Summer heat calls for local outdoor activities

  • Published
  • By Lt. Col. Robert Brumley
  • 71st Flying Training Wing
Vance Air Force Base, Okla. --  Happy Friday Team Vance! And congratulations to our newest Air Force and Navy pilots. I wish you the best in your careers serving our great country.
As evident by the increase in temperature, the billowing thunderstorms in the afternoon, and the late night sounds of the wheat harvest, summer has arrived in northwest Oklahoma.
With summer comes weekend camping trips, day trips for the children and lots of opportunities for water and sports activities. Believe it or not all of these types of activities can be found without spending a great deal of money or driving very far. In fact, Enid and the surrounding area offer many opportunities for summer fun.
If it's camping you like, Lake Canton, Roman Nose State Park and Great Salt Plains State Park are all within an hour's drive. Need a day trip? There's Leonardo's, the Railroad Museum of Oklahoma, and the Museum of the Cherokee Strip right here in Enid. In Guthrie you can visit Oklahoma's original state capitol at the Oklahoma Territorial Museum.
If you don't mind driving a couple of hours, then go see the Oklahoma State Capitol, the Oklahoma History Center, the Oklahoma City Zoo and the Oklahoma City National Memorial, all in Oklahoma City. If you must leave the state, then Wichita offers the Wichita Zoo and Exploration Place. A little further north is Hutchinson and the Kansas Cosmosphere.
Like sports? There are all sorts of summer leagues both on and off base. For golfers, Enid has five golf courses in town, and a couple of others within 30 minutes. If sitting in bleachers is your idea of sports participation, Enid offers that too. From American Legion baseball at David Allen Park to semi-pro Oklahoma Storm basketball at Mark Price Arena, you can always find a game to watch. For pro baseball, Oklahoma City offers Redhawks AAA baseball, and Tulsa and Wichita both have AA teams.
Miss the water? Oklahoma has plenty of lakes for sailing, water skiing and other water activities. In fact, Lake Tenkiller in eastern Oklahoma is one of the country's best spots for scuba diving. If you or your children just want to get wet, then Splash Zone here in Enid or Whitewater in Oklahoma City are possible destinations.
Vance Air Force Base also offers great recreational opportunities. From the Plains Pool to paintball, you can keep your family busy without even going off base.
Because Enid is a "small town," a lot of people think they have to travel to find recreational opportunities. Don't miss out on what is right under your nose.
Vance, Enid and the surrounding area offer an abundance of summer fun for the whole family. It's up to you to enjoy it. So when the children are getting bored, go and enjoy what makes northwest Oklahoma and Vance one of the best assignments you'll have in your military career.