What to do in Tulsa with kids?

My wife is going to a conference in AUG 2008 and we thought the kids and I might go with her and have a family vacation. What fun things is there to do in Tulsa with kids 9 and 7 yrs old. We are not into the museum scene. Where is a good place to stay with an indoor pool, where to eat somewhere besides fast food.

What to do in Tulsa with kids?

The Tulsa Zoo is a good one. Also, in August, the Big Splash water park might be a good idea. There is also a good (so I%26#39;ve heard) children%26#39;s museum, with lots of hands-on entertaining things for the kids to do, but I%26#39;m not sure about its appeal to 7 and 9 year olds. Someone else might have an opinion on that.

Best areas for good restaurants (chain or otherwise) are:

Brookside (Peoria Ave, roughly between 31st street and 41st St) http://www.brooksidetheplacetobe.com/

and Cherry Street (15th Street, between Utica Ave and Peoria Ave.

What to do in Tulsa with kids?

The Radisson has a fun kids pool called ';Leapin Louie%26#39;s Lagoon';. www.radisson.com/hotels/tulsadt/optional.page

The Jenks Aquarium is lots of fun. You can touch the sharks and rays, feed the rays and turtles.

www.okaquarium.org

The Tulsa Zoo is fun. It has a great rainforest exhibit with lots of free roaming animals.

The Riverwalk Crossing is also a fun place to hang out. They have a great Mexican Restaurant - Los Cabos. They have outdoor bands, ice cream shops, dancing fountains, arcade, movie theater...even a trapeze school all in one location.

www.riverwalkcrossing.com

www.trapezeuniversity.com

Finally, Safari%26#39;s animal sanctuary is fun. They house lots of big cats. You can buy frozen chicken legs and feed them with long poles.

www.safarissanctuary.org

Check out open play times at Pump It Up or SSB Kids...both fun for the kids.

I%26#39;m writing an article for The Boston Globe about summer travel deals and want to interview people who are going to vacation in Tulsa. You should like a good vacationer to interview. Please contact me at 617-929-3150 or nwong@globe.com because I would like to do a quick phone interview with you about why you decided to go to there.

Thanks!

Nicole Wong

(PS Other vacationers can contact me, too)

Actually, I did not pick Tulsa for a vacation spot, but since the wife has to speak at a conference we thought we would make a mini vacation out of it.

Even if you%26#39;re not big on museums, you should consider a visit to the Gilcrease. www.gilcrease.org/index.aspx Lots of western and Indian art that you and the children might enjoy. It%26#39;s not a huge place so you could wander through and see what you like, then move on.

Your kids are about the same age as mine. They will love the Aquarium--I know it seems weird in the middle of land-locked Oklahoma, but it is a really good one. The Riverwalk is one of our favorite places, too. Good Mexican food, running room, sometimes music, etc.

If you are there on a Thurs. evening, go to Utica Square for music in the square. It%26#39;s always good music, take a picnic, and dance. Utica Square offers great shopping for you and your wife too with the most popular stores like Pottery barn, etc.

We love Philbrook Art Museum (even though you said no museums) It has newly remodeled gardens that are gorgeous. Near there is the Woodward Park, with beautiful paths and photograph places. The azaelas may be in bloom.

We love the zoo too!

Big Splash is a fun waterpark with wavepool, slides, etc. The Tulsa Driller is at the Expo Center right by Big Splash and you must get a picture if you are that close!

There are the Gold Prayer Hands at Oral Roberts if that interests you. They make a fun picture.

I%26#39;ll keep thinking! Have fun. Look for all the Penguin statues throughout Tulsa. They were fundraisers for the penguin exhibit at the museum and are fun to spot!

Don%26#39;t forget the Tulsa Air and Space Museum. It is right accoss the street from the zoo. Tulsa has a rich aviation history.

There are numberous lakes within 30 mins drive that have state parks with swimming areas as well.

It will be hot in August so the local water park Big Splash is a pretty good suggestion.

If you don%26#39;t mind driving to OKC 1.5 hrs to the SW, they have an amusement park called Frontier City http://www.frontiercity.com/ and a larger water park calle White Water Bay http://www.whitewaterbay.com/ . They are located on the same property. Neither are huge like the Six Flags parks, but there is pleanty to keep you busy. It would be a full day if you decided to do that.

Mike in Tulsa

If you need somewhere to hang out for an afternoon, you might try Incredible Pizza www.incrediblepizza.com). The pizza buffet isn%26#39;t all that wonderful - few are - but they have indoor mini-golf, indoor go-carts, bowling and arcade games.

Discoveryland USA has live outdoor productions of the musical ';Oklahoma'; with live horses and I understand the show is really good. Also Native American dancers before the show. http://discoverylandusa.com/contactus.shtml

The Bros. Houligan has great food and McGills is pricey but good.