I’ll be honest: up until recently, when I thought of a weekend getaway, Tulsa wasn’t in the top 20 places that came to mind. It turns out I just didn’t know enough about it because now I’m so ready to go back. For now, I’ll just have to relive it on the blog and dream of the next time we can go because this city is so much fun. If you’re looking for another great option that’s an easy drive from OKC, check out my post about our low-key Central Texas weekend when we visited Waco and Austin!
Dining
We had some great food while we were in Tulsa. It’s always a priority for us to try local places when we travel and there were some fantastic spots in Tulsa. These are our favorites!
Wanda J’s Next Generation Restaurant has the best fried chicken I’ve had in a very long time. It’s small and has quite the following. The line can get long, so go early or order takeout so you don’t have to worry about finding a table!
Glacier Dessert Bar is a perfect spot for a date night dessert or to grab something sweet to take home with you. They make their own desserts and chocolates that are to die for. We went once for dessert and came back the next day for a box of truffles. Definitely give them a try!
Mother Road Market is the coolest food hall! There are several different options from sushi to traditional Native American cuisine to pizza. We opted to try a few different things and I think the burgers from Howdy Burger were my favorite!
Candy Castle is the cutest little soda fountain and candy shop run by the nicest people. Jon got an Italian cream soda that was really unique and I had a delicious ice cream cone. Highly recommend stopping by for a treat!
Entertainment
Our reason for going on this trip was to see a show at Cain’s Ballroom. The venue did not disappoint. I think it might actually be my favorite place we’ve seen a concert. We didn’t go to Cain’s because our favorite band was playing, we went because of it’s Cain’s. It’s worth a trip just to see a show there. A side note regarding the pandemic: There have been a few shows at Cain’s so far that have required proof of vaccination or a negative test within 72 hours of the show. We love that they’re working to keep everyone safe!
ahha Tulsa was a great place to get out of the heat in the afternoon and see some really cool art. There were several interactive exhibits and we loved the top floor which had a studio where you could make your own art. We took inspiration (literally) from a gumball machine! It was definitely a place the kids would have loved. Pandemic side note: They had very strict cleaning practices in place after people touched anything (we saw it in action) and reservations are required to limit the number of people in the space.
Exploring
We decided to drive Route 66 all the way from OKC to Tulsa and it was the best decision. There are so many fun places to stop off and it’s much more scenic than taking the interstate. We enjoyed getting our Route 66 passport stamped at several locations! You can pick one up at many of the participating businesses, or you can order one (for free!) ahead of time from the state tourism bureau. Our favorites were…
Buck Atom’s Cosmic Curios on 66 is just the coolest little shop. It has a carefully curated selection of all things Route 66 and is definitely worth a visit!
Neon signs were plentiful throughout Tulsa on Route 66. They were so much fun to take photos of. Definitely take a spin around town after dark to enjoy them!
The Blue Whale of Catoosa is a classic Route 66 icon just a short drive from Tulsa.
The Nut House was the cutest little roadside attraction. There were plenty of nuts packaged with all sorts of flavors, but there were also all sorts of treasures in the rest of the shop. Our favorite area was the puzzle room! There were so many awesome jigsaw puzzles to choose from!
The Arcadia Round Barn is another Route 66 staple. It’s got a cute little museum/gift shop on the bottom floor and you can go upstairs to explore as well! It’s not air conditioned, so things can get a little steamy in the warmer months, but it’s a great place to visit.
Have you ever made a trip to Tulsa? I’d love to know your favorite spots to visit so we can give them a try on our next trip!
