Why go there

Home to both the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum and a downtown Arts District, Oklahoma City is a mix of cowboy and cosmopolitan. It is the state capital and has a metro area population of 1.1 million.

What to do there

In the historic warehouse district, Bricktown has become a hot spot for entertainment and shopping. Home to the city’s new NBA team, Oklahoma City Thunder, and the AT&T Bricktown Ballpark, Bricktown features a mile-long canal that visitors can travel by water taxi. Not too far away is downtown, home to the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum and the Oklahoma City Museum of Art. The city also offers up the Adventure District, boasting three museums, the Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Gardens, a horse-racing track and casino and 20-screen theater complex.

Must see

An oasis in downtown Oklahoma City, the Myriad Botanical Gardens and Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory are among the city’s landmarks. Be sure to check the garden’s Web site (myriadgardens.com) before you visit.

Save this date

Each year more than 100 Native American tribes come together in downtown Oklahoma City to celebrate their heritage. The three-day event, known as the Red Earth Festival, will begin June 18.