Discover Oklahoma: Horse riding, hiking are some adventures that spring to mind this season
Have you ever thought of spring as a little bit of a tease? Every once in a while, she'll pop out from around the corners of February and blow us a quick, sweet kiss. She promises a warm welcome to the daffodils and Easter lilies in early March, and then she joyously covers them with snow. She gives us a lovely short-sleeve shirt day after a long winter, and then she laughs at us as we put on our winter jackets again. She ignores us while she paints dogwoods in bloom across the bare forest floor, forcing us to wait weeks for other trees to blossom and bud. Perhaps the enticing journey to April makes her presence all the more pleasant!
Last month, I wrote about several upcoming art and beauty events this spring. And I would like to stay with the theme of spring but with a couple of twists. Perhaps the formality of a festival is too constraining for your wild soul, so consider venturing out into nature.
There are few better ways to experience spring than on the back of a horse, and spring trail rides will take you to the wild and beautiful places. Spring trail rides on a horse are one of the best ways to experience the season since they take you into the outdoors. On TravelOK.com, you can find several different horseback riding opportunities.
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You can go for a ride and take in the sights and beautiful surroundings at any number of state parks that include stables for horses. Some of those are: Beavers Bend Depot & Stables in Broken Bow, Sequoyah Riding Stables in Hulbert, Robbers Cave Stables in Wilburton. Sulphur's Arbuckle Trail Rides offer a thrilling excursion through wooded areas, across streams and to the tops of cliffs, where you may take in the scenery. In that same article on TravelOK.com, you also can find information on Equestrian Camps and Trails for Horse Owners and Guest Ranches.
There are plenty of alternative ways to celebrate spring if you are not comfortable riding a horse. Spring bird migration already has begun, and Oklahoma offers some of the best bird watching in the country. Those destinations can be found on TravelOK.com.
Camping in the spring is oftentimes fantastic. Even though it isn't quite summer yet, the weather is excellent for spending time outside thanks to the mild days and pleasant evenings — time to enjoy outside before the summer heat forces you indoors.
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Oklahoma's state parks and other recreational areas include an abundance of hiking routes. In the spring, a hike through the woods will show you nature at its most vibrant. The sound of birds singing, the movement of the wind through the fresh leaves and the sight of flowers poking out through the fallen leaves on the forest floor all provide top-notch amusement. It's a relief from the sluggish pace of winter and the fruition of spring's tentative teases. All the details about hiking destinations around the state can be found … you guessed it … on TravelOK.com.
Dino Lalli is the co-host and one of the feature reporters for the weekly television travel show "Discover Oklahoma."
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This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Discover Oklahoma: Where to hit horseback riding trails this spring
