Oklahoma City is OK with Romantic Travelers
by Paris Permenter & John Bigley

Rome may not have been built in a day, but Oklahoma City just about was. On April 22, 1889, a cannon blast signaled the opening of two million acres of Indian territory and the start of an infamous land rush. By midnight, the new Oklahoma City had over 10,000 residents.

That frontier spirit is still apparent today in Oklahoma City. Within its 621 square miles, you'll find the largest stocker and feeder cattle market in the world, enough horse activities to earn the city the nickname "The Horse Capital of the World," and the National Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Center, a world class museum featuring the Indian and cowboy heritage that makes this city so special.

The National Cowboy Hall of Fame is an excellent first stop in Oklahoma City to learn more about the frontier spirit that is the West. The main building includes art exhibits featuring the works of western artist Charles Russell and Frederic Remington. Exhibits recall the career of famous Oklahoman, humorist Will Rogers. Nearby, other exhibits recall INdian history of the state, with displays such as a pre-1900 Sioux umbilical cord amulet worn for protective powers.

Walk downstairs and step back in time in the recreated Western village complete with saloon, saddle shop, gunsmith and (for those disputes not settled with a gun) an attorney's office.

If you are a movie buff, don't miss the Western Performers Hall of Fame. Here you'll find Gene Autry's movie outfit, Tex Ritter's western hat, and even Walter Brennan's Colt 1877 Lightning Revolver. And fans of the Duke don't despair, there's a separate John Wayne collection across the hall with the actor's extensive kachina collection , gun collection, saddle, and even film clips for viewing.

Rodeo fans will want to budget plenty of time for the Rodeo Hall of Fame, where cowboys and cowgirls are honored. Outside, you'll even find the grave of Tornado the infamous rodeo bull and Bucking broncs, Midnight and 5 Minutes to Midnight.

The grounds include a serene walk among Western sculpture and a stop at a building that houses the 18-foot "End of the Trail" statue by James Earl Fraser. The white plaster statue portrays an exhausted Indian on horseback, a symbol of the anguish the Indians endured.

If you'd like to earn more about the Indian history of the area, visit the Museum of Unassigned Lands, run by the country historical society. The free museum includes displays on the development of this land once considered "unassigned." History buffs will also want to take a free tour of the State Capitol -- the only one in the nation with an oil well on its grounds! Beautiful murals in he capitol chronicle the land rush and Indian relocation that compose the state's past. Near the Capitol the State Museum of history offers free exhibits on the state's rich background.

Oklahoma City is also home to several unique museums, including Enterprise Square USA. This hands-on museum focuses the attention of children and adults on the free enterprise system through exhibits that let children drill an oil well or build a dream home.

There's something for everyone at the Kirkpatrick Center Museum Complex, a "shopping mall" of seven separate museums under one roof. The kid in you will love the Omniplex Science Museum to "travel" through time, examine a black hole, or climb through a molecular model. Other museums include everything from air space to Indian culture to photographs and fine art. Outside a beautiful garden invites visitors to step out and reflect on the exhibits they've just viewed.

Another serene getaway is Crystal Bridge, located. The showpiece of Oklahoma City, this botanical garden is housed in a 224 glass enclosed bridge, built in the shape of a glass cylinder. The gardens include a tropical side, with a 35-foot waterfall and koi ponds, and a desert side, filled with succulents and cacti from around the world. DOn't be surprised to see some tiny wildlife here -- lizards roam freely through the desert region; ants ignore visitors as they busily work around a tree trunk; butterflies fill the air during summer months. And those tropical sounds are real, courtesy of several colorful birds.

You'll find much larger wildlife at the Oklahoma City Zoo, acknowledge as one of the 10 best zoos in he United States and the oldest in the Southwest. This zoo's natural-looking habitats house over 2,000 animals including a large collection of gorillas and exotic hoofed stock. The zoo also houses a marine area named Aquiticus, with aquariums, a dolphin and sea lion show, and marine mammals.

Four legged animals are the focus of everyone's attention (and money_ at Remington Park. This $97 million horse racing facility includes air-conditioned stadium and clubhouse seating, and picnickers are welcome in the grandstands in the infield. Thoroughbred races are held late January through early May and September through early December. Quarter horse races are held mid-May through mid-July.

Of course, no look at Oklahoma City would be complete without a visit to Cowtown, the stockyard where you can still see real-life cowboys at work. In the area, you can visit a Western wear shop or belly up to a bird's eye or T-bone at the Cattlemen's Cafe. In true Wild West fashion, this restaurant was one in a craps game on Christmas Eve by rolling a "hard six." Today the 3 3 brand hangs in the dining room as a reminder of the new owner's good fortune.

The good news is that you don't need good luck to have a great time in Oklahoma City. Whether your interest is horses or horticulture, you'll find it in this western capital.