Sometimes our adventures are jagged and not straight.
We had originally planned a stay at an Airbnb on Grand Lake, but it turned out to have a heating issue. After a valiant attempt by a property manager to get that fixed, we decided to look elsewhere for the weekend.
My wife and I allot one weekend a year for a cabin trip. Our first year together, we spent a weekend at Robbers Cave State Park in Wilburton. Our second was a weekend at Beavers Bend near Broken Bow. Last year’s adventure was Keystone State Park, and this year turned out to be Sequoyah State Park in Hulbert, Okla.
But not before an overnight stay at the new Stoney Creek Hotel & Conference Center, located on Albany Street in Broken Arrow. We climbed into bed after 3 a.m., disappointed that our Airbnb didn’t work out and unsure of what we’d do for the rest of our cabin weekend.
Maybe we’d just go home. Maybe we wouldn’t have a choice. This was Valentine’s Day weekend, and alternatives were surely few and far between.
We got lucky!
Landed us a lakeside cabin at Sequoyah Lodge, this Oklahoma state park architected and stuck in the late 50s. The cabins were mid-mod. The restaurant was mid-mod.
After patiently listening to my sob story about the Airbnb issues, Hannah at the front desk of the Sequoyah Lodge hooked us up with both an early check-in and a late check-out.
Whenever I hear somebody claim that government is inefficient, I counter with our state parks system, which I think is a fantastic value. And based on my limited experience with them, they’re run marvelously. Hannah was a rock star among rock stars, and I do believe I impressed her when she referred to ‘extemp debate’ while checking in.
“Forensics, eh?” I responded.
Impressed she was.
As anybody who’s been around me for five minutes knows, I’ve had some pretty significant back issues the past three months. After my spinal injection a couple weeks ago, I wanted to take my first long-ish walk. And I’m proud to say I got in 2 miles. Here are some photos from the walk:
I’m not sure how much further the trail went, but I felt comfortable maxing out at 2 miles. While I’m pretty sure my back is getting better, I sense that I’ll need a second injection and that I needn’t overdo it.
The cabin itself was small but completely adequate for Kristi and me.
Typically, we prefer to have a full kitchen, but we couldn’t beat the porch view.
For when my back is totally healed, there is a basketball court on property and a tennis court. There’s a nature center in the area and plenty of things for kiddos to do, too. The one thing I’m realizing, however, that we need to change is for us to take the Friday off before the weekend. Two days to enjoy these getaways is ideal to clear the cobwebs from the brain and recharge for the week ahead.
