Category: Travel

So Long, It’s Been Good To Know You, OKC

On Saturday, the LEAPsters had to finally bid farewell to the endless flat land and lustrous skies of Oklahoma City, but not before a few last adventures. Like the tumbleweed in a dust storm, we drifted through the city and down to Dallas, in search of great art, food, and little bit of history.

Oklahoma City National Memorial Museum (Ashley)

After driving through the city and getting a feel for what 1995 would have been like in that quiet city, we reached the Oklahoma City National Memorial Museum. Never had we visited an institution dedicated to a single tragedy, being able to capture and include poignant details of the Oklahoma City Bombing. The museum was structured in an interesting way. We started from the second floor and then worked our way down to the first. The facts were presented in chronological order, beginning with the events, down to the minutes, leading up to the bombing. It was this introduction that set the exposition of this heart-wrenching story.

OK Bombinb Museum and Memorial, Oklahoma City, LEAP Center, SHSU

It can be difficult to relate to an event (such as domestic terrorism) after being born years removed from it. But when you see how other people were impacted by it, the tragedy becomes more relatable. As we looked through the pre-bombing news articles and artifacts, we were amazed how Timothy McVeigh was actually interviewed by a journalist two years before, while professing anti-government propaganda related to the 1993 Branch Davidian Compound attack in Waco, Texas. Apparently these views were what compelled him to attack the Murrah Federal Building two years later. Perhaps the most gripping part of the museum was when we entered the model of the Oklahoma Water Resources Board room.

OK Bombinb Museum and Memorial, Oklahoma City, LEAP Center, SHSU

There we listened to a recording of the board’s minutes the day of the bombing. In the middle of the recording, the voices die, the recording crackles, and the explosion roars in the background. With the flickering of the lights, and the sounds of panicked screaming and confusion, some of us were close to tears.

OK Bombinb Museum and Memorial, Oklahoma City, LEAP Center, SHSU

We explored the rest of the museum, reading about the destruction…

OK Bombinb Museum and Memorial, Oklahoma City, LEAP Center, SHSU

…rescue, investigation, and miraculous rebuilding of the city.

OK Bombinb Museum and Memorial, Oklahoma City, LEAP Center, SHSU

After we witnessed the destruction of the bombing through the exhibits…

ok_bombing_rebecca_anderson_web

…we stepped outside onto the memorial and found the survivor tree. The area was really a place of brilliance as it was full of beauty and somberness.

OK Bombinb Museum and Memorial, Oklahoma City, LEAP Center, SHSU, Survivor Tree

There were large gates on each side of a pool with the time a minute before (9:01) and after the detonation (9:03) of the bomb.

OK Bombinb Museum and Memorial, Oklahoma City, LEAP Center, SHSU

Perhaps most gripping from the memorial was the 168 chairs engraved with names representing the people who died during the explosion, with 19 small chairs honoring the deceased children. The museum at first emits a certain mournfulness, but because of the survivor tree and the resilience it shine with its green, resurrected branches, we left with a sense of hope. This memorial deeply touched us, and was definitely one of our favorite places we visited on this trip. With this sense of vitality, we reached the end of the gate and made to get some lunch.

Iron Star Urban BBQ (Kaitlyn Tyra)

Before departing from Oklahoma City, we stopped to fill our growling stomachs at Iron Star Urban BBQ. LEAPster, Ashley Allen immediately described the restaurant as “hipster BBQ.” Rightfully so perhaps, as the atmosphere of the restaurant was very trendy. Regardless of it being hipster, it proved to have tasty food. To experience the restaurant as much as possible, we ordered bacon wrapped quail breast and jalapeño cornbread to sample. Both were surprisingly tasty! For our main entrees, we tried the pulled pork sandwich, the pimento cheese burger, and the smoked prime rib sandwich.  Although the Oklahoma BBQ was different from our traditional Texas BBQ, we enjoyed trying Okie cousins’ delicious bbq!

Our dessert, like a sweet coup-de-grace, finished our meal consisting of a peach crisp, Drunken Turtle Cheesecake, and Double Chocolate Bread Pudding.

Iron Star Urban BBQ, Peach Crisp, LEAP Center, SHSU

Everyone had their own favorites but we enjoyed sampling them all. Iron Star BBQ was a fantastic final meal for our time in Oklahoma City!

With that we piled back into the car and settled in for our drive to Dallas.

Nasher Sculpture Center (Mitchell Sanchez)

At the midpoint between Oklahoma City and Huntsville, we decided to take a breather near downtown Dallas. We took this opportunity to visit the Nasher Sculpture Center. Raymond and Pasty Nasher began the art collection dating back to the 50’s. Together this couple has built one of the finest collections of 20th century sculptures in the entire world. The students had the privilege and honor to walk among some truly amazing pieces, from the quirky Claes Oldenburg…

Nasher Sculpture Garden, Claes Oldenburg, LEAP Center, SHSU

…to a couple of Pablo Picasso’s sculptures. One of them was inside one of the three galleries on the interior of the center, where other virtuosos of art were housed.  While the second, much larger, Picasso was outside in the 1.4-acre sculpture garden.

