OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA

Located right in the middle of Oklahoma, the capital city of the one-time dust bowl is now known for one terrible event - the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building that took 168 lives. The area now hosts a moving memorial that must be seen to appreciate the truly horrific nature of what transpired over 6 years ago. 

The memorial is framed by two gates, one with 9:01 inscribed above the door, which is the minute before the blast, and other with 9:03, representing the minute after, when all changed forever in Oklahoma City. On the site where 5th Street used to run is now a reflecting pool. Just south of the pool is the Field of Empty Chairs with 168 bronze and stone chairs, one for each life lost in the tragedy. The chairs are laid out in nine rows,  symbolizing the nine floors of the building  - the number of chairs in each row is the number of people who were killed on that floor. Just north is the Survivor Elm, a tree that survived the blast.

The 9:01 gate, representing the last minute before the blast.

The National Memorial Center is located in the Journal-Record building next to the memorial. Containing two floors of exhibits, it explains in vivid detail the events surrounding the bombing. One of the most powerful is an audio tape of a meeting held across the street when the explosion occurred. This is certainly the most touching museum you can see and is well worth the time to read everything. 

Bricktown is a newly-revitalized entertainment area, just a few blocks from downtown. Home to numerous bars and restaurants, as well as the ballpark, the area is a good place to go in the evening. All of the buildings are renovated brick edifices, which gives the area an old-time feel.

The State Capitol building is north of downtown, but not particularly memorable. An interesting bit of trivia - there is an oil well beneath the capitol, which makes the building unique among the world's capitols. However, the well ran dry in 1986. 

There are other things to see in Oklahoma City - the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum and the International Softball Hall of Fame among them. We only had one day here, but wish we had more. If you are doing a road trip, make sure to stop in Oklahoma City.