My boyfriend, Zach, and I celebrated our two year anniversary last month. In the weeks leading up to it, we talked about what we wanted to do to celebrate. We thought about maybe going to Dallas or Austin for a few days. Ultimately we decided to take a few vacation days off work and stay here in Oklahoma City. OKC is surprisingly a great place to have a stay-cation.

Lodging

If you want to save some money, you can stay at your own place (we did, plus we also live close to downtown). But there are plenty of awesome hotels here in the city: Aloft, 21c, The Skirvin. If you really want to have that vacation feel, spending a few nights at a hotel will definitely give you that vacation vibe.

Food

OKC’s food scene could make up its own article. New restaurants are opening all the time! For our anniversary dinner, we made reservations at Mary Eddy’s, a restaurant inside the 21c hotel. Their menu items are on the pricier side but aren't too crazy for a special occasion meal. The atmosphere is modern and I loved the design. The tables are a little close together, but the food and drinks make up for it.

Vast, Red PrimeSteak, Cheever’s Cafe, Packard’s, and Broadway 10 are other great options for a nice dinner.

Drinks

OKC has no shortage of bars. Savings & Loan Co. and Rockford are some of our favorites. We decided to go to WSKY after our anniversary dinner. The drinks are consistently good and the bartenders know what they are doing. It typically has a chill and relaxed vibe which we like. And it has been recently made smoke-free which is also a plus.

Things To Do

I hear a lot of complaints (and even I have complained about it too) that there's nothing to do in Oklahoma City. I'm here to tell you that that's simply not true. It's basketball season; go to a Thunder game! There's at least one home game every week. You can also check out an OKC Dodgers game when baseball season comes back around.

The Criterion is also bringing in some great concerts. Zach and I decided to get massages. There's nothing like relaxing on a vacation. We went to the Elements Spa in Edmond since I had been there before. We also saw a movie at the AMC at Penn Square. We like the reclining seats and being able to choose where to sit when we buy the tickets. If you're wanting more than your typical theater experience, the Moore Warre offers balcony seating where you can order drinks and food.

On top of saving money, having a vacation where you live provides you with a different view of your city. You go to places you don't normally go and do things you typically wouldn't do every weekend. Plus, you will have no shortage of recommendations on where to go or what to do; your friends and family are sure to share with you their favorite things to do. Happy staycationing!