OKC Staycation, Part 2: Kick Back & Relax

If you read Part 1 of my OKC Staycation series, you know I had a bad case of the post-vacation blues after vacationing in London, Paris and Rome. The blues were quickly cured, though, after my husband and I staycationed in OKC and explored our own city from a tourist's perspective.

One of our favorite parts of traveling is eating our way through a city. Some might say we're foodies....I say we're self-proclaimed food critics. To put it simply, we just really appreciate and enjoy good, authentic food from local establishments. In our honest opinion, Oklahoma City has just as good of food as anywhere in the world! No lie. New York, London, Paris, Rome, Seattle, Austin..... We've toured them all, yet we still prefer many of the restaurants in our own backyard. It is so fun to #SeeOKC's food scene grow and flourish before our own eyes (and mouths).

I already shared what we did on our staycation, but now I want to talk about how we relaxed. AKA, where we stayed and where we ate!

Similar Sleep Romper

Our home base for the weekend was the 21c Museum Hotel Oklahoma City. It is a boutique hotel, art museum and delicious restaurant and bar all rolled into one! It is actually located in a historic building that used to be a Ford Motor Company assembly plant, which gives the property an open, lofty feel. High ceilings and giant, wall to wall windows let in tons of light and provide unique city views.

The bed was so soft and fluffy, the toiletries were top notch (major props on the shampoo + conditioner combo), the shower was phenomenal, the rooms were huge, and the museum's modern art was unique and fun - plus they left delicious chocolates on your pillow each evening. My favorite part (besides the Nespresso machine in our room) was the purple penguins posted up all around the hotel - guests can move them or take them anywhere on the property. So fun! We couldn't have asked for a better place to staycation - I only wish I would have had more time to lay in that comfy bed!

Similar Sweatshirt, Also Love This One and This One

For dinner on Friday night, we headed to Barrio's in Midtown. I'm normally not a huge fan of Mexican restaurants, but Barrio's gets me. Their chips and salsa, oh my word! Seriously life changing stuff. Our waitress suggested I order the frozen avocado margarita and it did not disappoint - creamy, fresh and delicious.  I also highly recommend the cactus fruit slush if you like sweet, beachy drinks. What I love most about Barrio's, though, is how fresh their food is - it is not your typical Tex-Mex from a can. Instead, it tastes like something my mom would make using ingredients from the garden! Plus the patio could not be any cuter and the decor is v. Instagramable. Win-win.

Similar Ruffle Sleeve Sweatshirt, Other Option Here | Similar Distressed Denim | Ribbon Monogram Necklace | $14 Ruffle Slides (also come in Taupe)

If you've read any of my restaurant reviews before, you know how much I love a good breakfast. I had heard so many good things about Syrup in Norman and was excited to learn they recently opened a location in OKC! They call themselves an "Impact based brunch boutique" - which I love! Basically, they give back part of every purchase to local and global causes. I'd give their food a solid A: I ordered the Morning Glory, a waffle topped with bacon, egg and cheese. I definitely want to go back and try more of the menu like the sweet potato pancakes!

Saturday's dinner was our "date night dinner" at Vast on the 49th floor of Devon Tower - 726.2 feet above downtown OKC. Those views!! We were seated on the north side of the tower, so we had a beautiful sunset view right into our own historic neighborhood. It was so neat to see the streets we drive each and every day from a bird's eye view. Vast is definitely the place to go for a special occasion; the service was impeccable and the atmosphere was romantic. Our favorites out of everything we ordered were the seared gulf shrimp appetizer and the milk and cookies for dessert. A whole plate of warm cookies is seriously the best dessert idea ever. Can I get an amen?!

Pro Tip #1: Before dinner, be sure to stand in the center of the rotunda and listen to your voice echo!

Pro Tip #2: After dinner, head to the Wheeler District and ride the OKC Ferris Wheel (pictured at the beginning of this post). Believe it or not, the historic ferris wheel is from Santa Monica Pier and was purchased off of Ebay! It is the perfect ending to a romantic date night.

You can't forget about Sunday Brunch! Normally a hotel breakfast isn't anything to write home about, but when you're staying at 21c, things are different. Mary Eddy's Kitchen x Lounge boasts an "eclectic take on New American cuisine" and showcases the historical building's production line right through the middle of the restaurant. We were pleasantly surprised at just how much we loved our meal and are already planning on coming back with friends or family when they're in town. Two thumbs up for the Apple Fritter appetizer, Sweet Cream Waffle and Duck-Ham & Grits. Everything was fantastic!

Gucci Dupe T, Very Similar Here, Gucci Version Here | Similar Bomber Jacket

We ended our staycation with a little Sunday Funday action at Stonecloud Brewing Company. The brewery is located in the newly renovated Sunshine Laundry Cleaners building and is just another example of how OKC is revitalizing its historic core and bringing life back into old structures. Cole ordered the Operation Steingraber, which was like an Oktoberfest beer and I ordered the Turtlehead coffee stout...I can never turn down a good dark beer! We also tried the Big Oak Kombucha and the Nitro Cold Brew - I thought it was so neat that they offered non-beer options on tap.

We had the best weekend getting to #SeeOKC from a different perspective. I think Oklahoma City should be considered a destination, whether it be for staycations or weekend getaways with friends, family or special someones! It has just as good of food and activities as other neighboring cities with a friendly, welcoming, small-town feel. I'm so glad I get to call this city home!

I'll be sharing a full Guide to OKC next week with my top picks city-wide, so stay tuned.

This post is part of a partnership with Visit OKC; the hotel stay and meals were provided for free in exchange for review. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.