Best Cities for Summer Travel

The Darin and I are in the middle of a spending freeze. We've got two old vehicles, one which is about to bite the dust. In fact, the dust might be the only thing keeping it together. We need $$$$$ to get a new vehicle and we hate the idea of being in more debt, so we're cutting back and saving more.

That means we have nixed our grand summer holiday. No flights, no big week of hotels and eating out. BUT, we also don't want to stay home all summer and stare at each other.

WalletHub just released their list of Best and Worst Cities for Summer Travel. They wanted to help vacationers find the perfect -- and most budget-friendly -- domestic destinations for summer getaways. And, the 7th best grabbed our attention -- and made us look at our area a little differently.

Las Vegas
Orlando
Atlanta
Phoenix
Salt Lake City
Austin
Oklahoma City
Dallas
Los Angeles
Albuquerque

So, we decided to dig a little deeper to plan a fun and fast 3-day adventure to OKC. Here are some of the best attractions that you might have missed on your last shopping trip (courtesy of VisitOKC.com). . .

OKC Riversport Adventures in the Boathouse District. This is a hotspot for urban recreation. The six-story Sky Trail adventure course is crazy cool and on our must-do list (especially with a 13 year old looking for adventure).

National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum is really spectacular and will make you see the area in a new light and with new eyes. See why the area is both a proud heritage marker and a sad reminder of how we can easily hurt the people and land we don't understand. It's powerful and should be on any must-do list.

Oklahoma City Museum of Art has changing exhibits all the time and special events. It also has some massively good air conditioning and perfect for the hottest part of the afternoon.

Myriad Botanical Gardens and Crystal Bridge proves that plants can grow in Oklahoma -- as long as they are in a big glass building with plenty of rain. But, it is beautiful.

Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Gardens Sure, you went there as a kid and a zoo is a zoo but when was the last time you WENT to the zoo? See the new elephants and the baby giraffe and have a great time being a kid again.

Stockyards is really a good place to spend the evening. Shopping, eating and seeing fun touristy things. Buy some purple cowboy boots and say you've been there.

Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum is a must-see because history is not always pretty and people can prove to be much more than you think. This will shake you to your core and, with all that has happened since, you can't help but memorialize the thousands of others who were victims of domestic terrorism. It's a soul-quieting moment that you need to experience.

Oklahoma History Center shows a little more than just the cowboys and Indians story that most people will associate with Oklahoma. Some crazy and awesome things have been created or been done in our state. You gotta see it.

Bricktown is a great place to see a show and to have a nice dinner. It's where I saw Bon Jovi for the first time and my life was changed forever. I cried like a little girl. That is why I will always love Bricktown.

Science Museum Oklahoma is really fun and interactive and geared to kids (mainly). If you need to get them involved in a museum and have fun with it, this is the place.

Where are you planning to visit this summer? Answer in the comment section below!

Filed Under: Summer Vacation

Categories: Oklahoma News, Travel