Ventures with the Valenti: The Wheeler Ferris Wheel

It was a tough week for humans, and a tough week for us with Daddy traveling, so we just needed to get outside and enjoy some time together with our family on a new adventure. The weather was perfect, so we decided to visit the new and upcoming area of OKC, the Wheeler District and their recently opened Wheeler Ferris Wheel! It is even infamous for it's appearances in Forrest Gump, Titanic, and Iron Man. Here is an article from NewsOK about more of what the developers are planning, and it sounds like it is going to be another great addition to our beautiful city!

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What & Where: 
The Wheeler Ferris Wheel is located at 1701 S. Western, just off I-40 and the Oklahoma River. The Oklahoma City skyline is on display as the backdrop, and it is just amazing! Though we didn't get many pictures of the grounds, they are family friend and fun: picnic tables, friendly music, yard games, clean restrooms (with a changing table), shade from the stacked packing containers, and grassy areas to spread out picnic blankets. They have a snack bar with chips, granola bars, and drinks, but also plan to have food trucks regularly! We had a little of each...ordered our main course from one of my favorite food trucks, Buttermilk Southern Sliders, brought a few snacks of our own, and grabbed a cold soda from their snack bar.

Here's a great picture from their Facebook page, that accurately displays the great views!

After we ate, we got our tickets and didn't have to wait but about 5 minutes. The cost is just $6 per person, and ages 0-3 are free. You can also get a day pass for $10 or a season pass for $30. We then took some pictures with the extra large "OKC", that I am sure will become an icon of our city. And finally, we got in line for the Ferris Wheel and waited with much excitement from Ellie, our 3-year-old! The wait was longer than what should usually be expected for us, because they needed to make a quick fix while we were in line. The staff greatly apologized, but we didn't mind with such a beautiful night to enjoy! We shared our gondola with another family of three, but there was still plenty of room to enjoy our ride. Walt, who is 4-months, hung with friends while we rode. Though it is still up to the rider, they do not recommend infants, pregnant women, or individuals with other serious health conditions to ride, just like an other ride at a theme park.

 

 So pretty from every angle!

The ride around last about 10 minutes, and we were able to see far and wide at the top. It was not even a little scary for Ellie, and she really enjoyed it!

When:
Monday-Thursday, 11:00 am - 9:00 pm
Friday & Saturday, 11:00 am - 10:00 pm

Our favorite part: 
The ride on the Ferris Wheel, of course! But really the whole evening was so much fun, and a perfect place to meet up with friends too. And I love seeing people of all ages there, even our city's own mayor, Mick Cornett!

Things we would do differently next time:
Honestly, nothing that I can think of! We arrived about 7:00, as it was cooling off, ate our dinner, got our tickets, took a few pictures by the OKC, and got in line for the Ferris Wheel!

We hope to go again soon with more friends and family, so maybe we'll see you there! Until then, you can keep up with their events by following their Facebook page!