Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

        I was a stage crew member for the school play, Oklahoma, in my seventh grade year. I went to a very small charter school in suburban New Jersey, and we didn’t have an auditorium or anything like that. Instead we had the lunchroom, so every official event was inevitably cramped. I don’t remember much from the production except that one of my friends fumbled a line, and a classmate who was on stage with him improvised seamlessly, earning endless praise from the director of the play. It was a small, hasty, and chaotic production, but it was fun and I loved it.

Now, driving to Oklahoma through a ridiculous thunderstorm, I could only think of the name in that show-tunes rhythm. As the hours rolled on, the rain subsided and the plain stretched out empty, dusty, and flat before me with few moments of excitement. One thing was a little puzzling: The highway toll system in Oklahoma. They offer refunds for certain exits, and in some cases leaving the highway and then rejoining it is cheaper than just staying your course. It was very confusing, but the toll takers calmly explained to me what to do each time I came to a tollbooth, clearly a clueless and bewildered traveler. I chose Shiki Japanese Restaurant in Oklahoma City for dinner, where I was thankful to enjoy a hot meal and be able to unwind after the journey. After a delicious and satisfying meal, I checked in to the hotel and settled down for the evening.

The next day was Sunday, and there was little to do. I relaxed, watched some TV, and kicked back for the first time since Nebraska. Having traversed more than a thousand miles since my last day off, it was wonderful to take in the last weekend of this part of the trip. On Tuesday, I was driving to Arkansas, and then on Thursday I was driving to Texas. There I would leave my car with my dad at his house in Austin, and fly home to New Jersey to spend some time with family and relax for about ten days. By the time I flew home, I would have visited 21 states in the past two months. It was exhausting, but a tremendous feeling of accomplishment offset my weariness. It was definitely "about time" to rest.

Many museums are closed on Mondays, but the Oklahoma History Center was open. Situated very close to the Capitol, the History Center was a beautiful, large building with lots of windows. It was by far the largest museum that I had been to so far on the trip. I walked inside to discover a soaring ceiling and wonderfully bright and airy lobby. Workers were setting up tables and chairs for an event, and when I asked the woman at the front desk, she told me the space was rented for one of the local oil companies. I collected a map of the exhibits and began exploring. The building has 3 large exhibits along with a few smaller displays set up in the hallways.

The first one I explored was dedicated to Oklahoma in the movies. The displays named actors, directors, illustrators, plays, and movies that were all related to Oklahoma. To name a few unexpected people, Brad Pitt and Chuck Norris are both from Oklahoma. Not only was there a display about Oklahoma the play, but also The Outsiders, which was filmed in Oklahoma, and The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. A car was positioned in the middle of the whole room set up like it was a drive-in movie, with a large screen playing clips of Oklahoma movies and speakers standing by the front of the car. The whole exhibit was interesting and well done, and it was a refreshing to see something with a different flavor.  

Across the lobby there was a display dedicated to Native Americans and their influence on Oklahoma. As I walked toward the door, I overheard a man telling a group of senior women about a time capsule. The “Century Chest” was buried in April of 1913 at the First English Lutheran Church in downtown Oklahoma City. It was originally planned as a fundraiser by the church’s Ladies Aid Society to pay for a new pipe organ, but excitement grew and it eventually became a statewide event in honor of the Oklahoma Land Rush. This year, 100 years after it was buried, they opened it to discover what previous generations placed inside. The contents included old photographs, letters, books and other items.

             After learning about the Century Chest, I walked across to the exhibit dedicated to the Native Americans in Oklahoma. The exhibit focused on the different tribes in the region, including their culture and lifestyle as well as their relationship with European settlers. After the Land Rush of 1889 when the Oklahoma Territory officially opened for settlement, the population of the region rapidly approached the number of inhabitants required to qualify for statehood. The tribes that lived in Oklahoma wished to create their own state separate from the Oklahoma Territory. The “Five Civilized Tribes,” named due to their early conversion to European ideals, included the Cherokees, the Chickasaws, the Choctaws, the Seminoles, and the Creeks. Representatives of each tribe met at the Sequoyah Constitutional Convention in Muskogee in 1905. They drafted a constitution and proposal for statehood, and had it succeeded the Sequoyah state would have been the only state with a Native American majority. However, the federal government did not respond well to the idea due to partisan politics, and President Theodore Roosevelt and Congress refused their request. In response the Native American tribes worked with the Oklahoma Territorial government to incorporate some of their constitution into the new state’s constitution. It included some progressive elements such as an eight-hour workday for mines and public works projects, no child labor, and a prohibition on the sale of alcohol.

