Another road trip and another loss, albeit this one laced with hope for what the rest of the season brings. The team played well given the recent slide, illness running amuck, and playing a tough #6 ranked Oklahoma team on the road. As others said, looking up and seeing 50 conference championships puts things into perspective. I saw it and other notable claims written on the stadium, thought for a moment about it, and reflected how far the program has come in 100 fewer years as other schools. Embrace the moment knowing the future looks bright.
This trip brought on a change with my partner in crime, aka girlfriend, making her first road trip game….ever. Heck, she doesn’t even go to the home games (1 in 5 years). What usually is coined as a dude trip, dude fest, smelly boy trip, or mostly just me going solo to the beat of my own drum brought on a new dynamic. Fortunately, she likes to eat her face off like me at local spots. Finding local eateries on road trips and vacations is my #2nd best quality she says. I’ve yet to figure out what #1 is, but I like to think it’s 🍆. We were able to visit some touristy sights, local eateries, and take in a few timely events over a long weekend. Again, leaving the X’s and O’s to the Dungeon, here are my mostly OT thoughts on OKC and Norman if anyone cares and read this far.
Oklahoma City
Centennial Land Run Monument:
On April 22, 1889, a day of the First Land Run saw an estimated 50,000 people rush to claim the unassigned lands of Oklahoma to claim their stake at 2 million acres of free lands. The walking trail has 45 bronze statues that are one and a half times the size of a normal person. It’s along a canal with walking paths and is a quick must-do stop if you’re ever in OKC. Access to it is through the Bass Pro Shops parking lot towards the back. GPS Coordinates: N 35 27.668 W 97 30.310
Oklahoma City Zoo:
I’ll admit that I’m not typically a zoo type of fella, but again, I had to compromise to keep the chief happy and I’m better off or it. The zoo was fantastic and well worth the $16 admission price. We spent 3 solid hours walking every…..single….part….of it. The children’s section has 4-5 tortoises some born in the early 1900s, as well as goat petting. We saw snakes and such in the herpetarium, gorillas and orangutangs, elephants, tigers, lions, and more. My favorite section was the Oklahoma Trails area with a loop trail towards the back of the park. I highly recommend the zoo if you have a few hours to spend and certainly if you have kids (or a Girlfriend).
www.okczoo.org
National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum:
This was an interesting stop on our trip and glad we made it here. With plenty of museums in the area, there is no shortage of all things Western. “Shoot em up, bang bang, get ‘er done, guns.” is one of our favorite sayings and probably the reason we came here. Galleries included the American Cowboy, American Rodeo, Art of the American West, and more. I’m not a huge fan of museums or art so I tend to take a casual approach when I’m in this element. I look and appreciate it, but I don’t have a deep enough knowledge base past face value. If you’re into this genre, it’s a fantastic option.
https://nationalcowboymuseum.org
1700 NE 63rd St
Oklahoma City, OK 73111
Notable Omissions: OKC National Memorial & Museum is a must do visit, but too somber for the chief. I’ve also been there before so it was an easy skip to keep the mood light and airy. Commemorating the 1995 bombing victims, if can stomach the reality of it, then it’s a must do. Directly across the street from the memorial is also an outdoor sculpture “And Jesus Wept” which sits where the Parish House of the Saint Joseph Catholic Church used to reside. The Stockyards or Stockyards City Main Street is another place we skipped as I’ve been there before. www.stockyardscity.org
Food: Enough of the sights, let’s FEAST!!!
With plenty of popular food spots, we decided to try out dinner at Frida Southwest (www.fridasouthwest.com) in the Paseo Arts District. A lively and eclectic area built in 1929 as the first shopping district north of downtown. We had the short rib empanadas, corn chowder soup, southwest chopped salad, chimichurri skirt steak, wood-grilled ribeye, side of aged cheddar potato cake, and dark chocolate pistachio cheesecake. I laughed typing all of that out because it was obnoxiously too much food. Again, it’s reason #2 she keeps me around. The food was amazing as was the bill. I do recommend this place with 1 exception. The seating at the outdoor covered patio is literally the worst I’ve ever sat on. Your choice isa wooden bench or iron chair that is anything but man-spread friendly. The ambiance and scenery at the outside patio was great, but my ass still hurts.
