9 Adorable Small Towns In Oklahoma

You know a town is adorable if its downtown, which should be walkable, is pockmarked by eye-swaying red-brick Victorians, beautiful flower planters, and features neat cobblestoned streets. Other times, the backdrop is the overarching element. Think of the austere grandeur of a craggy mountain or the soft, dreamy ambiance of a glittering lake. On rare occasions, you can't pin it down on any particular feature; Just how it always makes you want to grin. Oklahoma has many such places, towns that are small but easy to swoon over. Starting with Medicine Park, discover 9 adorable small towns in the Sooner State.

Medicine Park

Art seems to pour out from nearly every open space, music regularly fills the air, and outdoor activities come in all shades and colours, making Medicine Park as adorable as any Oklahoma little gem can be. The scenery is particularly exceptional, especially because of its location in the foothills of the Wichita Mountains. Oklahoma’s only historical cobblestone town is home to the Medicine Park Aquarium and Natural Sciences Center, a unique place to encounter electric eels, alligators, otters, and butterflies. In sunny weather, visitors congregate at Bath Lake, an unusually beautiful place to just chill and swim. It also has an area for fishing. The Old Plantation Restaurant, set in a historic building dating to the early 1900s, is a good spot for tender chicken steak generously smothered in rich, savory gravy. You can zip along the Lawtonka Trail System, or go hopping on the many lakes that glitter around.

Broken Bow

Forget about the name. There's nothing broken in this Oklahoma eye candy, which takes its repose in the foothills of the Kiamichi Mountains in southeastern Oklahoma. Broken Bow provides access to Beavers Bend State Park, an outdoor lover's paradise with towering timbers, crystal clear waters, and ruggedly beautiful terrain. From river float trips to epic hiking and biking, there's a lot to experience here. There's Broken Bow Lake, a crystal-blue beauty fringed by rustic cabins, and the Mountain Fork River, arguably the most pristine whitewater stream in Oklahoma and one of the best trout fishing spots in the Southern US. There's Choctaw Casino Broken Bow, which offers several slot machines, delicious comfort food, and live entertainment.

Guthrie

Guthrie has an adorable time-capsule element that will instantly set your heart ablaze. Set on Cottonwood Creek near its junction with the Cimarron River, Guthrie once served as the capital of the Oklahoma Territory, and the state government was maintained there until 1910, when it was transferred to Oklahoma City. Today, beautiful Victorians dot the downtown area, lending it a quaint and charming character. The Oklahoma Territorial Museum tells the story of the town's childhood years and the tough, enterprising people who laid its foundation. When in the area, don't skip the Carnegie Library, where the first state governor was sworn in. Other points of interest include the Oklahoma Frontier Drugstore Museum and Apothecary Garden, which displays medicinal remedies used in the past, as well as interesting hair care and beauty supplies.

Tahlequah

You may find Tahlequah adorable due to its unique cultural heritage, or simply because it's outrightly gorgeous, especially with its setting in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains. Concerning the former, Tahlequah is widely known as the capital of both the Cherokee Nation and the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians. Not just that. Thanks to an incorporation act by the Cherokee National Council of 1843, Tahlequah is the oldest municipality in Oklahoma. People go to the Egan Camp & Retreat Center, a beautiful facility on scenic Highway 62 with luxurious lodging and RV hookups, while others opt for Sequoyah State Park, a mind-rousing outdoor space on the eastern shore of Fort Gibson Lake a short drive away from town. You can turn back the wheels of time at the Cherokee National History Museum, then cross the street to Boomarang Diner, a quaint property known for its delicious home-style cooking.

