Oklahoma City, OK 28 Mar - 2 Apr 2010

Boy is it hot here today and still very windy!!! Like everywhere else they are experiencing up and down weather. There will be severe thunderstorms Friday which I hope will happen after we depart early that morning. We have enjoyed our stay here in OK City, more than we anticipated…was not aware of how much there is to do here. From the OK History center (a Smithsonian Affiliate), the Museum of Art, the OK City National Memorial & Museum, Tinker AFB, Myriad Botanical Gardens & Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory, a minor league baseball team, and then there’s the famous Bricktown area.

It is centrally located in the heart of the city near the Ford Convention Center. It was originally the location of a Army detachment to provide law and order for the newly settled City. It became a trade center and the railroad ran through it which connected the prairie with the rest of the world. It is now the hub of OK City’s activity and entertainment. It is very pretty and you can enjoy a blue’s bar’s, country music bars, eating at the many restaurants or just walking around the winding canal or riding one of the many canal boats…it reminded us so much of San Antonio’s river walk area.

Neither of us had ever been to Tinker AFB so we did our shopping there one day and had lunch at the BX. It is a huge base!! We felt so at home with all those blue uniforms!! Must say they all looked so young!!

Our most memorable time was spent in the OK City National Memorial & Museum; a tribute to those 168 who succombed (including 19 children), the surviving co-workers and families and those who served during the rescue on that fateful day of April 19, 1995 and the days following. It was very moving from the first moment you hear a recording of a meeting being held in the Water Dept Bldg next door and all of a sudden you hear the explosion and all the hysteria. The bldg was literally lifted off its foundation and now serves as the museum as the Murrah Federal Bldg was torn down after the bombing. There are three floors and you see a lot of things found from the blast, pieces of the bldg, photos of the victims, all about Timothy Mc Veigh and finally his execution. Outside there are individual markers along the reflecting pool, there are still flowers and expressions of grief along the fence and across the street is a statue of Jesus with his back to the site with his head bowed in his hands in sorrow.
The words to the entrance says "We come here to remember those who were killed, those who survived and those changed forever. May all who leave here know the impact of violence. May this memorial offer comfort, strength, peace, hope and serenity." It was very moving and a strong reminder of how acts of terrorism can hit us anytime and anywhere with no warning.

Things did look up though as we found an Indian restaurant ( as in India) and we were in heaven with all that good food!!! Well friends, it’s off to Santa Fe and more adventures!! We are looking forward to revisiting some places and exploring some we didn’t get to before!!