Visiting Oklahoma City, 2023 Westward Journey, Part 2

After 5 days of traveling, we stopped in Oklahoma City for 3 nights. I am really glad that we stopped here for a few days. Not only did we need a break from driving, we also needed time to relax and enjoy our surroundings. We discovered that there is quite a bit to do in Oklahoma City so we explored different sections of the city each day.

There are quite a few museums in Oklahoma City and the main reason that I planned a stop there was to visit two of them: the OKC National Memorial Museum and the First Americans Museum. Both were wonderful to visit, extremely well done, and very emotional. We stopped at the National Memorial Museum first and spent a couple of hours there. This is the memorial for the 168 victims of the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murray Federal Building.

The museum totally immerses you into the day of the bombing so well that you can really feel the shock and horror of the bombing and the raw emotions, strength, and heroism that it took to find and save the survivors as well as the weeks that it took to find the victims and clear the site. The stories are first hand from first responders, survivors, and those that worked the recovery effort. The museum also covers the weeks afterwards as law enforcement investigated and eventually arrested the domestic terrorists responsible for this tragedy.

Reflective pool

Field of empty chairs

Outside, the memorial is even more moving, with its reflective pool and the field of empty chairs, the gates of time and the survivors tree. We just wondered around in silent reflection on the horror that occurred here as well as the resilience it took for the city and its people to continue moving forward.

After the memorial, we had to go somewhere to lift our spirits a bit. Tim suggested finding a place to get a good steak; after all we were in cattle country. The RV Park suggested we try McClintock Saloon & Chop House or the Cattlemen’s Steakhouse. Both were located in Stockyard City. We headed over there for a late lunch/early dinner and it was worth a visit. This section of the city was only a couple of blocks long that were like taking a step back in time; definitely had the look of an old west town. We choose McClintock Saloon and had a terrific meal. We had hoped to try the other place another day but didn’t make it back to that area.

stockyard city

Mcclintock Saloon

On another day, we visited the Bricktown section of the city. This area was a warehouse district that has been revitalized and is now a popular entertainment district filled with shops, restaurants, clubs and other entertainment venues. There is a canal that runs through the area that flows out to the river. You can take boat ride through the canal out to the river. I have a feeling that the area is more active in the evening. We were there on a weekday afternoon and it was pretty quiet. Some of the restaurants were closed but we had a nice walk and found a good place for lunch so it was still worth a trip there.

the canal in bricktown

The First Americans Museum was another one that was well worth the visit. This museum honors the indigenous people who inhabited this land before the United States was founded. It covers the history of the 39 distinct tribal nations that now reside in Oklahoma and celebrates their diverse cultures. Much of the displays were as emotional as the National Memorial, especially the Trail of Tears exhibits. Unfortunately, this museum covers a very sad and brutal part of American history.

There are quite a few other museums in OKC but we ran out of time to visit any more. We will have to save those for another trip to this area. After our 3 days, we continued our westward journey. Next up Amarillo, TX and Tucumcari, NM for some more Rt 66 memorabilia.