Day 2 - Oklahoma City

Today was a study in packing as much as possible into one day. I was excited to get started today, so I got out of the house about 15 minutes ahead of schedule. I went to the start point for today's Volksmarch and got the directions for the walk. I wasn't yet sure if I was going to do the 10km or 13km option, figuring I'd decide later (I ended up doing the 13km option). I headed out and it was absolutely perfect walking weather - about 65 degrees when I started, but with the sun peaking out and a slight breeze. About a mile into the walk was the Oklahoma City Bombing Museum & Memorial. That was the main reason I came here, so I took my time in checking it all out. It was very well done. Because I got there about 15 minutes after they opened, it was pretty empty, but quickly started filling up with school groups. Ugh. I forgot that most "tourists" on school days are often large groups of children. Here's one of my pictures from the memorial:

Anyway, after I finished up with the memorial, I continued on with the walk, heading down through Bricktown, the old warehouse district of the city that has undergone a major revitalization and is now the main entertainment district. I stopped in Brickhouse Burgers for lunch and got an onion burger with bacon and cheese. It was gigantic!

From there, it was a long walk up to the capitol area. It was at this point that I made the decision to do the 13km option and did a 3km loop to see the Governor's mansion and the Oklahoma History Center.

I skipped the tour of the Capitol, planning to come back after the walk was over because my timing was such that I had to keep moving in order to make the last tour at the Overholser Mansion. I had really been looking forward to that, and it didn't disappoint. If you're in Oklahoma City, I highly recommend checking it out. It was built around 1903, had 2 owners (same family) and then was donated to the historical preservation society. All of the furnishings throughout the house are originals. The house is undergoing some renovations on the outside, but the inside is STUNNING. A very friendly couple and I were the only ones on our tour and the tour guide, Lisa, was super sweet and knowledgeable. Seriously, go check it out.

Then my phone battery died - grrrrrr. But I finished up the last half mile of the walk and got my stamps. I could feel the lactic acid coursing through my legs, but my feet didn't hurt!

So at this point, I was tired and needed some downtime. I considered going back to the Capitol, but it was 4:00 and the last tour was scheduled at 3:00. I could have gone and done a self-guided tour, but like I said, I was tired and in need of refreshment. So I decided to skip the Capitol (Austin has one and it's pretty great) and instead, I drove down to Bricktown again. I set up camp at the bar of the Bricktown Brewery, had 2 beers that I loved (similar to St. Arnold's Lawnmower) and a plate of nachos. I relaxed, caught up on facebook and email (I had charged my phone in the car) and refueled. I then made my way down to the Bricktown canal and decided to be a super tourist. I got a ticket for the water taxi and took a nice relaxing ride.

After the ride, I decided to hit the ballpark right next door and take in a little minor league baseball. I knew I was tired, so I knew I likely wouldn't make it through the whole game (I didn't), but I wanted to go for some of it. When I left in the 7th inning, the hometown Redhawks were up 1-0. It was a good game.

So it was a long day. Was out and about for about 13 hours. Tomorrow I drive to Denver, where I get to stay with my friend Michelle. I'm super excited to see her. (I need to find a new word for "super" - I'm sick of hearing myself "say" it.) It'll be a long day of driving. I leave here at 9AM and I'll get to Michelle's place around 6:30, and that includes a 1 hour time change, so it's about 10 and a half hours. Long day. Better get some rest.