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To be honest, the idea of visiting Oklahoma City and touring the capital wasn’t real high on my list of things to do. I never had any reason to be in Oklahoma, there wasn’t any big draw to the area, and I wondered if we should even bother. But, since we were passing right through on our way to Albuquerque, and it is our goal to visit all of the State Capitals, and we had an extra day to burn somewhere before we were due to arrive in the Albuquerque area, it only made sense to stop now for the OK visit. Since we were going to be here, we also planned a visit to the Oklahoma City National Memorial, which was “created to honor those who were killed, those who survived and those changed forever by the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City.” I was pleased, if that is the right word, that I would have the opportunity to visit the memorial since we would already be in Oklahoma City, but I wasn’t prepared for the enormity of my response to the memorial. So, when we left this morning our plans were to visit the Capital first, then the Memorial, then the Myriad Botanical Gardens.
Lesson – don’t prejudge something you’ve never seen or know nothing about. The visit to the Capitol was outstanding! The interior of the dome was one of the most beautiful, kaleidoscopic visions I’ve ever seen! Hanging on the walls throughout the building were beautiful paintings, and we were also treated to a quilt display depicting Oklahoma’s history. Outside we saw the Indian Nations Flag display which was also quite impressive. We were worried about a big storm that was predicted to come in, so we didn’t stay too long at the Capitol before leaving to visit the OK City National Memorial. As I said, I was quite unprepared for how overwhelming this memorial would be. The instant we approached the entrance to the Field of Empty Chairs, I was overcome with emotion. I would encourage anyone who is in the area to visit the memorial; it is hard to describe in words the impact of this place. In the Field of Empty Chairs, 168 chairs stand in nine rows, each representing a floor of the building, and represent the 168 lives lost on April 19, 1995. The field is located in what was the footprint of the building. The “Gates of Time” are two monumental gates that stand as entrances to the Memorial site and frame the moment of destruction, one side showing the time just before the blast at 9:01 and the other side showing 9:03, just after. Between the two entrances is the Reflecting Pool, standing 3/4 of an inch deep; the calming water of this pool stands where 5th Street once stood, and shows the reflection of someone changed forever by their visit to the Memorial. It was hard to be there.
We broke for lunch after visiting the Memorial, sort of regrouped, and then took a visit to the Myriad Botanical Gardens located right in downtown Oklahoma City. It was a small enclosed garden preserving tropical plants from all over the globe. It was a very nice way to wrap up the afternoon. I really learned that you never really know what a city, or any place, holds. Every place is unique; every place has its secrets, its treasures, and something worthwhile for those willing to take the time to look. I hope this pictures can capture just a little of what we experienced today.
Lesson – don’t prejudge something you’ve never seen or know nothing about. The visit to the Capitol was outstanding! The interior of the dome was one of the most beautiful, kaleidoscopic visions I’ve ever seen! Hanging on the walls throughout the building were beautiful paintings, and we were also treated to a quilt display depicting Oklahoma’s history. Outside we saw the Indian Nations Flag display which was also quite impressive. We were worried about a big storm that was predicted to come in, so we didn’t stay too long at the Capitol before leaving to visit the OK City National Memorial. As I said, I was quite unprepared for how overwhelming this memorial would be. The instant we approached the entrance to the Field of Empty Chairs, I was overcome with emotion. I would encourage anyone who is in the area to visit the memorial; it is hard to describe in words the impact of this place. In the Field of Empty Chairs, 168 chairs stand in nine rows, each representing a floor of the building, and represent the 168 lives lost on April 19, 1995. The field is located in what was the footprint of the building. The “Gates of Time” are two monumental gates that stand as entrances to the Memorial site and frame the moment of destruction, one side showing the time just before the blast at 9:01 and the other side showing 9:03, just after. Between the two entrances is the Reflecting Pool, standing 3/4 of an inch deep; the calming water of this pool stands where 5th Street once stood, and shows the reflection of someone changed forever by their visit to the Memorial. It was hard to be there.
We broke for lunch after visiting the Memorial, sort of regrouped, and then took a visit to the Myriad Botanical Gardens located right in downtown Oklahoma City. It was a small enclosed garden preserving tropical plants from all over the globe. It was a very nice way to wrap up the afternoon. I really learned that you never really know what a city, or any place, holds. Every place is unique; every place has its secrets, its treasures, and something worthwhile for those willing to take the time to look. I hope this pictures can capture just a little of what we experienced today.
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