* This blog post is sponsored by Visit OKC.

At least once a year, my husband and I go on one big vacation, which we look forward to for the months leading up to it.  But for us, one trip is not enough, so we try to sneak in a few of small getaways throughout the year.  A small getaway is just that—one that isn’t too complicated and is within a 6-hour drive of Kansas City.  Since our city is right in the middle of the map, we have quite a few options and have been to some really great places.  But since we’re always up for a new adventure, when Visit OKC invited us for a visit, we were all in!

From our house, Oklahoma City is only a 4.5-hour drive, on one highway, with many options for stopping along the way, so already this was a win for us.  We left on a Friday afternoon and were in OKC by dinner time.  We checked into Bradford House, and I was in love from the second we pulled into the parking lot.  From the outside, this bright white boutique hotel has major southern vibes, with a wrap around porch and bright green front door.  As soon as you walk through the door, you’re invited into a cozy lobby with a host of beautiful prints, patterns, and textures.  From the entrance, you can see a variety of sitting areas, a bar, and the entrance to the hotel’s restaurant (more on that later).  The check in process was smooth, and we were off to our room to drop our bags.  On our way to our room, we passed through the hotel’s courtyard, with more seating and a variety of yard games for guests, all situated within beautiful greenery and floral displays.  Our room was, no surprise, an absolute dream.  More patterns and textures, and walls full of vibrant local artwork.  Honestly, I could have spent an entire weekend cozied up at the hotel, but we had things to do and places to see.

After the quick stop at our hotel, we took a short Uber ride over to the Oklahoma River and Regatta Park for a sunset Cocktail Cruise.  This 1.5-hour cruise down the Oklahoma River showed us all the best city views, including the OKC skyline, the Wheeler Ferris Wheel, and the many bridges with their ornate detail.  And yes, there is a bar where you can grab beer, wine, and other cocktails to enjoy while you cruise.  This was the absolutely perfect way to see the city and kick off our weekend of fun.

On Saturday morning, we started with brunch and the Bradford House restaurant.  The space is absolutely adorable, with bright colors and fun artwork.  Every last detail was perfection, even down to the table reservation cards.  And when I say everything was perfect, that includes the food.  When we saw the Sourdough Donut Holes that included a Fruity Pebble glaze, we knew we needed an order to share.  We rounded out the spread with their one-of-a-kind Avocado Toast and ultra-unique Poblano and Corn Benedict.  We savored almost every single bite and had to roll ourselves out of the restaurant to move on with our day.

After brunch, it was time to explore in the sunshine.  We made the short drive over to Scissortail Park for their Saturday farmer’s market.  The Park is absolutely beautiful and is home to some of the best walking trails, outdoor activities, and events in the city.  Every Saturday, they host a farmer’s market with local produce, flowers, vendors, food trucks, and more.  As lovers of all things local in our own city, we appreciated meeting so many of their local makers and shakers in such a fun environment. 

Being that it was a Saturday in June, we were ready for some AC, so we made the quick drive over to the Oklahoma City Museum of Art to check out their collection and new exhibits.  Growing up as a curator’s daughter, I am always up for a museum visit, and the OKC MOA was a great addition to my list.  The museum is three stories of amazing modern art and fun exhibits, including their current curation of sports photography, called “The Perfect Shot,” which featured not just the art, but activities and a themed Spotify playlist that you could add to your phone for the ultimate immersive experience.  We both loved the entire museum and saw a few upcoming exhibits that have us planning our return visit.

Post-museum, we were ready for more exploring and a little late afternoon snack.  We explored several of the local OKC areas, including Midtown and the Plaza District.  We spent a lot of time in the Plaza District, shopping and touring the Plaza Walls, and we stopped at Mexican Radio for a snack and a cocktail.  The frozen Dole Whip cocktail with its Fruity Pebble salt rim was out of this world!

After our day of exploring, we decided to take a break at the hotel before our evening of fun.  We rested up, cleaned up, dressed up, and headed down to the Paseo Arts District for the night.  The Paseo is the stunning home to over 20 galleries and more than 80 vibrant artists all within walking distance of each other.  There are shops and restaurants, all within 2 walkable blocks.  We started with dinner at Picasso’s Café, which hosts an eclectic menu with tons of variety and flavor.  From drinks to desserts, we took every recommendation from our server and were not disappointed once.  After dinner, we made the quick walk to Oklahoma Shakespeare in the Park to finish the night with their production of Jane Austen’s Emma.  Neither of us had ever done anything like this, and it was such a fun and immersive way to experience this classic love story. 

On Sunday morning, I started my day with a walk around Scissortail Park.  I truly fell in love with it the day before and couldn’t wait to go back to explore.  Our next visit, we will definitely take our son, because the park is home to playgrounds, a splash pad, and a boathouse where you can rent kayaks and paddleboats.  But for this trip, I enjoyed the peace, quiet, and solitude.  After my walk, I drove over to Wheeze the Juice for a smoothie and wound up buying half the menu.  This super fun and 80s/90s nostalgic spot has smoothies, juices, bowls, and snacks, all made fresh in house.  I was completely blown away by everything I ordered. 

Before checking out of the Bradford House, we made a stop at their bakery counter for lattes and treats for the road.  But before we made our way back to KC, we stopped for brunch at the legendary Big Truck Tacos.  As Food Network super fans, we cannot ever pass an opportunity to try a highly featured restaurant.  Starting as a single food truck, Big Truck has grown into the empire it is today, which includes a brick and mortar that serves 3 meals a day.  We sampled a few of their breakfast tacos, and they definitely live up to all the hype. 

After a weekend full of fun, we hit the road with full hearts and full bellies.  We loved everything about our visit, and we agree that it’s the perfect getaway for all types of trips.  Girl’s trip, family style, or in this case a lil romance, anything goes in OKC. 

I hope you’ll plan a trip there soon and tell me everything you do, because you know I’ll be back!

XOXO,

Molly B.