If you want a fun girl’s getaway, consider a trip to Pawkhuska, Oklahoma. You might wonder what in the world there is to do in such a little town out in the middle of nowhere, but I’m here to tell you it’s the perfect girl’s day.

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You could take the whole family, but as the home of the Pioneer Woman’s Mercantile, it might just be more fun to grab the girls and ditch the kids. This quaint little town is the home of Ree Drummond, and she’s set up shop to welcome the world to this tourist location.

Pawhuska is in Osage County, Oklahoma, and 57 miles from Tulsa. Its centralized location makes it a perfect day trip. Of course, the town has some cute places to stay if you’re coming further.

A Destination to Eat and Shop!

I’ve been to Pawhuska a couple of times now. Initially, I thought it was just a place to shop and eat. Of course, if you want to do those things, there’s plenty of opportunity. Still, it turns out that Pawhuska, OK offers other attractions too, including:

• The Osage National Museum
• The Swinging Bridge
• Lodge Tours
• The Mercantile
• Lots of Shopping!

While I’ve only ever eaten, shopped, ate some more, shopped some more, and then looked around, I do see why you’d want to check into some of the hotels and spend some time here. As far as hotels go, there are some cute options, including Ree’s hotel upstairs from the Merc.

If you’re an adrenaline junky, try out the bridge. Even stepping on it makes it sway. I suppose that’s how it got its name, “the swinging bridge.” Heads up, it’s closed for repairs, but that should only be encouraging when you make your trip. It’ll be safer, right?

While there are no rules to a girl’s trip (that’s the first rule, right?), we almost always start out at the Pioneer Woman Mercantile. I’ll tell you why. First of all, in my opinion, this is the original draw to the town. Also, there’s an amazing coffee shop and bakery upstairs.

Grab a burst of energy and a sweet treat, snag a chair next to one of the large upstairs windows and plot your day. Our last trip was centered around food, but is that really a bad thing?

We did lunch at P-Town Pizza. I’d be lying if I said there was a pizza out there better than the Steakhouse Pizza. I don’t know what those shaved mushroom chips are, but man, if they aren’t great. We also had a Fig & Prosciutto pie that a more adventurous eater at our table ordered. I was not disappointed at all by that one, either. The Not Knots are worth fighting someone over!

The whole town is absolutely adorable! P-Town Pizza is located on the second floor of the cutest little building across the street from the mercantile. It’s also almost next door to Charlie’s Sweet Shop, which we set our eyes on for later.

After lunch, we made our way through the town shop-by-shop to see everything there. In addition to the different stores owned and run by Ree, this place is home to more than 13 different shops and boutiques. Each vendor is friendly and inviting and has a host of information about the town they readily give you in casual conversation. We hit up the actual mercantile, and while it’s adorably set up, you might be underwhelmed if you’re a fanatic like myself. I did see some of her clothing that I don’t personally own, but otherwise, my kitchen is as impressive as the store (but again, I’m a fanatic with a pioneer woman trash can, air fryer, toaster, and knife set too). It’s cute and worth going to.

My favorite shop had the coolest guitar art hanging on the walls. It was a clothing boutique, but it was fun, funky, and encouraged a little bit of a woman’s wild side. Some shops can be a bit pricey, while others offer very affordable deals. We did run across the local drugstore, where nostalgia took over. Seriously, we laughed and laughed about the $1.99 floppy disk bundle.

We walked the shops for hours and needed a break, so we trekked back to Charlie’s Sweet Shop. Knowing that dinner at the Pioneer Woman Restaurant was coming up, I opted for just a scoop please. At $1.50, it was well worth the price to grab a sweet treat while taking a seat and getting a reprieve from the heat.

We continued on our shopping adventures after the snack break and wandered into The Water Bird Gallery. Okay, I might have lied earlier. This one was my favorite shop. It hosts hand-made jewelry, headdresses, bags, and scarves from people of the Osage Indian tribe. The shop owners are Natives, and I think we talked for an hour about the town’s history and the influence of Native American culture in the area.

We couldn’t leave without having dinner at the restaurant. I’ve gone here before, and the wait time exceeded four hours, so keep an eye on that throughout the day, as there is no way to make a reservation. You simply put your name on the list and wait your turn. We lucked out on the last trip and had almost no wait, but if you’re hungry it could get hairy here.

The menu is kept pretty simple, but each dish is delicious! I mean, as absolutely divine as you’d expect, I suppose. Everyone’s food was perfectly made, tender as intended, or full of flavor as chosen. The last time I went there, I got the Drip Beef Sandwich, and I might have taken your hand off if you asked for a bite. It was piled high with perfectly seasoned and juicy meat. Dipping it in the dripping only made it more delectable. We ended there and set home with bellies full, feet sore, and a million laughs on the ride back.

The Perfect Girl’s Trip

Pawhuska, Oklahoma, isn’t a girl’s only town. I’ve just found that it’s more fun when your trip is exclusive in this way. Sure, the family might have fun at the swinging bridge. They might learn a thing or two at the museum if you go, but overall this destination might just be more fun without them.

The Lodge is open to tourists, but you’ll have to look ahead and schedule your trip on a day that it’s open to the public. The Lodge is where the Pioneer Woman films her show on Food Network. You’ll need to call ahead and get your tickets at the Merc on the day you go. I’ve never been, but it’s going on my bucket list.

My trips here are usually spur of the moment, so the Lodge has never lined up to be open for tours. You can plan ahead for it, though, and center your trip around the tour. Still, if you head here on a whim with no plan (another girls’ road trip rule), you’ll have a full day of fun.

Book Your Pawhuska Getaway

If you’ve decided this is a trip you need, plan ahead and schedule now. Book a rental or a hotel. You can also get tickets to other attractions here.

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