June 2011 Archives - 2/2 - A Cruising Couple » A Cruising Couple

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Texas: Everything’s Bigger

Jun 072011

This blog post is going to be just like our time in Texas: short and sweet

Although we only had time to drive through the northernmost part of Texas, we made certain to drive a little bit of historic Route 66. This meant only one thing: Cadillac Ranch. You’ve seen the iconic pictures before, but here are ours.

Just in case you aren’t familiar with Cadillac Ranch, there’s a pretty good post about it here.

Oklahoma City: A Memorial to Remember

Jun 062011

Oklahoma City is a fine little city. Although it is most often used as a stopover for other places, there is one thing that anyone passing through absolutely needs to see: the Oklahoma City National Memorial. The memorial is absolutely breathtaking, and commemorates what was the most destructive act of terrorism in the US prior to 9-11.

On April 19, 1995, the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City was bombed, taking the lives of 168 people, including 19 children. Today the outdoor memorial is a place of reflection for the victims, survivors, rescuers and families of those affected by the bombing. Walk around, say a little prayer for the families, and take in the immensity of what happened; however, don’t forget that the Oklahoma City National Memorial wants its visitors to believe hope can survive and blossom amidst tragedy.

The memorial is framed by two gates, one which says 9:01, the other which says 9:03 (as displayed in the picture). These gates frame the moment of destruction, which occurred at 9:02. It is a vivid illustration of the innocence of the city before the bombing, and the change that resulted after the bombing.

The 168 empty chairs represent the 168 lives lost in the bombing. They are arranged in nine rows to represent the nine floors of the building, with the name of the victim engraved on each chair.

The Survivor Tree is an American Elm that witnessed the bombing in April of ’95 and still stands as a living symbol of resilience.

The reflection pool (the Memorial Museum is displayed here as well) symbolizes peace, reflection and restoration for those who visit. It occupies the space that was once N.W. Fifth Street.

We were extremely moved by the Memorial–by the tremendous impact of the bombing as well as the hope and resilience of Oklahoma City and the United States. The Memorial itself sums it all up: We come here to remember those who were killed, those who survived and those changed forever. May all who leave here know the impact of violence. May this memorial offer comfort, strength, peace, hope and serenity.

Little Rock and Rollin’ Through

Jun 022011

The past couple of days have been relatively uneventful. We made a brief stop in Little Rock, Arkansas on our way to Branson, Missouri. Little Rock was a nice city, and it happened to be hosting a Riverside Festival while we were there. This would have been really awesome if we wanted to hear Nelly and countless other bands for 20 bucks. But seeing as we didn’t really have the time, we decided to grab lunch and take a look at the William J Clinton Presidential Library (the first federal building that is LEED platinum certified). A sweet old lady of about 85 working admissions quickly ushered us in the museum for FREE when she found out we were newlyweds! Being a newly wed is awesome :-p. The Clinton Presidential Memorial is worth seeing if you’re passing through Little Rock. It has the only scale model of the oval office outside of the White House. The tour also includes countless documents listing the president’s to-do schedule for EVERY MINUTE OF EVERY DAY (and you think you never have any free time) and glass cases housing gifts “received on behalf of the American people.” I betcha didn’t know you had gifts waiting for you in Little Rock. Of course, be prepared that it is a presidential memorial, which means all the information provided is just a little bit biased.

Casey for Pres!

Branson was a little different from anywhere else I have ever traveled. After driving through the beautiful Ozark Mountains with little to no civilization, we arrived in this town that reminded me of a childish and quirky Vegas. Now I haven’t been to Las Vegas—yet—but all the flashing lights and billboards with shows here and there brought the comparison to mind. I’m sure some of the shows are great, but after coming from Nashville and Memphis the neon glow just didn’t really entice us. Instead, we spent most of our time relaxing in our lovely Blue Green Resort room and enjoying the drive through the Ozarks.