We took a girls only trip to Oklahoma last weekend to watch my cousin, Kaylee, play in her final regular season game. We threw in some sightseeing while we were there. We hit the road at 5am, hoping to get some miles behind us before breakfast. We got 6 inches of snow the night before and the freeways were still icy, so it was slow going the first few hours. We stopped in Clear Lake, IA to grab some McDonald's.
Esme stayed pretty well entertained and it helped that we were able to sit in the back with her.
Lunch was in Cameron, MO where we were able to burn off some energy at a local park. It took about 14 hours to make the 759 mile trip.
We stayed at a really nice hotel near campus, the Wyndham Garden. It had a indoor pool and full hot breakfast.
We headed a hour south to Oklahoma City to meet up with my friend Courtney and three of her little ones at the zoo. Esme took a snooze in the car and took a bit for her to warm up.
They have an animal hospital connected to the zoo with viewing areas for visitors to see procedures like labs, surgery, and x-rays. There was nothing happening when we were there, but it was a neat area to see.
We spent the most time looking at the gorillas. There was a new baby which was really fun to see. Mama was very protective of her little one.
This is probably my favorite picture from our trip. Esme and Lottie were so cute with their blonde locks covering their faces.
It was pushing 70 by the time we left and it was a bit of a shock to our northern bodies. I was feeling the sun on my face later that night.
Lesa, David, Esme, Courtney, Lottie, Lexie
The internet told me that onion burgers were a big thing in Oklahoma City, so we grabbed lunch at Tucker's. Even Esme was a fan of the fare (after getting a few fries in.)
We made a quick stop at the Oklahoma City Bombing memorial before heading back to Stillwater. It stands for 168 victims killed in a domestic terrorism bombing on April 19th, 1995.
We got some twist cones on the way out of town (because that's what we do.) Braum's is a chain in Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri and it was so tasty. Just a buck for my mom's smaller cone.
We relaxed with a swim in the pool before heading to the game. Our room looked on to the pool and Esme kept going over to the door, wanting to go in.
