OKLAHOMA . . . AND BEYOND!

ROCK & ROLL AT THE OKLAHOMA HISTORY CENTER

2009-05-02T20:56:00.007-05:00

The exhibit may be called "Another Hot Oklahoma Night" but it was a rainy afternoon for the grand opening of the Oklahoma History Center's look at the history of rock and roll music in Oklahoma.

Displays included items from the Flaming Lips, All American Rejects, the Red Dirt Rangers and numerous other musicians from Oklahoma.

Click here for the Oklahoma History Center's rock and roll blog.

AURORA CEMETERY - ALIEN GRAVE ?

2009-04-13T00:59:00.011-05:00

On Friday, April 3rd, we again visited the Aurora (TX) Cemetery, which is about 10 miles west of the Texas Motor Speedway. An alien was allegedly buried in the cemetery following the crash of his spacecraft on April 19, 1897.

Why had Birdie O. Bradshaw's gravesite been burned recently?

CANADIAN GEESE AT LAKE HEFNER

2009-04-11T17:36:00.005-05:00

Photos of Canadian geese near the lighthouse at Lake Hefner, Oklahoma City OK. The mother is on a nest and the father is pacing around the nest.

KINCAID'S HAMBURGERS - WHERE FRIENDS MEET TO EAT

2009-04-10T18:59:00.014-05:00

After a long day last Saturday at the Texas Motor Speedway, we had to check out the original Kincaid's Hamburgers at 4901 Camp Bowie Blvd. in Ft. Worth TX. Kincaid's is one of Hamburger America's "100 Great Burger Joints."

At the counter in the back of the restaurant, your order is written on a white sack and when your name is called, your food is inside the same sack. We had a hamburger and cheeseburger with a side of fried okra. Add in a $6 tee shirt and the order was less than $20.

DALLAS COWBOYS NEW STADIUM

2009-04-08T19:05:00.001-05:00

Photos of the Dallas Cowboys new stadium, still under construction, near the Texas Rangers' Ballpark at Arlington.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY !!

2009-03-28T18:00:00.002-05:00

ROUTE 66 - OKLAHOMA MUSEUM

2009-03-05T17:15:00.000-06:00

ROUTE 66 - LUCILLE'S

2009-03-04T17:10:00.000-06:00

ROUTE 66 - 66 WEST TWIN DRIVE IN

2009-03-03T17:05:00.000-06:00

ROUTE 66 - PONY BRIDGE

2009-03-02T17:00:00.000-06:00

Photos of the bridge over the South Canadian River west of Bridgeport OK, on historical Route 66. The bridge consists of 38 "pony" trusses each 100 feet long. In the movie The Grapes of Wrath, Grandpa dies before the Joad family leaves Oklahoma and is buried near the west end of the bridge. For more info, check out TravelOK, Waymarking, and Legends of America.

ROUTE 66 - BRIDGEPORT HILL

2009-03-01T16:55:00.000-06:00

West of El Reno and just east of the Pony Bridge is "Bridgeport Hill." This stretch of historic
Route 66 has the curbs that seem to be common in Western Oklahoma, but I haven't seen east of Oklahoma City. Route 66 legend has it that the hill was hard for some cars to climb and dangerous in bad weather.

ROUTE 66 - YUKON OK

2009-02-28T16:50:00.000-06:00

ROUTE 66 - OVERHOLSER BRIDGE

2009-01-25T20:58:00.003-06:00

Old Route 66 went west out of Oklahoma City on what is now the 39th Street Expressway. Just west of Bethany OK is the Lake Overholser Bridge. It is no longer used, but you can park nearby and walk out onto the bridge. These photos were taken on a chilly January afternoon.

OKLAHOMA HISTORY CENTER

2009-01-19T19:43:00.004-06:00

These are photos of various items outside the Oklahoma History Center on a cold January morning, including the Allen Houser sculpture "Unconquered" and views of the State Capitol and an oil field exhibit.

ROUTE 66 - BRISTOW TO ARCADIA

2009-01-04T21:07:00.011-06:00

A couple of gas stations on Route 66, near Bristow OK.

This is a section of the original US Route 66 that parallels the current OK 66, and acts as a frontage road for a few residences.

The Rock Cafe in Stroud OK approximately 8 months after it burned down in May 2008.

Gas station near Davenport OK.

The Lincoln Motel, still open in Chandler OK.

Phillips 66 "cottage" style gas station in Chandler OK.

Privately-owned section of old Route 66 that you can get to from the current OK 66 and actually drive on for a short distance.

Views of the pop bottle at dusk at Pops in Arcadia OK.

