November 15 & 16

After a quick walk around Lake Thunderbird campground we drove onto Oklahoma City or OKC.

We spent a terrific weekend in OKC with our friend Sonnya Cudd. We miss her so it was nice to spend time with her and catch up. The weather has been warm(high 70s and low 80s) and dry. We spent time relaxing at her comfortable house plus touring around Mustang(her suburb) and OKC.

Some of Sonnya’s family dogs came to visit the Casita

Our first stop on our tour of OKC was the memorial for the bombing in 1995 that killed 168 adults and children at the Alfred P Murray Federal Building.

The only part of the federal building left after the blast.

Chair statues for each person killed that day. The little chairs signify a child killed.

Between May 1995 and April 2000 before the symbolic memorial garden open to the public, tens of thousands came to see for themselves this place of unspeakable loss. Visitors left messages of encouragement and support on the large chain-link fence that was installed to protect the site. Although not part of the original design, the chain-link fence was incorporated into the design. To this day messages and mementos are still left on the chainlink fence.

The parish house and Saint Joseph Old Cathedral were severely damaged in the bomb blast. This statue “And Jesus Wept” John 11 is where the parish house had stood.

Here are some more photos around OKC. There is tremendous pride in the city and well deserved for all the work and dedication that has been done around the city.

Entrance to the Bricktown section of OKC with lots of interesting restaurants, stores, and musical venues

Paycom Center where the 2025 NBA champions, OKC Thunder, play

In 1889 the unassigned lands were opened through a Land Run and 50,000 Americans vied for 160 acres or a town lot. At noon on April 22, 1889 competitors rushed in on wagons, horses, foot, and trains. This massive statue “The Land Run of 1889” in one of their beautiful parks commemorates that day.