1. Meadowlake Ranch
City: Sand Springs, OK
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (800) 256-5323
Address: 3450 S. 137th West Ave.
Description: Driving up the winding gravel driveway through cedar and hardwood trees, it’s hard to realize that you’re just a short distance from the busy city. There are several ways to enjoy this property. It’s a bed-and-breakfast, a dude ranch, a day-trip destination, and a great spot for fishing and hunting.Tom Warren is as versatile as his ranch. A retired chiropractor, he is also involved in an estate business. One of his clients asked one day if he could sell her property. “I’ll go take a look at it,” he told her. He looked—fell in love with it and decided to buy part of it. He showed the parcel to his wife. He was interested in the area with the lakes. She loved the meadow. They bought both and named their place Meadowlake. Today they have 1,000 acres with five spring-fed lakes, the meadow, and such a variety of habitat that it is a favorite spot with local bird-watchers.Meadowlake Ranch has some interesting historical features, too. There’s an old Indian cemetery on the property and there are remnants of early oil activities, including two original cedar tank batteries.Accommodations include three lakeside cabins, two bluff-top cabins, and three tepees. The lakeside cabins each have a king-size bed plus a queen-size futon or sleeper sofa in the living area. The cabins are made of Arkansas pine logs and have corner fireplaces and two-person whirlpool tubs, a TV and DVD player, stereo systems, and private patios. They also have kitchens.The bluff-top cabins are not as fancy but larger—accommodating four to six guests. The complete kitchens include a dishwasher and disposals.The tepees are Sioux-style and made by the company that created the tepees for Dances with Wolves. They’re set on concrete pads so you don’t have to worry so much about sharing your bed with something creepy. They have padded cots, but bring your own bedding—most people just bring a sleeping bag and a pillow. Each has a chiminea for heat on cool nights. There is a modern bathroom with shower and a small refrigerator for each tepee.For an “awww” moment, visit the little streamside bench closest to the south tepee. At your feet you’ll see a piece of concrete with the names Marvin and Betty scratched in the surface. Sue Lynn Warren’s dad, Marvin, was killed in Korea. He and her mom, Betty, had put their names on a new sidewalk in Durant when they were in college there. Tom went to Durant and bought that chunk of sidewalk for his wife.Bed and breakfast guests can enjoy a continental breakfast in the lodge, hike, play horseshoes, or just laze about in a hammock. Dude ranch prices include lodging, three meals a day, and activities like hiking, fishing (yes, you must have a license), canoeing, swimming, horseback riding, shooting (with old-fashioned single-action six-guns or lever-action Henry rifles), or learning to shoot a bow and arrow or throw a tomahawk. Enjoy an evening campfire or a horseback ride. Meals on this plan include a ranch-style breakfast, lunch, and dinner, which is usually something grilled—perhaps buffalo burgers.
2. Meadowlake Ranch
City: Sand Springs, OK
Category: Parks & Recreation
Telephone: (800) 256-5323
Address: 3450 S. 137th West Ave.
Description: Tom and Sue Lynn Warren have plenty of room for trail riding on their 1,000-acre ranch. You’ll roam over open prairie, through shady forests, along ranch roads, and by clear, spring-fed lakes. Trail rides last about an hour and a half plus time for saddling, etc. The rates are $69 for an adult, $49 for children 12 and under. Smaller children may be required to ride with a parent or wrangler. The charge is the same for either single or double riding. For more experienced or advanced riders, ask about the romantic, moonlight rides. Reservations are a must. There is a weight limit per horse, so ask if you’re in doubt.
3. Keystone State Park
City: Sand Springs, OK
Category: Parks & Recreation
Telephone: (918) 865-4991 (800) 654-8240
Address: 1926 State Hwy. 151
Description: Pier 51 is located in the park—with boat rental, fuel, boat ramps, and Pier 51 Café (seasonal). The park has both tent and RV camping, and 22 cabins with fireplaces. Two of the cabins have Jacuzzi tubs and all the cabins have DirecTV. There are playgrounds, a children’s fishing pond, a hiking trail, and a fitness trail in the park. Necessities are available in the cabin office.
4. Discoveryland!
City: Sand Springs, OK
Category: Shopping
Address: 19501 W. 41st St.
Description: From the first notes of “Oh What a Beautiful Morning,” sit back, relax, and enjoy one of America’s best-loved musicals performed in the setting that inspired it. Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!, based on Oklahoman Lynn Riggs’s book Green Grow the Lilacs, tells the story of Oklahomans and their “brand-new state.”Discoveryland!, founded in 1976 by the Jeffers family, has been showcasing Oklahoma! every summer since 1977. In 1993, at a performance for the nation’s governors during the National Governors’ Conference, Mary Rodgers, daughter of composer Richard Rodgers, and William Hammerstein, son of lyricist Oscar Hammerstein, announced the designation of Discoveryland! as the “National Home” of their fathers’ musical Oklahoma!In addition to many other honors, Discoveryland! was named one of the “Top Fifty-one National Treasures” by InStyle magazine and, in 2009, was named “Best Family Entertainment in Oklahoma” by the Oklahoma City CBS-affiliate station, KWTV.The large outdoor theater seats 1,500 guests, and the enormous stage makes possible the use of a half dozen live horses. Performers are selected through national auditions and include some of the most talented young singers and dancers in the country.And the play’s just part of the package. Make reservations and come early for a western dinner and lots of preshow activities. An evening at Discoveryland! is an essential Oklahoma experience—good entertainment for good people having a good time.From early June through mid-Aug, there are performances every night except Sunday. The theater is located 5 miles west of OK 97 on West 41st St. See the Attractions chapter for more information.
5. Discoveryland!
City: Sand Springs, OK
Category: Tours & Attractions
Address: 19501 W. 41st St.
Description: This is a summertime must for any visitor to the area. Discoveryland! is the official “National Home” of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! With the original book written by Lynn Riggs of nearby Claremore, and set in the Osage hills, the venue couldn’t be more natural. And to see the play outdoors, with real horses pulling that surrey with the fringe on top, is a treat. The cast includes some of the best young voices in the country, and the dancing’s exuberant and exciting.Dress cool—Oklahoma summer evenings are often warm—and come early to enjoy a preshow cowboy dinner, Indian dancing, and entertainment. There are package prices that include both the dinner and show along with program and intermission snacks, and children under a certain age are admitted to the show free of charge. An Indian Trading Post carries souvenirs, and there are free pony rides for little ones. And everyone enjoys the high-kicking cancan dancers in the western show that precedes the featured performance.Presentations start in early June and run through mid-Aug. You’ll definitely need reservations for the dinner. Tickets for the play only are often available at the door, but why take a chance? There are no shows on Sundays. Discoveryland! is located 5 miles west of OK 97 on West 41st St.
6. Meadowlake Ranch
City: Sand Springs, OK
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (918) 494-6000 (800) 256-5323
Address: 3450 S. 137th West Ave.
Description: Looking for something different to do? How about Dude for a Day or Ranch Hand for a Day (or half day)? Enjoy a variety of activities, including horseback riding, tomahawk throwing, calf-roping, and having a picnic lunch. If you’re doing the whole day, you can add other activities, which might include pistol or rifle shooting, canoeing, swimming, hiking, mountain biking, or just enjoying a bit of a snooze in a hammock under the trees.This is also one of the few places in the area where you can take a two-hour trail ride. There are also shooting sessions available by the hour. Check out the Web site for all the offerings.