Making the Most of My Trip to OKC (Howe, Okay: for sale, house hunting)

[colleeng47]

Okay, I need some help here. Yesterday I booked our trip to OKC. We leave NJ 7:00 AM on New Year's Day (thank goodness I don't drink -- no New Year's Eve hangover). We have a return flight on Sunday, January 6th. We hope to make the most of our time in OKC. We plan to check out towns and neighborhoods and visit houses for sale and make an offer before we leave. We thought we would spend our first full day (January 2) just looking over various areas and the rest of the time looking at houses.

However we do want to do something fun. My 15 year old daughter is coming with DH and I, and she'll definitely want to horseback ride. What suggestions does anyone have on how we can make the most of this trip? We want to get a "feel" for the area, and do some fun things as well as look for a house. We're renting a car, so we can get around.

Also, we'll get to OKC before 11:00 AM on January 1, so are there any interesting things happening on New Year's Day? I assume you all have the First Night thing that most big cities have on New Year's Eve, but what about the next day -- or is everyone nursing their hangovers like here in NJ?

Any tips, help or advice would be greatly appreciated. I'm really excited.

[redbird4848]

First things first. The weather will be either warm and mild, or frigid north wind with freezing rain. Most likely somewhere in between.

Check the weather websites before you leave, hit the NEWSOK website for fun things, and have a safe journey. Best of luck on your house hunting!

[peggydavis]

If you like Toby Keith, you would probably like going to his restaurant in Bricktown. I have heard good and bad about the food there, but the atmosphere is supposed to be fun. Of course you have to go to Bricktown. It is a required activity for all newcomers.

Depending on the weather, you can ride at Draper Lake. Their horses can be a little slow, but the lake road is fun to ride on.

Everything will be a little slow right after the holidays as far as events.

You might want to check out the Paint Horse Show at the Fairgrounds on Jan. 1 or 2. It would be in the arena so it is an inside deal. It is free and they usually have booths with various stuff for sale. It is the horse show capitol of the world so they often have a show of some breed or event. I stop in and look at the shows sometimes, walk around the barns (fairly warm in winter), so you might like that too.

[TheComputerGuy]

You want to go to the zoo!
It's supposed to be one of the top 3 in the country.

M.

[Synopsis]

Originally Posted by TheComputerGuy

You want to go to the zoo!
It's supposed to be one of the top 3 in the country.

M.

Yes, the OkC zoo is perennially one of the best zoos in the country. It's rated right up there with San Diego's zoo.

[colleeng47]

Originally Posted by Synopsis

Yes, the OkC zoo is perennially one of the best zoos in the country. It's rated right up there with San Diego's zoo.

This is great -- everything you guys (or should I say y'all) mentioned are things we love. I will definitely check out Toby Keiths restaurant, as well as all of Bricktown, and my daughter will drool over the Paint exhibition. She had a Paint assigned to her at horse camp this year. We will definitely all go riding (even if it's cold) and zoos!!!!! We love zoos! Every time we move to a new place the first things we check out are the library and the zoo. BTW Philadelphia is the first zoo in the country, and Denver zoo leaves a lot to be desired. And of course, the zoo of them all -- The Bronx Zoo-- I haven't been to for a while.

Getting very excited.

[peggydavis]

Let us know if you need directions. Hope the weather is great that week. It is pitiful today.

[Synopsis]

Make sure and take your sidearm colleen. You know, to perpetuate the Oklahoma stereotype that everybody is walking around with guns and ride horses to work. Actually, I'd love to ride a horse to work.. That would mean I was a COWBOY!!! Whooohooo!

[colleeng47]

Originally Posted by peggydavis

Let us know if you need directions. Hope the weather is great that week. It is pitiful today.

Yes, I may need some directions once we arrive. DH is bringing one of the laptops from work so I can stay in contact with all of you while we're there.

Weather's not too good here in NJ today either. Foggy, misty and generally blah! But I think you guys are expecting an ice storm? Actually my section of NJ gets more ice storms than the rest of the state. If you look on a weather map, the line dividing snow and rain is always right through my area, so a lot of times we get the ice -- because it's not cold enough to snow, but too cold for rain. I've done by share of ice scraping over the years. It's dangerous, but it always looks beautiful! I love that tip I read somewhere (I think it was LadyRobyn) about carrying a bag of salt! So clever.

[Synopsis]

Yes, Oklahoma has been getting ice for the last 24 hours or so and is still getting hit as we "speak." 10 people have died on the roads thus far in Oklahoma (sad).