I looked at my stats yesterday and saw that I went over 10,000 views. My audience ranges from the USA to South Africa, to Isle of Man, to Great Britain. I have also had looks from Poland, Australia, Ireland and Germany. I am sure I missed a few but you get the gist.
So, I want to say Thank You to all who have read and continue to read my blog.
I have always loved to write. I have not always nurtured this love.
Life gets in the way of these types of things and we put them aside.
Our travels have allowed me to have a core subject matter (travel) with daily variations (new locations and sights). I try to put together enjoyable reads while providing some information and photos. I try to keep it interesting and informative.
I will say again: Thank You for reading.
Rob and I got up Wednesday and took a moisture infused run. The storms of Tuesday night had passed but the air was still very heavy. The temps were still a bit cool so it was not an oppressive heaviness but it was definitely damp.
After our run, coffee and showers, we decided to go to Oklahoma City and do some looking around.
We chose The National Cowboy Museum for our first stop.
The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum is a museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, with more than 28,000 Western and American Indian art works and artifacts. The facility also has the world's most extensive collection of American rodeo photographs, barbed wire, saddlery, and early rodeo trophies. Museum collections focus on preserving and interpreting the heritage of the American West.
The museum is very well done. They have wonderful photographs, art work and artifacts. The galleries and pieces are well defined and abundant. The photos below are part of a current gallery display.
UMMMMM.....YOWZA!
THE DUKE
CAST MEMBERS EATING LUNCH AT MONUMENT VALLEY IN 1964. FASCINATING.
The museum has galleries dedicated to The American Cowboy, The Native American, Native American Art, Western Firearms, Art of the American West, Western Performers and more. There are also lovely outdoor gardens that include large bronze sculptures, horse memorials and flora.
If you are in Oklahoma City and have a few hours, visit the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum.
We both had a bit of an appetite after our visit so we decided to drive to Stockyard City and have lunch at The Cattleman's Steakhouse.
Cattlemen's Cafe opened its doors to hungry cowboys, ranchers, cattle haulers and the like in 1910. The Stockyards City area was a beehive of activity back then, as herds of cattle were driven to Oklahoma City in an unending stream to satisfy the East's growing demand for beef. By 1926, Stockyards City was the home of two major meat processors and the area became known as "Packing Town." It was in 1926 that H.V. 'Homer" Paul took over Cattlemen's, already a well-known establishment among the area's thousands of workers. Cattlemen's was one of the few places that stayed open after sundown. Because of this, it also attracted a very colorful clientele. During Prohibition, it was known for its home-brewed 'liquid delights.'
In 1945, Cattlemen's was owned by Hank Frey, a gambler of sorts. In a smoke-filled room at the old Biltmore Hotel in downtown Oklahoma City, Frey was running out of luck and money in a dice game attended by a local rancher, Mr. Gene Wade. Frey put up Cattlemen's as the pot if Wade could roll a 'hard six,' otherwise known as two 3s. Wade put up his life savings, which was a sizable amount of money. With one roll of the dice, Gene Wade was in the restaurant business. The '33' brand on the wall of Cattlemen's Hereford Room became a well-known symbol of Wade's good fortune.
Cattleman's serves good food with a smile. We love visiting local eateries with a colorful history and Cattleman's fit the bill. It was full of locals but welcoming to first timers.
After lunch, we made our way to the Oklahoma City National Memorial.
The Oklahoma City National Memorial is a memorial in the United States that honors the victims, survivors, rescuers, and all who were affected by the Oklahoma City bombing on April 19, 1995. The memorial is located in downtown Oklahoma City on the former site of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, which was destroyed in the 1995 bombing.
Visiting memorials like this can be emotionally exhausting but I think they are important reminders. They remind us of our frail existence and our ability to endure.
The grounds of the memorial include The Gates of Time and The Field of Empty Chairs.
THE WEST ENTRANCE
THE BUILDING THAT WAS ATTACHED TO THE BUILDING THAT WAS DESTROYED. IT NOW HOUSES THE MUSEUM
THE REFLECTING POOL AND THE EAST GATE
THE FIELD OF CHAIRS
THE SMALL CHAIRS MADE ME SO SAD. PURE EVIL TAKING THE LIFE OF PURE INNOCENCE
"The East Gate represents 9:01 a.m. on April 19, and the innocence of the city before the attack. The West Gate represents 9:03 a.m. and the moment we were changed forever."
"Each of the 168 chairs symbolize a life lost, with the smaller chairs representing the 19 children killed. Each bronze and stone chair rests on a glass base etched with the name of a victim."
We did not go into the museum. We did not want to rush and to be honest, the outside was enough for me. While the grounds themselves are very peaceful, they are profoundly symbolic of a very tragic day. With all that being said, I am so glad we went.
We left the Memorial and went home. We try to avoid being gone more than 4-5 hours and we were pushing it. I am sure the girls would be fine if we were away longer but we are all they have.
We got back to the RV and took a short break before getting the pups ready for a walk. We visited a local park and got in a good brisk 40 minutes before heading back.
Dinner was light since we'd had such a big lunch.
We finished our evening with some Big Bang Theory and the laughs that come along with it.
Another great day in this thing we call life.
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