To say my family doesn’t like camping is an understatement. They are okay with cabins, but I’ve only slept in a tent with my Cub Scout – two of us amongst the pack. Prior to that I slept in a tent with my then-boyfriend (now husband) in the Grand Canyon in the ’90s.

That was a bit ago, wasn’t it?

So I decided if I wanted to camp in a tent I’d have to do it by myself.

Alone.

My Get Out summer adventure challenge was to go to a new-to-me state park (or federal as the case turned out to be), find my own way, pitch the tent and take my bike so I could go on a long solo ride. I picked the first day of summer, which so happened to fall on a Saturday. Summer Solstice seemed like the perfect day to be brave and go on the solo trip and enjoy the long day and short night in nature.

My daughter was sure I’d come home before the trip was over – scared. My sister did not see the appeal of either camping OR going alone. Just be careful how many people you tell because they’ll worry you’ll get kidnapped, raped, lost or at the least eaten up by mosquitoes in Oklahoma.

I picked Chickasaw National Reserve (the oldest federal reserve in OK) located in Sulphur, OK. I also wanted to visit the Chickasaw Cultural Center. Both were gorgeous, well-maintained and completely safe.

I did bring some mace and a knife though I didn’t feel like I’d need either because I wasn’t scared. I was excited.

The day ended up being rainy, but my motto is to bring your own sunshine, so I figured it would lift and though I had a rainy bike ride around Veterans Lake, it was mostly overcast and warm. Would I recommend a solo trip? Absolutely.

Check out my video for the experience and lots of photos. I hope you’ll be brave and get out and do something new to you this week and connect with nature. Turns out she’s all the company I need sometimes!

 

 

Also this week, I attended the opening of the new exhibit Gods and Heroes at the OKCMOA. Story here on Sooner Spaces. For fun, I decided to put together an outfit like SPJ’s famous tutu look for Carrie Bradshaw on the opening season of Sex and the City. I’d found the skirt at Goodwill and looked up how SPJ wore it and did my own black tank spin on it. My husband shot this downtown before the opening.

Next week my Get Out adventure is OKC Fest, a live music festival.