This was almost an impromtu trip. Hurricane Delta struck Loosiana and though Birmingham is far enough inland that there will be no damage, the weekend was sure to be rainy and depressing. After some deliberation, I chose Oklahoma over Florida due to a better weather forecast. It proved to be a good call. I left after work on Friday and as planned, I got beyond Memphis and into eastern Arkansas. I ran into some light rain the next day but once I got past Little Rock, the skies began to clear. As I approached Oklahoma, it was a beautiful cloudless day with temps around 80 with the leaves just beginning to change.
My only stop on the way was Mount Magazine, the highest point in Arkansas. The hiking trail to the summit was nothing special but nearby overlooks were beautiful. I arrived in Oklahoma City around 4 PM the next day and took a walk to the bombing memorial and museum. As expected, it was well done and delivered a strong emotional hit. In most cases, I am against the death penalty but in circumstances like this where 168 people were killed and 700 others injured, I will make an exception. I caught a couple nice skyline views on the way back. After some rather mediocre pizza, I went out for a drink at Toby Keith's I Love This Bar in Bricktown. There was a canal with a waterway so it reminded me a bit of a small San Antonio. Overall, I liked the vibe in OKC and found it preferably to Tulsa but don't think I'd want to live there. Too far from both the beaches and mountains. Dallas is the only other nearby large city. On the plus side, the climate is a bit drier with more sunshine but it's also vulnerable to a Spring tornado.
Next, I headed east back towards Arkansas with one stop at a lake then took a hike up to the summit of Hot Springs National Park. That was pretty cool but the real highlight was Pinnacle Mountain just outside of Little Rock. It was a very steep and strenuous hike up through boulders. I arrived at the top about 30 minutes before sunset and caught some epic views of the lake and nearby mountains. I headed down none too early as it would have been very unsafe in the dark. I spent the night in Little Rock where I got a drink and chatted a bit with the bartender who also enjoys hiking. The next morning, I took a walk down by the river and caught a nice shot of the skyline before heading to Memphis.
First stop in Memphis was the Lorraine Motel where MLK was assassinated. The motel has since been converted into a Civil Rights museum. My reaction was the same as with the others. I am dumbfounded and horrified that black people were mistreated so badly but am proud of the progress that we have made as a nation. I enjoyed some good BBQ on Beale Street then headed to the pyramid for another cool skyline view. The trip home in the dark was a bit dicey but I made it safely.
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