NEW YEAR'S EVE WITH THE FLAMING LIPS

2009-01-01T16:16:00.003-06:00

ROUTE 66 - INSIDE THE ROUND BARN - POPS

2008-12-28T12:29:00.001-06:00

Photos of a quick trip out to Arcadia OK for lunch at Pops and a look inside the Round Barn on Route 66.

OKLAHOMA CITY MUSEUM OF ART

2008-12-20T19:11:00.002-06:00

Today, RKC and I went to the Oklahoma City Museum of Art for the "American Impressionism from the Phillips Collection" exhibit. Visitors were not allowed to photograph the paintings, so here are photos of some of the Museum's large Dale Chihuly glass collection, including the Museum's Eleanor Blake Kirkpatrick Memorial Tower, which is his tallest installation to date.

COLDPLAY

2008-11-17T19:48:00.031-06:00

Sunday night, November 16th, Coldplay returned to the Ford Center in Oklahoma City as part of the "Viva La Vida" tour.

VIOLET HILL
Was a long and dark December
From the rooftops I remember
There was snow, white snow
Clearly I remember
From the windows they were watching
While we froze down below

THE HARDEST PART
And the hardest part was letting go, not taking part
It was the hardest part
And the strangest thing was waiting for that bell to ring
It was the strangest start

VIVA LA VIDA
I hear Jerusalem bells a-ringing
Roman cavalry choirs are singing
Be my mirror my sword and shield
Missionaries in a foreign field
For some reason I can’t explain
I know Saint Peter won't call my name
Never an honest word
But that was when I ruled the world

THE SCIENTIST
I was just guessing
At numbers and figures
Pulling the puzzles apart

LOVERS IN JAPAN
Tonight maybe we're gonna run
Dreaming of the Osaka sun
Dreaming of when the morning comes

YELLOW
Look at the stars, Look how they shine for you.
And everything you do. Yeah, they were all yellow.
I came along, I wrote a song for you.
And all the things you do, And it was called yellow.

Here is a link to a review of the concert at Newsok.com.

And Coldplay.com blog # 54 had this to say about the OKC show:

It's pretty common for shows in more out of the way places to be the ones with the most enthusiastic crowds. Oklahoma then, has potential to be a right good night out. We arrive late in the day, as soundcheck has been bypassed yet again. At the top of the ramp that leads us into the bowels of the arena are three young ladies holding banners who giddily bounce and wave as the band's vehicles swing around the corner. This is obviously not the only time this has happened, however when we emerge some hours later after the show, they are still there and they are just as excitable. I really do hope that they saw the show in between. Not just because they clearly were wonderfully bonkers about the band, but because it was a particularly good night.
Being in the hometown of the Flaming Lips means a lot at a Coldplay gig. Not only are the band great friends with the Lips guys, but so too are some of the crew. Hoppy, who looks after Chris's guitars worked for them many years ago. So did keyboard tech Neill Lambert (also now infamous as Chris's spooky Halloween attacker). I pass Neill in the corridor just as Wayne Coyne is making his way into the arena. Somewhat fittingly, Neill is in the middle of building a robot out of some metal electrical casings he's rescued from the dumpster. Proof if it were needed that we're heading now onto the beautiful slippery slope into what is commonly referred to as tour madness. I can only imagine that by Christmas, there are going to be a lot of inane grins and wonderfully skewed mental states. In the meantime, Neill's as yet unamed creation has been given a job in the Production Office dispensing setlists. I'm not sure he's even seen the Talk video. Maybe it's just subconscious...
The show itself is most enjoyable. As predicted, the crowd goes berserk even from before the intro tape and they're clearly out for a good time. Never ones to shy away from joining in, the fellas are lifted into the high gears early on. Will particularly, seems to be attacking the kit like it's something personal. I wouldn't wanna be a snare drum in Oklahoma tonight...
It only remains for the butterfly confetti to fall and it's pretty much all over. I remember doing a festival some years ago where The Flaming Lips were playing. I think I may still have some of the confetti in the back of my racks even now. It was an utterly joyous experience watching them play. I wonder what Wayne thought of the butterflies. I hope he liked 'em. I'm just hoping Chris doesn't decide that he wants to do the encores in a huge bubble so he can walk over the audience's heads from now on. How the hell would we get the piano in there...?

GARBER OKLAHOMA

2008-11-01T21:52:00.002-05:00

On the way to a Sterling College soccer game at Friends University in Wichita KS, we went north out of Oklahoma City on Highway 74. Here are some photos taken in Garber OK.

