Oklahoma City

 The reason that I wanted to visit Oklahoma City was to see the Alfred P. Murrah Memorial. I remember the day that the bombing occurred and hearing that all those little ones in the Childcare plus many adults had been hurt or died and the fact that it was a childcare hit close to home for me. Imagine being a teacher in that situation trying to keep all your little ones safe, imagine being a parent and dropping your child off and then never seeing them alive again. Such a tragedy. 

                                                                                          The memorial fence outside.

So, that's why we visited Oklahoma City. Our Air BnB was another perfect fit for us. Located within walking distance of the memorial and many restaurants and bars. The neighborhood had so many beautiful big old homes which were interesting to see on our walks. That night we had a few beers at a neighborhood bar where we met a self-proclaimed local food critic who told us about an art festival happening while we were there. We decided to take that in also.

The next day we walked to the Memorial. It was both amazing and humbling at the same time. On the grounds there are nine rows of chairs, some big for the adults and some small for the children who died in the bombing. There are nine rows because there were nine floors and the number of chairs in each row represents the number of people who died on that floor. The first two rows/floors have the child size chairs since that is where the child care was located. It was all very moving. 

                                                               The wall behind the "chairs" was a

                                                                 remnant of the original building.

Inside the museum there are so many exhibits explaining what happened on that fateful day. There is a statue of the firefighter who carried a little baby out of the building. The baby died in his arms, at least there was someone there to hold her as she died. There is also a room that is supposed to be like the courthouse across the street from the Murrah building. There is a tape playing that makes you feel like you are a person in that courtroom at fbe moment the bomb exploded. You hear the loud noise on the tape being played and it is so shocking.

 

                                                                                                         Actual rubble from the explosion.

The exact time of the bombing

There is also a fence outside of the Memorial that has all sorts of mementos on it given in honor of the victims. Such a somber place. The items are removed periodically to make room for more. They are then put in permanent storage. It's another thing you should add to your bucket list.'

Examples of memorials left on the fence.

After our time at the Alfred P. Murrah Memorial, we did check out the art festival that our new friend had told us about. It was in a park located a few blocks from the Memorial. We had street tacos and drinks and enjoyed live music and walking around the exhibits. It was 90 that day and we were so hot by the time we walked home. We relaxed and then went out for pizza and beer. There are many nice, clean restrooms available all around the area. The next day we were leaving for South Padre Island TX.

                                                          Come join us there in the next post!