Here are picutres from the Oklahoma City Memorial, downtown Oklahoma City and some of the dogs.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
March 29, 2008 - Oklahoma City
Hello all. We are in Oklahoma City, OK. We did some sightseeing today. We, of course, wanted to see the site of the Oklahoma City bombing of the Federal Building. I thought it would be no big deal - just a spot that I heard a lot about in the news. I did not know anyone who was killed or injured or anyone who knows anyone who was killed or injured. But, it was a very emotional visit. I don't know how to describe the setting to you, but I have some pictures that may help. I think what got me most was that on the corner across the street from the site of the bombing, they have erected a statue of Christ with his hand up to his brow and at the foot of the statue they have engraved " Jesus Wept". It really got to me.
Along the street before you go into the memorial area is a fence and people have hung personal items on the fence in honor of the victims. There are two very high walls at each end of the memorial. The wall at one end with the time of 9:01 engraved in it and another at the other end with the time of 9:03 engraved. The bomb went off at 9:02. The significance of 9:01 is it was a time of innocence and by 9:03 that innocence was gone and nothing would ever be the same.
The memorial area itself includes not only where the Federal building once stood, but the road that used to run along side the building. There is a reflecting pond that goes the entire length of the memorial field. Where the Federal building once stood, there are chairs for each victim. The chairs are a glass square with a light inside and the victims name engraved in the glass. The chair backs are bronze. The chairs for the children killed are smaller that those for the adults killed. The chairs are in rows and the rows represent the floors of the Federal building. The victims' chairs are on the row representing the floor each was on when the bomb went off.
What I found to be most inspiring was the respect everyone in the memorial area showed to the victims of this horrible event. Everyone, young and old, were very quiet when inside the memorial area.
After visiting the memorial, we spent time driving around the downtown area. We saw the business area and also an area called Bricktown where they city fathers have updated a lot of old brick building and built a ball park. There are lots of shops and restaurants in the buildings and people were walking around on a Saturday. It looks like the area is drawing people downtown . Another attraction to the downtown area is a very pretty canal that runs through the downtown area. There are walkways and bridges and plants that remind me a lot of the Riverwalk in San Antonio, TX. Another interesting thing about Oklahoma City is the government buildings including the capitol building are not in the downtown business area. They are set out a ways from downtown and there is a lot of space around them. Looks like someone did some smart planning when they planned this city.
I have a cousin who settled in Oklahoma City around 1986. He moved here from Indiana. I actually got to know him when Mike and I lived in IN. He is quite a bit older than me and I he had moved to Indiana when I was very young. Anyway, I called him to see if it was ok for Mike and I to visit him. I was hesitant to call him because his wife of almost 60 years passed away about a month ago. But, I did call and he was very excited to hear from me and wanted Mike and I to visit him and meet his kids who were just very young children the last time we saw them. My cousin lives in a suburb of Ok City called Mustang. Mike and I drove out there and we were very impressed with the entire area. It is an area that is growing rapidly. There are lots of new home areas and new businesses. The homes are mostly one story, but they have very tall roofs and all are brick or brick and stone. The prices of the homes are very reasonable. I can see why people would want to live here.
Today, Sunday the 30th, my cousin took Mike and I to see where my aunt and her husband lived in Midwest City before they died. We went to see where they were buried and then he took us to visit the Cowboy Museum. The museum was great. Mike really enjoyed it. I think he could have stayed all day. I enjoyed it too, but cowboys and Indians are not my thing. I did enjoy seeing the paintings and the bead work.
This afternoon, we are getting the RV ready to go over to the repair shop in the morning. We have a wheel bearing that needs to be replaced and we need to be the first in line at the repair shop. It is a "first come-first serve" place. If we get the RV fixed early, we will head out tomorrow. If not, we will spend one more night here in Oklahoma City. Either way, we are still having a good trip.
Hope you enjoy the pictures.
Along the street before you go into the memorial area is a fence and people have hung personal items on the fence in honor of the victims. There are two very high walls at each end of the memorial. The wall at one end with the time of 9:01 engraved in it and another at the other end with the time of 9:03 engraved. The bomb went off at 9:02. The significance of 9:01 is it was a time of innocence and by 9:03 that innocence was gone and nothing would ever be the same.