REFLECTIONS

2008-09-21T13:44:00.002-05:00

GALVESTON TX

2008-09-12T20:13:00.008-05:00

Here are some views of Galveston Island Texas during a vacation in the summer of 2004. It's now dark on Galveston, so I guess we won't know what damage Hurricane Ike does until daylight Saturday morning. Let's hope for the best.

HURRICANE GUSTAV EVACUEES IN OKLAHOMA CITY

2008-09-01T17:59:00.006-05:00

Hurricane Gustav evacuees from Louisiana have begun arriving in Oklahoma City. They are being housed at the old Western Electric/Lucent Technologies building in west OKC. While we were there, we saw a press conference with information officer Sgt. Balderrama of the OCPD, one bus leave and one arrive, lots of folks walking to and from the nearby fast food restaurants and spoke with a couple from Abbeville LA.

CAMERA CRITTERS 8-31-08

2008-08-31T16:46:00.008-05:00

Martin Park Nature Center, Oklahoma City OK, Sunday, 11:00 a.m. CDT, 78 degrees F, very humid after thunderstorm last night. Click on the bumblebee photo to see the pollen covering his body.

NEW ORLEANS

2008-08-30T12:28:00.006-05:00

Photos of New Orleans LA, taken in late October 2005, two months after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita hit the area.

AUGUST 28, 1963

2008-08-28T08:30:00.006-05:00

"I HAVE A DREAM"

I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.
Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.
But 100 years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. And so we've come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.
In a sense we've come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men - yes, black men as well as white men - would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check that has come back marked "insufficient funds."
But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. And so we've come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and security of justice. We have also come to his hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children.
It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end but a beginning. Those who hoped that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.
But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force. The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. And they have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone.
And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back. There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their selfhood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating "for whites only." We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no we are not satisfied and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.
I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive.
Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed.
Let us not wallow in the valley of despair. I say to you today my friends - so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.
I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification - one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together.
This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.
This will be the day, this will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning "My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my father's died, land of the Pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring!"
And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true. And so let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania.
Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado. Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California.
But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia.
Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee.
Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi - from every mountainside.
Let freedom ring. And when this happens, and when we allow freedom ring - when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children - black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics - will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual: "Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"

Distribution statement: Accepted as part of the Douglass Archives of American Public Address (http://douglass.speech.nwu.edu) on May 26, 1999. Prepared by D. Oetting (http://nonce.com/oetting).

Permission is hereby granted to download, reprint, and/or otherwise redistribute this file, provided this distribution statement is included and appropriate point of origin credit is given to the preparer and Douglass.

MARTIN PARK NATURE CENTER

2008-08-24T17:28:00.005-05:00

Sunday morning at Martin Park Nature Center in northwest Oklahoma City.

CLARA LUPER

2008-08-19T07:36:00.009-05:00

"50 YEARS AGO, OKLAHOMA CITY CHILDREN HELPED CHANGE NATION WHEN THEY SAT DOWN"

"On August 19, 1958, Clara Luper led 13 children into Katz Drug Store. They took seats at a nearly empty lunch counter. They ordered hamburgers and Cokes, but the waitress said they would not be served. They stayed for hours. They returned the next day, then the next, when finally they were served at Katz. "
[Daily Oklahoman & Newsok.com]

45th INFANTRY DIVISION MUSEUM

2008-08-16T16:18:00.006-05:00

These are photos of the 45th Infantry Division Museum in Oklahoma City OK. The indoor part of the museum has a large collection of items relevant to the military history of the State of Oklahoma, especially the "Thunderbirds," and includes more than 200 original Bill Mauldin cartoons. Outside, Thunderbird Park has over 60 types of equipment.

J&W GRILL - CHICKASHA OK - HAMBURGER AMERICA

2008-08-15T21:24:00.001-05:00

George Motz' book, Hamburger America, includes J&W Grill in Chickasha OK. For other Hamburger America related photos, see my posts for Hamburger Festival, Meers Store and Santa Fe NM.

CHICKASHA OK

2008-08-15T20:23:00.003-05:00

Forty five minutes southwest of Oklahoma City is Chickasha OK, county seat of Grady County. Shown are the Grady County Courthouse, Chickasha City Hall, former Rock Island train station and Washita Theater.

LAND RUN STATUE

2008-07-27T20:17:00.004-05:00

This statue memorializing the Land Run of 1889 is located in downtown Oklahoma City east of Robinson Avenue, across the street from Leadership Square.

