Story & Images
By Michael Kiiney
I love to travel. Whether it’s for work or pleasure, nothing gets me more hyped than jumping on a plane, flying across an ocean and visiting new countries and learning about new cultures.
However, due to an abundance of reasons (Inflation, wars, shutdowns, ticket prices, five-hour TSA lines), my opportunities to travel internationally over the past year have been limited. And three months into 2026, it’s not looking much better.
Despite all of that, I still found myself feeling the need to get away last week. But instead of hopping on an 18-hour flight to Southeast Asia, I jumped in my car and drove two hours East from Oklahoma City to visit Tenkiller State Park in Vian.
While I am far from being someone who is fond of being in nature, I am someone who loves new experiences, and sadly, going to something as easily accessible as a state park would be considered a new experience to me.
There are 38 state parks in Oklahoma. The only two I had previously ever visited were Lake Texhoma (when I was a kid going to church camp) and Lake Thunderbird (when I was working for a newspaper and covering a death).
So, when I drove to Vian during Spring Break weekend, I was looking forward to just getting away, taking some photos, and relaxing without getting chased by wild animals.
I stayed at Blue Doors at Tenkiller, a cabin style hotel just outside Gore. It is located one mile from the lower Illinois River and two miles away from the Pine Cove Marina located at Lake Tenkiller.
Originally built as a motor court inn during the 1950s, Blue Doors (https://www.bluedoorsattenkiller.com/) consists of 13 individual casitas surrounded by a centralized courtyard and sits on 11 acres. It was recently purchased by new owners who updated and revamped the property.
Blue Doors (Photo Gallery) is cost-effective and the perfect location for someone trying to see everything in the area without going broke.
Even though, as I mentioned, I am not a fan of being in nature, I spent two days traversing Tenkiller State Park in amazing 85-degree weather. Some of the incredible views I found definitely earned its nickname “heaven in the hills.”
While I didn’t get into the water, I did watch other people partake in scuba diving, fishing, kayaking, and swimming. That was good enough for a land lover like myself.
At night, I would return to Blue Doors at Tenkiller and hang out under the night sky and chat with fellow guests as they put in work grilling up the fish they had caught earlier in the day or the meat they purchased at Harp’s Grocery Store.
On my final night, I went to Nana’s Place to get the chicken fried chicken dinner special, which I brought back to eat with the other guests.
It ended up being a nice, relaxing trip. Even the roosters that started crowing before the sun came up didn’t even bother me. As I watched the videos of people waiting in line for hours at the airport, I knew I had made the correct decision.
While I am still an international traveler and city dweller at heart, this trip, more than anything, was to prove to myself that new experiences can be found in your own backyard. You don’t have to break the bank and go broke by only going to places like New York, Paris, or Tokyo. Fun can be had in Vian, Oklahoma, as well.
So the next time I say I need to get away, but my wallet tells me to shut up, I just have to remember there are 35 state parks and 63 national parks that I have not been to yet.
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