Thread:61Storm/@comment-29709319-20190401001525/@comment-29709319-20190606023504

National Themes For June 6: D-Day, National Eyewear Day, National Higher Education Day, National Gardening Exercise Day, National Yo-Yo Day, National Drive In Movie Day, National Applesauce Cake Day, and 🇺🇸National Oklahoma Day.

🇺🇸D-Day refers to the landing of Allied forces on the beaches of Normandy, France staging one of the pivotal attacks against Germany during World War II. World War II museums, memorials, and ceremonies will be honoring the American, British and Canadian forces who landed along the 50 mile stretch of beaches that day 74 years ago. The landing of troops on the beaches of Normandy on June 6, 1944, known around the world as D-Day, was given the name Operation Overlord. Leading up to the attack, plans of deception were carried out to mislead Germany. The attack included more than 5,000 ships, 11,000 aircraft and landed more than 156,000 troops in Normandy. There are estimates of approximately 4,000 Allied casualties that day alone.

🕶National Eyewear Day! Spectacles have been around for about seven centuries, but early versions were only worn by monks and scholars. It wasn’t until the invention of the printing press in 1452 and an increase in literacy that the demand for eyewear grew as well. Eyewear today not only improves our vision, but it also protects it while adding elements of style and personality. Eyewear can define, outline and punctuate a personality. Clearly, eyewear plays a significant role in our lives. From improving vision and protection to providing a variety of style options, it certainly is something to celebrate on National Eyewear Day.

🎓National Higher Education Day! Exponential costs of higher education and the United States opportunity gap have turned a college degree into something of a luxury for many Americans. Guiding and motivating future college students through the process of preparing for higher education will help increase their chances graduating with a degree. National Higher Education Day is designed to educate and inspire students. For more information, please visit nationalhighereducationday.org

👒National Gardening Exercise Day encourages us to maximize the benefits we reap from gardening by adding some stretches and a few extra steps or squats. Gardening on its own is therapeutic, builds muscles and burns calories. Some of the gardening activities that are excellent for working your muscles and for burning calories include weeding, digging, spading, planting, pruning, mowing, raking, and walking. Many of us do not realize the amount of healthy exercise that we can get while working outside in the garden. It involves a lot of walking back and forth as well as bending up and down along with other things. Being out in the fresh air and sunshine are also an added benefit. Incorporating stretching into a gardening routine may help to prevent injury, much like it does for any athletic endeavor. Adding those squats will contribute to building or maintaining muscle, and extra steps may make gardening more aerobic if it increases the heart rate. Gardening and exercise are excellent stress relievers, too! Other suggestions to get the most exercise out of your gardening: ✨Start slowly. Just like any new workout program, small steps. ✨Use the right and left hands equally. When raking or shoveling, switch hands every 5-10 minutes to give each side a good workout. ✨Make sure to breathe. Deep, cleansing breaths bring oxygen to those working muscles. ✨Lift with your legs! When lifting, bend your knees. Don’t lift with your back. ✨Drink plenty of water. ✨Enjoy your garden. Visit it often!

🌎National Yo-Yo Day celebrates this historic toy. It is the perfect day to get out your yo-yo’s and try your hand at The Sleeper, Walk the Dog, Shooting the Moon, Around the World or Hop the Fence. The yo-yo is an object that consists of an axle connected to two disks and a length of string looped around the axle. It is played by holding the free end of the string, allowing gravity or the force of a throw to spin the yo-yo and unwind the string, then allowing the yo-yo to wind itself back again. This is called “yo-yoing.” It is believed that the yo-yo was first invented in ancient Greece. There is a Greek vase painting, from 500 BC, that shows a boy playing with a yo-yo. Pedro Flores immigrated to the United States as a young boy. He built a business from a toy he played with in the Philippines called a bandalore. He called it the Flores Yo-yo and between 1928 and 1932 the Yo-yo Manufacturing Company operated in Santa Barbara, California. He later sold his companies to Donald F. Duncan. The yo-yo was made popular in America when Donald F. Duncan, Sr. manufactured the Duncan Yo-Yo in the early 1900s. The name “Yo-Yo” was first registered as a trademark in 1932. In 1999, the Duncan Yo-Yo was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame at The Strong in Rochester, New York. The National Yo-Yo Museum is located in Chico, California. Founded in 1990 in Arcade, NY by Daniel Volk, National Yo-Yo Day celebrates the yo-yo on June 6, the date of Donald F. Duncan’s birth in 1892. Volk once worked for Duncan Toy Company as a talented yo-yo demonstrator from 1976-1978, touring the western part of the United States. As a result, Volk had the opportunity to impart some of his yo-yoing wisdom to two talented comedians. The Smothers Brothers later produced The Yo-Yo Man Instructional Video. Mr. Volk demonstrates right along with the comedians in the video. In conjunction with National Yo-Yo Day, the Hummingbird Toy Company produced the first of several Smothers Brothers brand yo-yos.

🍿🎥National Drive-In Movie Day! Richard M. Hollingshead Jr. of Camden, New Jersey was the creator of the drive-in theater. Hollingshead’s drive-in opened in New Jersey on June 6, 1933. At this first drive-in theater, the screen was 40 feet by 50 feet and there were 400 car slots. The advertising slogan used was, “The whole family is welcome, regardless of how noisy the children are.” An Adolphe Meniou film, Wife Beware, was the first film shown. The idea caught on quickly and drive-ins began to pop up in other areas. In the late 1950s there were 4,000 drive-ins across the United States. Travel to Pennsylvania for the best chance to view the show from under the stars. Pennsylvanians have 30 drive-ins currently in operation. A close second is New York. Copiague, Long Island, New York once was home to one of the largest drive-in theaters. It covered over 29 acres and could park 2,500 vehicles. The drive-in hosted a full-service restaurant with rooftop seating, a trolley system to take children and adults to the playground and a large indoor theater in case of bad weather. The invention of color television, VCRs and video rentals along with the increase in land values and the widespread adoption of daylight saving time, led to a sharp decline in the drive-in popularity. For a comprehensive list of drive-in theaters still in operation today, visit driveinmovie.com for locations by state.