Nasher Sculpture Garden, Picasso, LEAP Center, SHSU

The garden contains more than 90 trees, including oaks, elms and crepe myrtles. In the midst of this urban forest were pieces by Henry Moore…

Nasher Sculpture Garden, SHSU, LEAP Center, Henry Moore

…George Segal, and Barbara Hepworth, just to name a few.  A particularly striking theme to the garden was how the nature and sharp cut stone and walk ways complemented each other in a way that demonstrated the ability of artists to enhance nature’s peace and beauty. The Nasher Sculpture Center gave us a wonderful vibe of elegance and peace. Peace much needed after a very momentous weekend.

Nasher Sculpture Garden, SHSU, LEAP Center, Henry Moore

 

With a last stroll through Klyde Warren Park, among a thong of lively children and mirthful adults, we boarded our van and made the last stretch to Huntsville. With the moon behind the clouds, and an air of tranquility, we ended our trip with a restful chat of all the wonderful adventures we had during the trip. From tripping through the ice, to trying out buffalo burgers, we reminisced on the happy memories of our Texoma LEAP Trip.

OK Bombing Memorial, Survivor Tree, SHSU, LEAP Center

Food on Ice in OKC

Our second day in OKC was a busy one, but that didn’t prevent us from enjoying some food and fun in this Southern/Midwestern city.  In fact, we had a chance to explore Bricktown, Guatemalan food, and even ice skate!

Café Kacao (Ashley Allen)

For lunch we decided to try out some authentic Guatemalan food at Café Kacao. Before being seated, however, we waited outside the restaurant chatting, a result of the eatery’s popularity. This wait, a bit lengthy, was worth it. The music was upbeat and the interior was very colorful.

Looking at the menu, we were mystified by the many options we had before us. Drinks alone were provided by lot of different choices, from juices, to Mexican sodas, and specialty drinks like the Horchata latte ( a sweet mixture of rice milk, vanilla, cinnamon and coffee). In the end, we ordered Migallas, cochinito pibil, adobada, and even crab pupusas.

Cafe Kacao, OK City, LEAP Center, SHSU

Ashely’s favorite dish, the Migallas, was a breakfast dish composed of scrambled eggs, various vegetables, Pico Del Gallo and crushed tortilla chips mixed together, accompanied by a small fruit cup and black beans. The plate was so delicious that she practically wiped it clean, a feat that has eluded many of us during this feast-filled-trip.

Bricktown Brewery  (Ashley)

For dinner, we ventured into the city’s river walk. Following the foot steps of the Sooners, or at least the direction of Paul Moor’s sculptures, we began our trek to the Land Run Monument. With friendly chatter and a shining skyline, we followed the soft, rippling river, and before we knew it, we had reached the city’s Bricktown District.

The historically industrial district turned social district, with it’s bright lights, quirky sights, and lively music, was eye candy so as to make us hungry. After walking a lap around the square, where we saw a Mickey Mantle statue…

Mickey Mantle, Bricktown, OK City, SHSU, LEAP Center

…and even a statue of Sisyphus…

Sisyphus, OK City, SHSU, LEAP Center

…we stopped by a restaurant called the Bricktown Brewery. It was  different from the other places that we had eaten during the trip, strictly because it wasn’t an authentic, ethnic-based restaurant. The majority of the group ordered different pizza pies to share amongst ourselves. Ryan’s favorite was the combination pizza which had morning sausage, pepperoni, and ham, topped with additional mushrooms, onions, and bell peppers. The experience here was excellent and if ever in Bricktown again we would definitely go straight to this great establishment. As Ashley commented “every place we’ve eaten in Oklahoma has been such a great experience, and I really appreciate the exposure to the different cultures and the food that goes with them!”

Slipping Through the Ice Rink (Ryan)

After our meal, we walked the few blocks to the Myriad Botanical Gardens, where we took advantage of their skating rink. With Professor Yawn’s instructions all of the LEAPsters and Ryan laced up and took to the ice.

Devon Ice Rink, OK City, SHSU, LEAP Center

Although it was a small rink, it seemed to take some of us forever to make a full lap, whether it be because we were holding onto the rails or we couldn’t seem to get any momentum.

Devon Ice Rink, OK City, SHSU, LEAP Center

Some us, however, performed our very best skating abilities. For example, Brian accidentally did his best impression of Charlie Chaplin while sliding and slipping through the ice.

Devon Ice Rink, OK City, SHSU, LEAP Center

He would seem to fall for about ten seconds and then catch himself on the railing in a cool and relaxed position as if nothing had happened. We only stayed for a little while, as the air grew colder and our feet began to ache. It was unclear as to the professor’s motivation to bring us to the rink, whether it was to expose us to a sport we seldom have a chance to practice or for his own amusement to look at us fall and tumble.

Perhaps his absence at the rink was indication to the latter hypothesis.

