Friday - Who Knew?

 Friday filler.  I've been up to PA and no doubt have gathered some new senior tales...time with my father is always a treasure.  Meanwhile, here's some finally gems from our weekend in Oklahoma City. Fun times....action figure museum joy.

 Cool statue on a corner

 Ray in his element.......baseball

Great seats on the first base line

Have a super weekend everybody!

OKC Adventures - River Sport

Sunday – head to the river and visit the new water entertainment park.  www.riversportokc.org    Wow. Now this is a day of awesome.  White water rafting – it’s a man-made course where our Olympic kayak team trains. You can kayak or join a white water raft expedition. Whew – paddling that hard is tiring. I had no idea what to expect, but it was scary and exhilarating. That water is churning.  We were on the course for about an hour with three runs through the shoots. That was plenty. I felt like a drowned rat, but I lived to tell the tale. I would consider doing it again but not sitting in the front of the boat. (Of course, that is what Ray chose!!!)

Afterward, there’s a very tall water slide, there’s a zip line across the river and back – it’s pretty fast and far and quite a ride. There’s also an action trail you can attempt. You are clipped into the very tall metal mountain – cross rope lines, and hike swinging bridges.  There are plenty of water attractions for kids, plus paddle board, kayaks, and fun.  There’s something for the whole family and the pricing is typical for a water park day. The staff is helpful and safety is a plus.

So, who knew?  Now I know and you know that Oklahoma City offers a fairly close destination weekend of adventure and learning. And yes, you still have to sing “Oklahoma, where the wind comes whistling down the plain….”

OKC Adventures - Water Taxi

 So, based on time we did not see the OKC Museum of Art, the Myriad Botanical Gardens, or the American Banjo Museum.  Those will have to be for another trip. Instead we headed back to Bricktown and caught a water taxi.  The mile long ride is fun and relaxing. Enjoy the murals on the walls, cruise under bridges, and start thinking about where you want to dine. Restaurants and bars line the area. Folks sit outdoors eating and laughing. The area is festive and you are ready to join the party. The taxi continues to cruise to Lower Bricktown and a park where you can see the Oklahoma Land Run Monument. There’s a lot of bronze – it’s impressive. It’s still a work in progress with a final count of forty five figures expected. The horses, cattle, and wagons that are there now are nifty.

Dinner – we ate at a Mardi Gras, New Orleans style restaurant. Very tasty fish tacos, mardi gras nachos, and Cajun fettucine. We rolled out of there.

Onward to baseball – the AAA Oklahoma Dodgers play at a very pleasant ballpark right in the heart of Bricktown. Family friendly and the right price – reasonable. Alas, the Dodgers did not win for us, but we enjoyed a good time. 

OKC Adventures - Memorial Museum

Part of our OKC adventures after the Action Figure Museum. What could top that? Oh there's more, so much more. 

Onward to Oklahoma City. I recommend staying at the Holiday Inn Express in Bricktown. Very new, modern, and in the perfect location. Park the car and start walking.

We walked to the Oklahoma City National Memorial Museum.  The theme is Come to Remember. Leave With Resolve.  This museum is outstanding – powerful and well done. 168 people died in 1995 when the OKC Federal Building was bombed by home grown terrorists.  The Memorial is a place of quiet reflection – a large marble gateway says 9:01 (the before time when a regular day was beginning). Another gateway says 9:03 (it represents the time to begin healing).  168 chairs glint in the sun out on the grass. The tiny chairs for the children in the daycare who died are heartbreaking.  Walk the grounds and ponder.

Inside, the museum, through touchscreens, galleries, and theaters, a powerful story unfolds.  “The goal is to meet violence with vigilance.”  This tragedy united a city, the nation, and impacted the world.  It is touching and somber, but so many stories in this are about the folks who did live, the first responders, and a whole community.  I highly recommend you come to learn and reflect.

Here’s the list of museum sections:

A Day Like Any Other, History of the Site, A Meeting recorded, Confusion & Chaos, World Reaction – Rescue and Recovery, Watching  & Waiting, Gallery of Honor, Impact & Healing, Investigation-Evidence- and Justice, Responsibility and Hope.

www.memorialmuseum.com

We left there quiet and a tad sad.  And that’s okay. This museum strikes a nerve and will stick with you.

Wordless Wednesday

Fun stuff that caught my eye in the Bricktown area of Oklahoma City - a happening place!