Texas to Oklahoma

Today I crossed from Texas into Oklahoma. This is the first state I am visiting in which I have never set foot.

My first stop is Oklahoma City. I arrived mid-afternoon and immediately made my way over to the National Memorial Museum commemorating the Bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah building in 1995. They have done a great job with this memorial. The multimedia, which sometimes can be distracting, is integrated in such a way that the journey is seamless. The story does not get any better with age, but it was good to be reminded of some of the details. For example, I had forgotten that McVeigh and Nichols considered the bombing payback for the Ruby Ridge standoff and the Waco Branch Davidian siege.

Now that I have entered the geographically smaller states, my journey will be less hectic, at least for the foreseeable future. I will be able to spend less time driving between destinations and more time exploring each area. That said, the stories and images will be quieter as well as I have left behind the breathtaking scenery and national parks of the Southwest. So my challenge will be to find interesting subjects in more mundane circumstances.