I am a born traveler. My very first photo, snapped at the hospital shortly after my birth, became my first passport photo. I boarded my first international flight shortly thereafter, and I have been traveling ever since. To date, I have visited 4 continents, 24 countries outside of the USA, and 31 states plus Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico. My very patient husband jokes that I always start planning the next trip on the flight home (sometimes I actually start before that!). I think the planning is half the fun. Some of my favorite travel memories include family trips with my daughter and husband to Aspen, our honeymoon in Rome, Christmas with my parents in London, our little family's favorite beach trip to Puerto Rico, and my first solo adventure to Big Sky, Montana. I am also an avid reader, reading more than 100 books every year and currently working my way through the Boxall 1001 Books to Read Before You Die list. I come by my love of books naturally. I was raised by a librar
Broken Bow, Oklahoma is a wonderful getaway for families with elementary aged children, and this was one of the easiest vacations we have ever taken. It’s a pretty quick drive from Dallas (just over 3 hours), and almost everything we did once we got there was about a 15-minute drive from our cabin.
Where to Stay…
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| My afternoon reading spot. |
I recommend renting a cabin through VRBO (most come with a hot tub and a fire pit, and some have playsets, outdoor games, or video game consoles). I loved sitting on the back porch of our cabin with a glass of wine and a book in the late afternoons. It was so incredibly peaceful. Note that cabins and activities are mostly located in Hochatown, Oklahoma rather than Broken Bow, so that can be a bit confusing when booking.
What to Do…
There are a wide range of outdoor activities. I recommend the following:
- There are lots of hiking trails to explore, so I suggest using the AllTrails app on your phone to find ones appropriate for your family. This area has lots of forest trails and a nearby lake, so you can do quite a few hikes and get some variety.
- There are at least two places to ride go karts, and this was both my daughter’s and her cousins’ favorite activity. We had so much fun the first time that we went twice. Older kids can ride alone, but smaller kids will need to ride with a parent.
- Take a Tiki Boat tour on the lake at sunset! We used Broken Tiki - Broken Bow Lake Tours, Tiki Bar, Sightseeing Tours (thebrokentiki.com). This was my favorite activity because I love being out on the water. They provide frozen drinks for the kids, and adults can buy beverages before boarding. Guests take a cute little tiki themed van to the water to get on the boat. The lake is really large and pretty, and both the van and boat drivers played fun music.
- We also rented paddle boats on the lake one day, and that was so fun (though it did take me a few minutes to get the hang of it).
We also enjoyed Gutter Chaos, which offers pool tables, bowling, outdoor games, and an arcade. We ate there, and the food was fine. This was a good spot to get out of the rain on the day we didn’t have good weather.
My older niece loved the Maze of Hochatown, which is a huge outdoor maze that you have to try to get through. It was HARD, but we had fun, and everyone has to work together. It can get sunny in the maze, so I recommend wearing hats. This is an activity I recommend for ages 10 and up, but younger siblings can join in. I think my daughter got a little frustrated because we didn’t solve it.
If you are interested in fishing, there are lots of places to fish, and the local Walmart has supplies and licenses for purchase. I have heard they do check for proper licenses, so I wouldn’t skip getting one.
For younger kids, check out the petting zoo and gemstone mining next door (which is good for most ages). Younger kids will also like Beavers Bend Depot & Trail Rides for horseback rides and a little train that takes 15 minutes and goes through the woods. The horseback rides are very tame and would be good for first time riders. Older kids and/or more experienced riders might be a bit bored. We spotted lots of deer while we were riding around both on the train and on horseback, so that was fun.
For additional outdoor activities, and on my list for our next trip, check out the following, which have been recommended to me by other friends: canoe rental through http://beaversbendriverfloats.com/ and horseback riding for older kids that takes you across a little stream through https://rivermantrailrides.com/. We also haven’t yet done the ax throwing, zip lining, or escape room, but Broken Bow also offers all of those things.
What to Eat…
We packed coolers full of food to grill, eat breakfast at home, pack picnic lunches, and cook smores and hot dogs on the fire at night. There are some local restaurants, but it’s a lot of burgers and fairly average quality bar food, so we prefer to bring our own food. If you do venture out for dinner, check out Grateful Head Pizza.
What to Read While You’re There…
I’m recommending some captivating girl power reads for this trip. For some Dust Bowl historic fiction, I suggest either The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah or the classic Pulitzer-Prize winning novel, The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. Both books chronicle the migration of a family from the Southwest (Oklahoma in the case of Wrath and Texas in the case of Winds) to California during the Great Depression. I liked both of these books, but The Four Winds is truly a standout. I think Hannah is a master at researching a particular moment in time and really bringing it to life, and I love her multi-dimensional female protagonists. This is the story of Elsa Martinelli, a woman who must choose between the home she has made for herself and the promise of a better life among strangers in a strange place. This is one of those books that crawls under your skin and stays there.
I’m also recommending True Grit by Charles Portis, the ultimate girl power Western novel. Fourteen-year-old heroine, Mattie Ross, seeks vengeance after her father is gunned down. Mattie’s adventure takes her through Arkansas, Texas, and Oklahoma, which makes this the perfect book for this part of the US.
Since Broken Bow is a perfect family destination, I’m also recommending two novels for the younger set. Tornado by Betsy Byars is a sweet dog story for ages 7-9, and the classic tearjerker, Where the Red Ferns Grow by Wilson Rawls, is an adventure story about a boy and his two dogs that teaches loyalty and love and is recommended for ages 9-12. My daughter enjoyed Tornado but refuses to read anything sad, so we haven’t revisited Where the Red Fern Grows, though I did enjoy it as a child. Both are set in Oklahoma.
To Sum It All Up...
- Broken Bow is the perfect family destination because it's fun and EASY.
- Our family's top picks for activities are woodsy hikes, lake activities, go karting, and gem-stone mining.
- Get your girl power on with The Four Winds and True Grit, and make sure to get your kids in on the reading action!
Very fun outdoor activities!! Did your kids like the gemstone mining one? I am trying to find new activities for mine but they are a bit picky... Thanks for sharing
ReplyDeleteYes, it was a big hit! I like that it's something both boys and girls and a variety of age groups can enjoy. The only downside is that it doesn't take up much time, but if they like it, it may motivate them to keep their eyes peeled for cool rocks on a family hike. My daughter is not a naturally enthusiastic hiker, so I find if I can give her binoculars and something to look for on the hike, she has more fun. Thanks for reading! And, of course, if you find something I missed, I hope you will come back and let me know!
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