A couple of weekends ago I went to see one of my best friends from high school in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She has lived there for the last 2 years and I had not made a trip up to see her yet. Oklahoma is one of those states that I probably would never pick to go to for a weekend without having a reason to visit a friend there. Living in Houston it is a bit of a drive, so I decided to fly there instead of trying to do the 8 hour drive by myself. If you are from Dallas, Oklahoma is not that bad of a drive and a place that you can often go to for a little weekend and to gamble after all. I had thought that Tulsa would be very flat and not much to do, but I was wrong. I loved the architecture, the great parks that they have,  and the trendy cute restaurants and bars. We went the weekend before Halloween so pumpkin patches were out with corn mazes which I don’t get to see that often living in Houston. Tulsa has an amazing outdoor scene, but also a great little arts and architecture scene too. It is very family friendly, but also has a great 20, 30 something year old scene as well. Overall I had a great time and if you ever want to go to Tulsa, I would highly recommend it 🙂

To Stay

Even though I stayed at my friends’ apartment downtown all weekend, it would still be fun to stay at one of the great hotel options around the city when I come back. Downtown seems like a great area to stay that is conveniently located to the various restaurants and activities around the area. We could see one of the hotels below from her apartment and had thought of going to a rooftop event there one night.

• The Mayo Hotel $$: This hotel is one that is super trendy that always has great events, and the building has been around since 1925. All of the rooms are bigger than most hotel rooms because they have a lot of suites which is nice. These suites are complete with a kitchen and living room space. The lobby has that old world charm with chandeliers and vintage furniture. The amazing thing about this hotel is the rooftop lounge that has great views of Tulsa.
• Ambassador Hotel, Autograph Collection $$$:  If you can’t already tell already, Tulsa is known for their architecture and this hotel is no different. The building is on the list of historic places and used to serve as temporary housing for oil barons. Now it is one of the most highly rated hotels in the Tulsa area. The rooms are elegantly decorated and have some of the best amenities around.

To Eat

The food scene was my favorite thing about Tulsa. When I first got here I thought that there was honestly going to be a lot of Southern restaurants or BBQ, not knowing what exactly to expect. I was totally wrong and we went to some of the cutest little restaurants around. When I walk in and the decor is decorated really cute, then I know that I am going to absolutely love it. The food never disappointed either, and each place was unique.

• Stonehorse Cafe:  I came to this restaurant shortly after I landed while I waited for my friend to get off of work. This is in the cute little area called Utica Square. There are a lot of restaurants and shopping in the area. This is a casual little restaurant that serves lunch and dinner and great cocktails. They have a patio section to enjoy a glass of wine when the weather is good. I decided to sit inside by the bar and had lobster bisque soup with beef tartare which was amazing.
• Glacier Confection: After I ate lunch and was strolling through Utica Square, I had to stop and try some kind of dessert. Every time I travel I love to stop by a new ice cream place. This place is known for all of their various chocolates that they offer ranging from white chocolate to a vegan option as well. I decided to get a caramel gelato which they also had several flavors of. This was so yummy and just the right amount of sweet.
• Amelia’s: We came to dinner here on Friday night and it was one of the cutest restaurants I have been to. When I walked inside I immediately noticed the exposed brick wall with the greenery hanging over it. The bar was also packed and super trendy of a crowd. I could have people watched the whole time while I was here. The wine list was great and we had some veggies with brie cheese to start and then a great pizza after. It is located in the trendy Brady Arts District and there are several other cute places all around it. This is one of those restaurants that give that romantic vibe.
• Jane’s Delicatessen:  My friend had told me that this place she had been dying to try because of the great reviews it had. It opened earlier this year and is one of Tulsa’s most popular new restaurants. When you walk in it is like an Instagram heaven with the white subway tile walls and the cool bull’s head picture by the bar. All of the meals are made from scratch, and they bring a bit of Canadian and also European twist to some of their dishes. They are known for their meats and rightly so as it was some of the best that I have tried! You can’t go wrong with anything on the menu here. We came for brunch and started with poutine (fries, brown gravy & cheese curds) if you hadn’t had it like me, and then got a salmon lox plate. My friend got the pastrami dish which was amazing!
• Kitchen 27 at the Philbrook Museum:  This was such a great concept to have brunch outside at a museum. Sure in Houston we have restaurants all around our Museum District, but this was like no other museum that I had been to. The grounds were breathtaking with greenery and fountains that just took you out of the hustle and bustle of life for a minute. You can sit inside in the casual restaurant, or if it’s a nice day then the patio is amazing. We had Sunday brunch here and enjoyed the patio as the weather was the perfect temperature for this type of meal. On Sundays it is a brunch buffet that has everything from an omelette bar to a seafood bar. This was the cutest place to relax and enjoy our Sunday.