ECLIPSE OF THE MOON

2008-07-27T20:15:00.000-05:00

LAKE HEFNER

2008-07-26T11:51:00.000-05:00

Photos of Lake Hefner in northwest Oklahoma City, taken on a hot sunny day at approximately 11:00 am, near the East Wharf area.

BRICKTOWN BALLPARK MOSAIC MURALS

2008-07-23T19:44:00.006-05:00

These photographs were taken outside the Johnny Bench/home plate entrance to the Oklahoma Redhawks' Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City. Three murals are to the left of the entrance; three are to the right. The plaques describe the scenes depicted in each panel. This is a link to a photo on the Redhawks site, which shows the murals, entrance and Johnny Bench statue.

FAMOUS OKLAHOMANS MURAL AT BRICKTOWN

2008-07-13T18:06:00.014-05:00

This is a mural of famous Oklahomans on Broadway Avenue in downtown Oklahoma City, on the west side of Bricktown. Various celebrities are shown waving from a train. These photos are of political, social and entertainment personalities. For my photos of the sports personalities depicted on the mural, check out my other blog at KHC's Sports Photos.

Shown top to bottom, left to right, are :

Garth Brooks - James Garner
The Flaming Lips - Clara Luper
Mat Hoffman - Reba McEntire
Ron Howard - Thomas Stafford
Leon Russell/Blake Shelton - Vince Gill
Jimmy Webb - Toby Keith
Enoch Kelly Haney - Dale Robertson/Shannon Lucid
The Gap Band/Carrie Underwood - The All American Rejects

MORE KILL HANNAH PHOTOS

2008-07-10T22:06:00.007-05:00

These photos were taken at Bricktown Live on July 9th. The green photo is Jonny, all others are Mat.

KILL HANNAH AT BRICKTOWN LIVE IN OKC 7-9-08

2008-07-10T08:06:00.012-05:00

ROSWELL NM

2008-07-08T00:01:00.005-05:00

Sixty-one years ago today, on July 8, 1947, the Roswell Daily Record reported the capture of a flying saucer that had crashed near Roswell NM.

On July 3, 2006, we travelled from Santa Fe NM to Roswell NM during the annual UFO festival. Here are some photos of our visit in 2006.

KILL HANNAH RETURNS TO OKC 7-9-08

2008-07-06T11:11:00.004-05:00

The Oklahoma Gazette has previewed the July 9, 2008, Kill Hannah show at Bricktown Live, in this article.

TINKER AIR FORCE BASE - MIDWEST CITY

2008-07-03T18:39:00.010-05:00

These photos were taken this afternoon at the Charles B. Hall Memorial Air Park at Tinker Air Force Base in Midwest City OK. Note the AWACS plane in the background of the next to last photo.
The Air Park is named for one of the Tuskegee Airmen. Major Hall was the first African-American to down an enemy aircraft, in July 1943.

The planes in these photos (left to right, top to bottom) are:

B-47 Stratojet; F-104 Starfighter
C-135 Stratolifter; C-47 Skytrain
B-52 Stratofortress; B-52 Stratofortress
B-29 Superfortress; B-1B Lancer
B-52 Stratofortress; E-3 Sentry (AWACS)

GRANDFATHER'S BIRTHDAY

2008-06-30T01:37:00.004-05:00

Today would have been my maternal grandfather's 100th birthday. He is shown here with his dachsund (left photo) and my son and me at his 82nd birthday party (right photo).

ALL AMERICAN REJECTS - STILLWATER OK

2008-06-27T20:42:00.003-05:00

Stillwater OK's All American Rejects are supporting the "Rock the Vote" campaign and also have a "Demand It" contest where the top 5 voting cities get added to AAR's tour.

THE GIRL SCOUT MURDERS

2008-06-25T20:26:00.002-05:00

Oklahoma's most infamous "cold case," the "Girl Scout Murders," has once again been in the news. After 30 years additional DNA testing was conducted, but results were "inconclusive." The current District Attorney's press release discusses results of the testing. Additional articles about the case and testing are available here, here, here, here, here and here. A slideshow of photos by The Daily Oklahoman is available here.

Escaped prisoner Gene Leroy Hart was charged with murdering the three Girl Scouts but was acquitted after a three week trial. I took this photo of Hart as he was being led from the Mayes County jail to the courthouse in March 1979.

HARRAH OK

2008-06-23T22:27:00.003-05:00

Today, I needed to drive to Harrah OK. Pictured are Harrah High School and Evans Field, home of the Harrah Panthers. Baseball Hall of Famers Paul Waner and Lloyd Waner were born in Harrah.