Devon Ice Rink, OK City, SHSU, LEAP Center

Ashley, Ryan, and Kaitlyn proved the best skaters…

Devon Ice Rink, OK City, SHSU, LEAP Center

…and Ashley and Ryan even raced, with Ryan’s longer legs providing the edge.

Devon Ice Rink, OK City, SHSU, LEAP Center

No matter the falls on the ice, we all had ice-loads of fun. With iced backs (from those that had fallen on the ring), we walked back to the car and headed back to the hotel. As a day well spent in learning, exploration, and vigorous sport, we welcomed our bed with a tired, melancholy sigh, for tomorrow would be our last day of our Texoma Adventure.

 

OK’s History Trail

With the conference part of the trip over, we embraced the more relaxed portion of the trip by learning of Oklahoma, strolling through luscious gardens, and venturing into the icy realms of ice skating. First however, we drove a few miles off of downtown looking for the capitol building.

Oklahoma State Capitol (Kaitlyn)

As we reached the domed structure, we admired the artwork surrounding the capitol building…

OK Capitol, SHSU, LEAP Center

…and then wandered inside the massive structure to find a large construction zone.  Unfortunately, the visitor’s center was closed because it was Veteran’s Day, so we proceeded through the capitol exploring on our own. We started on the first floor admiring the rotunda and the State Seal of Oklahoma. The state motto of Oklahoma: “Labor Omnia Vincit” (Labor Conquers All Things) was beautifully showcased within the seal and the dome was impressive as well.

OK Capitol Dome, SHSU, LEAP Center

Although we did not think the Oklahoma State Capitol was as grand as Texas’s State Capitol, we did consider it more artistic than ours. Notably, we saw many paintings of Wilson Hurley, a native Oklahoman, depicting the different landscapes of the state. We learned about native Oklahomans such as, Will Rogers, Jim Thorpe, and Sequoyah, whose portraits hung on an upper level of the State Capitol, and even Mickey Mantle, whose portrait was on the ground floor.

Mickey Mantle, OK Capitol, SHSU, LEAP Center

A short distance away, we visited the Senate Chamber. The House of Representatives was closed today, but we still learned about the organization of the legislature. We made the best without a tour guide and enjoyed our morning of exploration!

OK Capitol, Murals, SHSU, LEAP Center

National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum (Brian Aldaco)

Embracing the Okie spirit, we continued our Oklahoma City tour by visiting the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. As we crossed the front entrance, our sight was instantly drawn to the end of the hall. Against a magnificent window wall, filtering a warm sunny glow, stood a colossal Indian mounted on a horse both carved from white stone which embraced the outside light.  With a look of defeat and a horse at mid-stop, James Earl Fraser was able to sculpt his subject’s vanquished spirit in “The End of the Trail.”

We posed for a photo with Fraser’s work…

James Earle Fraser, End of the Trail, SHSU, LEAP Center, OK City, Western Heritage Museum

We actually got a second photo with the sculpture as well.  Our trip-themed t-shirts feature the Fraser piece, so we have our backs to the camera to make that connection….

James Earle Fraser, OK Capitol, LEAP Center, SHSU

Fraser’s talent was also evident in his Lincoln sculpture which stands overlooking the main hall from his east wing repose.

James Earle Fraser, Abraham Lincoln, OK City, Western Heritage Museum, LEAP Center, SHSU

Following the scope of his solemn gaze pointing westward, we trailed down the west wing of the museum as searchers of the Western Performers Gallery.

Upon entrance to the gallery, we were greeted by the awe-striking statue of none other than President Ronald Reagan (a former western movie actor).

Ronald Reagan, OK City, Western Heritage Museum, LEAP Center, SHSU

As we ventured into the exhibit, a distinct jolly smile caught our attention. Nearing this Norman Rockwell portrait, we rejoiced as we had found the gallery portion dedicated to the acclaimed Walter Brennan.

Norman Rockwell, Walter Brennan,, OK City, Western Heritage Museum, LEAP Center, SHSU

Along with him, other great western actors were commemorated such as Gary Cooper, Barbara Stanwyck, Harry Carey Jr, and of course, the immortal, John Wayne.

John Wayne, OK City, Western Heritage Museum, LEAP Center, SHSU

But from western inspired performers to true performers of western legend, demonstrated by exhibits on taming conquering of the west, Native Americans, and even a small scale Old Western town (akin to a film set), the museum was filled with inspiring artifacts of the west. Our only regret was that we had not much time to look through the entire museum, but our expedition had to move on as the Myriad Botanical Gardens awaited us…

Buffalo Bill, OK City, Western Heritage Museum, LEAP Center, SHSU

Myriad Gardens  (Sadie)

It’s not every day that we get to experience a mini-tropical paradise in the middle of Downtown Oklahoma City, but the Myriad Botanical Gardens gave us just that opportunity. Entering the greenhouse, we were greeted with a large variety of foliage…

botanical_garden_ashley_kaitlyn_web

…and the sound of a rushing waterfall, much like an oasis in the middle of the city.

Myriad Botanical Gardens, OK City, LEAP Center, SHSU

Like explores trailing through the jungle, we discovered many new plants and even encountered plants that smelled like goods such as root beer and cinnamon!

