INFORMATION AND TIPS IN BRIEF Climate and time to travel
“Big Sky Country” – endless horizons and constant breezes are the hallmarks of Oklahoma and Kansas. With so many stars visible in such enormous skies, these two states are ideal for stargazing and you are unlikely to experience such impressive thunderstorms anywhere else. The months of May and July are the best time to travel, when the prairies are full of fl owers and blossom, and the days especially long, but September and October are also eminently suitable. To enjoy a host of summer events, come between June and August.
The average annual temperature is around 18° C; in winter (January) it can fall to -8° C and climb above 30° C in the summer (July). Depending on the area, the summers can be warm or even hot and in order to avoid drought, there are many reservoirs. As a rule, winters are mild in the southern areas, but snow can lie for longer in the North. As the centre of North America lacks a mountain range to stand between the cold polar air in the North and the warm wet air over the Gulf of Mexico, the area can experience exciting yet also fearsome climatic extremes on occasion, such as tornados and hail storms.
Time zones
Kansas and Oklahoma are in two time zones: Central Daylight Time/CDT – a difference of 6 hours (behind) our GMT and Mountain Standard Time/MST (7 hours) in the western parts of Kansas. Daylight Saving Time/DST applies from the 2nd Sunday in March to the 2nd Sunday in November.
How to get there
The main airports for Kansas are Kansas City International and Wichita Mid Continent Airport. In Oklahoma, you can fl y to Tulsa International and Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City. It is not possible to fl y directly to any of these airports from Europe, making it necessary to change planes once.
On the Road
A hire car is essential for independent travellers. Hire car companies such as Avis, Hertz and Alamo have offi ces at the airports. It is advisable from a
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fi nancial and an insurance point of view to reserve a rental car from home. As a rule, the charges are lower and the packages on offer include fl at rate insurance deals, free kilometres and other costs. Mini-SUVS are a good choice for the area to ensure comfort and convenience. The speed limit is 75mph/120 km/h (interstate) or 70 mph/112 km/h (city approaches) in OK and 70 mph/112 km/h everywhere in KS.
One special experience is a motorcycle tour on one of 17 scenic byways and on Route 66. There are reliable companies which rent out motorcycles: EagleRider has a rental offi ce in Tulsa/OK and Oklahoma City/OK (
www.eaglerider.com).
A little more forward planning and organizational expertise is required to explore the Heartland by camper van. Reservation in advance is required. Major suppliers are El Monte RV, Cruise America and Moturis. There are suffi cient camp sites with all the facilities (full hook- up and cabins) (
www.ksrvparks.com and
www.outdoorsok.com/Oklahoma/Campgrounds).
Overnight accommodation
Both states offer a wide range from simple motels, historic and modern hotels, guest and working ranches, inns and resorts to romantic and atmospheric bed and breakfasts. For information on all kinds of accommodation, go to
www.TravelKS.com (“Places to Stay”) and
www.TravelOK.com (Hotels&Lodging“).
INFORMATION:
On the Internet:
www.travelks.com l
www.travelok.com
Kansas/Oklahoma Travel & Tourism UK & Ireland Information Service C/O Derek Mackenzie-Hook Bowerhope House Selkirk TD7 5LF UK
Tel. + 44 (0) 8450 533 290 E-Mail:
info@travelKSOK.co.uk and from many travel agents.
www.travelks.com l
www.travelok.com l
info@travelKSOK.co.uk l +44 (0) 8450 533 290
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