PLAZA DISTRICT

2008-06-13T23:26:00.007-05:00

This weekend is "Live on the Plaza" in Oklahoma City. The photographs are of a mural that is painted on the outside wall of a building in the Plaza District, near NW 16th and Blackwelder.

INSIDE THE STATE CAPITOL

2008-06-12T21:49:00.009-05:00

Views from inside the Oklahoma State Capitol in Oklahoma City. Photos include:

Jim Thorpe - Mickey Mantle - Sequoyah
Sen. Robert S Kerr - Will Rogers - Wiley Post

OKLAHOMA STATE SEAL TAKEN 6/11/1910

2008-06-11T23:25:00.013-05:00

Today is the anniversary of when the official Oklahoma State Seal was "moved" in the middle of the night from Guthrie and taken by horseback to Oklahoma City, which then became the capitol of Oklahoma. Photographs include:
Row 1: the courthouse in Guthrie, from where the seal was taken
Row 2: the state capitol in Oklahoma City
Row 3: views from inside the dome
Row 4: "The Guardian" statue by Enoch Kelly Haney, which was added to the capitol along with the dome in 2002.

99s MUSEUM OF WOMEN PILOTS

2008-06-07T13:29:00.006-05:00

I read in the "Oklahoma Gazette" that the "99s Museum of Women Pilots" located at 4300 Amelia Earhart Road, near Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City, had an open house to introduce the museum, so of course we went. We especially wanted to see the Amelia Earhart exhibits and were not disappointed. Here are some photos.

ROBERT F KENNEDY

2008-06-06T21:03:00.004-05:00

November 20, 1925 - June 6, 1968

http://rfkmemorial.org/

WICHITA KS

2008-05-24T21:56:00.000-05:00

We traveled to Wichita KS this weekend for lunch in the "Old Town" section. Photos include:

Row 1: Lawrence-Dumont Stadium

Row 2: Wichita State University's Eck Stadium and Cessna Stadium

Row 3: Wichita State University's Koch Arena and Sedgwick County's new Intrust Arena

Row 4: sculpture on campus of WSU and Bill Koch's America3 boat "Jayhawk"

Row 5: bad weather on I-35 near Perry OK

PERRY OK

2008-05-16T22:01:00.003-05:00

Perry OK is the county seat of Noble County in central Oklahoma, 60 miles north of Oklahoma City and just east of I-35. Perry was established after the great land run of 1893.

Photos include the county courthouse, former Santa Fe Railway depot, Sinclair gas station and Daniels Field, home of the Perry Maroons high school football team.

Convicted Oklahoma City Murrah Federal Building bomber Timothy McVeigh was originally arrested in Noble County and held in the courthouse jail before being linked to the bombing. He was then led from the courthouse and transported to Oklahoma City.

HAMBURGER FESTIVAL - EL RENO OK

2008-05-03T20:11:00.004-05:00

Today, we went to the 20th annual Onion Fried Burger Day or Hamburger Festival in El Reno, OK, about 30 minutes west of Oklahoma City. George Motz of "Hamburger America" fame was in El Reno this year autographing his book, which had recently been released. He even has a Blogspot blog!

G W C

2008-04-23T19:37:00.002-05:00

Today would have been my father's 81st birthday. In 1986, I won tickets to the MLB All Star Game at the Astrodome in Houston TX. We went to the team hotel before the game and got lots of autographs, including Lefty Gomez. Here are photographs of Dad outside the Dome before the game and the roof of the Dome from the inside.

"THE SPIRIT OF THIS CITY"

2008-04-19T09:02:00.012-05:00

Thirteen years ago today, at 9:02 a.m. . . .

POPS - ARCADIA OK

2008-04-18T18:27:00.004-05:00

Pops is a fun restaurant and gas station on Route 66 in Arcadia OK. Pops stocks over 400 different kinds of soda pop.

ARCADIA OK

2008-04-18T17:10:00.003-05:00

Arcadia OK is home of the famous "round barn" on old Route 66.

YALE OK

2008-04-18T14:45:00.001-05:00

Jim Thorpe, the "World's Greatest Athlete" lived with his wife and family in Yale OK from 1917 to 1923. His home is open for tour. The inside looks much as it did when the Thorpes lived there and has a lot of Jim's memorabilia.

Also pictured is Homer Ray Gymnasium, home of the Oklahoma 1999 2A State Basketball Champs, coached by David Page, currently coach at Pawnee OK.

PAWNEE OK

2008-04-18T12:50:00.000-05:00

Pawnee OK is the county seat of Pawnee County, birthplace of Dick Tracy creator Chester Gould and the home of the Pawnee High School Black Bears. While in Pawnee we visited the historical society museum, talked to State Champion basketball coach David Page and visited the Pawnee Nation Fitness Center.

