Oklahoma Beach Vibes

America continues to surprise me, in a good way! I can’t believe that a couple of hours drive can take me to so many different landscapes, and different experiences. 

We recently took a day trip up to Ardmore in Oklahoma, to meet up with my daughter and her husband. Wanting to experience some Oklahoma barbecue, we met at Swadley’s Bar-B-Q in Ardmore, and had a really delicious lunch. Jim and I shared the pork spare ribs, fried okra, and fries, washed down with huge glasses of icy cold sweet tea. It was an unexpectedly hot day, and we wanted to go and sit in the shade somewhere, and enjoy some cold drinks. We decided to make the short drive to Lake Murray, just south of Ardmore, to have a look around. 

The drive took about half an hour, and although we weren’t expecting much more than a lake in the middle of nowhere, we certainly were in for a treat. Lake Murray is beautiful, and a huge 5700 acres. It’s a man-made lake, and what is even more interesting, is that Oklahoma has more man-made lakes than any other state in the US. There’s about two-hundred of them across the state.

The main area of Lake Murray Water Sports & Mini Golf which we went to first, has a resort lodge water-slide and trampolines, and there’s kayak hire available. The waters are crystal blue, much like a lagoon, and it has a real beach vibe. We were so shocked that seemingly out of nowhere, there was an aqua coloured lagoon with golden sand, and families picnicking and kayaking all around. 

On the eastern side of the lake is Sunset Beach, which is about half a mile long, and it’s a great swimming spot for families. There’s also restrooms and picnic tables so it’s really family friendly. Despite the heat, there was a lovely breeze and we took a nice long walk, stopping for photos and swigs of water. 

After bidding farewells and starting to head out of the Lake Murray State Park, we drove past some really cute log cabins which are available to rent. They’re only small, but enough for a couple of nights as the days would be spent enjoying the lake. 

Having moved to the US from Queensland in Australia, I miss the beach. Lake Murray isn’t quite the same as the beautiful coastlines of Queensland, but it still offers a measure of tranquility. I’ve really enjoyed getting to see more of Oklahoma, and it has its own kind of beauty. Having found the gem that is Lake Murray, I’m looking forward to visiting more of the lakes in both Oklahoma and northern Texas. At least I don’t have to travel far to experience a beach-like getaway.