Let me pose to you this question - what’s better than a freshly baked chocolate chip cookie? Here at Ride OKC we say - nothing. That’s why we offer a Ride OKC Cookie Tour monthly for all your sugar, butter and flour needs. Not to mention the chocolate chips that we love so dearly! Our Cookie Tour takes you by bike to all sorts of bakeries, and a full chocolate chip cookie is provided at each stop!
Our Cookie Tour is led by our knowledgeable tour guide, Bailey Gordon of Cookie-Tour.com! She leads the group of cookie monsters throughout Oklahoma City, stopping for sweet treats along the way! We caught up with Bailey to ask her some questions about her love for Chocolate Chip Cookies, the tour, and more!
How did the website Cookie Tour come about?
I had the idea for Cookie Tour kind of by accident! I was traveling for work and killing a lot of time in coffee shops in between meetings. I don’t drink coffee but wanted to purchase something in exchange for using a shop’s WiFi, so I always bought a chocolate chip cookie if they had one (shout out to my mom for always having our cookie jar stocked and starting my obsession). I jokingly started posting photos of the cookies I found on Instagram with #CookieTour and it stuck! I found that people loved seeing the cookies way more than my face, and friends would stop me at parties, the grocery store, and really anywhere and ask me about my Cookie Tour. Everyone wanted to come with, so I thought I’d create a space where I could introduce my friends to the cookies I tasted and maybe even share them with cookie lovers everywhere!
Where do you think the cookie capital of America is?
OKC, duh!! But really, in my opinion, it’s NYC. The cookies there are out of this world and the creativity is unmatched. Plus, New York is so big that there are simply more fantastic shops there than anywhere else.
I think it’s worth a mention that when I went to the annual Tulsa Cookie Crawl this past year, I met a woman who is trying to market Tulsa as the Cookie Capital of the World. She even made mugs to prove it! I admire her commitment and cheer her on in her endeavors.
What is your favorite type of cookie other than chocolate chip?
This is a tough one. I think it’s a toss-up between a nice chewy peanut butter cookie and a snickerdoodle. Both are simply delightful. My Grammy makes the best snickerdoodles so I have a special place in my heart for them.
Tell me a little bit about the Cookie Tour Partnership with Ride OKC?
While I’d been Cookie Touring unofficially for a while, I really got inspired to start the blog after a trip to New York. I took a food tour through Foods of NY and loved the way they wove in stories about the neighborhood and its history in between each food stop. I thought it would be so much fun for people who are as passionate about cookies as I am to experience cities by tasting their best cookies. I started out creating that experience through my posts, but I wanted it to grow beyond the blog and be able to share it in-person.
It was truly a coincidence that at the same time I launched my blog, Ryan and Ashley launched Ride OKC. Suddenly, there was a format in Oklahoma City for making my literal Cookie Tour dreams come true! I’d known and admired Ryan and Ashley for a while, so I reached out and asked if they’d want to partner and they were all for it. It’s been wonderful getting to be even better friends with them and showing tourists and locals alike around our city!
Name your favorite Girl Scout Cookie.
Tagalongs. #1 always and forever. I do enjoy a Thin Mint fresh out of the freezer, though!
What's your favorite cookie in OKC?
That’s hard for me to say! Clearly I’m a huge fan of all the cookies on the tour and I have many other favorites that weren’t within cycling distance. Part of the beauty of Cookie Tour is that it allows people to find their favorite cookie based on their own tastes (of which, I’ve learned, are many and varied). For example, some people like a soft, chewy cookie. Some like thin, crunchy cookies. Some like them totally full of melted chocolate (me!) and some enjoy more dough. All that to say, I don’t want to skew anyone’s opinion by sharing my favorite. I want everyone to discover the best for themselves!
And anything else you would like to say?
I know it sounds cheesy, but the best thing about starting Cookie Tour has been meeting incredible people along the way. I’ve connected with bakers in several states, fellow cookie fans, our Ride OKC riders, and more. These connections remind me why I love chocolate chip cookies in the first place. They make people smile and instantly warm up to others. That simple joy is something that we don’t always stop to appreciate, so it’s been the most special and unexpected result of Cookie Tour.
I am always looking for recommendations for cookies to add to the blog, so please send your favorites my way!
It's no surprise this ride is very popular with kids, especially with birthday parties. Ride OKC offers an array of kid friendly bike rentals, but you are also welcome to bring your own bike. Check the Cookie Tour calendar at RideOKC.com. Hopefully we'll see you soon!
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