Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
This was a sort of a quick stop and I didn’t have a lot of time to kick around, but I did take some time to go downtown and take a walk along the Bricktown Canal.
First of all, the property. I was here in Oklahoma City in September, 2023 and stayed in the same complex that I am at for this trip. The other unit was nice and it was comfortable and I had a very nice experience. This unit, is not comparable.
It’s a bit rundown, has some cosmetic issues, but it also has some other things going on. The ceiling in the shower has a trap door that looks like it has had some sort of leak. It’s warped and although I don’t think it will fall down, it’s not what I would expect for an Airbnb property. The closet door in the bathroom is also off and it looks like the framing is damaged.
Lastly, the place accepts pets and there is a definite dog smell in the bedroom and bathroom. Presumably the smell is in the carpet and in the rug in the bathroom. I have been in properties that have been pet friendly before, but have never had the smell left behind.
One thing that I will say, is that I don’t know if I could have avoided these issues. The pictures were good, the reviews were great, so I did make what I think was an educated decision. I suppose that if you travel as much as I have, you will have some things that you run into like this, so I have the mindset of “just roll with it.”
The Area and My Adventures
The area is nice and between the two times that I have been here and the handful of places that I have been, it’s a nice town. I have stayed fairly close to downtown, so there always seems to be a lot of people running around and a little bit of traffic, but the freeway system is nice and the traffic flows easily.
I had a limited amount of time on Sunday, so I was looking for someplace close and quite honestly, just an easy walk.
The entire area is very cool, clean and friendly for all types of activities. You can walk, bike or bring your dog and have a very nice time.
I parked at Regatta Park and that is located right along the Oklahoma River.
It’s free to park there and it wasn’t busy, so it was a great pace to start on the trail.
I did not walk the entire trail, but there are some cool things to see along the way, like The Centennial Land Run Monument.
First of all, it’s huge and very detailed and I think I already said it, but it’s very cool.
The canal runs along into Bricktown and into the city and it’s worth the stop and the walk.
“The Lake Hefner lighthouse, officially the Lighthouse at East Wharf, was built in 1999 as part of a development project led by Randy Hogan. The lighthouse is modeled after the Brant Point Light Station on the north side of Nantucket Island in Massachusetts.”
The first time that I was in OKC, a friend of mine and I went to dinner at one of the restaurants that is along the lake and right by The Lighthouse. We ate outside and after dinner, we were able to catch a wonderful sunset.
This time, it was quite a bit chillier, but I still caught a beautiful sunset.
I’ll be honest, it was a little bit more enjoyable to be out there at the beginning of September, but even though I was standing there shivering and taking pictures, it was just as beautiful.
If you are ever in the area, take the time to stop by and see it for yourself. You will be happy that you did.
This is a beautiful area and a wonderful park, with a lot of trails, but we chose the Rough Canyon Trail.
I went with a very good friend of mine and it was 6 hours of driving, round trip, but it was worth it!
These were the signs that marked the trail along the way.
The entire trail had a lot of leaf cover, so it was a little hard to navigate, but having All Trails helped, as always.
Apparently this trail sign got broken at some point and is just laying on the ground, but it seemed appropriate.
This area is very peaceful and there is a small pond that is dammed.
At the start of the trail head is Robbers Cave, and it’s technically at the end of the trail that we went on, since it is a looped trail. There is a specific trail that runs around it, but you can also just walk through the area on the bottom and climb up to the cave itself, which is what we did.
It’s not a bad climb to get to the cave, but you need to be a little careful.
The entrance sign.
And then the cave itself.
Finally, the view from the top.
I don’t really know if Oklahoma City and the surrounding area is a hotspot for tourism or as place that people put on their “bucket list,” but it is worth the visit.
I have a friend that lives in OKC, which is what took me there there first time (and this time also), but now that I have spent some time there, it’s a place I will visit again.