PAWNEE BILL RANCH AND MUSEUM

2008-04-18T11:12:00.002-05:00

Photos of the Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum near Pawnee OK. Pawnee Bill and his wife toured the world with "Pawnee Bill's Historic Wild West Show" in the early 1900's. Pawnee Bill objected to the sport hunting of buffalo and established a buffalo herd at his ranch on Blue Hawk Peak.

PONCA CITY OK

2008-04-18T10:34:00.002-05:00

Photos of Ponca City in Kay County OK:

City Hall - Centennial Monument
EW Marland - Marland Mansion
Pioneer Woman Museum - Ponca City High School

BRICKTOWN MURAL

2008-03-23T19:11:00.002-05:00

(left to right) former OSU basketball coach Eddie Sutton, Yukon's Garth Brooks, Oklahoma City's The Flaming Lips, Stillwater's The All American Rejects, The Gap Band/Carrie Underwood, former OU football coach Barry Switzer, Ron Howard/Susan Powell and Vince Gill.

OKLAHOMA CITY BUFFALO CORRAL

2008-03-23T19:07:00.000-05:00

FT RENO OKLAHOMA

2008-03-21T17:07:00.001-05:00

Fort Reno, just west of El Reno OK, includes a cemetery where German and Italian prisoners of war are buried along with staff and civilians who lived and worked at the fort.

WTH IS THAT THANG?

2008-03-18T18:40:00.002-05:00

Alien cat??

What's so funny?

CITIZENS TOWER - OKLAHOMA CITY

2008-03-16T16:23:00.000-05:00

Citizens Tower and the "Gold Dome" bank at NW 23rd Street and Classen Boulevard in Oklahoma City. My office was in the Tower from 1990 to 2004. The Tower is now residential condos and the dome is an office complex.

LINKS:

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4182/is_20050511/ai_n14623463

http://staging.okcommerce.gov/test1/dmdocuments/2006_Winter_Main_Street_News_1201072086.pdf

NYE 2007 WITH THE FLAMING LIPS

2008-01-01T19:46:00.009-06:00

On New Year's Eve 2007, the Flaming Lips played at the Cox Business Services Convention Center Arena (formerly the Myriad) in Oklahoma City. Another great concert by the Lips, especially "Bohemian Rhapsody."

OKLAHOMA CENTENNIAL

2007-11-16T23:02:00.006-06:00

The State of Oklahoma culminated a year-long celebration of its Centennial on November 16, 2007. We attended the parade in Guthrie OK (the state's first capitol), went in the Oklahoma Sports Museum (which includes some of my father's memorabilia of the OKC 89'ers) and then walked to a barbecue at Mineral Wells Park (where the original statehood celebration took place).

HALLOWEEN AT WAYNE & MICHELLE'S HOUSE

2007-10-31T22:28:00.004-05:00

Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips and his wife, Michelle, usually put some sort of Halloween display outside their house in Oklahoma City. This year was "Blob in the Bath."

That's Wayne and RMC!

FLAMING LIPS ALLEY

2007-10-25T18:32:00.001-05:00

On October 25, 2007, Oklahoma City dedicated an alley in Bricktown to the world-reknowned rock band The Flaming Lips.

NEWSOK.COM'S SLIDE SHOW OF CEREMONY:

http://downloads.newsok.com/flash_video/theoklahoman/slideshows/FlamingLipsSlideshow/

TURNER FALLS

2007-06-10T20:43:00.003-05:00

These photos are from a "scenic lookout" in the Arbuckle Mountains, just off I-35 in southern Oklahoma, looking down onto Turner Falls.

DENTON TX

2007-06-10T11:07:00.001-05:00

Photographs of the courthouse square in Denton TX, home of North Texas University, on a Sunday morning. We ate at a family-owned restaurant across the street from the courthouse.

TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY

2007-06-09T20:16:00.003-05:00

KAN won tickets to the Indy Racing League race at the Texas Motor Speedway. Here are some photos of the race track. For more photos of the race, go to my sports photo blog entry for the race or by clicking here.

ALIEN CEMETERY

2007-06-09T19:17:00.000-05:00

HAVE YOU EVER BEEN TO A CEMETERY WHERE AN ALIEN IS BURIED? IT MUST BE TRUE, IT (KINDA) SAYS SO RIGHT ON THE HISTORICAL MARKER. THIS CEMETERY IS IN AURORA TEXAS (NEAR THE TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY) BUT DON'T ASK FOR DIRECTIONS AT THE DAIRY QUEEN 'CAUSE THEY'VE NEVER HEARD OF IT (ALLEGEDLY).

