Any ideas?

We are travelling to Oklahoma in July with the children for a couple of weeks but while we are there we want to travel away for a few days (not more than two hours flight). Somewhere the children will never forget.

Any recommendations?

Any ideas?

Do you know how hot it is in Oklahoma in July? Very.

For travels, I have three suggestions.

Fly to Denver, rent a car, and drive into the mountains. The American Rockies are spectacular, especially if your children have never seen 14,000 foot mountains.

Fly to Chicago, one of America%26#39;s two or three best cities (along with New York and San Francisco in my opinion, but the only one within two hours). Chicago has great museums, a beautiful location right on Lake Michigan, and fantastic cultural and shopping opportunities.

Any ideas?

One of the problems with OKC is that you can hardly fly anywhere from there, without making at least one intermediate stop, so that alone makes a two-hour time limit difficult. Agree with Twoprofs, that of the locations that are within 2 hours, Denver and Chicago are probably the most interesting large cities. I would offer Colorado Springs as an alternative to Denver, especially since you seem more concerned with entertaining the kids than shopping, etc. There are direct flights to Co. Springs, and it is a smaller city, with easier access to the mountains. In the vicinity are Pike%26#39;s Peak, The Royal Gorge and Garden of the Gods. You can also drive (without having to go too far) to locations where river rafting trips are available. Here%26#39;s one example, although I%26#39;ve never used them, so can%26#39;t endorse them, but it%26#39;s just to give you an idea. http://www.lostpaddlerafting.com/

Also, the trip to the mountains from Co Springs is just much easier than going from Denver. On the other hand, if you wanted to go to a major ski resort and let the kids enjoy all the summer alpine activities that most of them have in place these days, then Denver might be the better choice. To access the large resorts, Denver is closer than Colo Springs. Winter Park is probably the closest large resort from Denver, and they have Alpine slides and other activities there to entertain the kids, plus it%26#39;s a nice little village with some decent dining and hotel options. You can check their website for more info skiwinterpark.com/todo/…index.htm

By the way, I also agree that, after spending some time in OKC in July, you will likely be wanting a break from the heat, and Colorado is going to be the best place for that.

I agree with what Spyderwood said about Colorado Springs, except I am unable to find any direct flights between the two cities. As a result, flight time is 3 to 4 hours. If you%26#39;re OK with the longer flight, then do the Springs. If you want to keep the flight brief, fly into Denver and drive to Estes Park for a great mountain experience.

Twoprofs could be right there. I didn%26#39;t actually check the flight schedules. I know there were direct flights in the past, but maybe now there aren%26#39;t. Oh well, just some thoughts. Estes Park is beautiful, and there are things there for the kids as well, such as horseback riding, rafting, fishing, etc. For any trip to Colorado, however, I would recommend that you make your lodging reservations as early as possible. It is a popular summertime destination and the good places fill up fast.

Tks for all the information.

Have plenty to look into now.

Go to Jenks, which is really part of Tulsa. The aquarium is nice, and a Holiday Inn Express is located right next to it. The Arkansas River runs behind it. If you enjoy taking walks, you%26#39;ll love this location. Also, the aquarium is near the River Walk Crossing (Shopping Center). Downtown Jenks has some nice antique stores, and the area is quaint and pretty. The Tulsa Zoo is nice, also. The weather is warm in the summer, but it%26#39;s not usually unbearable.

Not sure where you are traveling FROM. But I personally love Oklahoma in July. You should get an Oklahoma Travel guide. The kids would enjoy both Frontier City and White Water in Oklahoma City. Turner Falls and Arbuckle Wilderness in Davis would be fun also.

Branson, MO is not too far away. That is gorgeous country and LOTS of Family Fun including Silver Dollar City!

Good luck and welcome to Oklahoma!