Things to Do in McAlester

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.

Broken Arrow Lanes facilitates pin-crushing revelry throughout the week with youth and adult leagues and open-bowling hours on 36 lanes. Flat-screen televisions suspended above each lane display players' scores and heated debates between news pundits and teleprompters. The alley also envelops a pro shop, a redemption-based game room, and a full-service dining area, where patrons can snag handheld meals such as burgers, sandwiches, and pizza slices but not bowling balls.

Friends Hannah Ekblad, Hannah Rogers, Brooke Payne, and Ashley Hamilton shared their disillusionment with the process of planning a modern wedding. Every bridal show they attended was a maze of clichés; the same identical vendors, the same pink cakes, the same hotel convention rooms spruced up feebly with black curtains. Seeking to equip brides who shared some of this dissatisfaction, they combined their own bohemian artistic sensibilities, and Hello Lovely, an indie bridal fair, was born. Deploying handmade personal invitations, they assembled a team of 40 vendors and sponsors based on past experiences and an eye for aesthetic individuality. The team selected only five florists and a comparable number of photographers, paper artists, and caterers, giving attendees time to explore vendors and quiz them on their favorite bridesmaids' speeches. Sun peeks between the rough-hewn wooden slats of the century-old barn at Vive Le Ranch as guests slowly filter into the event. Having held her recent wedding at the site, Hannah Ekblad prizes the restored interior, which blends refinement and a bucolic charm like Mr. Ed trying to read a subway map.

The gently tangled guitar and banjo notes of the Avett Brothers, Bon Iver, and Ingrid Michaelson twist around the rafters as attendees wander hay-covered floors, navigating tables designated with handmade driftwood signs by local calligrapher Victoria Hoke Lane. An area artist from Polypress Letterpress fashions unique invitations on a 1920s letterpress machine, designing each by hand and stamping them with a snowflake’s fingerprint. Edit Noveau's photographer Rustin captures nuptials in the warm colors of highly-exposed 1950s- and 1960s-style photography, and Yellow Bird, Yellow Beard's artisans craft paper garlands—one of which will be donated to an attending bride. Beneath tissue-paper chandeliers, a dessert-sample table groans beneath cakes, cookies, and cupcakes marked with the names of their respective bakers.

There was a time when Robbers Cave State Park wasn’t named as such. If it had been, that would have been a pretty obvious tip for police to go searching there, and they might have stumbled upon outlaws such as Jesse James, Belle Starr, and the Youngers hiding out from the law. The wooded hills, rugged caves, and remote location made it an ideal place for the infamous to disappear after robbing a train or showing the townsfolk their bare ankles.

Today, this same natural landscape attracts a different sort of adventurer—rappellers, cave explorers, and all manner of outdoor enthusiasts. The park's 8,200 acres play host to three fishable lakes that teem with trout and perch, and the trails offer scenic trips for hikers, mountain bikers, and equestrians. Climbers scale and rappel sandstone cliffs, and the wilderness area's wildlife attracts hunters and nature watchers alike.

After days spent trying to track down the old outlaw cave among sandstone hills and cliffs—some of which tower to 1,500 feet—visitors can cozy up to the fireplace in one of the 26 park-view cabins. To make visits comfortable, the cabins feature fully equipped kitchens, linens, and satellite TV, as well as central heat and air. The Belle Starr lodge also welcomes guests, and there are plenty of sites for tents, RVs, and stockpiles of loot as well.

Oklahoma’s first eco-certified hotel, The Canebrake, about two hours from Oklahoma City via the Turner Turnpike, beckons visitors to retreat from their routines in comfortable rooms, hiking acres of forest, and unwinding with yoga classes or pampering spa treatments. After guests check into cool, tiled, dog-friendly retreat rooms outfitted with split-king beds, free WiFi, and a deck with rocking chairs, they can grab specialty cocktails and a wine and cheese plate from The Canebrake's bar before rambling around the 400-acre property. Friendly front deskers happily advise guests on activities, providing poles for fishermen to cast into five ponds stocked with fish and sea monkeys.

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