Destination Tulsa: The Gathering Place

So many sights! So many sounds! So much to experience …except you are in college with a limited budget, and you have projects, homework and work to keep you away from exploring Tulsa. Maybe it’s time to stop and breathe in the fresh air! In order to progress, you’ve got to digress and take a break from your current surroundings. Take a deep breath, and let it all out! You can still look around to discover something new to love. Here in Tulsa, there are plenty of places to choose from — it’s just a matter of saying “okay.”
With the given circumstances, it’s totally understandable that you really don’t want to go anywhere. Nevertheless, when the pandemic starts to fade and things get back to what they once were (if they ever do), you’ll want to start looking. Even without the pandemic going on, before you graduate, you might think to yourself, “huh, I’ve been here for about four years, and I never once explored the city of Tulsa. I’ve got to do something before I leave.” The good news for you is that you still can get out and see the local sights.
If you are looking for a place to have fun and escape TU, there is the Gathering Place alongside the Arkansas River, just 15 minutes from campus. It’s pretty new, having been established in the fall of 2018. Basically, it consists of smaller places within the expansive location that’s ever growing. Though the attraction is recent, there is a lot to offer all year long. As you guessed it, the attractions have a lot to do with nature and preserving wildlife here in Tulsa. Nevertheless, they do have other stuff, such as three restaurants to socialize and eat and a walking trail. They also have boat rentals, and a small museum. Aside from this there are other events hosted in the Green Space, an interactive and quaint section of the Gathering Place.
If that’s not your cup of tea, but you are intrigued by the call of the wild, consider going there anyways; they have spots where you can study and relax away from the dorms (especially when most of the usual spots on campus are closed off due to social distancing). Rather you get to spend time breathing in fresh air and being productive while crossing off something on your college bucket list (or whatever list you have dedicated to trying something fun and exciting). Aside from the attractions, you can also host events, such as parties, weddings and planned proposal events. It might be a great place to even have your graduation ceremony or goodbye party if you go study abroad later on.
Considering that you might want to go to the Gathering Place to have fun and actually get away from your studies and get off campus, there are playgrounds and swing sets that are available for kids and even for the kid at heart. If you are really feeling it, well, you are in luck. The Gathering Place is extremely diverse- they also have a skate park where you can spend hours grinding away at new turns and tricks.
If you want serenity, the Gathering Place has a plethora of gardens to hide in. The flowers are fresh and oh so colorful, so you’ll forget that you’re in a garden in the middle of Tulsa and feel like you are in your own private fantasy land.
Though with COVID-19, things have been hectic. Nevertheless, the Gathering Place has slowly opened back up and is ready for tourists and Tulsa natives to come out and enjoy the scenery they have to offer. Regardless of being in public, you can delve into your private thoughts and have a change in environment, which is great given the current situation. The good news is that even during the pandemic, they are still looking to expand, so you’ll have more options. You can check more on their official website. In the meantime, I highly recommend visiting the Gathering Place for relaxation.