Oklahoma City
Finding Peace and Avoiding Tornadoes
Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum at Sunset
Finding Peace at the Beginning of My Sabbatical
Plan Your Visit | Destinations | Cities and Towns
Usually, the highlight of crossing the state line into Oklahoma is my sister and me yelling, “Oklahoma! Oklahoma! Oklahoma!” like Steve Martin’s Ruprecht in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. If we are not together, we do this by phone. Now you will do this, too. You’re welcome!
An easy six-hour drive from Austin on I-35, Oklahoma City was the first destination of all my 2023 Sabbatical Road Trips. I had a week between medical appointments and decided to use that time to hit the road, visit some state capitols, and discover new states and cities.
I found Oklahoma City to be a friendly, drivable, and walkable downtown with plenty to do. Even though my visit was during the week, downtown was not overly busy, making it easy to explore without hassle. Given that I only had a week to visit several states, I had to pack a lot into a two-night stay in Oklahoma City, which meant I stuck to highlights.
My initial plan was to leave the morning of 19 April 2023 until I realized that was the anniversary of the Oklahoma City Bombing, so I decided to leave right after my appointment on 18 April 2023. I arrived in time to visit the Oklahoma City National Memorial at night; you must see this memorial at night to enjoy the beauty and peace. I made it to the memorial the next morning to observe the anniversary and enjoy the museum next door.
For both memorial visits, I walked from my hotel at I-40 and I-235 to the memorial site, which took me through the Bricktown entertainment district. This area is a converted warehouse district that now houses a baseball park, theater, and a canal lined with restaurants and shops. I did have a great lunch at a place that is now closed. I feel a bit of regret that I did not spend more time here, but I’ll go back.
After paying my respects at the memorial, I visited the Oklahoma State Capitol, my first state capitol visit of 2023. The capitol is located northeast of downtown but driving there and parking is easy. Learn more about my visit.
I even had time to visit the Myriad Botanical Gardens later that afternoon. I was able to enjoy the Crystal Bridge indoor conservatory; otherwise, I think they were still waking from a winter nap; the outdoor area, which does not require a ticket, was quiet.
That evening, severe thunderstorms spawned several tornadoes in Central Oklahoma. One touched down in Cole, just miles from my hotel room. Fortunately, I was safely inside, enjoying only a minor thunderstorm. I did not hear about the Cole tornado until the next morning, a reminder that in Tornado Alley, it’s best to stay informed.
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Read more about my visits to the following Oklahoma City attractions:
