I have long said one of the things that makes Amarillo so liveable is that it is so leaveable. In a good way, of course, because in roughly four to six hours, we can easily drive to a variety of locales, from Dallas to Colorado Springs, Albuquerque, a slew of mountains, and Oklahoma City. I recall laughing when a realtor told me that in 1988, but now I get it. Distance is relative and a given in these parts.
Known by locals as The 405 or The Big Friendly, OKC is a booming metropolis of 1.4 million residents, and with freeway speeds now at 75 mph in both Texas and Oklahoma, it is easy to safely—and legally—skate into town in less than four hours. It’s also one of my favorite weekend getaways, easily scalable from two to four days (depending on holidays and remote working).
I usually stay near Will Rogers International Airport on the city’s southwest side, where there are many affordable hotels, as well as easy access to the Oklahoma River Trail that runs alongside the river of the same name. It is possible to run or bike all the way downtown, and the skyline, which includes the majestic 50-story Devon Tower, is inspiring. If you believe the press release last year, one day the proposed 1,907-foot-tall Legends Tower may dwarf everything in the entire U.S. We’ll see about that.
If historic hotels are your thing, then I highly recommend The Skirvin with its fabulous ghost stories—including its famous main ghost, Effie—as well as the Colcord. Both are Hilton properties located squarely downtown. Center City is very walkable.
The area offers easy access to Bricktown, just east of the railroad, which borrows heavily from San Antonio’s Riverwalk, including its own water taxi on the Bricktown Canal. Once a warehouse and distribution center, Bricktown is now a dining and entertainment mecca with several hotels, clubs and restaurants. Ditch your car and set out on foot.
Be sure to also bring your reusable grocery bags, because OKC has four chains that Amarilloans crave: Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Sprouts Farmers Market, and Aldi. I always restock the items I can’t get back home. While there may not be an HEB nearby, four out of five isn’t bad!
Professional sports play a prominent role here, with the Triple-A Oklahoma City Comets—an affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers—playing at their flashy stadium in Bricktown. The OKC Thunder, which ran roughshod over the NBA this year, plays at the Paycom Center downtown. (Good luck getting tickets, though. They sell out fast.)
Paycom also hosts concerts by top artists, and is the closest that many performers ever get to Amarillo these days. I have seen the Trans-Siberian Orchestra there multiple times on its annual Christmas tour; the holiday season is a fun time to make that weekend getaway.
Like Amarillo, OKC has a centuries-old legacy as a cattle town, which means Stockyards City is a must-see. From western apparel to steakhouses, live music and the weekly cattle auctions, this compact district is more like a living museum. Don’t miss Cattlemen’s Steakhouse, which opened in 1910. It caught the attention of Guy Fieri and was featured on his Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives series.
Sadly, this year OKC marked 30 years since the horrific bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. The remains of the structure and adjacent property were turned into a National Memorial and Museum in 2000, and are worth a visit. The reflecting pool and stunning empty chair art installation—one for each of the 168 victims—is a sobering reminder of that sad day. Don’t be surprised to find yourself in silent reverence, shedding a tear or two.
Other highlights for me include the amazing array of ethnic and quirky progressive restaurants. There’s plenty of fare for vegetarians and vegans, not to mention fans of Vietnamese, African, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine who will find heaping helpings of culture served up in Middle America.
With so much to offer, and an easy trip, you might just find yourself like me and become a repeat offender. I make the trip at least twice a year. (Or whenever I need a Trader Joe’s fix, which is reason enough.)
Other Things to See and Do:
There are more than 15 breweries in the OKC Metro, and while I haven’t found a bad one yet, my faves are The Big Friendly (see above: OKC nicknames), Skydance Brewing Co., and Roughtail Brewing Co. Prost, y’all!
OKC has always been a Route 66 town, and you will see a number of brown street signs denoting the Mother Road along its various alignments through the city. As the population grew, new city bypass routes were created over the years, long before modern freeways. As far as I am concerned, Northwest 23rd Street is the best, with shops, restaurants and the epic Tower Theatre. For detailed maps, check out JimRoss66.com.
If family-friendly is a requirement, OKC has it in spades. From the OKC Zoo to the Science Museum Oklahoma, First Americans Museum, and OKANA Resort & Indoor Waterpark, there’s plenty for moms, dads and the kids to be happy about.
OKC Outlets along West I-40 feature a plethora of name-brand shops offering clothing and accessories at discounted prices. Get there early on the weekend, because the parking lot fills up quickly.
Frontier City and Hurricane Harbor offer a big city theme and water-park attractions, but without the long waits. Every September, the Oklahoma State Fair attracts up to a million visitors, yet another reason to visit our neighboring state.
