Day 6 (part 1): Oklahoma City Memorial

Miles driven to-date: 2,307
States visited to-date: 12


We squeezed quick workouts in this morning before heading to the Oklahoma City Memorial, a tribute to the unforgettable tragedy of April 19, 1995. It was just a few blocks from our hotel, reminding us of how misfortune can strike anywhere, anytime.

The Memorial encompasses the area of the bombed Alfred Murrah Federal Building and was incredibly moving. Two large gates mark the east and west entrances and are inscribed with 9:01 (the minute before the attack) and 9:03 (the minute after, when everything was forever changed). A shallow reflecting pool connects the two “Gates of Time.”

A field of empty chairs pays homage to the 168 people who died in the tragedy. The smaller chairs memorialize the 19 children who died in the on-site daycare center and brought me to tears.

This tree – situated right next to the building – endured the blast and has ever since been called the Survivor Tree. It is surrounded by an orchard of other trees meant to symbolize the help that rushed in from people around the nation and world.

A museum now sits adjacent to the Memorial and provided incredible details about what happened that day, the people who were affected, and the search for and capture of the perpetrators. One of the unforgettable stories described there told of a woman whose leg was trapped under a beam for hours while rescuers tried to pull her out. Their efforts were hampered by rumors of a second bomb in the building, and eventually they decided the beam couldn’t be moved because it might cause the rest of the building to collapse. To get the woman out, a doctor amputated her leg without anesthesia since there was no time or supplies; in fact, he had to use a dull pocket knife and his left hand because of the cramped quarters. The woman survived but two of her family members died in the attack.

(above) A message from one of the rescue workers still remains.

We left the Memorial feeling somber but grateful for the safety of friends and family like you all! If you are ever in this part of the country, I highly recommend stopping by the Memorial to pay tribute.

On a lighter note, on our way out of Oklahoma we saw countless signs for a restaurant offering a free 72-oz steak if you could eat it within an hour (but to actually get it for free, you have to eat the accompanying shrimp cocktail, salad, baked potato, and bread too). It’s probably a good thing that we decided to forego that challenge . . . We were also intrigued to see a sign for rattlesnakes for sale, and another one boasting that we would soon pass the “largest cross in the Western hemisphere.” It was erected by the father of NFL star Zach Thomas and really was huge - here’s a picture:

It was interesting to see so many religious billboards and religious-themed paraphernalia at rest stops. This part of the country certainly feels different from Boston!

Next we planned to make a quick stop at a restaurant in Amarillo, Texas on our way to New Mexico. Let’s just say this was the highlight of our trip so far and definitely deserves its own posting, so stay tuned . . .