Sand Springs, OK Outdoor Activities

Enjoy stroke after corrective stroke on the range at Tee Town Golf Ranch, where 20 covered hitting stalls stand as the gateway to hole-in-one heaven. Slap a clubface on premium range balls and go for distance or, for increased satisfaction, aim for one of 10 target greens that patchwork the range. Once your power drive is accurate enough to knock decommissioned Soviet satellites out of the sky, finesse your short game by putting across the short-game area's 10,000-square-foot bent-grass green, chipping out from an uneven lie, or playing a game of H.O.R.S.E. with a newly acquainted practice partner. Whether it's evening or daytime, both areas are equipped with brilliant lighting as well as the celestial brilliance of the sun (not available on rainy days).

Whiling away their vacation in a Swiss Alps chalet, Joe and Beth Henretty noticed a peculiar sound: nothing. The entire town moved at a pace much slower than that of their home in the States; without a car in sight, residents simply strolled to their destinations. Inspired by this way of life, Joe and Beth imported the car-free philosophy to Tulsa in 2005, buying their own bicycle cab and christening their new business Golzern Pedicabs after the chalet in which they'd stayed. Today, the duo and their two fellow drivers shuttle riders to and from concerts or obedience-school reunions while working solely for tips—both as an accommodation to any budget and as a further homage to Switzerland's laid-back lifestyle.

For a flat fee, the business—also known as Tulsa Pedicabs—captains tours that bounce among Tulsa's local eateries, where passengers sample fare at each stop and, sometimes, carry out agendas of their own. Once, on one of Joe's tours, a man proposed, and the Henrettys honored the occasion by pedaling the couple to their hotel on their wedding day—much like the Swiss nuptial tradition of dragging cans behind a saddled yak.

Ornamental trees, wildflowers, and other foliage grow throughout Oklahoma Centennial Botanical Gardens, spread across 170 acres of the Osage Hills approximately 10 minutes northwest of downtown Tulsa. Visitors can follow a 1.5-mile nature trail through the Cross Timbers forest, also traipsing through a prairie and persimmon grove. Various species of butterflies flit through the forests and tall grasses beside a 7-acre lake, along with deer, the occasional turtle, and other wildlife.

Safety comes first at New Heights Rock Climbing Gym. Before strapping in at the gym’s top-rope climbing course, all guests have to complete a training lesson that teaches them the skills needed to safely surmount the gym’s walls. Students learn how to tie weight-bearing knots, help friends safely ascend and descend the walls using belaying techniques, and recognize the difference between rocks and Styrofoam coolers that just look like rocks. Once instructors deem them ready, students can then latch onto the colorful rocks sprinkled throughout the climbing space, using their upper-arm strength and path-finding skills to surmount the vertical obstacle course. The angled bouldering course rises over padded mats, allowing guests to safely climb the inclines while working against gravity pulling down their own body weight. The gym opens its doors to parties of all sizes, with one designated instructor for every eight partygoers to ensure climbers stay safe and agile.