Oklahoma City

35.4676° N, 97.5164° W

Kevin and I both have roots in Oklahoma. My Mom and generations of grandparents hail from Eagletown, Oklahoma — a small community that lies just six miles shy of the Arkansas-Oklahoma border. Kevin was born 200+ miles away in Oklahoma City. Both sides of his family boast roots in Oklahoma City for several generations until his Dad moved his young family to the San Francisco Bay Area when he was still an infant. So, Kevin was very excited when his family began discussing the prospects of a Family Reunion Weekend. After much organizing, the pieces all came together and we were able to make it happen.

We arrived a day early, which gave us the opportunity to wander around the University of Oklahoma and the surrounding area. The University campus is very pretty with its large brick buildings and a highlight for us was our visit to the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art . The museum carries a collection of both European and American art as well as photography — check its website as well for visiting exhibitions.

One of the fun surprises about Oklahoma City is the number of eye-catching murals throughout the city. Nearby, you’ll find a mural wall in the Plaza District that rotates work by different artists. I loved the brightly painted murals in this neighborhood and the funky shops — we enjoyed stopping into the vintage shop Dig It Boutique. They have an eclectic mix of vintage clothing (think replica bowling shirts) and kitschy collectibles to wear or decorate your home with. The Plaza District is also a good spot to sit down for a quick lunch or in our case, a sweet treat from Roxy’s Ice Cream Social. Roxy’s has air conditioning and limited seating inside — a few chairs outside as well but, this is a really good area to peruse the shops and admire the murals.

Oklahoma City has about 35 of these mural sites scattered throughout town. Another popular mural area is Bricktown —- conveniently located next to hotels, fine dining and the arena for the Oklahoma Thunder. We did take in time to admire the murals here as well but, honestly, the real draw for us was….. Baseball! Bricktown is also the home of the AAA Minor League affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers — the Oklahoma City Dodgers. While we are not fans of the LA Dodgers, it was still fun to take in minor league game. Great seats, a beautiful stadium and at $10/ ticket, cheap entertainment for the evening! In addition to the baseball stadium, you’ll also find shopping, dining and a large movie theater in this neighborhood.

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The next day we took the scenic 30 minute drive to Noble, Oklahoma. Noble is a charming, small town and we found ourselves driving down rural backroads dotted with homes on vast plots of land. I smiled at the sight of rich clay and wild Black Eyed Susans on the side of the road — bringing up the memory of stories my Mom has told me about growing up in Oklahoma’s countryside. Mom Arisha and her husband have built a beautiful home with a cabin feel and a yard that would make a gardening enthusiast salivate. They have an abundance of fruit trees and vegetables available right outside their front door —- broccoli, greens, blueberries, tomatoes, grapes, apples…..

Getting away to the countryside, away from our busy lives in California……. caused us time to relax and enjoy moments of solitude.

On the edge of Arisha’s property is a pond stocked with fish and a friendly snapping turtle. We were determined to catch a fish. We spent hours casting fishing lines into the pond while others took the canoe out for a moment of quiet solitude. The quiet rustle of trees swooning in the breeze, chirping cicadas and the rhythmic sound of canoe oars dancing in the pond water was the moment of calm we all needed.

We finished the day with a comforting mix of quiet talks on the porch, creating mosaic stepping stones for the garden, the aromatic smells of food being cooked on the grille and the sound of “Bones” being slapped on the table in a lively game of Dominoes.

It was a beautiful, laughter filled weekend. We shared stories and time together and got a small taste of the Oklahoma our families have called home.

If you choose to visit Oklahoma City, we suggest staying at The Colcord Hotel — they have beautifully appointed rooms, hospitable service and are centrally located to Bricktown, Thunder Arena, The Financial District and University of Oklahoma. We also really enjoyed the fine dining restaurant, Flint, located downstairs…… if more laid back is your speed, then try Social Capital for an awesome selection of craft beers and street tacos!

Until next time, Happy Travels!