Oklahoma City bribed us. First thing we did after arrival on monday was to have lunch at Cheever’s Café, a former flower shop, on Route 66. Not your regular burger place, as you would expect, but highly creative cuisine. I had delicious couscous risotto (need to try that at home) as a side to spicy salmon tacos.
Well fed, our first stop was the Boathouse District on the Oklahoma River where we got a tour at the state-of-the-art boating facility. It’s a world-class rowing course and training facility and a new wildwater course is under construction. But it’s more than that, it’s also a public space, where people can take boating classes, can use the fitness room or can get adventurous and roudy at „Riversport Adventures“. If you want to conquer your weaker self you can balance high up on ropes or swing along a zipline over the river. Best thing about this place is, that it’s not somewhere in the woods, but in downtown, connected to Bricktown by a tunnel. Architecture is spectacular as well, very modern and linear with lots of glass.
A spectacular piece of art is the Land Run Monument, closeby, at the Bricktown Canal, which reminded us first of the Pioneer Plaza Cattle Drive in Dallas (see post before), but though it’s looks similar it’s a different artist. This sculpture group of 45 heroic oversized bronze figures commemorates the opening of the land to settlers in Oklahoma Territory in 1889 and the rush of people to claim new homesteads. Paul Moore, the artist, is also represented in the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, which we visited the next morning.
A masterpiece in the lobby is a sculpture called "End of the Trail", an indian on a horse by James Earle Fraser (1876-1953), who also designed the Lincoln Statue in his momument in D.C. "Cowboy Crossings" - an annual exhibition of traditional cowboy art of all kinds - was still taking place in the museum and we were fortunate to have a terrific tour with a very knowledgeable docent, with an admirable lot of aplomb. All docents are volunteers and put in many hours for free. Volunteerism is another typically American thing, doesn’t work in Germany.
Though it’s been our second visit in the museum, we learned a lot, just would have wished to have some more time later on our own, and, would love to see the „vault“ next time, the archives of the museum. Especially love the sections on rodeo, indians and the cowboy-in-movies. Unfortunately, we had to leave immediately after lunch in the museum’s café for Wichita, already an hour late.
Our hotel in OKC was a Homewood Suites, large, well-equipped rooms and full dinner complimentary to guests as well as a breakfast buffet. Situated conventiently close to Bricktown, we explored this former warehouse district on monday evening. It's not large, just a couple of blocks, with lots of nightlife and dining options, though not many shops. A nice feature is Bricktown Canal, a mile-long waterway that links downtown, Bricktown and the river. With its watertaxis it’s a miniature version of the San Antonio River Walk.
We finished a hot, sunny day packed with new experiences, in the Bricktown Brewery at Happy Hour where brilliant beers were served for the incredible price of $ 2,50 a pint. Time was too short for OKC, would have loved to revisit the Stock Yards during an auction and the History Center and... and... and... But, hopefully, there will be a next time.
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