Jenks, OK Outdoor Activities

As a basket drifts against the twilight, the only sound one can hear is a burner whispering to invisible gas, commanding it to push the carriage higher into the evening sky. At Go Hot Air Ballooning, flights stay close enough to the ground to witness deer wandering the earth, and each excursion—from private rides to tethered convoys—takes off with passengers' well-being in mind. An FAA-licensed pilot with more than 20 years of ballooning experience—and a perfect safety record—takes the helm of each flight, personally confirming each reservation and watching up-to-date weather reports to ensure safe flight conditions. Though the in-air portion lasts only an hour, most journeys take up to four hours in all, allowing passengers to witness such behind-the-scenes action as the pilot inflating the entire balloon with his lungs.

Dust clouds form from the hooves of two warhorses thundering across the jousting field. Across the way, a falcon wheels in the sky, spotting prey for his master. Meanwhile, King Henry watches from a tall stone tower, pleased with the bustling marketplace below. It isn’t the year 1539, and it isn’t planet Camelot IV in the Avalonian system. It’s the modern-day Oklahoma Renaissance Festival, held at the Castle of Muskogee every summer for nearly 20 years.

Every merchant and performer has a story to tell, from Sir Robert Vinterhawk of Birds of Prey to the painter Lady Anne, who creates lush portraits of the castle’s guests. The Tribal Circus performs gravity-defying feats without the aid of strings or wizardry, and the mysterious masked man of Cast in Bronze enraptures his audience with the sanctified tones of carillon bells. For adrenaline-pumping thrills, the human chess game —where life-size pieces engage in full battle—is second only to the raucous jousting tourney. Guests can further immerse themselves in a lost era with a spin around the maypole or by dressing up for the daily costume contest.

At age 13, a few years after relocating to the United States from her native Australia, Cheryl West unearthed a passion for horseback riding. Since then, she has become accomplished in both the competitive and educational arenas, including snagging a master certification in equestrian instruction, being asked to mold a program for special-needs riders at the American Therapeutic Riding Center, and ghostwriting a memoir for Mister Ed. At West Equestrian Ranch, Cheryl and her team of seasoned instructors bestow their expertise upon pupils during camps and group and private lessons. Both are anchored in the philosophy that building a sturdy seat lays the foundation for adept trotting—the lessons gravitate toward English, Western, jumping, dressage, or trail methods, while summer camps fold similar techniques into days of riding, games, and horse care.

Cheryl and her staff also serve the equine community, rescuing one or two horses each year, rebuilding their strength and confidence, and giving them spots on the ranch's competitive team. Meanwhile, they allow kids free rein of a playground and picnic tables for birthday parties, where the stables' gentlest steed whinnies happily as kids finger-paint him with rainbows or complex mathematical equations.

In 1960, Floyd Farley and Randy Heckenkemper’s vision for the LaFortune Park Golf Course facility’s championship course came to fruition, bringing to life a picturesque design of rolling bermuda-grass fairways unfurling in front of bentgrass greens guarded by bunkers. Heckenkemper recently returned to renovate the links’ water hazards and grassy contours, which contribute to a layout that’s both unique and challenging enough to earn the title of Tulsa’s Best Golf Course from Urban Tulsa Weekly, an award that even Meryl Streep hasn’t won.

The same deciduous trees that shade the championship course’s greens also thrive at LaFortune’s 18-hole executive course, whose shorter fairways save time for postround drinks or lunch at the club’s North Dining Room. Even when the sun is vacationing in the Andromeda galaxy, golfers can still play through the par 3 layout thanks to the course’s ample lighting, which illuminates the streams that split seven fairways and demand strong carries from golfers, and the tricky bentgrass greens, most of which are hemmed by bunkers.

Before embarking on 18-hole outings or whacking balls from one of 80 hitting stations on the driving range, golfers can gear up at the golf shop. Named one of America’s 100 Best Clubfitters by Golf Digest, the shop’s team of experts includes Callaway, Titleist, and Ping specialists and a repair technician with more than two decades of experience in mending putters gnawed on by nervous caddies. To perfect their swings, players can attend lessons run by PGA teaching professionals that rely on a vector launch monitor and V1 digital coaching software to improve students’ form.

Championship Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 72 course
• Course rating of 73.9
• Slope rating of 124
• Total length of 6,938 yards from the back tees
• Four tee options
• See the scorecard

Executive Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 3 course
• Total length of 2,461 yards
• See the scorecard

The Randy Heckenkemper–designed layout of South Lakes Golf Course winds its way through seven lakes, resulting in a watery, 6,413-yard wonderland worthy of exploration. The course’s sinuous fairways slink around the lakes at many points, forcing players to aim carefully for the dry bermuda grass. Large bentgrass greens crown each hole, offering a welcome reward for golfers who manage to keep their balls dry or those who require a running start in order to give themselves a jumping high-five. And when the round is done, players can always head back to the clubhouse area to utilize the 13,000-square-foot practice putting green or all-grass driving range.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 71 course
• Total length of 6,413 yards from the back tees
• Course rating of 70.7 from the back tees
• Course slope of 119 from the back tees
• Three sets of tees per hole
• Scorecard

The defense experts at L & L Machine Guns equip visitors with all the requisite pistol or rifle gear to shoot on the 30 pistol ranges and 300-meter rifle range. Before hitting the range, marksmen select their desired gear from a lineup of firearms, all of which can hit bull's-eyes or fill out multiple-choice surveys in a fraction of a second. As provided protection guards eyes and ears, bullets stretch their tiny metallic wings at 100-meter carbine ranges and a 360-degree training range.