Traveling Gluten-free: Broken Bow, OK

Aaron and I just celebrated our 23rd wedding anniversary. The upside of having a 19yr old - you can leave them at home when you go on vacation! Built-in pet sitter and house sitter in one and all it costs you are groceries, what more can you ask for?

Aaron knows I will work if we don't get away from the house. (Today I test baked bread and make edible cookie dough on my day off lol.) So, we booked a cabin near Beavers Bend State Park in Broken Bow, OK.

This is actually our second trip. We went in July of 2020 during Covid. We couldn't do much but enjoy the lake, so we wanted to go back and see what Hochatown had to offer. We booked a cabin with Sweetwater Cabins. It was beautiful with high ceilings, marble everywhere, tall evergreens, and a hot tub! The only downsides were the roads and driveway (luckily we drive a 4x4 truck) and the lack of internet. I literally had to email my daughter to check in because we had no cell service and spotty internet. It was a challenge. (I have definitely forgotten growing up without cell phones or the internet.)

So backing up a bit, when we travel anywhere - whether hotel or rental - I always take some food with me and I ALWAYS check nearby restaurants around us. I did this before being gluten-free, but it has become even more important now. It proved two-fold as many businesses in Hochatown closed at 8 or 9, so you had to plan your day around that. Also, there is no Walmart or real grocery store. The one "market" was super expensive ($9 for 2 sticks of butter) and had limited inventory.

I planned for a cabin experience, so we took most things like bread and meat, but of course, you always forget something. I was happy to be able to eat out twice while we were there. Grateful Head Pizza has gluten-free crust and even offers a gluten-free cheese bread. The pizza was good - we had a supreme - but the crust was hard and the cheese bread was almost too tough to eat. Still, I was able to share a pizza with Aaron - so I'll take it as a win!

The other meal was at Girls Gone Wine. We stopped in for a wine tasting (you have to make a reservation for the free tasting) and afterward I saw they had charcuterie boards. They even offered gluten-free crackers! We grabbed frozen peach bellinis and hung out in the outdoor seating to enjoy our snacks. It was a little pricy ($41) for the charcuterie for 2 with meat, but we were on vacation, so I tried not to let my frugal side get the best of me.

The trip was relaxing. We went on a whiskey distillery tour, when kayaking, traversed a giant maze, and just enjoyed each other's company. But there is no place like home.

It was hard for me in the beginning and I still struggle now, but I can say - travel is possible. The important things to remember are planning - bring food/snacks, look up places before the trip, and most importantly, don't be afraid to ask. It's your health and you should enjoy your trip just like everyone else.