Oklahoma: “Where West Meets Wild”
We spent more than a week in the Oklahoma capital and have really enjoyed ourselves. This area continues to be a land of surprises with virtually something for everyone. We continued to learn about the Native American culture, the Western heritage and the cosmopolitan sophistication of this gem on the Plaines.
This was, however, tempered by the prevailing awareness that Oklahoma City was home to the heinous acts of August 19, 1995. The Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building was the target of the Oklahoma City bombing, the most significant act of domestic terrorism on American soil. A place where so many people died could easily have been commemorated as one vast cemetery, but those who designed the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum chose a gentler and far more hopeful path. The Outdoor Symbolic Memorial, spanning the downtown block where the bombing occurred, has been widely recognized as perhaps the most hopeful and unique memorial site in the United States. From a peaceful field of lighted chairs, across a shallow Reflecting Pool to the sturdy Survivor Tree, the Memorial’s outdoor sections create a sense of calm assurance. It is not only a fitting tribute but also a place of gentle reflection. The grassy Field of Chairs overlooks a block-long Reflecting Pool, which is in turn flanked on the east and west by soaring bronze gates, which symbolically frame the moment of the explosion at 9:02 a.m... One, marked 9:01, represents the peace that prevailed seconds before the bomb exploded. The second, marked 9:03, symbolizes the bomb’s aftermath, when, as the Memorial mission statement notes, those affected by the bomb were “changed forever.” The 168 empty chairs hand-crafted from glass, bronze, and stone represent those who lost their lives in the tragedy. A bombing victim's name is etched in the glass base of each chair. The chairs represent the empty chairs at the dinner tables of the victim's family. The chairs are arranged in nine rows symbolizing the nine floors of the building, and each person's chair is on the row (or the floor) on which the person worked or was visiting when the bomb went off. The chairs are also grouped according to the blast pattern, with the most chairs nearest the most heavily damaged portion of the building. The westernmost column of five chairs represents the five people who died but were not in the Murrah Building when the bomb went off (two in the Water Resources Board building, one in the Athenian Building, one outside near the building, and one rescuer). The 19 smaller chairs represent the children killed in the bombing. Three unborn children died along with their mothers, and they are listed on their mothers' chairs beneath their mothers' names
We did not visit the adjoining Memorial Museum; we are going there on a subsequent visit in September. However, the Outdoor Symbolic Memorial was certainly one of the most moving experiences we have ever encountered. It is a true testament to the quote on the entrance gate that reads:
We did not visit the adjoining Memorial Museum; we are going there on a subsequent visit in September. However, the Outdoor Symbolic Memorial was certainly one of the most moving experiences we have ever encountered. It is a true testament to the quote on the entrance gate that reads:
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.
Some other great things we did while in Oklahoma City were:
• The Oklahoma National Stockyards which is the largest stocker and feeder cattle market in the world. We saw Oklahoma cowboys working the livestock and then proceeded to enjoy the fruits of their labor at the world famous Cattleman’s Restaurant. Okay, Pat enjoyed the beef; Judy had a salad! Surprised?
• The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum which was another extraordinary treat. The guidebook suggested a minimum of two hours and we were there the ENTIRE day. What a gem of art, historic artifacts and exhibits about American Indian and pioneer life. If you have an opportunity to get to Oklahoma City we highly recommend that you visit this museum.
• The Oklahoma City Museum of Art, home to the world's most comprehensive collection of Dale Chihuly glass. This amazing exhibit includes hundreds of hand-blown pieces including his tallest glass tower which reaches an astonishing 55 feet as well as one of only two Waterford Crystal Chandeliers in the world. This latter piece is simply magnificent and is comprised of 203 individually blown lead crystal parts, each etched by Waterford artisans, hanging 9 ft. 7 in. and weighing 2,000 lbs. Chihuly has long been one of our favorite artists so this was truly a treat.
• Pop’s Soda Fountain where you can choose from more than 500 different flavors of soda pop was really neat. The futuristic building has 3-story glass walls covered with a rainbow array of soda bottles and is recognizable by the eclectic, 66-foot tall neon soda bottle, complete with straw that beckons folks driving down the famous Route 66.
• The National Softball Hall of Fame and Museum presents the history and honors the greats of the sport. It is home to the US Women’s Softball team and also hosts the collegiate World Series annually.
• The Oklahoma State Capitol was most informative. Of special interest is the fact that it is the only Capitol in the world with an oil well beneath it. On the grounds is the Capitol Site No. 1 well, originally nicknamed “Petunia No. 1” because drilling began in 1941 in the middle of a flower bed. Seeing an oil well here in Oklahoma is not odd – they’re everywhere – but seeing one pumping crude at the base of the steps, at the front of the capitol rotunda, does appear a little odd.
• We also visited the Seminole Nation Museum which documents the history and culture of the Seminole Indians. The Seminoles were part of the infamous “Trail of Tears” along with the Cherokees, the Chickasaws, the Choctaw and the Muskcogee (Creek). It was very meaningful since we have always known of the Seminole existence in Florida but never thought of them as being one of the “Five Civilized Tribes” forcibly relocated from the southeastern United States to the future state of Oklahoma. We will see more about this “interesting” part of our country’s history next week in Muskcogee and the Tulsa/Claremore area.
We saw and did several other things in Oklahoma City but these are some of the highlights.
SO – it’s been another GREAT 10 days and the excitement continues.
As usual, here is a link to some pictures so you can see some of the amazing places we’ve been too.
Also included is a photo of our “Bunker”, also known as the Underground Tornado Shelter. We’ve included this because, many of you are aware that the last few days have been rather exciting here in central Oklahoma. We were indeed, in the path of one of the 42 tornadoes that roared through this past Monday. Oklahoma truly lived up to its "Tornado Alley" name, which we learned first-hand at about 8:00 PM when we heard the sirens and had to evacuate to the shelter. As you can see from the photo, it is a “not-too-large” underground cement room but it was certainly a welcome refuge for those of us in the campground. We are acutely aware that a motorhome probably does not hold up well against winds that can be in excess of 130 mph! Give me a hurricane any day with it’s three-day advance warning. Fortunately we were spared a direct encounter; the closest twister split as it approached Muskgokee and struck an area about 4 miles south. That certainly was, however, close enough for us. Just a day or two beforehand we had been in several of the places that took direct hits, including the Pilot Truck Stop and the Country Boy Store. We were well prepared in advance, with our emergency backpacks ready and glued to our weather radio. That siren really is loud. We heard it once more yesterday morning when we experienced severe thunderstorms and another spate of tornadoes. Hopefully we will not have to go through it again while we here. We are very prudent and take all necessary precautions so there is really no need for anyone to worry. We do NOT intend to experience a “Reverse Wizard of OZ” and wake up saying “WOW, this really does look like Kansas – how did we get here?”!
The excitement continues and the wonderful experiences are phenomenal.
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Until next time, take care and stay safe,
Pat & Judy
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