Tuesday, 7/26, Oklahoma City, OK; Travel to Little Rock, AR, Memphis, TN

We left Moore, OK at around 9:15AM and headed to downtown Oklahoma City.  We
first went to the Oklahoma National Memorial.  Where the old Alfred P. Murrah
federal building stood is now a memorial to the 168 people killed, as well as to
remember those who survived, and those changed forever by the events of April
19, 1995.  There is still a piece of the old building still in place.

Oklahoma City skyline

East entrance to Oklahoma National Memorial

Part of destroyed building remaining in place

I had seen in pictures and videos the Field of Empty Chairs, one for each
victim.  But it hits home even more seeing it in person.  Children who were
killed at the daycare center on the premises are represented by smaller chairs. 
There is also the Survivor Tree, which is a tree that was right next to the
building and miraculously survived the bombing.  There is a museum there as
well, but in the interest of time we decided not to go in.

"Survivor Tree"

Field of Empty Chairs

We then walked over to the Myriad Botanical Gardens and Crystal Bridge.  It's a
big long cylindrical glass building that simulates a tropical climate inside and
has loads of tropical plants, trees, and waterfalls.  We then walked around
outside in the garden area where they have a bridge over a big pond.  Lots of
construction going on here, as well as the whole city in general.  For a second
I thought it might have been a holiday today since the streets were so empty.  I
expected more people to be milling around, but I think it was just the normal
morning in Oklahoma City.

That tall skyscraper in skyline is still being constructed

We then walked back to the car and started our journey to Memphis at 11:15AM. 
It would be a 6.5 hour drive.  Along the way we decided to pass thru Little
Rock, AR.  It's right off the highway anyway.  We went over to the Clinton
Presidential Library, but it was closing in 20 minutes so I just took some
pictures.

Clinton Presidential Library

Elvis will be in the building

Then we went to the Old State Capitol building where Clinton held both of his
presidential victory celebrations.  We were quickly chased off the grounds after
taking a few pictures since it was closing time and they were locking up the
gate.

Old AR Statehouse

We then drove to the current capitol building and then to the Little Rock
Central High School National Historic Site.  Not totally sure of its
significance, but apparently some major civil rights activities occured there.

Saw this restaurant while driving.  "Lulav" is the palm branch we use on the holiday of Succot/Tabernacles.  Underneath there is a Hebrew letter "Lamud".  We couldn't really stop to look closer, but it didn't look kosher.  (See post on 7/27 for more info on this.)

AR State Capitol

Then we left Little Rock towards Memphis, which is about two hours away.  At one
of the rest stops somewhere in AK, we were walking around the store eating our
ice cream (it would melt immediately if we ate outside) when a large fellow with
a huge goatee walked over to me and said he wanted to let me know that he was a
Jewish brother - a "redneck Jew from Lancaster, Ohio" as he referred to himself. 
So we chatted for a minute or so.  His parents are from New York originally and
he plans on moving to Israel within 5 years.  He has never been there before,
but he feels God's calling for him to move there.  He seemed all sane to me.  I
later regretted not taking his information so I could get him in touch with my
cousin's yeshiva in Jerusalem to maybe help him discover himself.  I presume he
was a trucker making a pit stop.  So if anyone knows trucker Willie from
Lancaster, OH, let me know.  He's a very nice gentleman.

We stopped at a rest stop/picnic area just past Palestine, AR for a burger
barbecue.  No truckers approached me here.  A very nice area with air
conditioned bathrooms!  Google weather said it was 90F with 66% humidity, but it
felt more like 95% humidity.  Once done with dinner, we headed to Memphis,
crossing just over the Mississippi River into Memphis.  Our hotel is right
across the river in downtown Memphis.

Josh loves grafitti-ing up his burgers

Tomorrow we will probably do Graceland in the morning.  Not sure yet where we
will end up.  We might also do Mammoth Cave in Kentucky and then stay in
Lexington.  Still up in the air if we will try to make it back home late
Thursday night or stay over somewhere fairly close (within a few hours) and then
home Friday late AM or early PM.