Looking for spring break ideas? Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation lists in-state possibilities
Parents not wanting to book a trip out of state can turn to the many options and attractions available right here in Oklahoma Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation has provided a list of spring break options for parents and children alike. The list includes in-state possibilities for activities for children, such as riding SAND DUNES, hiking, and exploring the Wichita MOUNTAINS WILDLIFE REFUGE. The director of the state's tourism and recreation department, Evan Hawkins, also highlighted the diverse nature of Oklahoma State Parks, highlighting the importance of planning events and free family fun for children. The article also highlighted a variety of eco-friendly activities at state parks.
Published : a month ago by Addison Kliewer, https://www.facebook.com/ in Travel
UNDERWAY. IT IS SPRING BREAK FOR MOST FAMILIES IN OKLAHOMA, WHICH IS GREAT, OF COURSE, BUT IF YOU’RE A PARENT LIKE ME, YOU’RE ALSO PROBABLY THINKING RIGHT NOW, OKAY, WHAT AM I GOING TO DO WITH THESE KIDS FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS? FORTUNATELY, OKLAHOMA HAS NO SHORTAGE OF OPTIONS. NOT THAT FAR OUT OF YOUR FRONT DOOR, AND WE HAVE CHASE HAWN WITH THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM AND RECREATION JOINING US RIGHT NOW. LIVE TO HELP US PARENTS OUT. CHASE, FIRST OF ALL, GOOD TO SEE YOU. HEY, EVAN, THANKS FOR HAVING ME. SUPER EXCITED TO TELL YOU ABOUT ALL THE THINGS WE HAVE GOING ON FOR SPRING BREAK. WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT’S GREAT ABOUT THE OKLAHOMA STATE PARKS? AND MAYBE THIS IS A SNEAKY FACT, IS THAT, FIRST OF ALL, THEY DON’T BREAK THE BANK FOR FAMILIES. YOU KNOW, FOR PEOPLE ON DIFFERENT BUDGETS, THAT HELPS. BUT THERE’S A DIVERSE CITY OF DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES FOR PEOPLE WANTING TO DO DIFFERENT THINGS. YEAH, YOU’RE EXACTLY RIGHT. AND ANOTHER THING THAT’S COOL IS THERE’S ACTUALLY LIKE AN ECO REGION FOR EVERYONE. OKLAHOMA IS ONE OF THE FEW STATES WHERE IF YOU WANT TO HEAD TO THE NORTHWEST, YOU CAN RIDE SAND DUNES, YOU WANT TO HEAD TO THE SOUTHWEST, YOU CAN SEE THE MOUNTAINS. WANT TO GO TO THE SOUTHEAST? WE HAVE MORE OF LIKE THE KIND OF TRADITIONAL PARK FEEL, BUT SO MUCH TO DO IN OUR NATURALIST. AND ALL THESE PARKS REALLY DO A GREAT JOB OF REALLY PLANNING EVENTS AND HAVING A LOT OF FREE FAMILY FUN THAT YOU CAN BRING OUT THE KIDS FOR CRAFTS, GUIDED HIKES, SO MUCH TO CHOOSE FROM. LET ME ASK YOU ABOUT THE WICHITA MOUNTAINS WILDLIFE REFUGE RIGHT NOW, CHASE, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT’S ONE OF YOUR MOST POPULAR PLACES. AND REALLY, DAMON WAS JUST TALKING ABOUT HOW IT IS COOLER THAN NORMAL RIGHT NOW, WHICH MAY BE A GOOD THING BECAUSE THIS IS KIND OF THE TIME OF YEAR. IF YOU WANT TO HIKE WITH YOUR FAMILY UP THERE, IT’S A LOT SAFER IN THE SPRING THAN IT IS FOR, SAY, IN THE SUMMER. EXACTLY. NO MATTER WHAT, WHEN YOU’RE HIKING, YOU OBVIOUSLY ALWAYS WANT TO BRING A LOT OF WATER. BUT BUT IT DOES HELP WHEN IT IS COOLER. I WILL SAY WE’RE NOT SUPPOSED TO HAVE FAVORITE PARKS, BUT A PARK DOWN IN THAT AREA. THAT IS, IF IT’S NOT MY FAVORITE, IT’S REALLY UP HIGH ON THE LIST IS QUARTZ MOUNTAIN STATE PARK. IT’S LIKE A RESORT WHEN YOU DRIVE DOWN TO THAT LODGE AND THE MOUNTAINS ARE BEAUTIFUL, PRO TIP TAKE ADVANTAGE OF LIKE YOU SAID, THESE COOLER TEMPERATURES HIKE UP AND WATCH THE SUNSET AT QUARTZ MOUNTAIN. YOU REALLY CAN’T BEAT IT. AND LIKE YOU SAID, LOOKING FOR SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE KIDS NOT GOING TO HIT THE POCKET BOOK A HIKE IN QUARTZ MOUNTAIN COULD BE YOUR SPOT. ALL RIGHT, SO FOR AGAIN FOCUSING ON THE KIDS RIGHT NOW, THE FAMILY, THE STUFF THAT’S GOING TO GET OUR KIDS OFF THE