk to the Lighthouse. It was very peaceful.
Bonus: Walking around Downtown Oklahoma City: Street photography is something I enjoy doing, and I have started posting photos in my stories.
We stayed at the Sheraton Oklahoma City Downtown Hotel, within walking distance to all the attractions listed above but Nonesuch. The hotel was also pet-friendly, so we could bring Lumi with us for a pet fee.
Here are 3 things that were on our plan, but we didn't make them! (the ultimate planning vs. reality!)
A scheduled 40 mins ride on the Bricktown Canal with a Water Taxi Ambassador talking about points of interest along the way. They mentioned this is one of the most popular attractions in Bricktown on their website, and they are not kidding! They were completely sold out when we wanted to go on for a ride, so make sure you purchase your tickets in advance!
The building exterior itself is worth a visit. Still, it would definitely go in and check out Factory Obscura Mix-Tape's 6,000 sq. ft. of immersive art experience.
3) The Moore-Lindsay Historical House Museum:
A little out of Oklahoma City, but I love visiting and photographing these historical museums, so this will be on the top of my list to see next time. Always take a guided tour if you can. The museum's guides always have exciting stories about the history of these museums and the ones who once occupied them.
More reason to go back!
If you have been to Oklahoma City, please let me know in the comments if there is anywhere else I should add to our second trip.
I'm a travel blogger and photographer. I recently moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, from Los Angeles, California, with my husband Sen, our cat Shadow, and dog Lumi.
Our current mission is to road trip and eats around the USA.
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