OKC

I think I've only been to Oklahoma City once before, just for an afternoon or so, several years ago. To be honest, I really didn't have any sort of impression for what the city would be like. It turned out to be a far more interesting city than I had given it credit for! We spent two nights in Oklahoma City, and tried to see and do as much as we could in that time.

Today, Oklahoma City is surprisingly modern, with a two-line streetcar system that stops at most of the major sights in downtown. Unfortunately, we didn't get the chance to ride it, but I would have liked to have taken a ride.

The first thing we did when we arrived, was to visit the Oklahoma City National Memorial, a beautiful and somber museum and outdoor memorial dedicated to honoring those whose lives were lost in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing.

It was early evening, but we had just enough time to visit the fantastic on-site museum before they closed for the evening. It was a powerful and extremely moving experience.

"And Jesus Wept" is a statue built across the street from the Memorial by St. Joseph Catholic Church. The plot of land on which the statue stands was once the church's parish house. It was destroyed in the blast, and this beautiful statue was built in its place.

The fence surrounding the memorial is full of mementos, cards, notes, pictures, messages, and more from all over the world. We even saw this string of Tibetan prayer flags.

The next morning, we visited the Oklahoma State History Museum, which was incredible! Exhibits there ranged from history of the Native American tribes to cowboys and much, much more. We ended up spending a few hours longer than we intended to, but it was such a great museum that it was worth it.

After that, we were hungry, and ready for lunch. We found out about the famous Tim's Drive-Inn, a local joint beloved by locals for its "Indian Tacos".

Served on Native American frybread instead of a tortilla or taco shell, Indian tacos are an especially filling and delicious Oklahoma specialty. Commonly eaten at pow-wows, festivals, and cultural gatherings, Indian tacos are among the most famous and well-known examples of Native American dishes in the United States. 

You can read more about Indian Tacos on my other blog, The World of Street Food

https://www.theworldofstreetfood.com/2021/09/famous-oklahoma-indian-tacos-native.html

I was surprised and delighted to learn that Oklahoma City has its very own Riverwalk just like the one in San Antonio! In fact, the OKC river is entirely manmade, and was modeled after the one in San Antonio. Its construction is part of a massive undertaking by the Oklahoma City government to revitalize downtown and make it a more interesting place to live and visit. In the afternoon, we paid a visit to "Bricktown", the city's artsy cultural neighborhood for a private guided boat tour down the river. 

Along the way, the guide told us all about the art along the river, as well as all about the history and culture of Oklahoma City.

We had a really fun time in Oklahoma City! There's definitely something to be said for spending time in some of the country's lesser-visited cities. I appreciate the chance to visit the US as a tourist, because it allows me to find hidden gems like this.