For some, true delight came in discovering the wildlife inside the greenhouse and around the Garden property. Inside we discovered butterflies, finches, a parakeet, and even a very friendly, talkative parrot.

Myriad Botanical Gardens, OK City, LEAP Center, SHSU
One of the More Approachable Birds in the Myriad Botanical Gardens

After going through the inside garden and walking across an interior bridge…

Myriad Botanical Gardens, OK City, LEAP Center, SHSU

…we stepped outside onto the grounds where we had the opportunity to watch swimming koi and a variety of waterfowl, including some of our neighbors (Canadian geese), as well as pose near the foliage.

Myriad Botanical Gardens, OK City, LEAP Center, SHSU

We were so grateful to take a few moments to enjoy the beauty and peace of nature in the midst of our busy day.

Myriad Botanical Gardens, OK City, LEAP Center, SHSU

But after the botanical stroll, we synchronized our watches and bid Mitchel, Sadie, and Ashley goodbye, as they would go their own way and tour the Oklahoma City University School of Law.

Oklahoma City University School of Law (Mitchell)

Before we began our tour, we first had to be dropped off on the Oklahoma City University campus. On our way into Sarkey Building, we discovered that our tour would be held in another part of town where the law school was located. Fortunately we ran into Dr. Farmer, the chair of the Oklahoma Political Science Association conference, who was generous enough to drive us downtown to the School.

Upon the completion of our short trip we were greeted by Lisa Lee, Administrative Assistant for Admissions, as she took us to the admissions center where the tour began. Billy Thomas and Zac Morgan, L3’s (3rd year law students), led the LEAP group (composed of Ashley, Sadie and Mitchell) on the informative tour across campus.

Along with Dr. Farmer, other professors that had attended the conference also joined our tour group. As we learned, the building was built in 1910 and was one of the first high schools in the state of Oklahoma. Walking through the grand rooms and halls was a treat, especially when every step was filled with the state of Oklahoma’s rich history.

The historic importance of the building was put into perspective when Mr. Thomas informed us of the building’s role after the Oklahoma bombings. The FBI used the building to head all rescue operations for the disaster. It is impressive to note that the building was undamaged after the bombing but for a few windows that were shattered. Mr. Morgan and Mr. Thomas then took us by the headquarter for the Innocence project. It was a pleasure to actually see the inter-mechanisms of the project, observing the busy law students studying papers and files. We toured the library along with an overview of the research tools available for students.

We also had the privilege to visit the J. William Conger Courtroom.

OK City University School of Law, LEAP Center, SHSU

To finally wrap up the tour we viewed a couple of class rooms which were from 25 seat to about 70 seats. The classroom size was very similar to the rooms at Sam. We made our way back to the admissions center where we had final discussions with Lisa, Billy and Zac about the school and Oklahoma City itself. The tour gave us great insight to the law school, university, students and Oklahoma City.

Oklahoma History Center (Kaitlyn)

With some ambassadors touring the Law School, others headed over to the Oklahoma History Center to learn about the diverse subject matter relating to the state of Oklahoma. Upon entering, the gleam of Wiley Post’s airplane (which hung from the ceiling) greeted us better than any friendly smile.

Wiley Post, Winnie Mae, OK History Center, SHSU, LEAP Center

Wiley Post, an Oklahoman, was one of the first pilots to experiment with flight, but ultimately crashed near Alaska where him and acclaimed Will Rogers died. Due to Post’s contributions to space travel, developing a pressurized suit that would serve as the prototype for those worn by astronauts, part of the first floor was dedicated to Oklahoma’s connection to the Space Program. After glancing at the interstellar artifacts, the LEAP Ambassadors transitioned to the first exhibit covering the different Native American Tribes. The exhibit taught us of their culture, homes, careers, languages, and traditional clothing. We were thankful that the museum provided a unique way for us to learn about Native American culture.OK City, Oklahoma History Center, LEAP Center, SHSU

Upstairs, we were greeted with a beautiful Allan Houser sculpture of an Indian woman. Earlier this morning, we saw his work outside the Oklahoma State Capitol. His works are prominent across the state for their beautiful depiction of Native Americans. It was neat to see his artwork in two places within the same day!

The next exhibit walked visitors through the history of Oklahoma starting with the era of the Sooners and ending with a then and now comparison of various qualities of everyday life such as life expectancy, income, and population.

OK City, Oklahoma History Center, LEAP Center, SHSU

The exhibit was comprehensive because it covered the political and cultural history of Oklahoma. Observing the various artifacts of the state’s history, we found ourselves running out of time as we were in need of picking up our fellow LEAP comrades. After a short trip to the bookstore, we traveled back to regroup with our fellow LEAPsters and continue on with our afternoon. Although our tour was short, we enjoyed learning more about the history of Oklahoma!

 

 

Art and Food in OKC

While our primary purpose in traveling to OK was to attend the OPSA, our goal is to explore fully the places we visit.  With this in mind, we set out to sample some of OKC’s art and culinary offerings.