🍎🍰National Applesauce Cake Day This food holiday is a day to enjoy a piece (or two) of the moist and tasty applesauce cake. In any cake recipe, applesauce may be substituted for the butter or oil for a healthier alternative. It is also said that one-half cup of applesauce may be substituted for one egg in some baking recipes for those who have egg allergies.

🇺🇸Oklahoma's capital and largest city is Oklahoma City. It is the 20th-most largest and the 28th-most populous of the fifty United States. The state's name is derived from the Choctaw words okla and humma, meaning "red people". It is also known informally by its nickname, "The Sooner State", in reference to the non-Native settlers who staked their claims on land before the official opening date of lands in the western Oklahoma Territory or before the Indian Appropriations Act of 1889. Its other Nickname(s): Native America, Land of the Red Man, Motto: Work conquers all, State song: "Oklahoma, Oklahoma. Hills". Living insignia; Amphibian: 🐸Bullfrog, Bird: 🕊Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, Fish: 🐟Sand bass, Flower: 🌹Oklahoma Rose, Wildflower: 🌸Indian Blanket, Grass: 🌾Indian Grass, Insect: 🐝European honey bee, Mammal: American bison, Reptile: Mountain Boomer, Tree: 🌳Redbud. Inanimate insignia; Beverage: 🥛Milk, Colors: White and green, Dance: 💃Waltz: Oklahoma Wind, Dinosaur: Acrocanthosaurus atokensis, Folk dance: 💃Square dance, Fossil: Saurophaganax maximus, Instrument: 🥁Drum, Rock: Rose Rock, Soil: Port Silt Loam, Tartan: Oklahoma Tartan. Other; Cartoon: Gusty created by Don Woods, Oklahoma's first professional meteorologist, used on KTUL-TV from 1954 to 1989, Fruit: 🍓Strawberry, Vegetable: 🍉Watermelon, Game bird: 🦃Wild turkey, Monument: Golden Driller, Rock song: "Do You Realize??" by The Flaming Lips, Theater group: Lynn Riggs Players of Oklahoma. Oklahoma's highest point is Black Mesa at 4,975 ft (1516 m) and its lowest point is Little River at Arkansas border at 289 ft (88 m). French explorers claimed the Oklahoma area in the 1700s and held on to the region until 1803, when all the French territory west of the Mississippi River was purchased by the United States in the Louisiana Purchase. By 1890, more than 30 Native Americans and tribes were expelled from their ancestral homelands from across North America and transported to Indian Territory (area including and surrounding present day Oklahoma.) All Five Civilized Tribes supported and signed treaties with the Confederate military during the American Civil War. Slavery in Indian Territory was not abolished until 1866. Cattle trails and cattle ranches developed as cowboys either drove their product (cattle) north or settled illegally in Indian Territory. In 1881, four of five major cattle trails on the western frontier traveled through Indian Territory. The Land Run of 1889, was held for settlers where certain territories were opened to settlement starting at a precise time. Usually land was open to settlers on a first come first served basis but those who broke the rules by crossing the border into the territory before the official opening time were called sooners, which eventually became the state's official nickname. Deliberations to make the territory into a state began near the end of the 19th century. On November 16, 1907, President Theodore Roosevelt issued Presidential Proclamation no. 780, establishing Oklahoma as the 46th state in the Union. The new state became a focal point for the emerging oil industry. Tulsa eventually became known as the "Oil Capital of the World" for most of the 20th century and oil investments fueled much of the state's early economy. In 1927, Tulsa, Oklahoma businessman Cyrus Avery, known as the "Father of Route 66", began the campaign to create U.S. Route 66. Oklahoma also has a rich African-American history. Many black towns thrived in the early 20th century because of black settlers moving from neighboring states, especially Kansas. By the early 20th century, the Greenwood neighborhood of Tulsa was one of the most prosperous African-American communities in the United States. Social tensions were exacerbated by the revival of the Ku Klux Klan after 1915. The Tulsa Race Riot broke out in 1921, with whites attacking blacks. In one of the costliest episodes of racial violence in American history, sixteen hours of rioting resulted in 35 city blocks destroyed, $1.8 million in property damage, and a death toll estimated to be as high as 300 people. By the late 1920s, the Ku Klux Klan had declined to negligible influence within the state. During the 1930s, parts of the state began suffering the consequences of poor farming practices. This period was known as the Dust Bowl, when northwestern Oklahoma were hampered by long periods of little rainfall, strong winds, and abnormally high temperatures. Poverty stricken farmers were forced to move to more fertile lands. Oklahoma built hundreds of reservoirs and man-made lakes to supply water for domestic needs and agricultural irrigation. By the 1960s, Oklahoma had created more than 200 lakes, the most in the nation. In 1995, Oklahoma City was the site of one of the most destructive acts of domestic terrorism in American history. The Oklahoma City bombing of April 19, 1995, in which Timothy McVeigh detonated a large, crude explosive device outside the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, killed 168 people, including 19 children. For his crime, McVeigh was executed by the federal government on June 11, 2001. His accomplice, Terry Nichols, is serving life in prison without parole for helping plan the attack and prepare the explosive. The state ranks third in the nation for production of natural gas, is the 27th-most agriculturally productive state, and also ranks 5th in production of wheat. Four Fortune 500 companies and six Fortune 1000 companies are headquartered in Oklahoma, and it has been rated one of the most business-friendly states in the nation. According to Forbes magazine, Oklahoma City-based Devon Energy Corporation, Chesapeake Energy Corporation, and SandRidge Energy Corporation are the largest private oil-related companies in the nation, and all of Oklahoma's Fortune 500 companies are energy-related. Tulsa is home to the largest airline maintenance base in the world, which serves as the global maintenance and engineering headquarters for American Airlines. The state is the top manufacturer of tires in North America and contains one of the fastest-growing biotechnology industries in the nation. Oklahoma has the highest enrollment of Native American students in the nation. The University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State University, the University of Central Oklahoma, and Northeastern State University are the largest public institutions of higher education