Remembering

Still Lovin' Oklahoma

Saturated fats from our Oklahoma rib-eyes lingered in our guts long after we woke. We passed on breakfast and got on the road.

Let me put one myth to rest. Not everything in Texas is bigger. Oklahoma has the largest crosses and flags in the universe. You can see them coming for miles. Photos do not do them justice, though we tried time and again.

Remembering

We decided to take a detour to the Oklahoma City National Memorial that morning. The last time I drove cross country the Murrah Building was still smoldering and we'd contemplated a visit, but there was no GPS and no highway signs to lead us to the site. I didn't want to pass up this opportunity, cat notwithstanding. Luckily it was a lovely cool day. We found a shady place to park and rolled down the windows a bit.

There isn't much you can do to prepare for the impact of the memorial. We entered through the North Robinson Avenue gate, the reflecting pool lay before us and the iconic chairs were to our left. Time literally stands still on the site. A landscaping crew manicured the already pristine lawn as a few visitors wandered past their roaring mowers.

On the north side of the site sits the Survivor Tree.
A place of reflection and recollection. Beautiful. If you have the chance to stop by you'll never regret the visit.

We had a wonderful lunch at a place called Kitchen No. 324. Yum, nutty fresh baked bread and home made soup. We wished we could linger watching Oklahoma City pass by the restaurant window but there was a cat in our car and miles yet to log.

Missouri yielded yet a new landscape: horizontal sedimentary outcrops and armadillo road kill. After the Elk City Motel 6 we opted to step it up a couple of notches to a new level of pet-friendly motels and pulled into a Super 8. Living large! It was quite nice. Boo loved the place.

Craving some spice we fell for the "best Mexican food north of the border" advert. They did have margaritas. A bright moment.

Another bright moment; I'm no longer homeless. My home purchase closed! Little did I know that a few days after we'd passed through Oklahoma so many, many homes would have been lost to an epic tornado. I am so fortunate to have a home that still sits on its foundation.


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