Oklahoma City, OK

November 6, 2004

Oklahoma City, OK

Since we got delayed those extra days in Palo Duro due to the snow, we knew we were going to have to make up some time.  That means, longer driving days and shorter visits.   So we bypassed Red Rock Canyon State Park, and drove through to Oklahoma City.

Spent the day in downtown Oklahoma City. We toured the capitol which had beautiful stained glass in the ceilings, an ornate dome, and lots of marble. There was even a lady playing the piano in the rotunda.  That added to the ambiance.  It is also the only state capitol built on top of an oil well.

Capitol on an Oil Well

Capitol Dome

I Just Loved this Painting

We also went to the OKC Bombing Memorial to pay our respects. Just walking the grounds was extremely moving. We couldn’t muster the energy to go inside the museum. There was a lot of symbolism throughout the memorial. 168 chairs sit empty on the grass for each loss of life. Smaller chairs represent the children killed. Names of each person is etched into the glass bases. 9 rows of chairs represent the 9 stories of the building. The placement of the chairs represent the offices and their locations in the building. The grassy area is the same footprint on which the building stood. Loblolly Pines are planted on the perimeter, which will grow to 90′ the same height as the building. A reflection pond now sits where 5th Street used to be, before the truck drove up in front of the Murrah Federal Bldg. Some of the walls of the bldg remain, as the grassy playground where the kids used to play. The gates on either end of the reflection pond are stamped with 9:01 and 9:03 to represent the minutes before and after the bombing. The original fence is still up with the momentos left by family and friends.

OKC Bombing Memorial

OKC Bombing Memorial

After leaving the memorial we visited the Myriad Botanical Gardens housed in the “crystal bridge”.   It was a peaceful stroll after the emotional visit to the bombing memorial.

Flowers on the Bridge

Myriad Botanical Gardens

And then after that we walked around Bricktown District and the canal that meanders through this area of shops and restaurants.  This area is a renovated warehouse district.  The canal flows for one mile thru this district.

Bricktown Canal

And now we’re off to Arkansas…

Permalink