For breakfast, we ate at Hatch Early Mood Food Friday and Kitchen No. 324 on Sunday (alumni tailgate Saturday). Both places were amazing for overall taste. The portions at Hatch are massive. We ordered the Tumblers for an appetizer which could easily feed 4 people. In fact, it’s 100% too much food for 2 people as an appetizer and I’d recommend getting a breakfast item that includes the tumblers as part of your meal. (Don’t tell her I said that because she loves appetizers.) The Orange glazed croissants are worth fighting over as well. The pancakes are also massive. At Kitchen 324, the Breakfast Bowl with brussels sprouts, sweet potato, bacon, kale-pistachio pesto, avocado, and medium eggs on top was legit. The breakfast sandwich was also simple yet tasty.
www.hatchearlymoodfood.com
www.kitchen324.com
Norman:
The overall vibe in Norman had a similar Midwest feel compared to Manhattan and Lawrence, but with more swagger not quite the open arm welcome. Don’t get me wrong, they are much nicer than we are in Florida and I was born in Orlando so I can say that. The Sooner program just has the winning pedigree that I think spills over into the fandom. Where the folks in Manhattan were just happy to win of late, and in Lawrence they are just happy to be winning in football, those in Norman are accustomed to it. Sure, they saw us as no threat nor should they have. There’s no rivalry there despite the Dillon and Lebby drama. Oklahoma has won 8 conference titles since Texas’ last in 2009. Since 1996, Oklahoma has 14 Big 12 championships to Texas’ 3. They reign king of the Big 12 as they exit. Much like Manhattan and Lawrence, I came across virtually no one that had a negative thing to say. None. I almost didn’t know what to do without the heckling. The overall atmosphere at the game was great. The band, the Sooner Schooner led by all women, the gunshots (“shoot ‘em up, bang bang, get ‘er done, guns.”, the flyover were all part of the Sooner tradition. The overall noise level was not surprisingly soft for 83K fans. I’ve been to plenty of road games over the years at larger attendance stadiums and have come to realize the additional fans above 50K (i.e. Kansas State) to 80K have silver or blue hair, eat dinner at 4:30 in Piccadilly Café or Holiday House, and sit on their hands. They simply don’t make noise, and while that provides a quieter game day atmosphere, it’s those same folks that have the old money we wish we had. Much like Ohio state and Michigan, less of Penn State, the crowd noise was subdued.
Points of Interest:
Heisman Park: In 2005, OU decided to place each Heisman winner’s statue on the east side of the stadium and name the strip Heisman Park. It was a nice walk to learn about the 7 Heisman winners from the school.
Switzer Center: Located at the south side of the stadium, a 132,000 square foot complex with a grand lobby and exhibit area.
University of Oklahoma Birthplace: GSP location N35 13.193 W97 26.724 At the corner of Main Street and Santa Fe Ave is the site of the first classes of the University of Oklahoma. This is considered the birthplace of the University. A plaque talks about the site being called Rock Building where the first classes were held in 1892. For perspective, this is about 1 mile north of the football stadium.
Homecoming Parade: After eating at Legend’s in Norman, after the Friday night HH at Crossed Cannon’s Brewery, we walked off stuffing our faces on campus. Timed perfectly, we attended the 8PM Homecoming Parade which was fantastic. I’m not sure how many people attending, but the police blocked streets were lined with people for many blocks. The color guard led the way, followed by the Sooner Schooner, the cheerleaders, band, the homecoming court, and floats. We had a great time people watching and taking in the festivities. Again, not one person said anything to me while wearing my usual UCF shirt and hat.
Food: The logistics of the trip didn’t provide as much opportunity for food in Norman, but we did enjoy a nice dinner Friday night after the Happy Hour event. We arrived on campus an hour before the event and walked Heisman Park. We then decided to leave the car there and take scooters from the stadium to the Happy Hour event…..LOL. We managed to get there and back without an accident. After the event, we went to Legend’s Restaurant for dinner. Remember the silver and blue haired folks I was mentioning earlier at the game who make up the crowd between 50-80K, well they 100% eat here. We were the youngest folks in the restaurant by at least 1 generation. That being said, the food was amazing. She had the filet and I had the duck, both of which were some of the best we’ve ever had. The vibe was that of Linda’s LaCantina where the ambiance isn’t as fancy as the food quality and price. It’s not cheap, it’s not fancy, but the food is top quality. They’ve been around for 55 years and there’s a reason. The chocolate peanut butter pie to go was a pro tip and I’d do it again.
www.legendsrestaurant.com
After the game, we tried Tucker’s Onion Burgers while waiting for the EV rental car to charge up. That is another story for another day, but it led to a tasty burger.
www.tuckersonionburgers.com
Overall, it was another great road trip with a girlfriend twist this time. I guess I’ll keep her around.
