Story by Mallory Paruszewski and Liberty Goodnow
Jodie Bradford and Emma Cline were great tour guides to help us get to know the city of Alva and what it has to offer. Jodie is the director of the Chamber of Commerce and Emma is the community technology specialist. Their main focus for the city is to promote local businesses and tourism all while planning fun events to keep the community involved.
Obviously, visitors are going to want to know what Alva has to offer before they make a trip out to Northwestern Oklahoma, so that’s why I would encourage everyone to sign up for their newsletter. This is sent out weekly, via email, and includes all the events for the week. They also have a website filled with everything you need to know to plan your trip. Once you arrive in Alva, you can stop in at the visitor center right off of Oklahoma Blvd. Jodie said, “living in Alva, I feel like we are all connected to one another. We all want to help each other.” In other words, stop in and see them so they can help you get the best experience out of Alva while you are visiting!
Start your day at one of the three state parks that surround Alva; The Gloss Mountains, The Little Sahara and The Great Salt Plains. Then for lunch, you can stop for a yummy meal at one of the many restaurants offered. Among your options are Taco Village, 818 Diner, Cancun or El Maya just before you head to the square for some shopping. There is a wide variety of boutiques, junk shops, and murals that catch your eye around every corner. After all, we are the mural capital of Oklahoma! Since most of the visitors come in the hot months of Spring and Summer, Holder Drug is another hot spot you can’t miss. After digging for crystals at the Salt Plains and touring the caves at the Alabaster Caverns, the Jack and Jill ice cream will most definitely hit the spot. To wrap up the evening, you’ll have to get a soda and popcorn at Rialto and watch your favorite movie in the ‘grand’ theater that’s been open for nearly seven decades.
Alva is a community that you’re not going to want to miss out on and when we asked Jodie why she would encourage others to come here, her response was spot on. “It’s the people… that’s why I love staying here. This is my family, I feel like Alva is one big family.” So pack your bags and head this way for an experience you can’t get anywhere else!