The memorial area itself includes not only where the Federal building once stood, but the road that used to run along side the building. There is a reflecting pond that goes the entire length of the memorial field. Where the Federal building once stood, there are chairs for each victim. The chairs are a glass square with a light inside and the victims name engraved in the glass. The chair backs are bronze. The chairs for the children killed are smaller that those for the adults killed. The chairs are in rows and the rows represent the floors of the Federal building. The victims' chairs are on the row representing the floor each was on when the bomb went off.
What I found to be most inspiring was the respect everyone in the memorial area showed to the victims of this horrible event. Everyone, young and old, were very quiet when inside the memorial area.
After visiting the memorial, we spent time driving around the downtown area. We saw the business area and also an area called Bricktown where they city fathers have updated a lot of old brick building and built a ball park. There are lots of shops and restaurants in the buildings and people were walking around on a Saturday. It looks like the area is drawing people downtown . Another attraction to the downtown area is a very pretty canal that runs through the downtown area. There are walkways and bridges and plants that remind me a lot of the Riverwalk in San Antonio, TX. Another interesting thing about Oklahoma City is the government buildings including the capitol building are not in the downtown business area. They are set out a ways from downtown and there is a lot of space around them. Looks like someone did some smart planning when they planned this city.
I have a cousin who settled in Oklahoma City around 1986. He moved here from Indiana. I actually got to know him when Mike and I lived in IN. He is quite a bit older than me and I he had moved to Indiana when I was very young. Anyway, I called him to see if it was ok for Mike and I to visit him. I was hesitant to call him because his wife of almost 60 years passed away about a month ago. But, I did call and he was very excited to hear from me and wanted Mike and I to visit him and meet his kids who were just very young children the last time we saw them. My cousin lives in a suburb of Ok City called Mustang. Mike and I drove out there and we were very impressed with the entire area. It is an area that is growing rapidly. There are lots of new home areas and new businesses. The homes are mostly one story, but they have very tall roofs and all are brick or brick and stone. The prices of the homes are very reasonable. I can see why people would want to live here.
Today, Sunday the 30th, my cousin took Mike and I to see where my aunt and her husband lived in Midwest City before they died. We went to see where they were buried and then he took us to visit the Cowboy Museum. The museum was great. Mike really enjoyed it. I think he could have stayed all day. I enjoyed it too, but cowboys and Indians are not my thing. I did enjoy seeing the paintings and the bead work.
This afternoon, we are getting the RV ready to go over to the repair shop in the morning. We have a wheel bearing that needs to be replaced and we need to be the first in line at the repair shop. It is a "first come-first serve" place. If we get the RV fixed early, we will head out tomorrow. If not, we will spend one more night here in Oklahoma City. Either way, we are still having a good trip.
Hope you enjoy the pictures.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Pics from Lake Whitney and Waco
Here are some picutres we took at Lake Whitney and Waco. The picture of Ed in his bathrobe is for our kids who know him. For the rest of you who know me and Mike, you won't be shocked to see we have crazy friends. The little boy is their grandson (Angie's son). Also, check out the beautiful sunsets and the flowers - Blue Bonnets - which are protected by the state of TX(Texas state flower). You are not allowed to pick them.
March 25 - March 28, 2008 - Lake Whitney, TX and Waco, TX
I'm not sure if I told you that we traveled from Vicksburg, MS to Kilgore, TX. We did. We chose Kilgore because there was a RV park there with a golf course and Mike needed a fix. The RV park was nice, mostly concrete. It sounds weird, but it sure is nice to be on concrete after being on dirt or sand. Anyway, we stayed in Kilgore two days before heading over to Lake Whitney, TX.
We chose to go to Lake Whitney because we have old friends from Indiana who moved there in the early 80's. We wanted to visit with them and see some of the interior of TX. The countryside from Kilgore to west of Tyler, TX was rolling and there were lots of trees. The trees are not as tall as those in NC but they have huge branches that fan out and provide shade. I'm sure the shade they provide is greatly appreciated by the folks who live there. I understand that it gets very hot in the summer. After we passed Tyler, the land flattened out quickly. It is so flat that you can see for miles and miles. We enjoyed seeing all the beautiful ranches and cattle in the fields.
Our friends told us of a Corp of Engineers RV park that is just a few minutes from their home. It is called Loafers Park - a perfect name for a couple of lofers like us. We stayed in Lofers East. I don't even know if Lofers West was open or not. We did not venture into that section of the park. Mike had us a site reserved - site #1 - which was close to the lake. We thought this would be perfect and it was from a scenery point of view. The lake was just behind us and when we opened up the back porch of the camper, we had a glorious view of the lake. However, we were very exposed to the wind and boy was there wind. It nearly blew us away. It was difficult to open the door to get outside or back in. And, during the first night, I was awake most of the night listening and praying that the big tree next to us would not fall. Mike said I was crazy - that the tree was not going anywhere, but I was not so sure. The wind continued the next day. When visiting with our friends, they told us that the wind is common in the spring but when you need a breeze in the summer, you can't buy one.
