why do okc folks go to dallas for the weekend and never wichita, ks?

[decepticobra]

its always intrigued me how dallas seems to be the favorite weekend getaway destination by a vast majority and when you speak of wichita, ks (which is an hour closer, btw) its totally foreign to anyone.

yes, the dallas/fort worth area boasts about 10 times more people, and theres so much more to do there. but theres also 10 times more traffic than wichita and the dfw highway system can be a nightmarish labyrinth if youre not armed visiting there with a GPS or have keen knowledge of the area.

wichita is a hidden gem and i feel most dont realize how nice of a city it is, esp considering its size (which isnt too much smaller than okc, population wise)

so yet, the mystery remains as to why everyone favors dfw, and hardly anyone visits wichita, ks for weekend getaways.

[kevinpate]

Spent a bit of time there in '80, courtesy of Godfather's. Went back through on a trip in 90 or 91, and again in 01. Perhaps there was a whole lot I missed, or perhaps there's been a whole lot added over the last decade. There'd just have to be if it should be considered a gem.

[Just the facts]

What does Wichita have that OKC doesn't?

[PennyQuilts]

Honestly, although I know a lot of good people who eagerly look forward to a trip, every year, I have no earthly idea what draws them, regardless of the city.

[Roger S]

What does Wichita have that OKC doesn't?

A hole in the wall drive-thru that serves bierocks..... But then I'm originally from Kansas so I probably appreciate bierocks more than most around these parts do.

[progressiveboy]

its always intrigued me how dallas seems to be the favorite weekend getaway destination by a vast majority and when you speak of wichita, ks (which is an hour closer, btw) its totally foreign to anyone.

yes, the dallas/fort worth area boasts about 10 times more people, and theres so much more to do there. but theres also 10 times more traffic than wichita and the dfw highway system can be a nightmarish labyrinth if youre not armed visiting there with a GPS or have keen knowledge of the area.

wichita is a hidden gem and i feel most dont realize how nice of a city it is, esp considering its size (which isnt too much smaller than okc, population wise)

so yet, the mystery remains as to why everyone favors dfw, and hardly anyone visits wichita, ks for weekend getaways.

It really isn't a "mystery" lol. DFW does have terrible traffic, however, it has much better shopping, entertainment, amenities etc... OKC is quite a bit larger than Wichita. I have been to Wichita several times and find it to cold in the winter and not a whole lot to do. It does not offer anything more than OKC or Dallas.

[SoonerDave]

I am certainly not going to knock Wichita by any means, but I just can't think of anything that would compel me to go there for a weekend over Dallas. In fact, I'd be more inclined to go the rest of the way up to Kansas City if I were going to the trouble.

Wichita is a very pleasant city, but I just can't think of something compelling that would make me think of it as a destination city. I've been there a couple of times (work-related), and it seemed like a nice, smallish-medium city, but that's about it.

Again, I hope this is not interpreted as a slam on Wichita at all. This is strictly thinking in terms of what might constitute a destination for a weekend getaway, that's all.

[Bellaboo]

There was a time when we'd go to the Dallas/Ft Worth metroplex. But the evolution now has my wife flying to Houston for shopping. She (and I) like the proximity of food establishments just a few miles west of downtown Houston in and near the Galleria.

Wichita has never been on the radar.

[Bill Robertson]

The only reason the wife and I ever go to DFW for the weekend is for a NFL, NHL or MLB game or a Nascar race. Wichita has none of the above.

[MikeLucky]

Don't go to Wichita... lol. No reason for that. If you don't want to go to Dallas, just suck it up and drive to KC. People from Wichita come to OKC for fun, not the other way around. lol

[OKCisOK4me]

The only thing I've ever been to Wichita for (on personal time) was a Blue Angels show. The one at Tinker got rained out so we went to one in August and that was awesome!

[ou48A]

OKC people are more familiar with the Dallas area.

Oklahoma’s economy and culture is probable more like the Dallas area than Wichita.
As a kid my parents took me to Wichita several times a year. It’s a much nicer looking city now.
Dallas is about 30 degrees warmer about 8 months out of the year (or it seems like it).
Besides the Dallas area entertainment (I can’t stand doing this) but high end shopping is a big attraction.

[BBatesokc]

I have to go to Wichita from time-to-time for work and it occasionally requires me to stay a day or two. There's never been anything about the place that made me want to bring the wife and make a destination of it. We do however like going on up to the Plaza and try and do that at least once a year or so.

That said, we haven't gone to Dallas for a weekend in a few years. We are not big traditional shoppers and don't do the club scene, so we'd prefer to drive a few more hours and go on into Austin. Much more stuff to do there that is to our liking over Dallas or Wichita.

[ljbab728]

This thread reminded me of many years ago when I was in college. Some of my fraternity brothers at OU and I were huge Petula Clark fans and she had a TV special coming up. For some strange reason we all decided it would be cool to drive to Wellington, Kansas and rent a motel room to watch the Petula show. I'm still not sure why but it seemed like the cool thing to do at the time.

[Hawk405359]

Tulsa is closer than that and, honestly, I'd rather spend a weekend there than Wichita. I mean, I have nothing against Wichita as a city, but there's just not really a major destination that I would be eager to drive there for.

[WilliamTell]

This thread brings back some memories - At the tail end of my college days i dated a girl who recently graduated from OSU and moved to Wichita. Old town was ok the first few times, rest is just strip malls and chain stores. All the people i met were nice but i couldnt find anything there that i couldnt find in okc. Its a very 'comfortable' city, easy to get around, and generally nice middle class neighborhoods but its just a smaller, quieter, flatter, less trees, and even more suburban city than OKC. Not really a exciting place to visit.

Like the others in this thread - If I'm taking a day trip i would much rather go to kansas city, st louis, dallas, or austin.

[Easy180]

Back when I headed to Dallas on a regular basis it was for shopping with the Mrs, clubs, restaurants and bring back New Belgium beer products

[bombermwc]

It's because of the volume of options in the metroplex. Nothing against Wichita, but it has less than OKC. So if you were going to go to Wichita for a vacation, why not stay home. In the Dallas area, you have countless options for unique and varied shopping and eating that just dont exist in either OKC or Wichita.

Would I want to live in Dallas....heck no. But i'll visit from time to time.

[OKCRT]

It's because of the volume of options in the metroplex. Nothing against Wichita, but it has less than OKC. So if you were going to go to Wichita for a vacation, why not stay home. In the Dallas area, you have countless options for unique and varied shopping and eating that just dont exist in either OKC or Wichita.

Would I want to live in Dallas....heck no. But i'll visit from time to time.

Plus,the iced tea in Wichita sucks. Seriously,seems like they make it weaker in KS for some reason.