April 24, 2024
Coast-to-coast: San Francisco to Savannah (Part 24)
By Simon J. Lau
This morning, we visited the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum, which honors the victims, survivors, and rescuers of the bombing. On April 19, 1995, a truck packed with explosives was detonated outside the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. The blast killed 168 people, including 19 children, and injured more than 600 others, making it one of the deadliest acts of domestic terrorism in U.S. history.
The Outdoor Symbolic Memorial was especially moving. It features a reflecting pool where the street once ran, a field of 168 empty chairs for each victim, the Survivor Tree, and the Gates of Time that frame the moment of the attack. The adjacent museum provides deeper context with artifacts, photographs, and personal accounts. Overall, I felt the memorial was very well put together.
As we were preparing to leave, we noticed the “new” Federal Building on the next block. I say “new” because it was clearly built sometime soon after the 1995 bombing. I appreciated its placement so close to the original site. It felt like a powerful statement from both the community and the federal government that, despite the horrors of April 19, people weren’t afraid to rebuild.
In the afternoon, we arrived in Amarillo. By then I was starving, and since it was my last night in Texas, for now, I had to have BBQ. Tyler’s Barbeque came highly recommended, and it didn’t disappoint. The pork ribs and the corn side were especially good. Naturally, that feast led straight into an afternoon nap. 😴
In the evening, I visited The Big Texan Steak Ranch, a longtime Amarillo landmark that first opened in 1960 along old Route 66. Originally built to catch the eye of hungry travelers on the highway, it quickly grew into both a steakhouse and a roadside attraction, drawing visitors from all over. I wasn’t expecting much, it looked a little kitschy, but it turned out to be incredibly fun.
Big Tex Rex is a towering, brightly colored Tyrannosaurus rex statue that was added in the 1990s as a way to catch the attention of travelers driving along Interstate 40, once part of historic Route 66. With its playful design, exaggerated features, and bold colors, it was clearly meant to draw in families and kids. It has since become one of the Big Texan’s most recognizable roadside attractions.
This restaurant is famous for its “free” 72-ounce steak challenge. To earn the meal, participants have to sit at a designated table in front of the crowd, with a 60-minute timer running, sometimes alongside other competitors. The rules are strict: you have to finish everything within the hour, and you can’t leave the table for any reason, not even to use the bathroom or throw up. During my visit, I saw three attempts: one failure, one success, and one challenger just getting started.
I didn’t take part in the challenge myself. As much as I love steak, 72 ounces is far too much for one sitting. Besides, after my BBQ feast at Tyler’s earlier, the last thing I needed was another mountain of meat. Instead, I went for something lighter and a little different, “mountain oysters.” I’d never heard of them before, but later learned they were fried testicles.
I’ve had roasted testicles in Asia, but never fried ones, so I figured I’d give it a try. I ordered a half portion, and when it arrived I couldn’t imagine what a full one must look like. The taste reminded me of chicken tenders. I only managed a few bites before handing most of it off to Bruno. Maybe all that testosterone will turn him from the “mini mastiff” I like to call him, since he’s only 70 pounds, into a true giant.
Beyond the food, the restaurant itself was an attraction. Inside, the walls were lined with taxidermy mounts, and my favorite was a display of two deer with antlers locked together. This likely happened during the rut, when bucks fight for mates. Both deer died with their antlers entangled and were later mounted as a pair. It may seem grotesque, but this kind of thing does happen in nature.
The last stop before leaving was the gift shop, where I came across a live rattlesnake on display. Its enclosure felt too small, and it seemed to be desperately trying to escape. (If I were it, I’d be plotting my escape too.) Normally I can’t stand rattlesnakes, but this one was strikingly colored. I have a friend who owns two boas, and I’m now half-jokingly trying to convince him to make it three with a rattlesnake like this one. 🐍
Finally, our route from Oklahoma City to Amarillo (260 miles or 418 km).
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