Things to Do in Red Oak

Gazing over Cedar Creek Reservoir’s glassy waters, a large tiki hut bustles with visitors donning sun hats. Inside, the shop’s staff helps guest rent boats and water toys, or fill up on snacks for the day’s lake outing. A gas dock fuels voyages and the open-air Tiki Hut restaurant refuels those returning from their journeys with tropical drinks, lunch, dinner, and views of the water’s water color paintings. :m]]

Bunkers fashioned from metal barrels and tires protect inhabitants from volleys of enemy fire, as the smell of grilled hamburgers wafts through the air. Madddogz’s outdoor paintball fields immerse players in friendly combat while giving spectators, family, and friends a place to celebrate special occasions. Players can hunt their opponents in wooded areas littered with wrecked airplanes, used tires, and wooden fences in games of elimination or all-out battles. Meanwhile, civilians can mingle with their friends inside covered picnic areas while enjoying a packed lunch or cooked meats from the grill.

Each weekend through the harvest season, YesterLand Farm welcomes visitors of all ages to explore several acres’ worth of classic country activities, whether they’re just experiencing their first falling leaves or feeling nostalgic for autumns of old. More than 30 attractions spring up around the open fields, from a restored 1952 miniature train to a small ferris wheel and a vintage rollercoaster. As explorers try to navigate a corn maze’s dense stalks, guests can head to collect gourds to make into smaller pumpkins. Both when the sky starts to darken and during the day, Yesterland stays aglow with handheld beams in the flashlight maze and campfires, around which visitors roast hot dogs and s’mores over terrifying tales of ghosts and deciding college majors.

The trusty team of quarter horses at Broken Bow Ranch escorts visitors over the sprawling pastures and winding trails that grace the 1,200-acre working cattle ranch. Their owner, Gay Leigh Bingham, draws upon 25 years of experience when teaching new riders the subtleties of proper horsemanship. During private and group riding lessons, she aims to teach riders the proper way to confidently command a horse so they can ride comfortably on trails or help equine companions practice self-control when trotting through apple orchards. Not content to stop at the saddle, Ms. Bingham also invites visitors to enjoy her land for such pastimes as duck hunting and paintball.

Years before founding In Home Wine Tasting 4 You, Jeannine Jiral was just a girl of 5, living in small-town Texas, watching her family ferment various fruits into homemade alcohol. From those days she knows how much skill it takes to make a delectable drink. Now she puts that knowledge to use, helming In Home Wine Tasting 4 You's knowledgeable servers as they pour flights of quality wine suited to each patron's taste and style.

Before hosting custom parties, patrons fill out a questionnaire to declare their white and red preferences and ability to play Stairway to Heaven on half-full glasses. Then personnel supply the libations, including wine, beer, or a combination of the two, as well as tasting notes, food-pairing suggestions, and tips for hosting future tasting parties. Through its partnership with The Wine Therapist, In Home Wine Tasting 4 You also outfits clients with wine-drinking accessories such as tumblers, glasses, and cheese boards, and can host tastings for those who don't want to throw a party in their own home or who have recently misplaced their pet cobra.

Bowlers have sent pins clattering for more than 30 years upon Pin Center Bowl's rows of gleaming lanes. The 16 alleys host bouts of friendly competition among families and friends, who hurtle balls toward the hapless pins and tally their points with Brunswick Vector scoring equipment, rather than committing each point to memory via complex riddles. To accommodate kiddies' games, forgiving bumpers rise to block gutter balls. Between frames, players can snag snacks and drinks from the concession stand and full bar, and billiards tables and an arcade keep hand-eye coordination in tip-top shape. Pin Center Bowl also offers the Dragon Bowling Ball Ramp to assist children in knocking down pins.