in Oklahoma. The two state universities, along with Oklahoma City University and the University of Tulsa, rank among the country's best in undergraduate business programs. Northeastern University is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of Oklahoma as well as one of the oldest institutions of higher learning west of the Mississippi River. The Oklahoma City Thunder of the National Basketball Association (NBA) is the state's only major league sports franchise. Oklahoma is in a humid subtropical region. Most of the state lies in an area known as Tornado Alley characterized by frequent interaction between cold, dry air from Canada, warm to hot, dry air from the Southwestern U.S., and warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico. The interactions between these three different air currents produces severe thunderstorms, damaging thunderstorm winds, large hail and tornadoes with a frequency virtually unseen anywhere else on planet Earth. An average of 62 tornadoes strike the state per year, one of the highest rates in the world. Over almost all of Oklahoma, winter is the driest season. All of the state frequently experiences temperatures above 100°F (38°C) or below 0°F (-18°C), though below-zero temperatures are rare in south-central and southeastern Oklahoma. Snowfall ranges from an average of less than 4 inches (10 cm) in the south to just over 20 inches (51 cm) on the border of Colorado in the panhandle. Norma, Oklahoma is home to the Storm Prediction Center, the National Severe Storms Laboratory, and the Warning Decision Training Division, all part of the National Weather Service. Oklahoma's highest-recorded temperature of 120°F (49°C) was recorded at Tipton on June 27, 1994 and the lowest recorded temperature of -31°F (-35°C) was recorded at Nowata on February 10, 2011. 1️⃣99s Museum of Women Pilots is a non-profit museum that seeks to preserve the unique history of women in aviation. It is located on the second story of the international headquarters building of the non-profit International Organization of Women Pilots: The 99s are on the grounds of Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City. The 5,000-square-foot (460 m2) museum houses the largest collection of historical women aviator artifacts in the world. The museum is the only one in the world dedicated to female pilots. Artifacts include historical papers, personal items, video and oral histories, photos, memorabilia and other notable artifacts from pioneering women aviators worldwide. The museum collection and exhibits provide insight into the role women pilots played in the development of aviation and their historical footprint. The museum is home to personal artifacts of Amelia Earhart and information about her pioneering aviation career. 2️⃣Toy and Action Figure Museum is located in the quiet town of Paul’s Valley, Oklahoma and is the world's only museum devoted solely to the art and collection of action figures. The museum got its start in 2000 during a citywide process called VISION 2010, where the city set goals of where they wanted to be in ten years. The town wanted unique attractions that would help to make Pauls Valley a destination city. With the help of local artist and toy designer (and collector) Kevin Stark, a board was formed to start working on the world’ s first museum devoted to the art and sculpting of action figures! The museum acquired its 501(c)3 nonprofit status, and the group began researching and creating the plans for a first class facility in the heart of downtown Pauls Valley. It took the group five years to put everything together and the doors opened on October 15, 2005. The museum is partitioned into different sections, including a collection of cartoon artwork from famous Oklahoma illustrators, and a room known as the “Batcave” that features nothing but Batman-related figures and collectables. The museum holds over 13,000 distinct action figures, many of which have never been taken out of their packages. The main attraction of the museum is the sprawling central diorama, which features thousands of figures from every imaginable franchise. Spider-Man swings past a hanging X-Wing fighter while Psycho Man makes an entrance onto a Peewee’s Playhouse playset and 12 Inch soldier figures fight a war. Since that time the museum has had visitors from every state in the union and over 40 foreign countries. 3️⃣Myriad Botanical Gardens & Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory. The Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory: located on 17 acres of land in Oklahoma City, the Myriad Botanical Gardens portrays itself as an “interactive garden”. The Gardens feature several layered tiers of densely landscaped areas that surround a sunken lake. The main feature of the gardens is the Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory. The Conservatory measures 224 feet long and 70 feet wide. With 3,028 sections of translucent, double-layered Exolite acrylic panels. The Crystal Bridge Conservatory officially opened to the public in 1988. Within the 13,000 square feet of the Conservatory, there are over 2,000 varieties of tropical plants broken up into two distinct zones: the Wet Tropical Zone and the Dry Tropical Zone. Most of the plants in the Conservatory were purchased from specialty nurseries in California and Florida. Some plants were donated from private collections. While the Wet Zone is watered daily throughout the year, the Dry Tropical Zone is left to drought between November and March. Because of the delicate nature of the plants featured inside the Conservatory, a special reverse osmosis filtration system was installed to ensure the plants were watered with an appropriate pH balance. The R.O. system also removes salts and minerals from the water to perfect a simulation of the tropical rain the plants would receive in their native habitat. The Conservatory also features a 35 foot waterfall that cascades over “Wet Mountain”. Two separate pumps push a total of 60 to 80 gallons of water over the waterfall every minute. In order for the plants to thrive, the temperature inside the Conservatory must be maintained at what would be the normal range in the plants’ native habitat 62 to 87 degrees. The temperature is controlled by 20 evaporative coolers. The temperature range is allowed to change to simulate changes in the plants’ native climate as required for the plants to continue to bloom. The Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory is ADA accessible to the first and third level. An elevator located in the South Lobby is available to get to the third floor. Once on the third level guests can take the catwalk to the north side, then return to the elevator to go to the first level. The exterior grounds are ADA. The Myriad Botanical Gardens is