This trip brought on a change with my partner in crime, aka girlfriend, making her first road trip game….ever. Heck, she doesn’t even go to the home games (1 in 5 years). What usually is coined as a dude trip, dude fest, smelly boy trip, or mostly just me going solo to the beat of my own drum brought on a new dynamic. Fortunately, she likes to eat her face off like me at local spots. Finding local eateries on road trips and vacations is my #2nd best quality she says. I’ve yet to figure out what #1 is, but I like to think it’s 🍆. We were able to visit some touristy sights, local eateries, and take in a few timely events over a long weekend. Again, leaving the X’s and O’s to the Dungeon, here are my mostly OT thoughts on OKC and Norman if anyone cares and read this far.
Oklahoma City
Centennial Land Run Monument:
On April 22, 1889, a day of the First Land Run saw an estimated 50,000 people rush to claim the unassigned lands of Oklahoma to claim their stake at 2 million acres of free lands. The walking trail has 45 bronze statues that are one and a half times the size of a normal person. It’s along a canal with walking paths and is a quick must-do stop if you’re ever in OKC. Access to it is through the Bass Pro Shops parking lot towards the back. GPS Coordinates: N 35 27.668 W 97 30.310
Oklahoma City Zoo:
I’ll admit that I’m not typically a zoo type of fella, but again, I had to compromise to keep the chief happy and I’m better off or it. The zoo was fantastic and well worth the $16 admission price. We spent 3 solid hours walking every…..single….part….of it. The children’s section has 4-5 tortoises some born in the early 1900s, as well as goat petting. We saw snakes and such in the herpetarium, gorillas and orangutangs, elephants, tigers, lions, and more. My favorite section was the Oklahoma Trails area with a loop trail towards the back of the park. I highly recommend the zoo if you have a few hours to spend and certainly if you have kids (or a Girlfriend).
www.okczoo.org
National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum:
This was an interesting stop on our trip and glad we made it here. With plenty of museums in the area, there is no shortage of all things Western. “Shoot em up, bang bang, get ‘er done, guns.” is one of our favorite sayings and probably the reason we came here. Galleries included the American Cowboy, American Rodeo, Art of the American West, and more. I’m not a huge fan of museums or art so I tend to take a casual approach when I’m in this element. I look and appreciate it, but I don’t have a deep enough knowledge base past face value. If you’re into this genre, it’s a fantastic option.
https://nationalcowboymuseum.org
1700 NE 63rd St
Oklahoma City, OK 73111
Notable Omissions: OKC National Memorial & Museum is a must do visit, but too somber for the chief. I’ve also been there before so it was an easy skip to keep the mood light and airy. Commemorating the 1995 bombing victims, if can stomach the reality of it, then it’s a must do. Directly across the street from the memorial is also an outdoor sculpture “And Jesus Wept” which sits where the Parish House of the Saint Joseph Catholic Church used to reside. The Stockyards or Stockyards City Main Street is another place we skipped as I’ve been there before. www.stockyardscity.org
Food: Enough of the sights, let’s FEAST!!!
With plenty of popular food spots, we decided to try out dinner at Frida Southwest (www.fridasouthwest.com) in the Paseo Arts District. A lively and eclectic area built in 1929 as the first shopping district north of downtown. We had the short rib empanadas, corn chowder soup, southwest chopped salad, chimichurri skirt steak, wood-grilled ribeye, side of aged cheddar potato cake, and dark chocolate pistachio cheesecake. I laughed typing all of that out because it was obnoxiously too much food. Again, it’s reason #2 she keeps me around. The food was amazing as was the bill. I do recommend this place with 1 exception. The seating at the outdoor covered patio is literally the worst I’ve ever sat on. Your choice isa wooden bench or iron chair that is anything but man-spread friendly. The ambiance and scenery at the outside patio was great, but my ass still hurts.