SWITCHES IN THE XBOX AND ACTUALLY PICK THEIR HEADS UP OFF THE SCREENS, THE DUNES ARE A GREAT WAY TO GO ABOUT. I KNOW THAT THERE’S A PLACE ALSO YOU CAN DIG FOR CRYSTALS IN THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA. I MEAN, THERE’S SOME REALLY COOL OPTIONS. YEAH, SO MUCH. I WAS ACTUALLY AT LITTLE SAHARA STATE PARK LAST WEEK. SUPER COOL. BUT IF YOU WANT SOMETHING REALLY COOL FOR THE KIDS, UH, GRAND LAKE, THE BRIONES AREA. UM, THEY HAVE A LOT OF STUFF LINED UP STARTING ON WEDNESDAY, THEY’RE GOING TO HAVE GUIDED HIKES. THEY’RE GOING TO HAVE ARTS AND CRAFTS, AND THEN ON SATURDAY AT 1 P.M., BERNIE SANDERS DOES THEIR ANIMAL FEEDING PROGRAM. WE HAVE ANIMAL AMBASSADORS AT OUR STATE PARKS, WHICH A LOT OF PEOPLE DON’T KNOW ABOUT. AND ONE OF OUR MOST FAMOUS AMBASSADORS AT THAT GRAND LAKE BRIONES AREA IS THE OTTER, HARRY POTTER. IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN HIM, YOU GOT TO GO OUT. HE’S A STAR. UH, I WISH I COULD TAKE CREDIT FOR THAT NAME THEN. SUCH A GOOD NAME. UNFORTUNATELY, I CAN’T. UM, THEY’LL KIND OF FEED THE HARRY IN FRONT OF EVERYONE AND TEACH YOU ABOUT, UH, YOU KNOW, OTTERS AND WHY IT’S IMPORTANT. AND THEIR ECOSYSTEM AND THEIR NATURE SURROUND AND KIND OF THEIR ECOSYSTEMS. AND WHERE THEY LIVE. SUPER EDUCATIONAL AS WELL. LIKE YOU SAID. PUT THAT PHONE DOWN AND GET OUT AND LEARN SOMETHING AND HAVE FUN WHILE YOU DO IT. HARRY POTTER, IT TOOK ME A COUPLE SECONDS, BUT THEN I RODE IT OUT OF MY MIND AND I KNEW. I KNEW WHERE THE NAME CAME FROM. HEY, REALLY QUICK WHILE I HAVE YOU HERE, BECAUSE I KNOW WE’RE GOING TO GET THROUGH SPRING BREAK, IT’S GOING TO BE A REALLY BUSY TIME FOR THE STATE PARKS AROUND THE STATE. BUT THEN RIGHT AFTER THAT APRIL 8TH, WE GOT, YOU KNOW, WE GOT THE BIG ECLIPSE THAT’S COMING. AND THAT, I KNOW, IS GOING TO BE A HUGE DEAL, PARTICULARLY DOWN THERE LIKE BEAVER BEND STATE PARK IN THE SOUTHEAST PART OF THE STATE. EXACTLY. SO WE HAVE THREE PARKS IN THE PATH OF 100% TOTALITY THAT’S GOING TO BE BEAVERS BEND, LAKE WISTER, AND TALIMENA. NOW, BEAVER HAS BEEN OBVIOUSLY ONE OF THE STATE’S MOST POPULAR PARKS. IT’S BEEN SOLD OUT, UH, FOR MONTHS. YOU MIGHT HAVE A CABIN OR TWO, MAYBE A COUPLE CAMPSITES. LODGE. LAST I CHECKED, IS COMPLETELY BOOKED. BUT BEAVERS BEND IS GOING TO SEE OVER FOUR MINUTES IN TOTALITY. AND, YOU KNOW, I’M NO EXPERT, BUT I DID SOME GOOGLING, AND I THINK THE LONGEST AN ECLIPSE CAN BE IS 7.5 MINUTES. SO REALLY A ONCE IN A LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY HERE IF YOU WANTED TO TRY AND STAY AND MAYBE MISSED OUT ON THE LODGING. A PRO TIP I’VE BEEN TELLING PEOPLE IS, YOU KNOW, BOOK A PARK. UH, STAY AT ONE OF THE SURROUNDING PARKS, ROBBER’S CAVE, LAKE MURRAY, AND DRIVE IN FOR THE DAY. A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE DOING THAT, AND HE GOT TO MAKE SURE AND GET YOUR ECLIPSE GLASSES. WE’RE SELLING THEM FOR JUST A COUPLE OF BUCKS ON TRAVEL MACOMB. BUT THIS REALLY IS GOING TO BE A ONCE IN A LIFETIME EVENT. AND FOR PEOPLE AND FAMILIES LOOKING FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ON NOT JUST THE ECLIPSE, BUT ALSO ALL THESE THINGS THAT WE’VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT HERE DURING SPRING BREAK, WHERE SHOULD THEY GO? YEAH, OBVIOUSLY TRAVELOK.COM KIND OF A ONE STOP SHOP, BUT IF YOU HAVE A PARK THAT’S YOU’RE A LITTLE CLOSER TO OR A PARK YOU’VE BEEN PLANNING TO VISIT, HEAD OVER TO THEIR FACEBOOK PAGE. THEY HAVE A GREAT TEAM HERE THAT DOES A REALLY GOOD JOB OF UPDATING THE EVENTS CALENDAR ON ALL THOSE FACEBOOK PAGES, LIKE I MENTIONED EARLIER, AND THOSE ANIMAL FEEDINGS. THAT’S ALL RIGHT THERE ON THAT PARK FACEBOOK PAGE. ALL RIGHT, CHASE HORN WITH THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM. WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT, SIR, AND HOPE YOU HAVE A GOOD WEEK. AND