Exploring OKC

This weekend I made the drive to Oklahoma City to hang out with family and attend my ten hear high school reunion.  (The bf got a pass since he was in conveniently in Denver for a bro weekend.) My high school career was... interesting.  Let's just say I enjoy grown-up life much more.  The reunion was a trip.  I'm in favor for calling it what it is: "Popular kids meet at the bar." 

I met a friend across the street at this dive for a pre-reunion drink.

The night started out just like my first day of high school, with my mom dropping me off and quickly taking a pic of me before anyone driving by could realize what a huge dork I am!

Even though I did not hang with the cool kids in high school, I had a surprisingly good time at the reunion.  Everyone was really nice and this time around I felt confident enough to talk to anyone.  I just asked them about their kids and then they did all the talking.  In my real life, most of my friends are not married and only two friends have kids.  These people have wasted no time making babies!  I was part of the 5% in attendance who were unmarried.  Which explains why a couple of the jocks were hitting on me towards the end of the night.  They were drawn to my unadorned wedding ring finger like moths to a flame.  I didn't take any pictures at the reunion because it's going to be another decade before I see these kids again and if I really need to look at any them there's always Facebook stalking.

The weather was perfect on Saturday so my mom, brother, his girlfriend, and I went on a little photo safari downtown.  Oklahoma City is the new Austin in my mind, and yeah, I'm a little biased.  The economy has stayed strong and downtown and its surrounding neighborhoods are in the midst of a Renaissance of sorts.  We started our urban adventure in Midtown.



 Spokies, a shared bike program, launched last year.

Next we headed a few blocks north to Automobile Alley.  Back in the day, this hood was home to more than fifty car dealerships.  Today the converted car showrooms house shops and art galleries.





My favorite shop on the street was called Plenty Mercantile.

One of the coolest Oklahoma residents ever is Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips.  He owns a gallery just off Automobile Alley called The Womb.  We didn't have time to go inside but attending an art show there is at the top of my OKC bucket list. 

 

The last stop of our downtown tour was the most somber as we walked through the Oklahoma City National Memorial.  It's hard to believe that the Murrah Building was bombed almost twenty years ago.  I was in school about two miles away and remember the windows rattling when the bomb exploded. 

It's amazing to see what communities can do when they pull together.  Over 350 buildings around the area were damaged, including many on Automobile Alley, and now these neighborhoods are thriving.  Just one of the many reasons I'm a proud Okie!