a 17-acre (69,000 m2) botanical garden and interactive urban park located in downtown Oklahoma City, on the southwest corner of Reno and Robinson. The Gardens is home to multiple tiers of densely landscaped areas that surround a sunken lake. The Myriad Botanical Gardens is home to several pieces of art. Art in the Gardens include: "Gateway" by Hans Van de Bovenkamp. The 14-foot-tall abstract sculpture stands on a raised berm at the northeast corner of the Gardens. ✨"Childhood is Everlasting" by local sculptor Robin Orbach is located in the southwest quadrant of the grounds. Robin donated this abstract sculpture to the citizens of Oklahoma City on April 20, 1992. ✨"Philodendron Dome" is located on the northwest side of the lake and consists of a dome-shaped framework on an 8' x 9' base made of iron and bronze. Iron vines support the "dome" of this bronze plant's leaves, where visitors can enter for a view from underneath. ✨"Flying Fish" by Kenny McCage. McCage, a native Oklahoman and Navy submarine welder, created this kinetic sculpture which is located in the Gardens' east lake. ✨"Land of the Brave and the Free" is a kinetic wind sculpture composed of bright colors and archetypal shapes. It located on the west side of the Gardens. It was donated in 2002 to the Festival of the Arts by California artist Susan Pascal Beran. ✨"Spirit Poles" located adjacent to the north Fountain plaza, the two spirit poles were gifts to the City of Oklahoma City from the City of Tulsa in commemoration of Oklahoma's centennial of statehood in 2007. 4️⃣Beavers Bend State Park is a 1,300 acres (5.3 km2) Oklahoma state park located in McCurtain County. It is approximately 10.5 miles (16.9 km) north of Broken Bow. It was established in 1937 and contains Broken Bow Lake. Beavers Bend State Park offers a variety of individual and group activities. Eagle watches are available from November through February. Trout fishing, fly fishing clinics, guided horseback rides, and hayrides throughout the park are other activities offered at Beavers Bend. A year-round naturalist and a well-stocked nature center make possible a program line up that includes campfire programs on the banks of the Mountain Fork River, nature hikes, arts and crafts classes, water sports, bingo, sunset hikes, nature films, and astronomy outings. 14,000 acre (57 km²) Broken Bow Lake is also a favorite of scuba divers. Other park diversions include golfing, miniature golf, archery, tennis, jet skiing, bumper boat rides, boating, and canoeing. The David L. Boren Trail offers 16 miles (26 km) of hiking trails with 4 miles (6 km) of multi-purpose trails that wander along ridge tops, over creek bottoms, through tall stands of timber, and into Ouachita National Forest. The same trail can also be divided into a variety of short and long hikes for those not wishing to make the entire trek. Visitors to the Forest Heritage Center's museum will find historical documents, antique forestry tools, wood art, homestead memorabilia, and a research library filled with materials pertaining to forestry, the primary industry of the area. The Center is also home to 14 dioramas (painted by Harry Rossoll of Atlanta, Georgia, the artist who created Smokey Bear) that cover prehistoric forests, Caddo Indians, Papermaking in the South, 1940s lumbering, and forest appreciation. Each diorama is accompanied by a taped narration. 5️⃣Great Salt Plains State Park is a 840-acre (3.4 km2) Oklahoma state park. It is located 8 miles (13 km) north of Jet, Oklahoma and 12 miles (19 km) east of Cherokee. Recreational opportunities at Great Salt Plains State Park include boating, camping, picnicking, swimming, hiking, mountain biking and exploring. The Great Salt Plains Lake is located in the park and covers 9,300 acres (38 km2) with 41 miles (66 km) of shoreline and is a shallow, salty lake with fishing opportunities for catfish, saugeye, sandbass and hybrid striper. The average depth is reportedly 4 feet (1.2 m) and the impoundment capacity is 31,420 acre-feet. Salinity of the water in the reservoir is one-fourth that of sea water. Personal watercraft are not recommended. The park has RV and tent sites, comfort stations with showers, cabins, picnic sites, group shelters, swimming beach, playgrounds, boat ramps, fishing dock and equestrian trails. Horse rental is not available. The Great Salt Plains covers an area of 11,000 square miles (28,000 km2). It was so named because it is covered with a layer of salt deposited long ago by an inland sea. A saline aquifer still flows beneath the surface and replenishes the salt whenever the water table rises. The salt is left behind when the water evaporates. President Herbert Hoover designated an area of the Salt Fork east of Cherokee, Oklahoma as a National Wildlife Refuge on March 26, 1930. The Great Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge sits adjacent to the park and offers great bird watching and fall foliage viewing opportunities. The refuge is the only spot in the world where crystal enthusiasts can dig for hourglass selenite, a rare and fragile form of selenite, which is a form of gypsum. Digging times are available from April 1 through October 15. 6️⃣The Glass Mountains (also known as Gloss Mountains or Gloss Hills) are not actually mountains, but a series of mesas and buttes that are part of the Blaine Escarpment that extends from the Permian red beds of northwestern Oklahoma in Major County. The Glass Mountains rise 150 feet (46 m) to 200 feet (61 m) above the surface of the plains, and the highest elevation in the formation is about 1,600 feet (490 m) above sea level. The Glass Mountains stretch west along U.S. Route 412 from Orienta south of the Cimarron River. The name comes from the sparkling selenite crystals on the slopes and tops of the mesas. A recreational-educational park that is accessible for hiking and picnicking from sunrise to sunset. Facilities include a restroom, pavilions, picnic areas, grills, public water supply, handicap trail to historical marker, and a hiking trail from base parking lot to the top of Cathedral Mountain and across the mesa to view the valley floor and Lone Peak Mountain. Points of interest include land geography, geological formations, Selenite gypsum, scenery and wildlife. The state of Oklahoma operates the 640 acres (260 ha) Glass (Gloss) Mountain State Park, 6 miles (9.7 km) west of Orienta on a mesa along Highway 412. The park allows climbers to hike to the top of the mesa via a path and stairs. 