          Upstairs there was the last of the large exhibits. Similar to ones in other state history museums, this exhibit detailed the settlement and social history of what is now Oklahoma. There were a few displays that set this museum a part from the others I have visited. In one area, there was a fully equipped 1950s kitchen complete with pink appliances that detailed how new technology changed the life of women by greatly lightening their burden of housework. Right next to that was a display entitled “The Little Black Dress” which included examples of the fashion icon from a hundred years ago to present. There was also a large portion dedicated to the Dust Bowl in 1930s and another mention of The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. Of all of the individual items, the iron lung stuck out to me the most. In its peak of use, the iron lung was used primarily for polio patients that could no longer breathe on their own. There is something about antique medical equipment that is incredibly eerie, but also remarkably fascinating. I found myself unable to look elsewhere, but simultaneously filled with the nagging urge to move away from it.

          I departed from the museum, but not without a quick stop in the store to purchase a few souvenirs. After exiting the front doors, I took a gander at some of the items outside of the building. On the side were a few statues of buffalo, honoring the iconic animal of the Great Plains. Across the mostly empty parking lot from the building was a fenced in area with antique, inactive oilrigs on display, but the gate was closed so I had to observe from a distance. As I left the museum I made a wrong turn and took a short detour through the local neighborhood. I was dismayed to see the obvious signs of adversity: metal bars on doors and windows, no children or families playing outdoors, and few cars in the driveways. A young man was walking down the street with a cold look of solemn resolution on his face. As I reached the end of the block I was surprised to see what looked like a wealthy apartment complex across the street, complete with a ten-foot high fence, a gatehouse, and more luxury cars than I could count. The stark contrast was mildly nauseating.

On Tuesday, I went to the Oklahoma’s State Capitol, which is the only Capitol built on an oil reserve and surrounded by active oilrigs. Sure enough the bobbing structures were pumping away as I approached, reminding me of how important the oil industry has been for our economy throughout the years. If it hadn’t been for the bountiful oil reserves across the middle of our nation, many very rural states would be in far worse shape throughout the recent economic recession. In many ways, oil remains a consistent foundation of a rapidly changing world, and it will continue to be until the pressures of climate change become too great, or until we just run out of it.

I parked somewhere in the expansive parking lot, mildly disappointed that I was unable to find shade to escape from the beating sun. I entered the building and complied with the security measures before stopping at the front desk to get my bearings. I just missed the last tour by a few minutes, and the next one wasn’t for almost another hour, so I grabbed a self-guided tour book and began exploring on my own. The first thing that I noticed walking up the grand staircase was a statue of a Native American that stands at the top. It is a replica of The Guardian, which is the figure that stands on top of the dome so many feet above. I didn’t know exactly why, but it was one of my favorite statues that I had seen so far. As I was waiting by the elevator, its silhouette caught the corner of my eye as some people walked behind it, and I looked swiftly back at it as though I was surprised that it was still there. There was something about the statue’s position at the top of the stairs and its defiant stance that made it seem so lifelike from farther away.

I took the elevator to the third floor, and I leaned over the railing to get a first glimpse of the rotunda. It was bright, colorful, and expansive with several murals of notable Oklahomans as well as scenes from Oklahoma history. There were also decorative moldings above the murals that were painted to complement the space. The inside of the dome incorporated blue, pale purple, and green to enhance the effect of the daylight pouring in from the windows around the dome and to represent the Oklahoma sky. Above that, there were red squared details that represent Oklahoma’s wildflowers. As I gazed up into the dome, I noticed that there were the names of various corporations carved into the bottom of it including General Motors, Hobby Lobby Stores, and Conoco, Inc., as well as “The People of Oklahoma.” Later on in my trip I learned that the $1.5 million set aside by the legislature for the construction of the Capitol failed to cover all of its costs. Although the dome was a part of the original plans, they no longer had the resources or money necessary to finish it, and although many attempts were made to complete it over the years, a cap stayed over the top of the rotunda. In the last twenty years, the State Capitol Complex and Oklahoma Centennial Commemoration Commission began a private fundraising campaign to add to public funds. In 2002, 85 years after the Capitol was finished, the $21-million dome was completed, and the taxpayers of Oklahoma were not burdened with the entire cost.