Snacking at Pinkitzel, by Sadie McLaughlin

Following our fun and informational day at the Oklahoma Political Science Association’s Annual Conference, we looked forward to a sugary snack. As soon as we walked into Pinkitzel, we knew we had come to the perfect place of much welcome relaxation. The bold, eclectic sweets shop was fully decked out with giant cupcake décor, a hot pink horse, and suits of (pink) armor, along with other various and unique decorations. Most importantly, there was a large display of all kinds of gourmet cupcakes and other sweets.

We enjoyed unique cupcake flavors such as pink lemonade, cookies and cream, and double chocolate truffle, complemented with coffee and even specialty hot chocolate! Additionally, we also had the opportunity to try macarons. Not only did some of us get to try this delicious snack for the first time, but we also learned the difference between a macaron and a macaroon. A macaron is in essence a French meringue cookie, while a macaroon is a Southern sweet made of shredded coconut and condensed milk.

Image result for macaron or. macaroon

While some of us are still debating the macaroon v. macaron enigma, it was a thoroughly enjoyable experience and the perfect fuel to hold us through our pre-dinner adventure at the Oklahoma Museum of Art.

The Oklahoma City Museum of Art, by Ashley Allen

By the time we had finished our delicious desserts, we found the sun setting atmosphere bearing on us as became more lighthearted and relaxed. To me, visiting the museum was the perfect way to spend the evening after hearing  speeches and presentations from the panels. Furthermore, I was extremely excited to finally visit the largest and most revered exhibit at the museum, the Dale Chihuly exhibit.

Dale Chihuly, LEAP Center, SHSU, OK Museum of Art

Chihuly’s specialty is glass blowing—an art from that I was familiar with before the trip, but never thought that it was possible to create such a variety of sculptures.

Dale Chihuly, OK Museum of Art, LEAP Center, SHSU

No two pieces were identical, not even when Chihuly was following the classic style of his Persian sculptures. On this note, one display that really caught my attention was the “Oklahoma Persian Ceiling.” It is almost impossible to describe due to the fact that I have never seen anything like it! We walked along a white corridor and above our heads were many different glass pieces fitted together in disarray, different shapes, loud colors, and intricate designs. A lot of his pieces seemed other worldly, belonging in a place of dreams and imagination. Chihuly’s style is so enchanting that the fifty-five feet tall “Eleanor Blake Kirkpatrick Tower” at the entrence created a general feel for his talented and daring glassmanship.

Dale Chihuly, LEAP Center, SHSU, OK Museum of Art

There were other paintings and sculptures we browsed through. As we toured the rest of the museum, we saw works by well-known artists like Georgia O’Keeffe, John James Audubon, Andy Warhol…

Andy Warhol, LEAP Center, SHSU, OK Museum of Art

…and many more. We learned a lot of history behind different displays and their significance.

One story I found interesting was about the painting “The Laughing Indian” by Fritz Scholder. Scholder fought against the stereotypical Americanized version of Indians, who were stoic and romanticized, and placed them in a light of humanized nature. He did this by exaggerating certain characteristics forcing his subjects to look more awkward and out of place, which subliminally correlates to Native Americans’ history in America.

Overall the Oklahoma City Museum of Art taught us many things and exposed me to a lot of different styles of art. My only regret is that we didn’t have more time to examine each display to compare and contrast them. It was a wonderful opportunity to attend such a beautifully diverse accumulation of paintings and sculptures.

Evening Fun, by Sadie McLaughlin

As we finished up our tour of glass heaven, we decided that it was time for dinner. Our final culinary adventure for the day took us to Norman, Oklahoma. Here we arrived at the Greek House where we were treated with abundant plates of delicious Greek food across the street from the University of Oklahoma. We all greatly enjoyed generous servings of gyro meat, pita bread, and tzatziki.

Greek House, Gyros, SHSU, LEAP Center

Just when we thought we could not possibly eat more, we managed to fit in a few bites of baklava, a rich layered pastry filled with honey and nuts. With happy hearts and full stomachs, we attempted to walk off our calories with an expedition through OU campus.

As we neared campus, the dramatic architecture of OU campus instantly grasped our interest. The majestic gargoyles embedded at the buildings’ facade, lighting that accentuated the lines and curves of this historic buildings, and sculptures scattered around the campus took hold of us and enticed us to immerse ourselves deeper into the campus.

Speaking of immersing ourselves, we tried our hand at telephone  stuffing, a 1950s fad that we wanted to revive…

Telephone Booth Stuffing, LEAP Center, OU Campus, SHSU

OU has six telephone booths, brought in as an homage to the booths across London when OU’s President, David Boren, spent time at Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar.  They provide a bit of nostalgia, class–and fun–to the OU campus.

Eventually we found ourselves inside the library, a dichotomous building indeed, as part of the facility was modernized (with imacs, cutting edge study rooms, cutting edge vending machines, etc.), while the other part was the historic library. This latter part of the building was what interested us the most, as the massive scholarly study rooms, bountiful amount of antique books, and luxurious design was unlike anything we had ever seen.