For breakfast, we ate at Hatch Early Mood Food Friday and Kitchen No. 324 on Sunday (alumni tailgate Saturday). Both places were amazing for overall taste. The portions at Hatch are massive. We ordered the Tumblers for an appetizer which could easily feed 4 people. In fact, it’s 100% too much food for 2 people as an appetizer and I’d recommend getting a breakfast item that includes the tumblers as part of your meal. (Don’t tell her I said that because she loves appetizers.) The Orange glazed croissants are worth fighting over as well. The pancakes are also massive. At Kitchen 324, the Breakfast Bowl with brussels sprouts, sweet potato, bacon, kale-pistachio pesto, avocado, and medium eggs on top was legit. The breakfast sandwich was also simple yet tasty.
www.hatchearlymoodfood.com
www.kitchen324.com
Norman:
The overall vibe in Norman had a similar Midwest feel compared to Manhattan and Lawrence, but with more swagger not quite the open arm welcome. Don’t get me wrong, they are much nicer than we are in Florida and I was born in Orlando so I can say that. The Sooner program just has the winning pedigree that I think spills over into the fandom. Where the folks in Manhattan were just happy to win of late, and in Lawrence they are just happy to be winning in football, those in Norman are accustomed to it. Sure, they saw us as no threat nor should they have. There’s no rivalry there despite the Dillon and Lebby drama. Oklahoma has won 8 conference titles since Texas’ last in 2009. Since 1996, Oklahoma has 14 Big 12 championships to Texas’ 3. They reign king of the Big 12 as they exit. Much like Manhattan and Lawrence, I came across virtually no one that had a negative thing to say. None. I almost didn’t know what to do without the heckling. The overall atmosphere at the game was great. The band, the Sooner Schooner led by all women, the gunshots (“shoot ‘em up, bang bang, get ‘er done, guns.”, the flyover were all part of the Sooner tradition. The overall noise level was not surprisingly soft for 83K fans. I’ve been to plenty of road games over the years at larger attendance stadiums and have come to realize the additional fans above 50K (i.e. Kansas State) to 80K have silver or blue hair, eat dinner at 4:30 in Piccadilly Café or Holiday House, and sit on their hands. They simply don’t make noise, and while that provides a quieter game day atmosphere, it’s those same folks that have the old money we wish we had. Much like Ohio state and Michigan, less of Penn State, the crowd noise was subdued.
Points of Interest:
Heisman Park: In 2005, OU decided to place each Heisman winner’s statue on the east side of the stadium and name the strip Heisman Park. It was a nice walk to learn about the 7 Heisman winners from the school.
Switzer Center: Located at the south side of the stadium, a 132,000 square foot complex with a grand lobby and exhibit area.
University of Oklahoma Birthplace: GSP location N35 13.193 W97 26.724 At the corner of Main Street and Santa Fe Ave is the site of the first classes of the University of Oklahoma. This is considered the birthplace of the University. A plaque talks about the site being called Rock Building where the first classes were held in 1892. For perspective, this is about 1 mile north of the football stadium.
Homecoming Parade: After eating at Legend’s in Norman, after the Friday night HH at Crossed Cannon’s Brewery, we walked off stuffing our faces on campus. Timed perfectly, we attended the 8PM Homecoming Parade which was fantastic. I’m not sure how many people attending, but the police blocked streets were lined with people for many blocks. The color guard led the way, followed by the Sooner Schooner, the cheerleaders, band, the homecoming court, and floats. We had a great time people watching and taking in the festivities. Again, not one person said anything to me while wearing my usual UCF shirt and hat.
Food: The logistics of the trip didn’t provide as much opportunity for food in Norman, but we did enjoy a nice dinner Friday night after the Happy Hour event. We arrived on campus an hour before the event and walked Heisman Park. We then decided to leave the car there and take scooters from the stadium to the Happy Hour event…..LOL. We managed to get there and back without an accident. After the event, we went to Legend’s Restaurant for dinner. Remember the silver and blue haired folks I was mentioning earlier at the game who make up the crowd between 50-80K, well they 100% eat here. We were the youngest folks in the restaurant by at least 1 generation. That being said, the food was amazing. She had the filet and I had the duck, both of which were some of the best we’ve ever had. The vibe was that of Linda’s LaCantina where the ambiance isn’t as fancy as the food quality and price. It’s not cheap, it’s not fancy, but the food is top quality. They’ve been around for 55 years and there’s a reason. The chocolate peanut butter pie to go was a pro tip and I’d do it again.
www.legendsrestaurant.com
After the game, we tried Tucker’s Onion Burgers while waiting for the EV rental car to charge up. That is another story for another day, but it led to a tasty burger.
www.tuckersonionburgers.com
Overall, it was another great road trip with a girlfriend twist this time. I guess I’ll keep her around.