7️⃣The Oklahoma City National Memorial is a memorial that honors the victims, survivors, rescuers, and all who were affected by the Oklahoma City bombing. The memorial is located in downtown Oklahoma City on the former site of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, which was destroyed in the bombing. On April 19, 1995, Timothy McVeigh parked a Ryder rental truck filled with explosives in front of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. The resulting explosion killed 168 people and destroyed the entire north face of the building. Months after the attack, Mayor Ron Norick appointed a task force to look into a creation of a permanent memorial where the Murrah building once stood. The Task Force called for 'a symbolic outdoor memorial', a Memorial Museum, and for creation of Oklahoma City National Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism. On April 19, 2000 the fifth anniversary of the attack, the Outdoor Symbolic Memorial was dedicated. On February 19, 2001 the Memorial Museum was dedicated. In 2004 it was transferred from the National Parks Service to the Oklahoma City National Memorial Foundation, designating it an affiliated area of National Park System. The Outdoor Symbolic Memorial consists of the following segments on 3.3 acres (13,000 m2); it can be visited any time, day or night. ✨The Gates of Time: Monumental twin bronze gates frame the moment of destruction – 9:02 – and mark the formal entrances to the Outdoor Memorial. 9:01, found on the eastern gate, represents the last moments of peace, while its opposite on the western gate, 9:03, represents the first moments of recovery. Both time stamps are inscribed on the interior of the monument, facing each other and the Reflecting Pool. The outside of each gate bears this inscription: We come here to remember Those who were killed, those who survived and those changed forever. May all who leave here know the impact of violence. May this memorial offer comfort, strength, peace, hope and serenity. ✨Reflecting Pool: A thin layer of water flows over polished black granite to form the pool, which runs east to west down the center of the Memorial on what was once Fifth Street. Although the pool is flowing, visitors are able to see a mirror image of themselves in the water. Visitors seeing their reflections are said to be seeing "someone changed forever by what happened here." ✨Field of Empty Chairs: 168 empty chairs hand-crafted from glass, bronze, and stone represent those who lost their lives, with a name etched in the glass base of each. They sit on the site where the Murrah Building once stood. The chairs are arranged in nine rows to symbolize the nine floors of the building; each person's chair is on the row (or the floor) on which the person worked or was located when the bomb went off. The chairs are also grouped according to the blast pattern, with the most chairs nearest the most heavily damaged portion of the building. The westernmost column of five chairs represents the five people who died but were not in the Murrah Building (two in the Water Resources Board building, one in the Athenian Building, one outside near the building, and one rescuer). The 19 smaller chairs represent the children killed in the bombing. Three unborn children died along with their mothers, and they are listed on their mothers' chairs beneath their mothers' names. ✨Survivors' Wall: The only remaining original portions of the Murrah Building are the north and east walls, known as the Survivors' Wall. The Survivors' Wall includes several panels of granite salvaged from the Murrah Building itself, inscribed with the names of more than 600 survivors from the building and the surrounding area, many of whom were injured in the blast. ✨The Survivor Tree: An American elm on the north side of the Memorial, this was the only shade tree in the parking lot across the street from the Murrah Building. Commuters arrived early to get one of the shady parking spots provided by its branches. Heavily damaged by the bomb, the tree survived after nearly being chopped down during the initial investigation, when workers wanted to recover evidence hanging in its branches and embedded in its bark. The force of the blast ripped most of the branches from the Survivor Tree. Glass and debris were embedded in its trunk and fire from the cars parked beneath it blackened what was left. Most thought the tree could not survive. Almost a year after the bombing, family members, survivors, and rescue workers gathered for a memorial ceremony by the tree and noticed it was beginning to bloom again. The Survivor Tree now thrives, and the Outdoor Memorial design includes a mandate to feature and protect the tree. The inscription around the inside of the deck wall around the Survivor Tree reads: The spirit of this city and this nation will not be defeated; our deeply rooted faith sustains us. Hundreds of seeds from the Survivor Tree are planted annually and the resulting saplings are distributed each year on the anniversary of the bombing. Thousands of Survivor Trees are growing in public and private places all over the United States. ✨The Memorial Fence: A 10-foot-tall (3.0 m) chain link fence was installed around the area that is now the Reflecting Pool and the Field of Empty Chairs to protect the site from damage and visitors from injury. The Fence stood for more than four years, becoming notable as the place where visitors left stuffed animals, poems, keychains, and other items as tributes. During the construction of the Outdoor Memorial, 210 feet (64 m) of the Fence was moved to the west side of the Memorial, along the 9:03 side or the 'healing' side. The remainder of the Fence is in storage. Visitors may still leave small items along and in the Fence; the mementos are periodically collected, cataloged, and stored. ✨Rescuers' Orchard: A grove of Oklahoma redbuds (Oklahoma's state tree), Amur Maple, Chinese Pistache, and Bosque Elm trees are planted on the lawn around the Survivor Tree. The trees represent the rescuers who came to the aid of the survivors; hence the rescuer's orchard surrounds the survivor tree. The non-native species represent those rescuers who came from outside Oklahoma to help. ✨Children's Area: More than 5,000 hand-painted tiles, from all over the United States and Canada, were made by children and sent to Oklahoma City after the bombing in 1995. Most are stored in the Memorial's Archives, and a sampling of tiles is on the wall in the Children's Area. Chalkboards provide a place where children can draw and share their feelings. The Children's Area is north of the 9:03 gate, on the west side of the Museum. ✨Journal Record Building: North of the memorial is the Journal Record Building, which formerly housed the offices of The Journal Record. It now houses the Oklahoma City National Memorial Museum, which features numerous exhibits and artifacts related to the Oklahoma City bombing. Staff of the National Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism, a non-partisan think tank created shortly after the bombing by family members and survivors, also work here to spread knowledge of terrorism and its prevention. 