A sleep in, at last.

15-10-2012

In to Oklahoma with a visit to the site of Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum:
On the morning of April 19, 1995, Timothy McVeigh parked a rental truck with explosives in front of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, a United States Government office building located in Oklahoma City, and at 9:02am, a massive explosion occurred which sheared the entire north side of the building, killing 168 people. Following the investigation which resulted in the execution of Timothy McVeigh and the sentence of life without parole for Terry Nichols, the surviving structure was demolished with explosives on May 23, 1995. The entire 3.3 acre site subsequently became home to the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum, a place to honor the victims, survivors and rescue workers, and to learn the impact of violence.

Having seen ground zero, and the flight 93 memorial, this Oklahoma memorial is yet another humbling experience; one which makes one reflect how lucky we are in Australia to have not witnessed this sort of act of terror and violence. 

Following a reflective walk through the city I happen upon Oklahoma’s impressive gardens and entertainment area.

 The strange looking glass pipe is a Tropical indoor garden

Then I happen upon Bricktown! 

This is the second Bricktown I have visited in the USA and provides a photo opportunity for Mare (Brick) and her extended family.

Oh yes, on the food front - a pint of Bricktown Brown and .... a salad!

Next it is off to Route 66, which is now just a historical route through the state of Oklahoma. The Dodge Charger takes on about 50 miles of the passage and there are some building relics of the old Route 66 as well as signage indicating “historical Route 66”.  A historical drive in diner “Happy Days” style. 

Look no Helmet!

Tomorrow it is off to Joseph Harp Correctional Centre (JHCC), named in honor and memory of Warden Joseph Harp who served as warden at the Oklahoma State Reformatory from 1949 to 1969. Warden Joseph Harp was clearly an innovative leader and professional in the field of corrections and lead the institution to establish a fully accredited academic High School behind prison walls. 
A medical unit was established in 2007 to provide housing for those offenders meeting one of the following criteria:  Dementia/Alzheimer patient; vision impaired/blind; wheelchair bound; uses walker/crutches; 65 or older.  Trained medical orderlies are offenders assigned to assist the offender residents of this specialized unit, providing basic skills to assist those who are physically disabled.
Following JHCC, the venture will continue to Texas.