If you have been following me this week on stories, you have seen little snippets of our week in the woods! Earlier this week we drove Northeast to Broken Bow, Oklahoma to relax and just soak up the beauty of the changing leaves and enjoy some cooler weather. Many in the DFW area rave about Broken Bow. It’s an easy and relatively quick drive (only 3 hours from our home), has beautiful and affordable cabins to choose from and many love the convenience and simplicity of being able to escape for a quick weekend getaway with family. Nothing beats time to rest, play games, hike, cook together, sleep in and explore the outdoors with the people you love the most. I have found that the simplest and most low-key vacations are always our favorite and we leave with memories that last a lifetime.

 

Where did we stay?

We stayed in the Maxwell House- and it was GORGEOUS! This Cabin was beyond lovely, and I highly recommend it if you are wanting to visit Broken Bow. The Maxwell House was equipped with everything we could possibly need, was so well thought out (hooks for towels and bags everywhere—my favorite), insanely clean, games galore, a fully stocked kitchen with all the cooking tools to prepare meals & was so beautifully decorated!

If the Maxwell House is too big or too small for what you are needing, I recommend using Marshmallow Memories to find a cabin that would be the best fit for your family. They are a Modern Luxury Cabin Rental company and were so wonderful and easy to work with. Booking on their site was a breeze! They have a ton of cabins to choose from and they are all so beautiful, and so well decorated. I want to stay in the “A Dream to Remember Cabin” next time (it’s so cute and cozy)!

 

What did we do?

Games:

We played a ton of games and even did an outdoor nature scavenger hunt!

Here are the games I brought:

• Bananagrams
• Mexican Train Dominos
• Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza
• Go Fish ABC
• Spot it Camping
• Go Find It
• Go Find It Too
• Card Hands (a must for the tiny ones)

Hiking:

Use the AllTrails App!

We enjoyed the Friendship Trail Loop. This trail was a good distance (not too long) for the girls, shaded, beautiful, and good views. Be sure to pack plenty of water!

 

 

Fly Fishing:

Lillie is OBSESSED with fishing so of course Caleb took her Fly fishing! Ellie Kate joined in on the fun and really enjoyed it, too! Getting to the location to fish was only about 10-15 minutes from our cabin. Caleb used Beavers Bend Fly Shop & Profession Guide Service. They did a 4 hour guided trip. 

 

Swim in the River in Beavers Bend State Park:

Beavers Bend State Park is only about a 10 minute drive from the Cabin and it is GORGEOUS! The drive through the park is beautiful, especially this time of year. There are plenty of places to pull over and have a picnic or play in the river! The water was chilly but of course the girls didn't care- Ha! 

 

 

Train Ride:

Beavers Bend Depot has a fun little train ride that takes you through Beavers Bend State Park. It was a 20 minute ride and we learned a lot of interesting facts about the park. We also saw a lot of deer! 

 

Horseback Riding:

On our last day we went as a family to do a one hour trail ride on horses. We booked through Riverman Trail Rides and I highly recommend using them-- they were GREAT! Each girl was able to ride their own horse and Livi Lou rode with me! We had the biggest horse, Ben! Livi Lou loved him. We had the best time!

 

 Eating:

I always bring food for breakfast and lunches and then we typically venture out for dinner. There aren’t many options in town so if we were to stay longer than 3 days I would have packed a larger cooler with meats to grill for dinner.

Breakfast & What I brought- I keep it simple:

• Eggs
• Bagels & Cream Cheese
• Bread
• Jam
• Butter
• 2 cans of Cinnamon Rolls
• Container of Raspberries, & Blueberries
• Peaches
• Cutie oranges

Lunches:

• Sandwich Items: Bread, Hawaiian Rolls, Lunch Meat, Cheese Slices, Peanut Butter, Jam,
• Chips & Salsa
• Nuts

Anything else we needed; we just ran up to the local grocery store. There is also a newer place called The Market. It is a little grocery spot to grab the basics and they have a pretty good selection of pre-made foods and desserts. 

 

Places we Ate for Dinner:

• Grateful Head Pizza
• Mountain Top Brewery

 

Activities we saved for our next visit:

• Mini Golf
• The Maze
• ATV rentals
• Petting Zoo

 

Need a Souvenir or Gift?

• Houchatime Shop (great tees, hats, mugs & kid’s gifts)
• The Hive (a super cute children’s boutique right next door to The Market (Claire & I grabbed some super cute hair clips here!)

You need to go!  

Do I recommend you and your family visit Broken Bow for your next weekend getaway…. ABSOLUTELY, 100%! As always, we plan our travels when school is in session (homeschooling perks) to avoid crowds and to take advantage of “off season” cabin/house prices. This was our break week for CC, and I can’t think of a better way to spend our time off as a family! If you go to Broken Bow or have been, tell me your favorite things to do there!