8️⃣The Oklahoma Aquarium is 72,000-square-foot (6,700 m2) public aquarium built in 2002 and opened on May 28, 2003 in Jenks, a southern suburb of Tulsa and is a all-indoor facility. There is a exhibit map you can use to help navigate the aquarium. Animals and Exhibits; ✨Aquatic Oklahoma: In this gallery you’ll see many freshwater natives, like an alligator snapping turtle, prehistoric paddlefish, and American alligators, just to name a few. Visitors can also stop by the turtle feed stand to pick up some veggies to feed their smaller turtles. ✨The EcoZone gallery features a diverse array of habitats ranging from rocky coasts to marshes and deep sea caves. If you want you can touch rays and small sharks or stop by the stingray feed stand to pick up feed for the rays and black drum fish. ✨The Extreme Amazon gallery is a 3,800-gallon freshwater tank that highlights the way some Amazon fish have adapted to life at certain depths of water. ✨Extreme Fishes gallery: Visitors here will see fish that breathe air, fish without eyes, and fish that camouflage seamlessly into their surroundings, amongst many other animals with unique adaptations to survive. The Extreme Fishes gallery also features the enormous Extreme Amazon tank which highlights some of the Amazon River’s most incredible fish. Plus, this tank is outfitted with a set of tunnels so kids can crawl under the water’s surface and enjoy the view from below. ✨Marvels and Mysteries: Some of the strangest, most captivating creatures can be found in Marvels and Mysteries. This gallery features delicate seahorses, mesmerizing jellyfish, toxic but tiny frogs, and electricity-producing black ghost knifefish. You also won’t want to miss out on the feed show where our electric eel zaps its prey, glittering piranhas shred food to pieces, and archerfish shoot water with astounding precision. ✨Ozark Stream: This gallery features the banks of a northeastern Oklahoma stream where you’ll find beavers, racoons, and river otters splashing and playing. You can also learn about other common stream-dwelling wildlife and about the history and importance of streams in the Sooner state. ✨Sea Turtle Island: You can get up close and personal with a 300-pound loggerhead sea turtle, reef sharks, and other tropical fish at this gallery. Walk the boardwalk and catch a glimpse of the island from above or crawl into the underwater observation station to come face to face with the charismatic creatures. ✨Shark Adventure: Immerse yourself in the wonder of the oceans by walking through their shark tunnel, which houses the world’s largest collection of bull sharks. There are 10 bull sharks gliding in the water overhead while three nurse sharks relax alongside you. ✨Polynesian Reef: This vibrant exhibit is teeming with life as it is home to more than 50 species of tropical fish of all shapes, colors, and sizes. You’ll also see a pair of green moray eels slithering around a sunken ship. ✨ZZZs in the Seas: Snooze next to sharks, stingrays, seahorses, and other sea creatures during our ZZZs in the Seas sleepover. The fun-filled night begins with check in at 7 p.m., and includes a light snack, drinks, scavenger hunt, flashlight tour, a movie, and then sweet sea dreams. If sharks aren’t your idea of a relaxing sleep, then feel free to slumber next to any of our other exhibits.Wake up and join us for breakfast before the adventure ends at 8 a.m. Our next sleepover is on June 14, 2019! 9️⃣The Crab Eyes is located in the Charon's Garden Wilderness Area of the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge. Unlike most wilderness area, this one is administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). No permits or fees are required to climb, but camping is by permit only. The Crab Eyes are a unique rock formation in the northern part of the Charon's Garden Wilderness. The name comes from two large parallel boulders delicately balanced on a thin column of granite. Elk Mountain, Mt. Lincoln, Granite Mountain, Twin Rocks Mountain, Charon's Garden Mountain and Sunset Mountain are all visible from Crab Eyes. The balanced rocks are composed of unglaciated granite. The enormous boulders are balanced precariously on the top of a large granite column. One of the two boulders is balanced on top of a third boulder, rather than the column itself. The formation has been attributed to the eroding effects of wind. Climbing is popular on the Crab Eyes and there are numerous routes established on the east, west and south walls. The north side of the Crab Eyes column tapers off gradually. This is the route to the top for the non-technical climbers. From the trailhead at the Sunset picnic area cross the bridge over the pond and follow the shoreline west to the official wilderness boundary. Here the official Charon's Garden trail begins. Proceed west, following the creekbed. When the trail turns south away from the creek, a well established use trail can be observed crossing the creek bed. Follow this trail west, climbing out of the drainage and up a grassy ridge where views of Elk Mountain and the Charon's Garden interior open up. The Crab Eyes also come into view. Continue west for a half mile or so. When one is roughly parallel with the Crab Eyes you can either bushwhack south to the base of the Eyes or follow one of several faint climbers trails. These can be unreliable, but as long as you continue heading south towards the Eyes, they are easy to find. Once at the base of the column, there are numerous climbing routes to the top. For non technical climbers, the north end of the column tappers off gradually and it is possible to climb to the top. One must first ascend a short crack and then simply walk up the long granite rib to the top. Another variation is to climb the first crack and then proceed about 15 feet along the rib. Looking down and to the right one will notice a small tunnel that continues below the rib. It is possible to pass through the tunnel and then climb some boulders to the top. 🔟Natural Falls State Park is located in northeast Oklahoma in the scenic Ozark Highlands region, Natural Falls State Park features a 77-foot (23 m) waterfall cascading through rock formations and creating a hidden, serene atmosphere at the bottom of a narrow V-shaped valley. An observation platform with a nearby picnic pavilion overlooks the falls and a deck with seating is available at the base of the falls. Picnic tables and grills can be found throughout the park. Campsites including 44 RV sites and 27 tent sites, and a comfort station with showers are also on site. Other amenities include a three and a half mile hiking and nature trail, picnic shelter, volleyball, horseshoes, basketball court, catch and release fishing, playgrounds, and formal garden area. Pets are allowed on a leash only. The park affords an opportunity to observe a variety of plant and animal life. Hikers will find a dense forest of maples, chinquapin, and white oaks, while plants such as flowering dogwood, sassafras, coralberry, spicebush, redbud, and pawpaw blanket the cool forest floor. The waterfall creates a moist environment where ferns, mosses, and liverworts thrive. This park was used in the production of the 1974 film Where the Red Fern Grows. 