After going through the fields of OU, finding sculptures by James Surls…

James Surls, LEAP Center, University of Oklahoma campus, LEAP Center, SHSU

…Jesus Moroles, and Robert Indiana…

Robert Indiana, LOVE, SHSU, LEAP Center, Oklahoma University campus

…along the way, the clock tower struck its 10 pm chimes. With this solemn ring filling the campus, its echo had a near melancholy tone as if it were sad to see us go.

But by that time we were more than ready to hit the hay after a near overstimulating day of political science panels, amazing food and art, and our improvised expedition of the beautiful OU campus. Now it was time to go to sleep and get ready for tomorrow’s adventure in the Capital of Oklahoma City.

Leaving Detroit–And The Summer–Behind

With our trip nearing its end, we stopped for one last pit stop in Arkansas. As a LEAP favorite, we diced to end our travels with a savory lunch and a interesting visit to Little Rock’s MacArthur Museum of Military History.

Our first order of business, however, was to eat at Cafe Bossa Nova.  The Brazilian cuisine restaurant, located on Kavanaugh Boulevard, provided a prime resting venue for us to lunch while reflecting on the trip. First,however, we looked over the menu trying to decipher what the printed item titles meant. Fortunately, this was quickly resolved with the help of our waiter.

Thus, Professor Yawn ordered a small Quiches, Brian the Torta de Frango (chicken pie), and Paul chose the lighter fare of soup and Mista salad. Before starting on our piece de resistance however, we chose to follow our waiter’s recommendations and ordered Almondegais and Pao de Queljo. The variety of cheese from the pao, with its creamy, rich flavors, were a perfect compliment with the meaty, fired Almondegais balls. With our main course dishes placed on our table,  we took hold of knife and fork to begin tasting our delicious meals. Evidently we were all similarly delighted with our sections for soon we were left with empty plates and a satisfied sigh. Soon thereafter, we thanked our hosts on way through the threshold to get on our way to the U.S. Arsenal Building.

After finishing up our repast at the Bassa Nova, we drove through the beautiful avenues of Little Rock to see the Douglas MacArthur Museum. While Paul and Brian toured this, Prof. Yawn opted for a less martial exhibit, and went to the neighboring Little Rock Arts Center instead.

The Little Rock Arts Center is small, but it has a well-curated collection, with lesser pieces by big names such as Monet and Louise Nevelson….

Louise Nevelson, Little Rock Arts Center
Louise Nevelson

..and some very nice pieces by more regional artists.  Carroll Cloar’s “Moonstruck Girls,” for example, is an interesting piece…

Arkansas_Arts_Center_Cloar_Moonstruck_Girls_Web

…as is Louis Watt’s “Untitled.”

Louis Watts, Untitled, Little Rock Arts Center

 

The General MacArthur Museum was very interesting, spanning World War One to Vietnam. MacArthur is famous for being the commander of the pacific theatre of World War Two, for being a pivotal figurge in the Philippines, and for opposing President Truman in the matter of Korea. MacArthur is also famous for a speech he gave before Congress, in which he cites a “barracks ballad,” which says “old soldiers never die, they just slowly fade away.”

The museum was free, and well worth seeing. Paul enjoyed the collection of war posters from World War One, urging the viewer to buy bonds and to “Halt the Hun.”

Little_Rock_MacArthur_Paul_Web

He also liked the exhibit of Vietnam-era weaponry, including an M-79 grenade launcher, a shoulder-mounted RPG, and an AK-47. Brian seemed to have the most fun trying to take a good picture of a bust of Douglas MacArthur. Paul, Brian, and the General had a hard time fitting into the selfie, so they gave that up.

Little_Rock_MacArthur_Bust_Web

Finally we hit the road again, and made the long slog from Little Rock to Huntsville. It was a long, arduous drive, but we made it home around 10:00 p.m. We were all very glad to be back, for as a great man once said, “Be it ever so humble, there’s no place like home!”

Thomas Hart Benton, Little Rock Arts Center

 

 

 

Speeding through Indianapolis

As we wend our way home from “The Motor City,” we stopped in Indianapolis to see a heap of historic sites, from extensions of our research on The Vagabonds, to the Indy 500, to a presidential home, a capitol, and a fine art museum.  Although it was our second-to-last day on the road, it promised to be a full one.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway

We have friends who have been to the races here, and they indicate it’s pretty incredible.  The Museum, however, is not incredible.  It’s actually quite boring.

The Museum itself consists of approximately three rooms: a large show-case style room, a smaller room beyond the main room, and a room to the left which houses “special exhibits.”  The main room has a timeline, which consists of a series of photographs on the walls, and then the winning cars from the past 100 years of races.

Indianapolis Speedway Museum
Indy-Winning Cars on Display at the Speedway Museum

Although it is of some interest to see the evolution of cars from long ago to today (mostly, the long-ago cars were cooler), there wasn’t a whole lot of context or the interesting tidbits you can learn from even small museums.