LINKS TO VARIOUS SITES:

http://www.ufocasebook.com/Aurora.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aurora_Texas_UFO_Incident

http://www.texasescapes.com/Paranormal/Aurora-Incident.htm

http://www.alienationsam.com/historic_ufo/aurora_texas_crash.html

http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tips/getAttraction.php?tip_AttractionNo==1244

DEALEY PLAZA

2007-06-09T12:48:00.003-05:00

President Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963, near Dealey Plaza in Dallas TX. I have been to the site often through the years, but this was the first time we toured the Sixth Floor Museum.

REUNION TOWER - UNION STATION

2007-06-09T10:17:00.001-05:00

On the Saturday morning before the IRL race in Ft. Worth, we rode the DART (Dallas Area Rapid Transit) train from Irving TX to Union Station in downtown Dallas TX. The photos were taken from outside and inside the train on the return trip. Photos include Reunion Tower and the Hyatt Regency Dallas.

KILL HANNAH AT THE DIAMOND BALLROOM - OKLAHOMA CITY

2007-05-10T14:42:00.001-05:00

These photos of Kill Hannah were taken at the Diamond Ballroom in Oklahoma City, May 9, 2007. We also saw KH at the Conservatory in January 2007.

SILVERSUN PICKUPS

2007-03-14T23:04:00.004-05:00

The Silversun Pickups played at the Conservatory on March 14, 2007. We met them before the show and got some autographed posters. During their encore, they blew the house speakers.

KILL HANNAH AT THE CONSERVATORY

2007-01-30T22:46:00.001-06:00

On January 30, 2007, we went to a "meet and greet" at Size Records and then saw Kill Hannah at the Conservatory in Oklahoma City. We talked about Chicago, the Metro and Smashing Pumpkins' new record and tour. Kill Hannah were VERY good--go see them any chance you get. It was too dark for good photos of the concert, but here are some photos at the record store.

GEORGIA O'KEEFE - GHOST RANCH

2006-11-04T14:46:00.001-06:00

Following our visit to Los Alamos, we drove to the Ghost Ranch in Abiquiu NM, where Georgia O'Keefe spent summers beginning in 1934. Many of her most well-known paintings were done in the Ghost Ranch area. After her husband, Alfred Stieglitz, died, she made Abiquiu her permanent home until the last years of her life, when she moved to Santa Fe NM. Ghost Ranch is currently run by the Presbyterian Church as a retreat location.

LOS ALAMOS NM - FAT MAN & LITTLE BOY

2006-11-04T14:43:00.003-06:00

Los Alamos NM is approximately an hour drive northwest of Santa Fe. Although the Los Alamos National Laboratory research facility is obviously off-limits to the public, there is a museum in town which includes replicas of "Little Boy" and "Fat Man," the nuclear bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, respectively.

DRIVING NORTH FROM SANTA FE

2006-11-04T13:11:00.005-06:00

These photos were taken on the road north out of Santa Fe NM, on the way to Los Alamos.

SANTA FE NM

2006-11-02T17:44:00.005-06:00

ALBUQUERQUE

2006-11-01T17:12:00.000-06:00

Photographs of Albuquerque International Sunport, Isotopes Park and the Pit, the public phone from where the Runaway Bride phoned home and leaving Albuquerque for Santa Fe.

FLYING FROM DENVER TO ALBUQUERQUE

2006-11-01T12:29:00.002-06:00

Photographs of the Rocky Mountains, while flying from Denver CO to Albuquerque NM, on the way to Santa Fe NM.

THE FLAMING LIPS' "UFOS AT THE ZOO" CONCERT

2006-09-15T23:47:00.001-05:00

On September 15, 2006, the Flaming Lips' UFO landed for the first time ever, at the Oklahoma Zoo Amphitheatre. The concert was recorded for the "UFOs at the Zoo" DVD.

The night before the concert, on KAN's birthday, we went to the Zoo Amp and watched Wayne build the UFO stage. He talked to us about the UFO and wished KAN a Happy Birthday. After the concert he signed autographs for KAN and RMC.

EXPLORING NEW MEXICO

2006-07-03T22:41:00.004-05:00

On July 2nd, we went river-rafting outside Santa Fe NM, so no photos of that. Today, we went on a long adventure through southern New Mexico, including Roswell, an ancient lava flow and as close as we could get to White Sands NM. We even found a rock shop where SDC bought some trinitite.

