Oklahoma City surprised me in ever way as one of the best capital cities I’ve ever been to, offering all of the culture, cuisine, with a rugged Western past.
We booked tickets to see Pearl Jam in October 2022 for a quick weekend trip because I wanted a really good reason to cross off OK from my #50statesbefore50 list. Little did I know, there are a lot of other good reasons to visit Oklahoma, besides seeing the best band ever.
Now some might say this was too ambitious – fly on a Saturday morning, cross of OK and KS, come home on a Sunday night – but ambition is my middle name, and we were fortunate to be able to have some adults-only time.
We flew Southwest from BWI to Will Rogers Airport where you are greeted with a statue of Will Rogers upon arrival. Hello cowboy state! We stayed one night at the Omni in OKC which is directly across the street from Paycom Center. We know that the band stayed here because other concert goers spotted Mike McCready in the elevator. The hotel is beautiful and we had the best steak and glazed carrots ever at the steakhouse. I’d go back again just for the meal!
Oklahoma, where the wind comes sweeping down the plains.
Rogers and Hammerstein, Oklahoma!
The Bricktown Entertainment District is a shining example of a master plan. This former warehouse district is filled with restaurants, nightlife and family friendly entertainment options. From taking a water taxi ride along the Bricktown Canal to catching an Oklahoma City Dodgers’ baseball game, Bricktown is where the fun is at.
The Oklahoma City National Memorial is beautifully done and stands as an incredibly poignant symbol of tragic loss and tribute to the victims. This is an outdoor memorial – quiet, reflective, and powerful.
OKC has a rich history in music. We really enjoyed spotting all of the road signs and learning about the artists that have roots here.
No #50states before50 trip is complete without a road trip! The Route 66 drive to Kansas took us to Pops 66 Soda Ranch in Acadia, OK, best known for it’s 66 foot tall soda bottle. This is a cool stop if you’re in the area with just about every soda ever made – 700 of them to be exact. We grabbed lunch here and enjoyed sampling a few unique sodas.
Kansas was everything I thought it would be. There wasn’t enough time to make a lot of stops but I did enjoy the peacefulness of the state.
And then, for the main reason we flew to OKC for the weekend – Pearl Jam. I would absolutely return to this venue for another concert, and definitely stay at the Omni for the short walk back from an event at Paycom.
Before heading home to the airport the next day, we stumbled upon North Pole City, Oklahoma’s largest Christmas store (visible from the highway heading to the airport) for an Oklahoma ornament – my souvenir of choice from every state we visit. This is one of the best Christmas stores I’ve ever been to and I found the perfect OK ornament.
Thanks for the memories, Oklahoma!
Lucky Ladybug Travel Blog 