Nancy's Travel Journal

On Wednesday morning we checked out of the Springhill Suites and made our way back to the Oklahoma City National Memorial to visit the museum.  Little did we know the kind of experience awaiting us.

The museum is actually housed in the old Journal Record Building, just across the street from where the Murrah Building stood.  It was also heavily damaged in the blast.  After paying our admission, we took the elevator to the third floor to begin our tour.  It started with a basic explanation of terrorism as it had impacted the United States from 1985-1995.  The second exhibition included the background history of the Murrah Federal Building and surrounding neighborhood. Perhaps the most chilling experience was sitting in a darkened room listening to the official recording of a Oklahoma Water Resources Board meeting being held just across the street on that day.  Just two minutes into the recording sounds of the explosion and collapse of one floor upon another could be heard, followed by the subsequent confusion of the people present at the meeting.  From there we saw the first news footage taken from a helicopter at 9:13 AM on that day.  Through video and sound, we witnessed scenes of chaos, survivor experiences, world reaction, and rescue and recovery.   Actual debris and damaged office equipment lay encased in Plexiglas, as somber reminders of the destruction found on that day.

Debris

Found personal items

Damaged Computer

Found toy

Damaged Window from Methodist Church Across the Street

Survivor Tree After Blast

Axle of Ryder Truck Found A Block Away

The second floor tour included the impressive Gallery of Honor with photographs of each victim, along with personal family photographs and artifacts.  Personal stories of each victim are available through digital recordings.

Survivors Room

Survivors Room

Survivors Room

Survivors Room

The amazing story of how evidence was pieced together to capture and convict Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols demonstrates the tenacity of law enforcement officials and lawyers in bringing these terrorists to justice.

It took us three hours to see the museum.  We walked out into the sunlight totally drained of emotion, but with a sense of faith in the spirit of the American people.

Image at Museum

Nancy at Wall

Polly and Nancy at Memorial

For more on the Oklahoma City National Memorial the reader is encouraged to explore the website, especially the Virtual Archive in Memorial Museum by clicking on the link.

October 3, 2012

On April 19, 1995, at 9:01 AM the United States experienced a terrorist bombing attack on the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City, OK.  The blast killed 168 people including 19 children under the age of 6, injured 680+ people, and destroyed or damaged 624 buildings in the surrounding area.  Like other catastrophic events in our recent history, most of us who were adults at the time remember where we were when we heard the news.  I was in Columbus, GA at an education meeting.  So out of respect for that memory, there was no doubt that we would visit the Oklahoma City National Memorial.

On Tuesday afternoon, after leaving the National Cowboy and Western Museum, we headed to the memorial.  Unfortunately the museum had just closed.  But, like most things in life, it worked out for the best.   Since the grounds are open 24 hours a day we chose to explore the area where the building once stood.  A path of salvaged granite from the building’s plaza marks the footprint of the building.  On the east end of the Memorial are the only surviving walls of the building.  These walls evoke thoughts of those who managed to survive the explosion.  Over 600 names are carved in salvaged pieces of granite from the building’s lobby.

A Reflecting Pool occupies what was once Fifth Street on which the Murrah Building faced.  On either end of the Reflection Pool stand the East Gate marking 9:01 as the minute before the blast and the West Gate marking 9:03 as the minute after the blast.  On the north side of the Reflecting Pool stands the amazing Survivor Tree, a 90-year-old American Elm that miraculously survived the blast and is a symbol of the resiliency of the human spirit.  The flower and nut-bearing trees that surround and protect the Survivor Tree represent those who rushed in to help after the blast.

Original Wall 2

Original wall of Murrah Building

West Gate of TIme

East Gate of Time

The Survivor Tree

Immediately after the bombing, a fence was constructed to protect the site.  People began to leave tokens of respect and love on The Fence.  To date over 60,000 items, some of which have been preserved in the archives, have been left on The Fence.  In front of the Memorial Museum is the Children’s Area.  A wall of tiles painted by children expresses their feelings and words of comfort in the aftermath of the attack.  In addition, a series of giant chalkboards enables children and others to continue leaving messages of healing and hope.

The Fence

On The Fence

On The Fence

Children’s Wall

Chalkboard for Messages

Our Message

Remember the Children

All Faiths Came Together

But our most lasting memory was the Field of Empty Chairs.  We were awestruck by the sun’s setting light penetrating the translucent bases of the 168 bronze memorial chairs representing the fallen.  There they sat with a name etched in each base and arranged in nine rows according to the floor on which they worked or were visiting.  Especially poignant were the 19 smaller chairs representing the children who were killed. It was truly a spiritual moment.

The Chairs

October 2, 2012

After a good night’s sleep and relaxing morning, we struck out for the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum. The idea for this museum came from a businessman, Chester A. Reynolds in 1953.  He was impressed with the Will Rogers Memorial in Claremore, OK, and wanted to build a hall of fame to honor cowboys and cattlemen.

Nancy at Cowboy Museum

It is an incredible collection of paintings, sculptures, western performer memorabilia, Native American artifacts, rodeo collections, and much more.  We especially enjoyed the western performers gallery, where we relived our childhood days at the Dixie Theater in Metter.  There is a wall of fame that recognizes a performer each year that has classically depicted western life.  We found a couple of cowboys, but they were made of bronze.  Below are several photos from the museum.

Canyon Princess

Squash Blossom Necklace

John Wayne

Children’s Cowboy clothes

Cowboy Turned President

Memories of Roy and Dale

Barbed Wire

Barbed Wire

Barbed Wire

Next we headed toward the Oklahoma City Memorial, but found the museum had already closed.  Check my next post for details of the late afternoon here.

After a day of exploring, we headed toward Bricktown, Oklahoma City’s entertainment district that was formerly a major warehouse district.  It has a unique attraction in the water taxi that cruises around the commercial area.  We found a true Mexican restaurant, Abuelo’s to continue our margarita tradition.  Ending with a lime pie dessert, we headed back to our hotel for the evening.

Water Taxi in Bricktown

Lime Pie

 October 2, 2012

Grace needs a technology makeover.  We set our destination and drove out of the Best Western thinking we were headed toward the newly constructed Audubon Bridge  that would take us over the Mississippi River.  Grace took us straight toward the ferry crossing.  We had to ask directions to get out of St. Francisville, population 1,700!

As we drove toward the bridge, Polly got a phone call from Mariann telling her that her beloved dog Shadow was gone.  Shadow was staying with Mariann and Seage while we are gone.   Apparently she followed the truck Monday morning and was hit on the Excelsior highway.  RIP Shadow.

Our first stop was in Morganza  at Not Your Mama’s Café.  Once again, this was a favorite stop on my 2007 trip.  We were in search of boudin balls, a delicacy of southern Louisiana.  The café was not open, but Jessie the cook graciously made some for us. 

One last memory of the 2007 trip was the memory of the Sportsman’s Lodge in Simmesport, LA.  It was not exactly a five-star accommodation then.  The only change I noticed was new locks on the doors! 

Wanting to avoid Dallas at all costs, we traveled toward Shreveport, LA, Texarkana, TX and AR, and across to Gainesville, TX, then up I-35 to Oklahoma City. (That is three state lines in case you are counting.) It was a very long drive, 480 miles.  When we pulled into the Springhill Suites just south of Oklahoma City, it was all we could do to get to the bed.   State line margaritas would have to come later!

While it was a grueling day, we realized that it would give us more time in Oklahoma City.  Sometimes you just have to suck it up and drive.

October 1, 2012