Are you and your family planning a family reunion? Are you scrambling to find family reunion fun ideas that will include something for everyone? Need a place large enough for plenty of family to gather? Look no further than Broken Bow Lake, in McCurtain County, Oklahoma.
Located in the breathtaking Kiamichi Mountains of southeastern Oklahoma, Broken Bow Lake and the surrounding Beavers Bend State Park offer a plethora of fun activities for every age and taste.
The area offers a variety of cabin rentals, some large enough to sleep as many as 20 people, perfect for spending time with family members you may not get to see often. The cabins have many amenities, including hot tubs, fireplaces, satellite television, DVD players, fire pits, barbecue grills, stocked fish ponds, and covered porches. Some even allow pets.
If you need an area large enough to gather the entire family for luncheons, photo sharing, or for comparing genealogy notes, Beavers Bend State Park s pavilion is available. For indoor gatherings, the nearby Heritage Center has meeting rooms large enough for 50 people.
Those who enjoy the great outdoors can take advantage of the lake and surrounding forests. The crystal clear waters of Broken Bow Lake are perfect for swimming, scuba diving, snorkeling, canoeing, kayaking, and parasailing. Family members who feel a need for speed can rent jet skis or wave runners, and those who want a more tranquil aquatic experience can try their hand at fishing for trout, crappie, largemouth bass, or channel catfish, with or without the help of trained guides.
Outdoor enthusiasts can also enjoy the surrounding forests, with their 100 foot tall pines. Hike or bird watch on the many miles of trails, where you may see deer, squirrels, raccoons, and in the winter, migrating eagles. If hiking is not your thing, climb up on a horse from one of the horseback riding outfitters in the area, and explore the forest in a whole new way. Horses are available for every kind of rider, from beginner to advanced, and some cabins have equestrian facilities for those who wish to bring their own horses. There are also off road mountain biking trails, and trails for ATVs as well.
Golfers can test the links at Cedar Creek Golf Course, chosen by Golf Digest as the Best Municipal Golf Course in the state of Oklahoma. The course s 16th hole is considered one of the most difficult in Oklahoma, because the green is small and almost completely surrounded by Broken Bow Lake.
To see one of the most comprehensive Native American collections anywhere, visit the Museum of the Red River, which houses interpretive exhibits featuring historic, prehistoric, and contemporary native cultures of North and South America. The museum also houses the most complete acrocanthosaurus dinosaur skeleton ever found. The dinosaur, excavated in McCurtain County in the 1980s, lived some 90 100 million years ago and was almost 40 feet long and 15 feet tall at the hip.
Those who like to shop may want to visit one of the gift shops or antique stores in the area. The antique shops carry vintage quilts, turn of the century primitive goods, and other collectibles. The gift shops carry hand painted name plaques, jewelry, scented candles, hand beaded Indian jewelry and more.
One of the hardest things about family reunions is making sure that everyone, no matter what their age or hobbies, has a good time. As you can see, McCurtain County has something to offer for everyone. Family members can take their picks of indoor or outdoor activities, ensuring loads of fun for everyone.