To Do

Tulsa has so much to do and especially outside and just being around nature. We went right in the peak of the fall weather and the leaves had already changed colors. Fall is my favorite time of the year, and with the temperatures around the 60’s I was really excited to try to be outside as much as possible.

• Hike Turkey Mountain:  My friend goes hiking at this 300 acre wilderness quite often and I knew that we didn’t have anything like this close to downtown Houston, so thought we should give it a try. I am not a huge hiker, but did enjoy this place a lot. This is located on the side of the Arkansas River and there are several trails you can do, one being a 5 mile trail. It was fun to do this on a Saturday morning before we went to brunch. If you come to Tulsa I would for sure recommend this 🙂
• Shop at Utica Square:  This area which is a quick drive from the downtown area is a place that you could spend hours walking around. It reminds me of Rice Village in Houston, just not as busy and a lot more prettier. I did spend several hours here eating at some of the restaurants which I mentioned above and going into almost every store. I at least got a head start on my Christmas shopping after all. They have cute little boutiques and then bigger stores like Restoration Hardware and Pottery Barn.
• Visit Pumpkin Town Farms (October):  If you decide to visit Tulsa in October you have got to visit this cute pumpkin patch area that has so many different activities. I had never been to a pumpkin patch like this, and it was on my fall bucket list for a while. I am so glad that we went because I got to go to my first ever corn maze which was so fun! We also got to  go on a hay ride and they had live music and the best kettle corn you can eat. If you have little kids, then this is the perfect little fall getaway for them.
• Antique Shopping on Route 66: A fun fact that I found out after seeing a lot of signs around the area is that the historic Route 66 runs right through Tulsa. I had always wanted to drive on this iconic road, but just visit Oklahoma and you can enjoy it all. Jane’s Delicatessen that I mentioned above was also located on this road. We were able to go into some fun antique shops after eating brunch. I love to see what kind of treasures I can find in some of these stores. There are tons along this road which makes for a fun afternoon.
• Enjoy the Philbrook Museum of Art: Not only did we eat brunch here on Sunday when I was visiting, we also got to explore the grounds and the museum a little as well. It reminds me of a winery that I have been to in Napa and probably what some of the architecture looks like in Europe. The gardens were breathtaking with lush flowers everywhere you looked. Inside the Museum the paintings and various exhibits were amazing works of art. Walking through the walkways here is enough to take your breath away. During November and December they decorate the outside of the museum with lights, which give it a festive flair that is reason enough to come to this city.
• Walk Through the Gathering Place:  This is Tulsa’s newest and largest riverfront park that is a sight to see. This park is free to the public and is a spot for everyone. There are 13 miles of sidewalk throughout and playgrounds and sections that are architected with so much detail. All around are places that you could sit down and enjoy a book, kayak through the water, or bike through the various trails. The views are amazing, and this place is one that you can’t miss.

To Drink 

There are several cute places that you can grab a drink in Tulsa. A lot of the restaurants have some of the best cocktails that you can order. When I go to a place to grab a drink I tend to judge on the decor and if they offer to mix you up something creative. In Houston we have some great mixologist bars, and in Tulsa they do not disappoint either.

• Valykrie: I didn’t get a chance to go here, but it is one of my friend’s favorite spots. It is a relaxed lounge that serves up great cocktails with an extensive beer list as well. The backdrop of the bar is a bookcase of spirit bottles which is a great photo opportunity.
• Shuffles-Board Game Cafe: This place is such a cool concept that I had to include it on this list. Not only do they have a great food list, but they also have all sorts of games to play! You can play the old school classics with some new games as well, all while having a great cocktail or beer and hanging with friends.
• Bull in the Alley: We came here on Friday night and stayed here the whole night after dinner. This is a speakeasy that was actually in an alley that led us into this kind of Gatsby themed era of a bar/restaurant. It had that classy dark feel and there was a piano man that plays all of the time. That was my favorite part of the whole evening was listening to this man not only sing Frank Sinatra but Eminem as well! He was so talented and everyone was getting into the music. They also serve the very best martinis that you can find in Tulsa.

I never thought I would be visiting Tulsa, or even Oklahoma ever. Having my friend here was a great excuse to come see this fun and eclectic city that has a little bit of everything. If you are looking for a quick weekend to a town that is clean, has plenty of stuff to do outside, and the food and drinks are great, then I would make a trip to Tulsa. The weather is best during the fall, but anytime is great for a weekend getaway.