Sulphur

Sulphur often bills itself as the gateway to Chickasaw National Recreation Area (CNRA), a never-ending landscape with springs, creeks, lakes, and forested landscapes. Back then, the area around Sulphur was known as “the Land of Rippling Waters,” a nickname that speaks for itself. Although you can enjoy your time at the Travertine Nature Center, a wonderful place with a flowing creek and stunning scenery, or at the Arbuckle Historical Museum, to take a look at old newspapers and other interesting artefacts about the area, the Chickasaw Cultural Center (CCC) is arguably Sulphur’s crown jewel. Woodlands, streams, and rolling hills surround a carefully constructed complex that doubles up as a unique slice of history regarding a people the centre describes as “the Unconquered and Unconquerable Chickasaw.” You will enjoy walking through the grounds, going over the bridge, and admiring an impressive replica of a traditional Chickasaw village.

Okmulgee

Okmulgee has been putting some good work into how it looks, and those efforts have been bearing fruit. The town serves as the capital of the Muskogee Nation and boasts a historic district with over 100 buildings nominated for the National Register of Historic Places. Coleman’s All-Beef Burgers has been whipping up delicacies since the 1950s, and a stop here should be a priority. Southeast of the city is the Deep Fork National Wildlife Refuge, a 10,000-acre refuge established in 1993 to protect the rapidly disappearing hardwood forests of eastern Oklahoma. It offers a pristine space to fish and observe wildlife. To wash your face in the fresh, crisp air, head over to the Okmulgee Lake & Recreation Area, a clean and peaceful place that offers good fishing, swimming, and boating opportunities. The views particularly deserve a good camera.

Ponca City

One factor that will make you adore Ponca City is how it is out there in the plains by itself, almost like an island. Vortex Alley Brewing, a well-known Ponca City landmark, has 12 rotating taps offering a delightful array of flavors to suit every palate. Kaw Lake is a 17,000-acre beauty with more than 160 miles of shoreline. It offers camping (it has 268 individual campsites), fishing, and skiing opportunities. If you are an architecture tourist, the castle-esque E. W. Marland Mansion is absolutely stunning. It provides a glimpse into the life and taste of a successful businessman, as well as a former governor of Oklahoma. Taking the cue, the Pioneer Woman Museum tells the stories of pioneering Oklahoma women and can be quite revealing to a 21st-century audience.

Bartlesville

Bartlesville has some incredibly cool architecture and has that same feel of a city out by itself. It is at the heart of “Green Country" next to the beautiful Osage Hills. Woolaroc Museum and Wildlife Refuge is criminally attractive and is one of the area's most patronised landmarks. It served as the country estate of oil baron Frank Phillips, founder of Phillips Petroleum Company. From respected presidents to well-known outlaws, this property has hosted the who's who in America’s social landscape. The on-site museum houses one of the world's greatest collections of Western art and must not be skipped. You can grab a front seat into Bartlesville’s early years at the Bartlesville Area History Museum, whose exhibits include a replica of a one-room schoolhouse and other eye-catching pictures. Nab a chair at Frank and Lola's, and sit down to some decadent catfish tacos.

Eufaula

With its 20-block downtown speckled with red bricks listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and a seemingly contrived setting on the shores of Oklahoma's biggest lake, Eufaula has everything going well for it. Because of the lake, there's a bit of countryside scenery that softens the pulse, and a vacation-worthy ambiance suited for relaxation. Plop yourself at Snug Harbor Cabins a short drive away from town, then get out to see the lay of the land. One way to do this is by riding horses on scenic trails at Little Turtle RV Park & Horse Resort. After working up your appetite, you will want a neat place with great food. If beautiful lake views are an additional criterion, Captain John's is the place everyone will recommend. Of course, you will have a hard time forgetting their blackened salmon. If you want to peruse some beautiful, made-in-Oklahoma artwork while enjoying the best smoothie bar in the state, crown the day at Our Favorite Place, where the building itself is a piece of art.

So, while you can enjoy sitting in a prairie, preferably by a glistening lake, just to soak up nature’s spectacular beauty, hopping from one small town to another is also an underrated way to spend a vacation. You will meet random folks and discover hidden gems, all while enjoying a more intimate experience. Fortunately, Oklahoma has its fair share of adorable eye candies, places that make you want to linger a bit longer than you had initially set out to.