Oklahoma City and Boston Here We Come

October 2012

As I hadn’t ever been to Oklahoma City and Boston I decided to join Tim on a business trip to the US.

Tim and I have done a lot of traveling and the trip to Oklahoma City was one of the worst air travel experiences we have ever had.  Tim’s company booked his flights before I decided to join him. Instead of going business class, he saved the company money and had the travel agency book Economy Comfort with KLM.  This mean that he gets a larger seat with more legroom, double the recline and a location in the front of the aircraft.  When I booked my flight I went economy/coach/steerage and paid EUR 1000.00 less than Tim.

Our first leg of our journey took us from Nuremberg to Amsterdam.  When we arrived at our departing gate in Amsterdam they informed Tim that the size of the plane had been changed and that there was no Economy Comfort seats and there was nothing that they could do about it – ‘apply for a refund on-line’.  Small plane, small seats, Tim in the aisle and Jayne in the middle – not comfy.  And the food was the worst that we ever had.  We even had ordered low-fat dishes and they were terrible.

Okay….then when we arrived in Detroit to make the connection to Oklahoma City we found out that both of us were on the waiting list even though we had confirmed seats.  The plane was over sold and they were offering passengers money to take another flight. Tim was number one on the list and I was number four.  Tim then got a seat and I didn’t.  Again, nothing ‘they’ could do.  I had to wait until just before the aircraft door closed when they said ‘you are on’ and they hustled me down the jetway and into the plane!!!

Usually KLM is very good.  There planes are good, there food was good, but all of these flights that we were on were Delta flights (partner of KLM) – not good.

Anyway, we arrived safely and on time in Oklahoma City (24 hours from when we left our house in Germany). We got a rental car and went to the hotel and had a nap!!

OKLAHOMA CITY (OKC)

The next morning we woke up at 0400 hrs due to the 7 hour time change to Germany.  We decided to go for a run (we did wait for about an hour).  We had learned that there was a Lake (Lake Hefner, named after an OKC mayor, not after Hugh Hefner) nearby and it had a running/bicycle trail all around it.  We remember (or we thought we remembered) that the distance was about 10k.  So out we went.  We ran and ran and ran and ran.  The end was never in sight.  Well, nearly after 2 hours of running we finally see where our car is parked and it was still about 15 minutes away.  I guess we should have waited until daylight, if we had we would never have headed out because we would have seen that it was more than 10k.  It turns out, we ran about 22 km – in and out and around the lake.  We were surprised that we weren’t more tired.

While we were in OKC we had a chance to see some of the sights.  We went to the Bricktown Entertainment District, the city’s revitalized downtown warehouse district.  A number of  years ago they built a canal, like the one in San Antonio.  It was lovely but mostly restaurants and bars.  We walked along the canal and enjoyed the sights.

Bricktown - Downtown OKC

We also visited OKC’s historic Stockyards City, one of the largest livestock markets in the world.  Real authentic cowboy culture.  This Western district welcomes visitors searching for Western wear, Native American art, time honored restaurants and a glimpse into Oklahoma’s cowboy scene.

The main reason for going to Stockyards City was for ‘the beef.

We don’t eat beef in Germany as it is expensive and the cuts aren’t always the best.  So neither of us has had a steak in over a year and it was time.

We headed straight to Cattlemen’s Steakhouse.  It was a throw back in time.

They have been serving slab-like steaks to the working cowboys of OKC’s historic stockyards since 1910.  It is the oldest continuously operating restaurant in the city.  Well we weren't disappointed.

We had a great server named ‘Sharpe’ and he helped us choose our appy, our wine and our perfect steaks. An item on the menu is their trademark lamb fries.  I had read on a blog that you had to have them.  So I asked Sharpe what they were?  With a twinkle in his eye he told me, straight faced that they were deep fried lamb testicles!!!!!  What?  Yup, you heard him.  He said that once you get by what they are, they are really tastey.  They offer to bring you a sample plate, so, of course, we took one……..

  

That's them!!!  'Lamb Fries'

They were good, you just didn't think about what they were while you were eating them.  Kind of the texture of calamari.

Tim had a rib-eye and I had a filet mignon.  Sorry but we forgot to take a picture of our gorgeous steak before we started eating.  We do have half eaten pictures, but we were sure that you wouldn't want to see them.

