Wichita Falls, TX

Our second day in Oklahoma was the first day we were able to see Ryan. Being in training still, his plans can change at any time, and we found out a few minutes before we were supposed to meet for breakfast that he wouldn't be able to get off until the afternoon.

Not wanting to waste a morning of the trip, CJ and I did another quick Google search to find a place to spend the morning. I'm a sucker for checking things off my list and really wanted to visit Texas for the first time, so we decided to drive the 45min  to Wichita Falls, TX. After an obligatory stop as the "Welcome to Texas" sign, our GPS told us we made it to Wichita Falls.

Problem was - we didn't see anything. No downtown, and definitely no falls. After stopping at a visitor's center off the highway and spending an embarrassingly long amount of time searching, we finally made it to the falls. Turns out they were manmade falls created by "The Concrete King". CJ was ecstatic - as you can tell from his face.

After that, we drove downtown and got to see the charming side of Wichita Falls. It was pretty empty the morning we visiting, but obviously used to be a bustling place. There were exquisite old hotels, stores, and a theater - you could really imagine what the town used to be like during it's oil boom heyday. There were also a ton of quaint antique and craft shops lining the street.

We visited America's "littlest skyscraper". Not sure what the definition of a skyscraper is, but the building is what you would expect.

The highlight of our morning was a surprise- we just happened on the Railroad Museum a few minutes before we walked by. Coincidentally, it was only open the day of the week we were there as well. There were old trains parked in the yard, with original furniture and signage still in them.

 

After almost a full 24 hours in Oklahoma, we were finally able to see Ryan. We spent the afternoon hanging out and hitting a few hot spots in Lawton: Cracker Barrel, the mall, and the movie theater :) We had a great time, and saw a showing of American Sniper before Ryan had to head back to base.

Exhausted, CJ and I stopped by the grocery store to grab a cheese log, salami, and Triscuits. We pieced together a dinner out of this and leftover Cracker Barrel biscuits. Who says we don't travel in style?

-js