DRIVING TO SANTA FE

2006-07-01T10:25:00.001-05:00

CADILLAC RANCH

2006-06-30T21:45:00.002-05:00

On the road from OKC to Santa Fe NM, we spent the night in Amarillo TX. After checking in at our hotel, we immediately went to the nearest Wal-Mart, bought some spray paint and then went to the Cadillac Ranch. When we were done, we had left-over paint and gave it to some kids who were thrilled for the chance to paint the cars.

This photo of I-40 was taken from the balcony of our hotel at sunset.

ENGLISH AIR FIELD

2006-05-28T14:01:00.001-05:00

While in Amarillo TX, we visited the Texas Aviation Historical Society's small museum at English Air Field, Amarillo's original municipal airport. We were told that the UFO-looking craft was part of the original experiments to determine how to land a craft on Mars. The sign to the right of the "flying saucer" discusses how the disks were launched by balloon from Roswell NM and dropped over White Sands Missle Range NM!

CADILLAC RANCH

2006-05-27T17:51:00.001-05:00

The Cadillac Ranch is on the western outskirts of Amarillo TX and can be seen to the south from I-40. To visit the cars, exit off I-40, park on the service road and walk through a field to the cars. Be sure to take a can of spray paint and your camera!

"Cadillac Ranch" by Bruce Springsteen:

"Well there she sits buddy just a-gleaming in the sun
There to greet a working man when his day is done
I'm gonna pack my pa and I'm gonna pack my aunt
I'm gonna take them down to the Cadillac Ranch

Eldorado fins, whitewalls and skirts
Rides just like a little bit of heaven here on earth
Well buddy when I die throw my body in the back
And drive me to the junkyard in my Cadillac

Cadillac, Cadillac
Long and dark, shiny and black
Open up your engines let `em roar
Tearing up the highway like a big old dinosaur

James dean in that Mercury `49
Junior Johnson runnin through the woods of Caroline
Even Burt Reynolds in that black Trans Am
All gonna meet down at the Cadillac Ranch

Cadillac, Cadillac
Long and dark, shiny and black
Open up your engines let `em roar
Tearing up the highway like a big old dinosaur

Hey little girlie in the blue jeans so tight
Drivin alone through the Wisconsin night
You're my last love you're my last chance
Don't let `em take me to the Cadillac Ranch

Cadillac, Cadillac
Long and dark, shiny and black
Pulled up to my house today
Came and took my little girl away
"

PALO DURO CANYON

2006-05-27T15:22:00.000-05:00

PALO DURO CANYON IS NEAR AMARILLO TEXAS. IT IS A VERY INTERESTING PLACE TO EXPLORE. YOU CAN DRIVE DOWN INTO THE FLOOR OF THE CANYON.

PALO DURO CANYON STATE PARK: http://www.palodurocanyon.com/

WEATHERFORD WIND ENERGY CENTER

2006-05-27T10:40:00.001-05:00

While driving from Oklahoma City to Amarillo on I-40, you will see the Weatherford Wind Energy Center, near Weatherford OK.

COLDPLAY AT THE FORD CENTER

2006-02-28T19:40:00.009-06:00

Coldplay made their second visit to Oklahoma City in support of their new CD "X&Y." George Lang of The Daily Oklahoman and newsok.com wrote:

The balloons were reminiscent of a favorite spectacle employed by the Flaming Lips, the local heroes who once took Coldplay on as an opening act. During a stripped-down set played at the edge of the stage, Martin thanked Lips leader Wayne Coyne for taking them on a tour of Oklahoma City that day and told the audience there were four great American voices: "Elvis, Dylan, Wayne Coyne and Johnny Cash." Coldplay then launched into "Til' Kingdom Come" and segued into a spirited, rough hewn version of Cash's "Ring of Fire."

Here's a link to reviews of the concert:

http://newsok.com/article/related/2933511/

http://newsok.com/article/keyword/1827973/

MEDICINE PARK OK

2006-01-28T23:21:00.000-06:00

Medicine Park is an interesting and fun community in southern Oklahoma, near the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge and the Meers Store.

WICHITA MOUNTAINS WILDLIFE REFUGE

2006-01-28T13:52:00.000-06:00

The Wichita Mountains are in southern Oklahoma, near Lawton, Medicine Park and the Meers Store. The Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge includes a herd of buffalo and Oklahoma's third highest peak, Mount Scott.

Panorama photo looking south from Mount Scott.

MEERS STORE

2006-01-28T12:01:00.000-06:00

The Meers Store and Restaurant is located in southern Oklahoma, near the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge and Medicine Park OK. The restaurant has been featured in the movie "Hamburger America" and various cable television shows.