The wine we chose, based on Sharpe’s recommendation was THE GUILTY a Shiraz by Shinas Estate.  It is a small Australian boutique winery, owned, we were told, by a judge.  It was very good. (Kelly S. have you heard of this winery?  Have you tried their wine?)

 

After lunch, to shake off the wine, we slowly poked around the shops. We went into Langston’s, Oklahoma’s oldest Western wear store.  It was huge and had everything Western – cowboy hats, belts, jeans, boots, shirts, etc and lot of them.

Tim has always wanted a cowboy hat, but....not this time.

But, he tried a few on!

Langston's Western Wear was a huge store.
The cowboy hat department was as big as the main floor of our
house in Victoria.

 While we were there a man was buying a $200.00 hat and having the sales person steam it and shape it exactly as he wanted it.  'Square it off a little, please'  Very interesting.  The price of the cowboy hats ranged from $40.00 to over $500.00.

Then we went into a cowboy boot making and repair store.

The owner was a middle aged man, who had been making cowboy boots for 30 years.  He was telling us that it is more difficult to repair the boots now as a lot of the soles of the boots are now being made with double stitching which is nearly impossible to replicate / repair.

See the double stitching?

Then we went into a saddle store....

 They are absolutely gorgeous.  I haven't seen so many beautiful saddles in one spot.  Just pick one!

Tim was in OKC as Dick's Sporting Goods was opening 4 new stores in the city and adidas has, in each store, a new concept being rolled out.  That is a lot of new stores in a slow economy, but we found out that OKC has only a 5% unemployment rate and there are 'now hiring' signs in many stores.

The adidas 'shop in shop' being set up.
See the white fixture, to the left of the round adidas platform?  It is in the shape of a hurdle!!

 While we were in OKC, we stopped in at an outlet mall that had a Reebok store (owned by adidas).  While Tim chatted with the Manager, I shopped!

BOSTON (BOS)

Then is was off to Boston.  Boston (actually Canton, MA) is the home of Reebok's Global Head Office.  Tim was meeting with a number of people with regard to sustainability for adidas Group Real Estate.  The project they are working on is to re-lamp all of the stores with the new high efficient LED lights.  First the stores in the US and then around the world.

This is a wonderful time of the year in New England, the colours were lovely.

We would have loved to rent a car and drive up into New Hampshire, but there just wasn't time.

We did manage to get into Boston for a day.  We walked all over downtown.

Old South Meeting House - a National Historic Landmark where liberty
found its allies and the American Revolution gained its voice.
Built in 1729 and is now a museum.

 

The Holocaust Memorial

We wandered down Hanover Street, the main street in the North End (Little Italy) and found this wonderful little bakery, that sold only bread, down an alley and in the basement.  We found it as a result of a very strong recommendation by a FedEx delivery guy we passed in the street.

Then we went into Mike's Pastry.  They have been serving wonderful Italian pastries for five generations.  We shared a Boston Creme (when in Boston.....).  It is called a Bocconotto - cream filled chocolate covered puff.

OMG!!
Note to self and others ---
DON'T SHARE
HAVE YOUR OWN!!!

We went into Beacon Hill.  A very well established, very expensive neighborhood.

Typical street in Beacon Hill.

A beautiful neighborhood flower shop.

Beacon Hill Brownstones

We walked through Boston Common and Boston Public Garden.

Boston Common - public park and the oldest in the US - it is around 50 acres

Boston Public Garden

Boston Public Garden - 4 acres of ponds.

Boston Public Garden

Trinity Church in Copley Square

I have never seen this.  A portable post office!  Great idea.

All in all it was a good trip.  Too many flights though (1 - Nuremberg-Amsterdam-Detroit-OKC; 2 - OAC-Detroit-BOS; and BOS-Amsterdam-Nurnberg) and a 7 hour time difference made it quite tiring.

We have to say that our KLM flight from BOS to Amsterdam was the best flight experience that we have ever had.  Thanks to our Flight Attendant Patrice and the rest of the crew.  It was amazing.  It made up for the crappy flights we had on the way over.  I even sent KLM koudos!!!


Next trip?......We will see.  Stay tuned.