On Thursday, Mike and I drove to Waco to purchase a couple of new tires for the camper. He found them for almost half price and we really needed some new tires. We took the back roads to Waco. Waco was a typical town without anything really special, but we did get to see Baylor University. Actually, I saw what I thought were a lot of church spires in the distance and they turned out to be the architecture of the university. Baylor is a church school and the design of the buildings lets you know that immediately. The school is very nice and we enjoyed touring around it. We drove downtown and saw the downtown area. It was a typical downtown. We did see the river that runs through the town - the Brazos. The name makes me think of the Wild West and cowboys and Indians.
We did not get to visit with our friends on our last day at Lake Whitney because Ed came down with the bug that causes you to have a high fever. We don't need to get sick - so we said goodbye over the phone. I am posting pictures of this leg of our travels as soon as I get out of this posting. Hope you enjoy.
We chose to go to Lake Whitney because we have old friends from Indiana who moved there in the early 80's. We wanted to visit with them and see some of the interior of TX. The countryside from Kilgore to west of Tyler, TX was rolling and there were lots of trees. The trees are not as tall as those in NC but they have huge branches that fan out and provide shade. I'm sure the shade they provide is greatly appreciated by the folks who live there. I understand that it gets very hot in the summer. After we passed Tyler, the land flattened out quickly. It is so flat that you can see for miles and miles. We enjoyed seeing all the beautiful ranches and cattle in the fields.
Our friends told us of a Corp of Engineers RV park that is just a few minutes from their home. It is called Loafers Park - a perfect name for a couple of lofers like us. We stayed in Lofers East. I don't even know if Lofers West was open or not. We did not venture into that section of the park. Mike had us a site reserved - site #1 - which was close to the lake. We thought this would be perfect and it was from a scenery point of view. The lake was just behind us and when we opened up the back porch of the camper, we had a glorious view of the lake. However, we were very exposed to the wind and boy was there wind. It nearly blew us away. It was difficult to open the door to get outside or back in. And, during the first night, I was awake most of the night listening and praying that the big tree next to us would not fall. Mike said I was crazy - that the tree was not going anywhere, but I was not so sure. The wind continued the next day. When visiting with our friends, they told us that the wind is common in the spring but when you need a breeze in the summer, you can't buy one.
On Thursday, Mike and I drove to Waco to purchase a couple of new tires for the camper. He found them for almost half price and we really needed some new tires. We took the back roads to Waco. Waco was a typical town without anything really special, but we did get to see Baylor University. Actually, I saw what I thought were a lot of church spires in the distance and they turned out to be the architecture of the university. Baylor is a church school and the design of the buildings lets you know that immediately. The school is very nice and we enjoyed touring around it. We drove downtown and saw the downtown area. It was a typical downtown. We did see the river that runs through the town - the Brazos. The name makes me think of the Wild West and cowboys and Indians.
We did not get to visit with our friends on our last day at Lake Whitney because Ed came down with the bug that causes you to have a high fever. We don't need to get sick - so we said goodbye over the phone. I am posting pictures of this leg of our travels as soon as I get out of this posting. Hope you enjoy.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Pics taken on March 24 and March 25, 2008
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Here are a few pictures of Shallow Creek campground and then some I took as we traveled from Kilgore, TX on US 31 over to Lake Whitney. There are a few I took in Corsicana, TX when we stopped to get fuel. I was surprised to find a Jewish temple in this small town. It was a very pretty building and the other church and courthouse were also very pretty buildings. The stone they use in TX is so white and it is used in a lot of the newer homes we saw in Tyler and Corsicana.
Monday, March 24, 2008
March 24, 2008 - Kilgore, TX
We are in the Shallow Creek RV Resort and Golf Course just off I20 in Kilgore, TX. The part is very nice. It is on a hill and we get a nice breeze. We talked to some people today who live here. They sold their home which was near here and moved into their RV. They've lived here for 2 years and really like the life style. There is one couple who have lived here for 8 years. Most of the people who live here are those whose work has them move around the country. They prefer to live in an RV rather than a hotel. Actually, if I were in that type of job, I'd do the same. I like having my stuff and my own bed and bathroom.
