Quick Getaway to Oklahoma City

We planned a quick getaway to Oklahoma City. We went up Thursday, stopping at Arbuckle Mountain Fried Pies to introduce what a fried pie was to our children. When we got into town we stopped in at the American Banjo Museum because I really love banjo music. My Uncle Bill, my mom's younger brother made his own string instruments and played in a bluegrass band when I was less under 10 years of age. I loved the sound of the banjo he played and I loved when they sang Rocky Top.  We spent quite a bit of time learning the history of this instrument from the minstrel period when the slaves introduced it to America until the classical period when it was used in orchestras, to the jazz period, and into bluegrass. It was also interesting to learn how the instrument changed in construction and in the manner it was played.  The artistry was just beautiful on many of them. At the end we got a chance to play around with actual banjos and see what we could do which of course was not much but it was fun.

Then we explored the the riverwalk which our hotel was situated on to see The Land Run Monument and explained to our kids the history of this event to our kids.

For dinner we didn't tell the kids, because of their audible resistant to such places, that we were trying out a local all vegan restaurant for dinner. It was okay. They were not thrilled but didn't hold a grudge and took the perspective that they were having a wider range of experiences. The kids swam in the hotel pool for a short while before we had to get back to watch a new Home Garden TV (HGTV) show they wanted to see. It is the funniest thing, that when we travel, our kids are glued to HGTV when we are kicking back in the hotel. I find it fun, brainless, and relaxing too but the kids talk about it like it's part of our trip. Granted, we do not have this channel at home nor do we watch a lot of TV but daaaang!

The next morning, Neal and I got out for a morning run along the riverwalk then we were off to tour Braum's Family Farm Tour. We actually followed a couple Braum's trucks all the way there as it is a little ways out from OK City. We learned a little about their not-so-little farm in a video and then we toured the plants with a guide, in which we got to see waffle cones, hamburger buns, ice creams, cottage cheese, and whole and chocolate milks being produced. We couldn't take pictures but we learned a lot and had fun seeing how it all happens. We enjoyed a sweet treat following the tour and stopped at a Braums for lunch on our way to the National Weather Center in Norman, OK.

We enjoyed a guided tour of the National Weather Center learning of what they study, how they study it, and how decisions are made for the public. We viewed the weather research equipment they use and the vehicles that transport them, props from the movie Twister and the real life contraptions the research devices in the movie were based on, the observation deck and the forecast office, severe storms laboratory, storm prediction center, and NOAA public affairs office.  It was pretty informative and really opened our eyes to the different jobs a meteorologist is able to do.  That was it for a quick overnight.