Sunday, June 15, 2025. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Tim lived in Oklahoma more than a decade growing up, but he never got to go to the state capitol. They did a renovation project in the early 2000s, so it may have been much different then anyway. We were able to take Alison to this capitol building, and show her the first one she has ever seen. She now knows about Oklahoma and Texas state capitols, as well as the states we have driven through! There is no better education than traveling.
It was pouring the rain for the whole two hours we took to get to the state capitol. You can still see some of the clouds in these photos. Then the skies cleared, and we had a beautiful day. The temperatures dropped so we pulled out light jackets after this.
Going to the Capitol on a Sunday has its benefits as well as disadvantages. At least they are open on the weekend! That was a bonus. We appreciated that, because we were traveling through and the state capitol was right on our drive path. The perfect place to stop and stretch our legs. Know that if you visit this capitol, the entrance on weekdays is on the opposite side of the building from the weekend entrance. I was glad I had read that in advance, as it gave me a heads up on where to park and enter.
We arrived to a nearly empty parking lot, which made pulling the Airstream easier to park than many other places we have visited.
When we got inside, I was reminded they do not have docents working on Sundays. So, we did a self-guided tour based on the link given to us by the security guard at the entrance. (Yes, you have to go through security. Leave your guns at home.) She stamped our capitol passport, twice actually.
This capitol is on Route 66, so they have a stamp for the capitol as well as Route 66. That was a fun little discovery!
Not so small, a nine-foot tall bronze statue stands in the hallway right after we passed through security. He is a replica of the 22-foot statue called “The Guardian,” which was placed on top of the dome in 2002 when they completed the renovation and built the dome. Click on the link above to read more. He’s quite impressive, and stands for a lot.
There is a lot of artwork in this building. On the main floor there are things to look for in the paintings that represent various aspects of Oklahoma, like a bee, a strawberry, red bud trees, a scissor tail flycatcher, and a swallowtail butterfly. We never did find that bee or that strawberry!
The disappointing part of coming on a Sunday was a locked door greeting us at both the House and Senate Chambers. You can’t get in without a docent. They have some beautiful foyers, but we will need to come back another time on a weekday so we can see the chambers.
Lastly, there were some pretty ceiling decorations. As we were leaving the building, a friendly squirrel came running over to see us, but when Alison offered it a potato chip it quickly ran away squeaking and squawking. Too funny!
Thanks for reading my blog! God is good. He has given me the strength to live life to the fullest. What’s on your bucket list?
À la prochaine…hasta la próxima vez…until next time!