Oklahoma City Temple

Temple #39

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

October 10, 2015

 

     Through forests and Indian reservations we drove, heading towards Oklahoma City! It was another free weekend we had while living in Texas, and this time we wanted to head North.

     We drove straight to Oklahoma City on a Friday night, which was only about four and a half hours away. We stayed at a cheap hotel, and then went to the temple the next morning. 

 

     It was a beautiful morning that day, being sunny and warm, and the temple grounds were well kept as always. The Oklahoma City Temple is a simple, small temple, one of the cookie cutter temples, yet we still were excited to be there. As we found out, many of the smaller temples throughout the states are the small temples. What is great though is how they make each one of these unique in its own way still, by either the landscape, or the murals within the endowment rooms. 

     We enjoyed a simple session in the temple, and then left, starting off right. Before leaving the grounds we wanted to get a picture, and there was a man working on the plants there whom we asked if he could take our picture for us. He agreed and did so. 

     He asked where we were from, and through talking we found out his niece was from Kamas and played soccer in Ivy’s soccer team in high school! It was fun to talk to him and make the connection. He also did a great job taking our picture. It's always fun running into people who we know or can make a connection with.  

     We then went to the downtown area of Oklahoma City. Some cities downtowns are generally boring, but Oklahoma City had a few activities that entertained us. We first came upon a colorful street with vibrant paintings and art that coveted entire buildings. It was fun to see and explore. We also found some random art that was throughout the city, such as a suspended spiral staircase. 

 

     Next we went to Bricktown, which is the main place for tourists in the downtown area. It's right on a canal, and on either side of the canal are shops and restaurants. It's a nice little area, and so we decided to grab some lunch. We picked Fuzzy’s, which is a taco shop that’s also in Texas. We had some delicious tacos and a massive salad, which we devoured! Definitely a recommended place to eat. 

     We walked around downtown a little more, fed some ducks and fish, and then went back to our car. It had been a fun city, but we weren't finished with Oklahoma yet!

     On our drive back home we took another route, heading towards Dallas instead of Scroggins. On the way there we passed a state park which we decided to go to. It ended up being pretty neat, with a clear river running through a small canyon, and a hike that ended at a fun waterfall and swimming hole. 

 

     I jumped in, of course, and swam a little, but we soon left for it was getting dark. We drove the rest of the way home, and got home late. 

     It had been a fun little weekend with a few adventurous things. I had never cared to go to Oklahoma City, and never really knew what was there, or in Oklahoma, yet it made for a fun, quick weekend. Not only that, but we made it even more worth it by adding another temple to our list, and feeling the spirit while there.

     Basing trips around temples was becoming more and more worth it and fun. We were seeing places we never thought we would go, and never had a reason to go to. We were also filling our time with spiritual moments, and they never seemed to cease. The temples are truly Houses of the Lord, and we love it every time we go!