After looking around and wondering, “Is this all there is?”, we opted for the “short video” that provided “background.”  It was short–about 8 minutes–but it provided almost no background.  It was an eight-minute commercial for the special “spirit” of the Indianapolis 500.  It provided little or no substantive information about the origin of the race, why Indianapolis became home to racing, or how things have changed over the years.  It, too, was a disappointment.

Indy_500_Sculpture_Fountain_Web

Indiana State Capitol

Undaunted by the Speedway disappointment, we sped out of there and had breakfast at the City Cafe in downtown Indianapolis before heading to the Indiana State Capitol building.

Upon entrance to the Indiana capitol we noticed the nice but fairly typical exterior…

Indianapolis State Capitol Building
Indianapolis State Capitol Building

…but we were truly struck by the interior.

Indianapolis Capitol Dome
Indianapolis Capitol Dome

Interestingly, it houses all three branches of government; executive, legislative, and judicial. Thus we were able to see the working Governor’s office…

Governor Mike Pence's Office
Governor Mike Pence’s Office

…the House and Senate chambers, and the court room of the Indiana Supreme Court, which doesn’t resemble a lot of the past statehouse tours.

Indiana Supreme Court
Indiana Supreme Court

The interior of the Indiana Capitol is made of smooth, polished Vermont marble and Indiana limestone. The architecture is evocative of the Italian style. The rotunda at the heart of the building boasts an impressive stained-glass ceiling, and two wings that extend outwards in each direction.

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The wings mirror each other, and have large open areas that go four floors upward before terminating in a glass ceiling that lets natural light filter down to the floor. Each open space is surrounded by walkways set into the walls and supported by columns in a colonnade fashion. Of special note was the fact that all three of the classical Greek styles of columns were represented. The first floor showcased doric columns; the second floor was supported by imposing, almost un-ornamented ionic columns; and the third floor was held up by thinner, more artistic corinthian columns. All of the columns were made of grey-white marble, and lacked fluting (vertical lines running up and down the length of the column).

Our tour guide led us through this pleasant architectural feat, showing off various interesting busts of famous Hoosiers.

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He also made sure to impress upon us some pertinent facts about Indiana. We learned that the state bird is the cardinal, the state flower is the peony, the state tree is the tulip poplar, and the state song is “On the Banks of the Wabash, Far Away.” Most importantly, he told us that Indiana is one of only four states with an official state pie, which for Indiana is the sugar-cream pie.  It was a nice tour, with a very nice tour guide.

And although we missed seeing Governor Pence at the Capitol, we did see people protesting Pence.

Trump/Pence Protestors at Indiana State Capitol
Trump/Pence Protestors at Indiana State Capitol

Indiana Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Memorial

But before heading to our next historic home, we decided to go to the Indiana Soldiers’ and Sailors’ memorial.

Indiana Soldiers' and Sailors' Memorial, Indianapolis
View of Indiana Solders’ and Sailors’ Memorial from the Capitol

This edifice boasts a pool and fountain beneath a circular, raised dais decorated by various sculptures. Soaring above it all is a tower that rears upwards toward the clouds.

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You can actually climb up a set of 330 stairs on the inside of the obelisk, or take an elevator to the top for a small fee. Prof. Yawn elected to pay, while Brian and Paul adventurously took the stairs all the way to the top, compelled to do so after all of the vertigo-filled adventures of the trip. It was a beautiful view from up above, making the climb up worth it.

Brian and Paul from atop the Memorial
Brian and Paul from the Memorial’s Observation Deck

Our feat of athleticism was soon rewarded by a short visit to the Chocolate Cafe right across the street from the memorial. While sipping on a very sweet, creamy Chocolate Chai and nibbling on a very rich caramel sea salt chocolate, we people-watched.  This was made more interesting by the gathering of people in our midst.  There was, for example, a convention of sorts for Mennonites, who sang on a town square…

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Circling them, on a pedal-powered bar (“The Pickled Pedaler) was a party of some sort (perhaps a wedding based on the sign on the back, which read, “Congratulations Tom & Ed”).

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How you effectively avoid Mennonites and traffic in a town the size of Indianapolis–while drinking alcohol–is beyond us.  It’s also not clear how this doesn’t violate some drinking and driving ordinance.  Presumably, the steering-wheel operator doesn’t drink, but the people providing the power do.

Amidst all of this, it was also Gen-Con, a convention of strange people dressed as super-heroes and other characters.

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It wasn’t quite the bar scene in Star Wars, but it wasn’t far off, and it wasn’t what we were expecting from Indianpolis, “The Crossroads of America.”

Benjamin Harrison Home

Benjamin Harrison, the 23rd President of the United States of America, was a native of Indiana. He raised a regiment during the Civil War, and fought as a general on the Union side. Interestingly, he was preceded in the presidency by Grover Cleveland and was, oddly enough, succeeded by the same man! Other aspects of his presidency were how his federal spending exceeded $1 billion for the first time in American history; he started the process of preserving places of natural beauty; and he strengthened the United States by modernizing the navy, making it the 5th most powerful in the world. This later may have come in handy for the coming First World War.

As a very interesting president, his home was just as special in that 70-80% of the furniture is both authentic (not replicas) and on display.