1️⃣1️⃣Foss State Park a 1,749-acre (708 ha) Oklahoma state park located in western Oklahoma on Foss Lake. Recreational activities include hiking, biking, disc golf, horseback riding, fishing, boating, swimming, kayaking and camping. Facilities include 108 RV campsites, 10 of which have full-hookups and 98 that are semi-modern. All sites offer 30 amp or 50 amp service plus water. Big rig sites, shaded sites and 103 tent sites are also available. In addition to the tent and RV sites, the park also offers two fully furnished cabins, one of which is ADA compliant, available for reservation at the park's main number. While Foss offers an equestrian camp featuring a multi-purpose trail for horseback riding, hiking and mountain biking, horse rental is not available. Plan your next group retreat or family reunion to Foss Lake and take advantage of the park's five palapas at Sunset Beach, air-conditioned enclosed shelter meeting space, picnic areas, group picnic shelters, grills, fire rings, comfort stations with showers, lighted boat ramps, boat storage, boat rentals, playgrounds, swimming beach and seasonal marina. Foss Reservoir was created by the United States Bureau of Reclamation in 1961 by impounding the Washita River. The dam is 142 feet (43 m) high. The reservoir, with a capacity of 436,812 acre-feet and a surface area of 13,141 acres (5,318 ha), provides regulation of river flows and municipal supplies for the nearby cities of Clinton, Cordell, Hobart, Butler, and Bessie. Water is conveyed from the reservoir to the project cities through 50 miles (80 km) of aqueducts and laterals. Foss Reservoir, also known as Foss Lake, is in Custer County, Oklahoma on the Washita River, about 15 miles (24 km) west of Clinton, Oklahoma. The reservoir was constructed during 1958–1961 by the U. S. Bureau of Reclamation. The project was known originally as the Washita Basin Project. The lake and dam were named for the community of Foss, Oklahoma, about 6 miles (9.7 km) south of the site. The primary purposes are to regulate flow of the river and to provide water for the cities of Bessie, Clinton, Cordell and Hobart. It is western Oklahoma's largest lake and lies entirely within Foss State Park. The reservoir has a surface area of 8,800 acres (3,600 ha) and a shoreline of 63 miles (101 km). The reservoir has a mean depth of 23 feet (7.0 m) and a maximum depth of 89 feet (27 m). Dam construction began in October, 1958. The dam is 142 feet (43 m) high, 38 feet (12 m) wide (at the crest) and 18,130 feet (5,530 m) long. 1️⃣2️⃣The Holy City of The Wichitas is located approximately 22 miles NW of Lawton. It began in 1926 as an Easter Passion Play and is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. On the grounds of this extraordinary place, you’ll find a little church that is an absolute work of art. The Holy City of the Wichitas encompasses 66-acres in the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge. It was built to resemble Israel during Biblical times. The chapel was built in 1936 and modeled after America’s oldest church, Christ Church in Alexandria, Virginia, where George Washington worshiped. The interior features stained-glass windows, beautiful arches, historic pews, stunning murals and cozy spaces. Artist, Irene Malcolm, dedicated many years of her life to create Biblical murals and paintings on the ceilings and walls of the chapel. The buildings in the Holy City, including the chapel, are made out of locally quarried granite and there is a stone that came directly from the Mount of Olives near Jerusalem. Surrounding the church are several other buildings/structures that are made to look like a replica Holy Land. The Holy City is open during daylight hours and is free of charge. The church can be rented out for weddings or special events and is open to the public. 1️⃣3️⃣The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum is a museum in Oklahoma City, with more than 28,000 Western and American Indian art works and artifacts. The facility also has the world's most extensive collection of American rodeo photographs, barbed wire, saddlery, and early rodeo trophies. Museum collections focus on preserving and interpreting the heritage of the American West. The museum becomes an art gallery during the annual Prix de West Invitational Art Exhibition and Sale each June. The Prix de West Artists sell original works of art as a fund raiser for the Museum. The museum encompasses more than 200,000 sq ft (19,000 m2) of display space. The museum's collection includes over 2,000 works of western art, the "William S. and Ann Atherton Art of the American West Gallery". The 15,000 sq ft (1,400 m2) exhibit space contains landscapes, portraits, colorful still lifes, and sculptures by 19th and 20th century artists. Its over 200 works by Charles Marion Russell, Frederic Remington, Albert Bierstadt, Solon Borglum, Thurmond Restuettenhall, Robert Lougheed, Charles Schreyvogel, and other early artists lead to the Museum's prize collection of contemporary Western art created over the last 30 years by award-winning Prix de West artists. The first winner was a large oil by Clark Hulings, "Grand Canyon - Kaibob Trail", about a mule team barely crossing a Grand Canyon trail in deep winter snow. The collection also includes over 700 pieces by Edward S. Curtis, and over 350 from Joe DeYong. The historical galleries include the American Cowboy Gallery, a look at the life and traditions of a working cowboy and ranching history; the American Rodeo Gallery, fashioned after a 1950s rodeo arena, provides a look at America's native sport; the Joe Grandee Museum of the Frontier West Gallery exhibits some of the more than 4,500 artifacts once belonging to Western artist Joe Grandee; the Native American Gallery, focuses on the embellishments that Western tribes made to their everyday objects to reflect their beliefs and histories; the Weitzenhoffer Gallery of Fine American Firearms houses over 100 examples of firearms, by Colt, Remington, Smith & Wesson, Sharps, Winchester, Marlin, and Parker Brothers. The museum also houses Prosperity Junction, a 14,000-square-foot (1,300 m2) authentic turn-of-the-century Western prairie town. Visitors can stroll the streets, peek in some of the store windows, listen to antique player pianos, and actually walk into some of