Mike and I took a short trip into the town of Kilgore today. It is a very small town without a whole lot of personality. It did have a Wal-Mart which we visited and bought a new flatscreen TV for the RV. It is very nice to have a bigger TV to watch. I also purchased two movies - Enchanted and I Am Legand. We don't watch many movies, but I had seen Enchanted at the movies when it came out and I absolutely loved it. I wanted to have it at home for the grandkids to see. Our 3 year old granddaughter has seen it several times and loves it. I saw the previews to I Am Legand while we were looking at the TVs today and it really caught my attention. I'm looking forward to watching it in the next few days.
We leave for Lake Whitney tomorrow. I am excited to get to see our old Indiana friends - Judi and Ed. They were our neighbors and best friends for years and Judi and I worked side by side for 3 or 4 years. I missed Judi terribly when we moved to NC. Then she and Ed moved to Dallas a year after we left Indiana. I guess it was meant to be. NC has been very good to us and they love TX. I just regret that we lost our close relationship over the years. However, when I called and talked to them, it was like we have never been apart. I guess that is how it is with good friends.
I won't have wireless service for a few days so I won't be updating the blog for three or four days. I hope I have good stuff to tell you when I do get on again.
PS - I failed to tell you about my latest incidents. Mike and I were eating pasta the other night and my $1200 tooth broke off. I say it is my $1200 tooth because I had it capped years ago and then last year it abcessed and I had to have a root canal - AND NOW it has broken off. It will probably have to be pulled now and I'll have to have a bridge - another $1200 just waiting to happen. Then, the other night, I woke up and moved my hand and hit my glasses and knocked them off the night stand. I raised up to find them and hit my head hard on the cabinet next to the bed. I told Mike that I had a big knot on my forehead. He asked me to check to be sure that I did not have a big dent in my head - HA HA. Anyway, the rest of the day when I did dumb things, I told him it was due to my concussion. He didn 't buy it. I'm hoping that these are the last of my accidents.
Mike and I took a short trip into the town of Kilgore today. It is a very small town without a whole lot of personality. It did have a Wal-Mart which we visited and bought a new flatscreen TV for the RV. It is very nice to have a bigger TV to watch. I also purchased two movies - Enchanted and I Am Legand. We don't watch many movies, but I had seen Enchanted at the movies when it came out and I absolutely loved it. I wanted to have it at home for the grandkids to see. Our 3 year old granddaughter has seen it several times and loves it. I saw the previews to I Am Legand while we were looking at the TVs today and it really caught my attention. I'm looking forward to watching it in the next few days.
We leave for Lake Whitney tomorrow. I am excited to get to see our old Indiana friends - Judi and Ed. They were our neighbors and best friends for years and Judi and I worked side by side for 3 or 4 years. I missed Judi terribly when we moved to NC. Then she and Ed moved to Dallas a year after we left Indiana. I guess it was meant to be. NC has been very good to us and they love TX. I just regret that we lost our close relationship over the years. However, when I called and talked to them, it was like we have never been apart. I guess that is how it is with good friends.
I won't have wireless service for a few days so I won't be updating the blog for three or four days. I hope I have good stuff to tell you when I do get on again.
PS - I failed to tell you about my latest incidents. Mike and I were eating pasta the other night and my $1200 tooth broke off. I say it is my $1200 tooth because I had it capped years ago and then last year it abcessed and I had to have a root canal - AND NOW it has broken off. It will probably have to be pulled now and I'll have to have a bridge - another $1200 just waiting to happen. Then, the other night, I woke up and moved my hand and hit my glasses and knocked them off the night stand. I raised up to find them and hit my head hard on the cabinet next to the bed. I told Mike that I had a big knot on my forehead. He asked me to check to be sure that I did not have a big dent in my head - HA HA. Anyway, the rest of the day when I did dumb things, I told him it was due to my concussion. He didn 't buy it. I'm hoping that these are the last of my accidents.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Pic's from Vicksburg, MS
Here are pictures we took in Vicksburg. The river is over two miles wide here in Vicksburg. The storefront is the candystore where the first Coca-Cola bottling was done. There are some pictures of the old court house and the murals on the floodwall.
March 21, 2008 - Sunset from River Town Campground, Vicksburg, MS
Mike took these pictures of the sunset on March 21 from our camper. We are in the River Town Campground in Vicksburg, MS. This is not a great campground, but it does have wireless service.
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