Last week, Visit Norman invited me and some other Dallas Fitness Ambassadors out to explore their city! I have to admit, when asked to go to Norman, OK I thought of two things – tornadoes and cow pastures. While they (kinda) have both of those things, there was MUCH more going on in the college town than I expected. While there are plenty of things I didn’t see, here are the things I did and would go back for!
Act Like A Bebe Kid At HeyDay
Bowling, laser tag, video games, and a high ropes course are just a few of the reasons you HAVE to make HeyDay your first stop in Norman! On top of that, they have a much more extensive menu than I would have expected! One thing I didn’t do that I wish I had time for was mini golf! I haven’t done that in forever but will definitely be hitting it up the next time I go!
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Eat Until Your Belly Pops At Volare
Once again, I underestimated all that is Norman when it came to the food scene! First of all, for it to be a small town they have LOTS of food options! While I wasn’t able to eat all of them, we did hit up Volare which is about 2 blocks from The University of Oklahoma. Hands down my favorite thing there was the Popper, a jalapeño artichoke dip. As I’m writing this post, I wish I had their recipe to much on! They also have pizzas that have some pretty interesting toppings. My favorite was the King Parma that’s topped with prosciutto.
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Workout At Marriott Conference Center
We stayed at the Marriott Conference Center at NCED when we stayed in Norman. This hotel gave me TOTAL flashbacks of living on an Air Force Base because it was a one stop shop. In addition to have a restaurant, bar, and gift shop, they also have a fitness center unlike any hotel I’ve ever seen. I’m talking basketball courts, volleyball nets, a group fitness room, a pool – I could really go on and on. But check out the pictures below to see what they had to offer!
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Make an Epic Ice-cream Sandwich at The Baked Bear
If you have a major sweet tooth (and even if you don’t) you have to stop by The Baked Bear. This local’s favorite is a build your own ice-cream sandwich shop and is a must-have on your trip to Norman! Not only to you get to choose your ice cream, but you get to choose what it is sandwiched with (I chose a chocolate chip cookie and a brownie) as well as what toppings go around it. Clearly I had to choose the mini M&M’s! Plus, if you want they’ll put it in a heated sandwich press that makes it easier to hold.
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Tour The National Weather Center
The National Weather Center is a must-see on your trip to Norman. I was thoroughly impressed by how FEW people I saw working in the huge building. To think that only a handful of people are able to do so much (like send out all of those severe weather alerts that scare the bejeezus out of me) is kind of crazy. I was also impressed by the art gallery on the main level of the weather center! There were props from the movie Twister, and weather shots from all over the US. Plus, one side of the building is made up completely of glass! This caught me off guard because, well, this place is in the middle of tornado alley and that doesn’t sound safe to me. But apparently it is one of the safest places to be. They even have kevlar in the walls to keep them from tumbling down!
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As you can see, Norman has a LOT to offer! From food to activities, there is a ton to do. A few things I’ll be going back for are to watch an OU game, to shop at the boutiques in Campus Commons, and to try this donut shop we saw people lining up at in the afternoon!
If you want to see more of what we did in Norman, check out this post from Mai Lyn, of Deep Fried Fit.
Have you ever been to Norman? What are your favorite things to do there? What do I need to try the next time I’m in town? Let me know in the comments below!
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This trip was sponsored by Visit Norman, however, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
