Crossing Into Cowgirl Country

Stops in Oklahoma City and Amarillo

Hi friends,

Hope wherever you are in the world that Spring has finally arrived!

The next stops on my trip were to Oklahoma City, OK and Amarillo, TX. I was excited to cross over to Oklahoma and check another state off of my list (I’m now 35/50).

Many people were surprised when I said I was stopping by OKC — and honestly, it was one of the cities I was most excited to visit. First off, one of my favorite breweries is based there (Prairie Artisan Ales which I’ll share a bit more about below) and I had heard good things in general about OKC.

When I got to town, I knew the first thing I needed/wanted to see was the Oklahoma City National Memorial. I know it sounds depressing and morbid, but it’s one of those places, like the 9/11 Memorial and Pearl Harbor, that as an American, you need to see and pay respects to. And also, it’s a place I have an indirect tie to.

On that fateful day in April 1995, most of us recall the horrors of the OKC bombing. Even I as a 7th grader remember our teachers telling us what happened and subsequently seeing the images of the bloodied and battered victims and survivors on the news for weeks and months to come. Such an incredibly heartbreaking day for the people of OKC and our nation.

Fast forward to May 2001, after I finished my freshman year at Indiana State, members of the media flocked to Terre Haute, Indiana where the execution of Timothy McVeigh was going to take place. Nearly all of the major news outlets recruited students from ISU to help out with the on-site production. So there I was at 19 working for NBC News. It was an incredible experience and one that I’ll never forget (here are some pics that were taken on-site below… including one of me and NBC journalist David Bloom, who sadly passed away in 2003 in Iraq)

During that time, I heard the reporters share the narrative over and over again about the victims and the devastation that took place in OKC. But being so far away, you can’t fully grasp the loss of life and destruction. I know I didn’t — until now.

The memorial was so harrowing yet a beautiful tribute to the victims and survivors. I think the hardest thing to see was the rows of chairs (especially the small ones in honor of the children killed in the bombing). There was a memorial run that weekend and several runners were leaving their bibs on the chair in memory of the person who had passed. It’s hard not to shed a tear when you’re there but I highly recommend visiting if you’re able to.

I will say after exploring OKC, it reminded me a LOT of Indy! Great bars (including a fabulous rooftop bar called Obar at the Ambassador Hotel), breweries, restaurants, and lots of things to do including museums, sporting events, and concerts. I went to the downtown Arts Festival that weekend and got tickets to a Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors concert (where it was revealed that I had come from the furthest away!).

Then off to my crown jewel of breweries — Prairie Artisan Ales. I first picked up their Rainbow Sherbet Sour at Luekens in Dunedin (loved it) and then fell for their holiday Seasick Crocodile. If you’re into sours, you’ve got to try their stuff! I was so excited to visit the mothership — and the best part about traveling by car is that I could take some beers I can’t get at home with me on the road. :)

The area I loved the most in OKC was the Bricktown district. It’s home to Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark (voted one of the best ballparks in AAA), Bricktown Brewery, the Bricktown Water Taxi, and more. It reminded me a LOT of the White River area in Indy (maybe that’s why I loved it so much!).

Overall, I loved OKC — but my only complaint was that I didn’t think the people there were that friendly. They were nice enough but just not super warm.

Next stop was on to Amarillo. This was more of a low-key stop to catch my breath for a minute. Not a ton going on in Amarillo but the Route 66 stuff was neat, along with Cadillac Ranch, a collection of ten old buried Cadillacs that are now graffitied sculptures.

My next stops will take me further out west and take in some sights I’ve been really looking forward to seeing. :) As always, thank you for going on this journey with me!

Love and light,
MW