In general, I don’t miss a lot about childhood. I rather enjoy having my own money, calling my own shots, and very occasionally (almost never) eating ice cream for dinner.

But there’s one thing about childhood I’ve been missing lately: Summer. The season didn’t go away when I became an adult, of course—it bears down on us every year with the long days, the sitting heat, the sense of restlessness.

My summers when I was a kid were straight out of a Calvin and Hobbes comic strip: There were entire worlds built out of imagination, a huge yard with a line of peach trees at the back, pool parties, road trips, and an endless feeling of possibility. Where will today take me? Who knows?

I’ve spent most of my adult life grumbling at summertime. In the house where I’ve lived for almost two decades, the attic opens directly into the master bedroom, so the nighttime temperature while I’m trying to sleep is frequently unworkable. There are kids and mosquitos everywhere, and the whole thing feels like it just goes on way too long. Even when football season is starting and I’m browsing Halloween decorations, summer stubbornly persists.

Then recently, I got to thinking about my sixth-grade self, the eleven-year-old kid who, at this time of year, would be greedily counting down the days until that final school bell rang. I missed that feeling of anticipation. And though I don’t get three months off this time of year like I used to, I decided I’m going to make friends with summer again. I’m going to take it by the hand, this chaotic and somewhat overzealous friend with whom I haven’t spent enough time, and just see what happens. Here’s some of what I’m looking forward to the next few months:

Our May/June cover features softballers Jocelyn Alo of the Oklahoma City Spark and Riley Ludlam of the Oklahoma Sooners

The cover of our May/June issue, hitting newsstands this week, features Jocelyn Alo of the Oklahoma City Spark and Riley Ludlam of the Oklahoma Sooners softball teams. As I type this, Oklahoma is ranked second behind Texas (!!!!), and Oklahoma State is standing at a strong number twelve, though I’m sure they’re headed up. Those girls are tough.

I was raised in a household that prized two things very highly: education and sports. Nightly workouts aside, I’m not an athlete, but my mom and brother are, my sister-in-law is, and my niece is seriously headed for some kind of sports fame. So of course we’ve been attending the Women’s College World Series for years.

Anyone who says America is broken needs to come out to the WCWS in Oklahoma City this year (it starts May 30). There are people of all political and societal stripes seated within arm’s reach of each other, shouting, cheering, enjoying. For me, it’s one of the year’s most exciting—and inspiring—events. And the best part? As teams are eliminated, more and more tickets become available, so if our local teams advance, there’s ample opportunity to go watch.

And once the World Series ends, there’s still plenty of diamond-shaped fun to be had. At the Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, I love watching the Oklahoma City Baseball Club (formerly the Dodgers, the Redhawks, and the 89ers), and Tulsa’s ONEOK Field, home of the Drillers, is always a good time. The tickets are cheap, the food is great, the beer is cold, and the baseball is . . . well, it’s baseball. What more do you need? How about the fact that in the last couple of years, I’ve had the chance to see both Clayton Kershaw and Jose Altuve playing at The Brick while recovering from injuries?

The exhibition Edith Head: Hollywood’s Costume Designer will run June 22 through September 29 at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art. Photo courtesy The Paramount Pictures Archive

If bats, gloves, and pop flys are staples of summer, so are blockbuster films. Last year, it was thrilling to see the movie Twisters film in Oklahoma City—this summer, I’m looking forward to watching it when it releases in July.

But that’s just one small piece of my movie plan for the summer. As ever, I’m so stoked about the deadCenter Film Festival, one of my favorite summer events. Bridging four days in early June, the festival is a whirlwind of screenings, parties, random encounters with friends and amazing Oklahoma creatives, and a delightful chance to see Oklahoma City through the eyes of visitors. I especially look forward to the yearly outdoor free screenings—they’re always some of my favorite films of the festival.

And not long after deadCenter closes, another amazing Hollywood thing opens in Oklahoma City—specifically at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, where the exhibition Edith Head: Hollywood’s Costume Designer will run from June 22 through September 29, featuring film costumes and sketches from the 1930s up to the 1960s that have appeared in some of the most famous movies of all time.

The Farmers Market at Scissortail Park in Oklahoma City is open every Saturday April through October.

Even if you’re a fully committed summer hater, it’s hard to deny it’s the most delicious season. Oh sure, fall has pumpkin spice, and winter has so many holiday treats, but summer? Summer has plants.

Specifically, summer has fruits and vegetables, and in Oklahoma, we’ve got ‘em good. Tulsa has an amazing Farmers Market near the Kendall-Whittier District, and Oklahoma City’s Farmers Market is open and bustling in a fun, hip district that includes Urban Agrarian and some seriously delicious places to eat including Power House and The Loaded Bowl. Every Saturday, my husband and I visit both of Oklahoma City’s markets, loading up on locally grown fruits, vegetables, and meat for the week—and absolutely loving the chance to get out and be among our fellow Oklahomans in the sunshine. Nobody’s sad at a farmer’s market. Well, probably somebody is—but in far fewer numbers than in a normal market.

Fresh produce also plays a role in some of the most enjoyable events that happen around the state every year: food festivals. Whether the Strawberry Festival in Stilwell on May 10 (coming up!), the Porter and Stratford peach festivals and the McLoud Blackberry Festival in July, the Rush Springs Watermelon Festival in August, food festivals might be America at its finest—and perhaps its most delicious.

Last year, we spent our anniversary in the tiny cabins by the river at Beavers Bend State Park. This was the view of the Lower Mountain Fork River out our front door. Photo by Nathan Gunter

One of the best things about working at Oklahoma Tourism is that we get two free nights to stay at a state park every year. In the past, I’ve used these stays to visit Beavers Bend, Lake Wister, and Roman Nose state parks, to name a few.

This year, I’m looking forward to having a new state park experience. I just received my Oklahoma Fishing License in the mail a couple weeks back, so this experience will absolutely include dangling a line in the water. Will I do it from the scenic shores of Tenkiller, in the lake at Foss like when I was a kid, or into Tom Steed Lake at Great Plains? The possibilities are endless.

I’m a huge fan of Sequoyah State Park, but I’ve never spent a night in the fabulous midcentury lodge there. I’ve stayed at the amazing lodge at Robbers Cave, but I’ve never in my life ridden a horse, so maybe that’s the destination for me?

With all the stuff to do at state parks, the choice gets a little tough.

I might not be a kid anymore, but I’m going to try to lean into this giddy anticipation I feel at the arrival of summer. And whether I use a cardboard box to explore an imaginary world in my backyard or hit five state park trails with my boots and my dog, I’m sure it’s going to be a season to remember. What are you looking forward to this summer? Hit me up at Nathan.Gunter@TravelOK.com and let me know! Maybe we’ll run into each other out there.

Written By

Nathan Gunter

A sixth-generation Oklahoman, Weatherford native, and Westmoore High School graduate, Nathan Gunter is the magazine's editor-in-chief. When he's not editor-in-chiefing, Nate enjoys live music, running, working out, gaming, cooking, and random road trips with no particular destination in mind. He holds degrees from Wake Forest University and the University of Oklahoma. He learned how to perform poetry from Maya Angelou; how to appreciate Italian art from Terisio Pignatti; comedy writing from Doug Marlette; how to make coconut cream pie from his great-grandma; and how not to approach farm dogs from trial and error. A seminary dropout, he lives just off Route 66 in Oklahoma City.