the fully furnished buildings. The town comes alive with historical figures once a year during the museum's annual holiday open house, "A Night Before Christmas". Every year, the museum gives "The Wrangler", an original bronze sculpture by artist John Free, annually during the Western Heritage Awards to principal creators of the winning entries in specified categories of Western literature, music, film, and television. The Rodeo Hall of Fame recipients are not honored during the Western Heritage Awards. They celebrate at another event and inductees receive medallions instead of "The Wrangler". The museum includes three halls of fame, including the Hall of Great Westerners for actual people who lived through the frontier era to present. Other halls include the Hall of Great Western Performers, for actors only, and the Rodeo Hall of Fame. 1️⃣4️⃣The Philbrook Museum of Art is an art museum in the historic home of Waite and Genevieve Phillips with expansive formal gardens located in Tulsa, Oklahoma featuring two locations. The main site is located in part in a former 1920s villa, and a satellite facility known as Philbrook Downtown, is found in Tulsa's Brady Arts District. Showcasing nine collections of art from all over the world, and spanning various artistic media and styles, the cornerstone collection focuses on Native American art featuring basketry, pottery, paintings and jewelry. The museum's permanent collection encompasses European, American, Modern and Contemporary Art and Design, African, Asian and Antiquities. The Philbrook Art Museum, under the guidance of its first director, Eugene Kingman, opened its doors to the public on October 25, 1939 with a permanent art collection made up of works from the Tulsa Art Association and Villa Philbrook. In 1990, the museum was expanded by the addition of the 70,000 square feet (6,500 m2) Kravis Wing that included space for a special exhibition gallery, public entry rotunda, museum school, library and other facilities. On June 14, 2013, Philbrook opened Philbrook Downtown, a satellite facility in Tulsa's Brady Arts District. With 30,000 square feet (2,800 m2) dedicated to modern, contemporary, and Native American art, works on view include pieces by notable 20th-century artists. The upper level of the facility features the Eugene B. Adkins Collection and the Adkins Study Center. The original structure of the museum is an Italian Renaissance villa that was the former home of Oklahoma oil pioneer Waite Phillips and his wife Genevieve. The interior of the mansion featured 72 rooms decorated with travertine and marble fireplaces and fountains, floors of teak, walnut and oak and ornate ceilings reminiscent of Italian villas. The museum is situated on 25 acres (93,000 m²) of formal and informal gardens. The expansive grounds contain elaborate gardens inspired by Villa Lante, an Italian country estate north of Rome designed by Giacomo Barozzi da Vignola in 1566. The formal gardens, with its rills and diagonal walks linking the mansion to the rustic pool below, graced with a classical tempietto, are part of the original design and construction. To the south of the property the gardens extending to the summerhouse were conceived later and completed in 2004. They feature native Oklahoma plants and a refurbished creek. 1️⃣5️⃣💦Bridal Veil Falls is located in Murray County, Oklahoma. It's source comes from Honey Creek and it's 10 feet high (3 meters). 1️⃣6️⃣💦Bluestem Falls is located in the prairies of northeastern Oklahoma near Pawhuska is Lake Bluestem…home of Bluestem Falls. This waterfall is created by the Bluestem Lake Spillway as the water cascading down cliffs of shale and sandstone into a pool below. To find Bluestem Falls, take Kihekah Avenue north from the center of Pawhuska until you reach CR4070. Turn left on CR4070 and continue over three miles until you come to a fork in the road. Take the left road of the fork and drive until you reach the spillway. 1️⃣7️⃣💦Little Niagara Falls is one of many waterfalls along Travertine Creek just south of Sulphur, Oklahoma. It lies in the Chickasaw National Recreation Area. It's a favorite swimming place. There are other waterfall in the area. 1️⃣8️⃣💦Post Oak Falls is an easy, scenic, family-friendly hike in the Charon's Garden portion of the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge. The falls aren't very big, but they create a scenic oasis in the middle of the granite landscape. Park at the Post Oak/Treasure lake Trailhead. Follow one of the well-worn trails north. There are a few trails at the start that eventually wind into each other. After 1/2 mile of going due north up and down some hills and crossing a plateau, look for a small unmarked trail heading east off the main trail. It follows a small creek about 50 yards back to Post Oak Falls and there's a small cave/mine around the corner. There's also another trail above the falls that continues towards Elk Slabs for rock climbing. NO swimming. 1️⃣9️⃣💦Natural Falls is 77 ft (23 m) tall waterfall. This is one of the two tallest known waterfalls in the state. It is located in Natural Falls State Park. The falls are known to local residents as Dripping Springs Falls, but the State renamed the park as Natural Falls to distinguish it from Dripping Springs State Park and other sites in Oklahoma with similar names. 2️⃣0️⃣💦Medicine Creek, Lawton. The resort of Medicine Park in SW Oklahoma developed as a resort town almost a century ago. The attraction of the creek is the Medicine Creek waterfall within the town. The falls are much wider than it is high. The nearby Wichita Mountains and Lake Lawtonka add to the appeal of the region. Several bridges cross the creek, providing great views. 2️⃣1️⃣💦Price Falls (40 feet = 12 meters) is in Murray County, Oklahoma. It is located near the Falls Creek Assembly Youth Camp south of Davis, Oklahoma. The area is located about 85 miles south of Oklahoma City. (Turner Falls is about 20 minutes west). 2️⃣2️⃣💦Turner Falls is one of the two tallest waterfalls in Oklahoma at a height of 77 feet (23 m). The falls are located on Honey Creek in the Arbuckle Mountains in south central Oklahoma, 6 miles (9.7 km) south of Davis.

What a concept of adding exercise to gardening. When in actuality it has always been there just didn't recognize it for what it was. I had a yo-yo as a kid. I could do the around the world and walk the dog. Now if I tried, I probably end up with a black eye and a tangled mess.😆 I haven't been to a drive in movie in years. The drive in I went to is still in operation, in addition we now have a movie theatre. Yum, applesauce cake. Another state to add to the list of places to see. I want to see the Holy City, Oklahoma City National Memorial, the Crab Eyes, Philbrook Museum of Art and all the waterfalls.

Warm hugs!💕🐶🐶⛈