Places to visit in south-central Oklahoma
A long, long time ago my full-time hustle was living life as the original Chickasaw Country blogger and community manager. As such, I’m often asked to give my two cents as to the best places to visit, stay, explore, et al.
For those looking to extend a quick trip from Oklahoma City to Dallas in more of an adventure, here’s my top five.
Wayne Payne Exit
This has no actual relevance except that I have a dream to one day byline a fictional children’s book about two brothers - Wayne and Payne - who are divided because of the evil road builders who disregard their historic deeds and divided their land. With herds of buffalo (with the strength of Greek gods, mind you) to attack from both the east and west and faithful scissor-tailed flycatchers to deliver messages to align strategic attacks (rural reception is the worst), Wayne and Payne become victorious and unite their communities once again.
Garold Wayne Interactive Zoological Park
(Wynnewood, Okla.) Here’s the deal, you get to play with a baby tiger and see a Liger in real life. Worth. It.
Smokin’ Joes
(Davis, Okla.) Because, barbecue.
Downtown Ardmore
Places to visit: Threads Clothing Co., Cafe Alley, Cloverleaf
Picking a favorite town in south-central Oklahoma is what I imagine picking a favorite child would be like. Today, I pick Ardmore, but know tomorrow I could easily pick Sulphur. Maybe because I once covered a free Pat Green show downtown, or watched our now-IRL friend, Josh, play in a historic venue. Bottom line: spend a few hours in Ardmore.
The LadySmith
(Tishomingo, Okla.) Last fall, we celebrated my friend’s birthday in Tishomingo, Okla. - a weekend with the Lady Smith at The Ladysmith. With talented ownership, passionate staff and a curious town filled with proud citizens this stop is the best return on your investment. Each room in the Inn is uniquely decorated (yes, by Miranda) and the bar is equally stocked with top-tier wine and low-tier domestics.
Across the street you'll find the Pink Pistol (a tick touristy) and the Ponderosa (filled with locals).
Of note: I should really byline a post about this weekend.
Although this list doesn't include ziplining, gaming (sorry - won't blog about that), restaurants, or concert venues know they're there. There are simply just too many to list.
Comment below if you need suggestions for a particular town. I'm always game for discussing one of my favorite regions of Oklahoma.
