A good friend suggested the idea for this column. In years past we have headed to the beach for a summer vacation. This year money and time just won't allow. My friend suggested a column about quick, local trips to make that include the arts.

Travel up I-35 and you’ll come close to Ponca City, a part of the Red Carpet Country. One of my favorite statues stands there. The Pioneer Woman stands 17 feet and is located just outside a museum which features outstanding contributions of women to America. For diversity in learning, take in the Conoco Interactive Oil Museum. If you time it right the Poncan theater is presenting “Grease” on July 9 to 12.

Head west on I-44 and you will land in the Fort Sill/Lawton region, also known as Great Plains Country. I’ve had the pleasure of visiting the Percussive Arts Society Museum there and it was a great experience, the kids will love it. While there don’t miss at least a drive through the Wichita Mountain Wildlife Refuge. For military history lovers the Fort Sill National Landmark has lots to offer.

U.S. 69 will take you into Arbuckle Country and I picked Durant as a destination point. Located near Lake Texoma, there’s all kinds of water activities. For the arts, try the Oklahoma Shakespeare Festival which has shows throughout July. Durant also makes a nice stop over even if your destination is Texas, oh my.

North on I-35 takes you to Frontier Country and good ole Guthrie. Towards the end of July you can catch “The Last Five Years” live onstage at the Pollard Theater. Besides being historic the Pollard is the only professional yearround theater company in the state. There are also several quality art galleries downtown. Another option is the Music Hall to catch some bluegrass from Byron Berline. Frontier Country also offers

The Woody Guthrie Folk Festival, held July 8 to 12 in Okemah.

South on U.S. 59 ribbons through Kiamichi Country. Poteau is the county seat and home to some very unique arts. For those of you too young to remember, the Drive In Movies were a part of our American culture experience for many years. You can still enjoy that experience at the Triple Screen Drive In Theater. If you've timed it right try a drive down the Talimena Scenic Drive or visit Lake Wister State Park. My favorite though is the Spiro Mounds Archeological Park and Interpretive center. It provides an awesome look at our ancient Indian culture.

Right here in old Green Country is an opportunity you won’t want to miss. The Canebrake, down by Wagoner, is partnering with the 8th annual DFest Music conference to offer Oklahoma’s first DFest Yoga Conference and Festival. It is slated for July 24 to 25 in downtown Tulsa. What makes this conference special is that for many of the sessions, live music will be played. A quote from their promotion reads, “Throughout these two days, we’ll explore how both the yoga and music communities work and play together in harmony to support a revolution towards higher thinking.” Don’t you just love it when they talk like that? There are classes for beginners and for the seasoned “sadhakas.”

Here are just a few state offerings to plan for next year. Bartlesville is home to OK Mozart Festival. Don’t let the title fool you, the music offerings are varied and include a really wonderful children’s series. Just down U.S. 69 to Pryor, it’s not too late to enjoy the Rocklahoma festival in July or start planning for Country Fever, 2010.

You can Google any of the cities and events above.