I continued along the third floor balcony, taking in every perspective of the rotunda and the rest of the building. Different murals and paintings representing the Oklahoma lifestyle and values frame the Senate chamber’s entrance, but the gallery is the only way the public can view its splendor. Although the House of Representatives decided to allow the public on the main floor of its chamber, the Senate chose to leave only the gallery open. When I walked in, I was surprised to see two young men and a young woman sitting just inside the door. I don’t know if they were security or just taking an inconspicuous break away from the hustle and bustle, but their conversation immediately halted as soon as I entered. I blushed, apologized, and feeling unwelcome, I took my pictures quickly. Stained glass skylights were the most beautiful aspect of the room’s decoration. The room’s gallery went all the way around the room, allowing many people to view the proceedings at once. The part of the gallery directly opposite the President of the Senate’s chair was sectioned off with glass, allowing reporters or even teachers to speak to their audiences without disturbing the proceedings.

I left the Senate gallery and continued around the rotunda. From there I could see that the back of the Capitol was being renovated. Although I was unsure of its original purpose, I learned that it was being converted to offices for legislators and their staff. After a quick look in the House gallery, I went downstairs to take a look at the House chamber floor. There I got into a long conversation with the two sergeants at arms that were positioned in the atrium. For almost an hour we spoke about the 50 Capitals Project as well as their journeys throughout the country. Several minutes later they took me onto the floor and pointed out a few things of interest. The electric fans that line the walls are original; they have been keeping the representatives cool for almost 100 years. They also took me back to the reception room where legislators can go to relax after a particularly draining day. Directly in front of the entrance is a piano, a fixture one seems to find somewhere in every Capitol. One of the guards told me that a particular legislator would play it to wind down after a long, hard day of work. Something about that knowledge reminded me that our although nation’s politicians take a lot of criticism, they have some of the most complicated jobs in the country and are human just like the rest of us.

I thanked both of the kind gentlemen for their time, but I needed to move on if I was going to make it to my final stop of the day. Just as I was leaving, one of them ran after me through the rotunda to give me his business card, and told me to come back to the Capitol to visit during my journey west to New Mexico in the spring. I smiled and thanked him again, thrilled to have made a new friend so far from home.

I clambered back into my vehicle, sighed and sat back in the driver’s seat as I thought about the remaining stop that I had to make in Oklahoma City. When I looked on Trip Advisor to find interesting things to do, I discovered the Museum of Osteology in the southeastern part of town. Curious to visit “America’s Only Skeleton Museum,” I decided to stop by before leaving to drive to Little Rock that evening. As I drove there I noticed that it was fairly out of the way of everything downtown, but there were many billboards giving directions along the way. When I arrived, I was surprised to see a rather small building with an unassuming sign. I entered and bought tickets promptly, but I was warned that they would be closing in ½ hour. That gave me just enough time. Right in the lobby, there is a whale skull that had the room built around it because of its terrific mass. It was about 2 ½ times my height, and I couldn’t believe what it must have taken to move it. To the left of the double doors that went to the main room, there was a small aquarium that sat on a pedestal. Inside there were beetles cleaning off a skull to be displayed. Nature is their way to get the bones 100% clean and ready for assembly.

I walked through to discover a wide array of skeletons. Complete with camels, canines, apes, horses, snakes, and much more, the Museum of Osteology did not disappoint. I could have spent twice the time inside had I not arrived so late in the afternoon. The variety and craftsmanship were impressive, and each skeleton was meticulously assembled. In front of a little raccoon skeleton a mischievous soul had placed an empty box of Milk Duds. It was about as cool as any museum can get, and I was extremely happy that I had paid a visit.

On the way out I chatted with some of the people who assembled the skeletons for the parent company of the museum. The young man I spoke to was extremely confident about their skill, informing me that they assemble skeletons for museums all around the country, and if I had been to a museum with a really neat, quality skeleton it was most likely their handiwork. It was impressive that they were so successful in what would definitely be called a niche market. The gentleman with whom I was speaking also bore an uncanny resemblance to Billy Joe Armstrong, the leader singer of Green Day, which provided an added dimension of intrigue. Overall, the Museum of Osteology was definitely a one of a kind experience.

            Leaving at the stroke of 5, I was eager to get on the road. I had several hours of driving ahead of me, and the sun was beginning to set. Oklahoma had been a very interesting stop on my journey. Not only do Oklahomans have the sensibility and sociability associated with the middle of the country, but they also have many things that set them apart. In the Oklahoma History Center, I enjoyed learning about Oklahoma in the movies, one of the only truly unique museum exhibits that I have been to so far. In a way, the exhibit demonstrates Oklahoma’s dedication to enjoyment and entertainment as well as the good old-fashioned hard work of the Great Plains. Although one may describe the Oklahoma landscape as dusty and unfertile, the state Capitol itself has taken advantage of the oil the land has dutifully provided. The Museum of Osteology was different and somewhat unexpected, but it was a particularly cherished stop on my trip because of it. All in all, I was thrilled with my experience in Oklahoma, and I had a feeling I would return.