Benjamin Harrison Home, Indianapolis
Benjamin Harrison’s Parlor

You can see his prodigious library, the many of the gifts that he was given in life, including a strange chair given by a Texan…

Benjamin Harrison's Chair
Benjamin Harrison’s Chair

…made of Longhorn horns, a bobcat hide seat, and the overall look of Texas tacky.  We also saw his death bed, which was covered with the same comforter he used…

Benjamin Harrison Bed, Indianapolis
Benjamin Harrison’s Bed

…which was not Texas-Tacky, but was tacky-cool.

Harrison was a volunteer fireman, and the staircase was fashioned from a fireman’s hose…

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…the home’s foyer was adorned with a 38-star flag (reflecting the number of states when Harrison took office)…

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…and his desk was the height of 19th-century organization which, in our book, beats 21st century simplicity.

Benjamin Harrison Desk, Indianpolis
Benjamin Harrison Desk

However, such an artifact was in no way detrimental to the rest of the home’s beauty…

Benjamin Harrison Home, Indianapolis
Paul Oliver and Brian Aldaco at the Harrison Home

…almost comparable to our next item on the day’s itinerary.

Indianapolis Museum of Art

After leaving the home, we soon reached the Indianapolis Museum of Art. The art museum, to our pleasant surprise, shared a few similarities with Harrison’s home in that within the halls were exhibited works by Jacob Cox. Cox’s works were also present inside the Hoosier president’s parlor room. He and other Indiana artists were being commemorated in the “19th Stars” special museum exhibit which included renewed artists of talent such as T.C. Steele, Robert Indiana, and George Rickey among others.

George Rickey, Indianpolis Museum of Art
George Rickey Art

After appreciating sights of silver mobiles, beautiful landscapes, and painted canvases with the intent to reflect on society’s morals, all from the creativity of Indiana natives, we continued on through the halls of the museum.

Nearing the first exhibit room we noticed that the art had been arranged in chronological order, allowing us to view a sort of art evolution. Beginning with the realist school of American painters such as Charles Wilson Peale…

Charles Wilson Peale, George Washington
“George Washington,” by Charles Wilson Peale

…Albert Bierstadt…

Albert Bierstadt, Alaska, Indianapolis Museum of Art
“Alaska” by Albert Bierstadt

and John Haberle, we were further schooled in the art of capturing the essence of reality. Such an aspect in art was truly captured in Haberle’s depiction of American currency in U.S.A. (1889). The oil painting was mistaken for real money upon unveiling which caused near tremulous sensation as viewers claimed the artist had glued money on a canvas. We later saw paintings of other American artists which we had seen on previous museums such as those by Georgia O’Keefe and a very expressive Norman Rockwell by the name of The Love Song.

Norman Rockwell, Love Song, Indianapolis Museum of Art
“Love Song,” by Norman Rockwell

Throughout the other rooms we viewed other artists of remarkable ability, one of which was George Seurat who rightfully deserves the description.  His pioneered pointillism-style of expression inspired fellow talented impressionists of his time such as Paul Signac, Henry Van de Velde,  Camille Pissarro (these being among Brian’s favorites), and Van Gogh.

Vincent Van Gogh, Indianapolis Museum of Art
Van Gogh Landscape

Wandering through the other rooms we were delighted upon nearing a ver peculiar modernist painting by the name of Man and Woman. In a style resembling that of Picasso’s cubism, the shapes of color and shadows form two figures, a man and a woman, embracing each other’s kiss. Even though the depiction in itself was phenomenal, it was the man behind the brush strokes, Fernand Leger, that caught our attention. Between the years of 1948 and 1950 a young Huntsville artist by the name of David Adickes traveled to France to study art under the teachings of Leger. Adickes, as any Hunstvillian may know, was the talented sculptor who erected the Sam Houston statute which towers at the town’s edge. Satisfied that we were able to identify with one of the celebrated artists, we toured some more of the halls to later exit onto the grounds. With a scenic gushing fountain, the grounds were decorated by sculptures by Roy Lichtenstein…

Roy Lichtenstein, Indianapolis Museum of Art
Brian and Roy Lichtenstein

…and Robert Indiana’s famous LOVE sculpture, which we have seen at three or more art museums throughout the US.

Roy Lichtenstein, Robert Indiana, Indianapolis Museum of Art
Robert Indiana and Roy Lichtenstein’s Artwork on the Lawn of Indianapolis Museum of Art

Robert Indiana, interestingly, was born Robert Clark.  But he changed his name to honor his home state.  Interestingly, one of his pieces, a 12-foot LOVE sculpture (which are obviously not unique) recently sold for 4.1 million dollars.

After enjoying the green fields of artistic delight, we regrouped in our mini-van and buckled up for our stretch towards the end of our trip. As we only have one more day left in our Mid-Western tour, we arrived in our hotel late at night eager to get some rest and prepare for an exciting last day of our odyssey, in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Robert Indiana, Indianapolis Museum of Art
Brian Aldaco Contemplates a Robert Indiana Piece