It’s finally time for the Oklahoma chapter! I don’t even know where to start. A week in Oklahoma went by way too fast. I flew from Manhattan to Dallas and the first stop from the airport to OKC was at the beautiful Turner Falls. It was amazing, since we weren’t in the dry season, and to make it more exciting, there was a very nice zip line that we took an adrenaline filled ride on. A fantastic place for a picnic that you can reach directly by car.
The plan was to stop at Two Frogs for lunch on the way to OKC, but unfortunately we found it closed. This was unusual for this very busy restaurant. The day before, a tornado had passed through the town of Marietta, and had caused a lot of property damage. So everything was closed for that reason. This excluded a small restaurant where we ended up. I know I went to Oklahoma to feel a little bit of America, so I insisted on going to a typical ‘diner’. The moment I walked in, I knew this choice was wrong. The place smelled strongly of burning oil that had turned to acid. I have never smelled anything like it before. I put this incident behind us and continued on our way to OKC.
I stayed at a friend’s house and was in good company most of the time, but I also had time to explore on my own. The first day I slept in late because of the two days in Manhattan. For the first time on this trip I felt like I had all the time in the world and could take it slowly. We went for brunch at The Hatch, a very nice place with a rich menu and delicious food. I then explored the city center during the day. To be honest, among so many skyscrapers, I encountered very few people. I took a walk near the Botanical Garden and then returned home. I took the rest of the day very slow.
Next day the highlight was Guitar Center, a fantastic place. Regardless of the collections and brands they had, you felt at home and could try any guitar you liked without feeling uncomfortable. This is probably also due to the self-service approach they had. The dominating guitar was that of Dimebag Darrell. We tried a few instruments, one more magical than the other, and left with the plan to come back.
During the evening, I decided to go out for a drive on my own. I felt like I was in a movie the whole time. I put on some music and wandered around neighborhoods, business areas and the city in itself. I really enjoyed the time. Although to be fair, the GPS was really important to have. It was difficult to navigate those long distances. For me it took 7 days to learn my way around the house.
On one of the days we visited Factory Obscura, the ‘Mix-Tape’ exhibition, and traveled to some of the imaginary worlds of the exhibition. An experience I really recommend. Next we visited Craig’s Curious Emporium, surrounded by the most diverse crystals, in a magical atmosphere. This time we could not escape without buying something.
Later on we went to OKC Underground, which I would recommend visiting first. This is because it is not at the same level as the other two, so it has a disappointing feeling if seen last. Here you will be able to communicate with various buildings in OKC, through underground tunnels. In the evening we went to the big park along Oklahoma River and took a scooter ride all over the park that seemed never-ending.
accompanied by distant beautiful landscapes and wind turbines almost all the way. I must say that access to these places required a specific permission from the owners of the land. Somewhere around Indian Lake, in the heart of the Chickasaw Nation, we visited a very interesting cave. After parking the car, we had to take a short walk, during which we encountered fields filled with yellow and red flowers. This view is also called the Indian Carpet.
The entrance to the cave was vertical, right below our feet. Although it was not very big, it was enough to feel in the heart of the earth. The next destinations were two waterfalls north of Hickory Creek. They weren’t as majestic as Turner Falls, but still very nice for a picnic. And just like that, a week filled with curiosity in Oklahoma City ended. The next adventure would be very intense, because it‘s in Las Vegas.
