Passage on a water taxi is $6, good for all day. You can get on and off at just about any point on the canal. The captains of the flat-bottom boats are very happy to make stops to drop off or board passengers. Wrist bands can be purchased at a small brick ticket office across the street from the third-base gate into the Bricktown Ballpark (note: get your wrist band before going downstairs to the canal level, because you'll just have to walk up and down the stairs again.)
Street musicians frequently stake out the spot near the loading point for the water taxis, hoping to pick up a few coins from passengers who listen as they wait. It's really rather enjoyable and soothing to hear some live music while relaxing under the little bit of shade provided by a small tree.
Here's another piece of sculpture which passengers have a great opportunity to examine as they wait. Kids especially seem to love it. It has an almost-magnetic effect on young boys, from what I could observe. They like sitting on the ball and putting their feet on the man's head. Way to help, boys. Can't you see how hard his job is?
Here's a taxi full of passengers -- friendly folks who liked waving at people on the bridge above. Being on the water puts people in a relaxed, friendly frame of mind. Strangers start visiting as they ride together, trading jokes and observances about what they see on the trip. It's great!
There they go, down the other side of the bridge. Different people started waving after they went under the bridge. Have fun, everyone!
Ducks just love the water as well. And watching them paddle around on the canal is nearly hypnotizing. Several people spent a good part of the afternoon parked on benches along the canal just lazily watching the water swirl around the ducks.
A wedding party came down to the canal, presumably for photos. We waved; someone asked if they were getting married on the canal. "No, we've already taken care of that part," they said. There's lots of pretty places for pictures, though.
Landscaping along the canal, and throughout Bricktown, is beautiful. Here we have some Russian sage planted with echinacea.
A willow tree with beds of begonias and sweet potato vines. Good color composition.
Aha! Bass Pro Shop! Yessir, as the water taxi captain said, the single largest collection of testosterone under one roof in Oklahoma! If a man says he doesn't like shopping, he hasn't been to Bass Pro. Heck, I like going there myself, but don't tell. The first time I went there, they had a sign near the front door. "Ready for turkey season?" it asked. I grabbed the nearest young guy working there and said "Quick! Help me! I'm not ready for turkey season!" Yep, he did look at me like I was crazy. But I thought it was important to be prepared. You never know about those turkeys.
That's the end of today's chapter. We'll try to wrap up with some odds and ends in the next installation. There's just so much to see and do in this one district. Check it out next time you're anywhere close to the area.
12 comments:
Great pics Trixie, San Antonio has water taxi's and so does Kansas City. Mo, but Kansas City's are pretty lame in comparison to S.A.'s famous river walk, and now, I think OC's are better too.
I may be going to KC in a couple of weeks. I didn't know about the water taxis there but I may have to check it out and compare the cows to the OC buffalos! Unfortunately, my time in KC is usually scheduled by the relatives I go to visit. I may have to add an extra day to that visit and just find a quiet hotel for an extra secret night's stay. Shhhh don't tell....
Cool news: We are GETTING some of those shortly! They will be launched on the Oklahoma River, near the south end of the current canal. Passengers will be able to ride west approximately 10 miles on the river on the Cats. Ours may not be quite as large, but still will be good sized. I'm glad you posted the link!
I've been to Bass Pro, and it is an amazing mall. You can buy anything in there. I took family there as a "tourist" place. I'm one of those guys that doesn't like to shop, and even Bass Pro couldn't entice me.
My sister, on the other hand, absolutely loves to shop, or at least loves to do so in a city, since she lives in a small town. I figured the Memorial, a tour of downtown, eat in Bricktown, gaze at Bass Pro would make for a good, non-shopping day.
Guess I was wrong. There wasn't a place we went to my sister didn't buy something. She even bought a little fireman doll at the Memorial. I was pretty well stunned at that one.
Needless to say, I had to mention to my nieces that quality time with Uncle Teditor didn't involve a mall.
But... but ... but.... you can buy BOATS and FISHING POLES and WORMS and TROLLING MOTORS and PANCAKE MIX and CANS OF NUTS and T-SHIRTS and SLEEPING BAGS and CANNING SUPPLIES and STUFF at Bass Pro! Don't you feel even a tiny urge to buy SOMETHING?
The ONLY reason I did a yearlong stint in outdoors was because the other feller took early retirement and somebody had to. The only time I ever had a hankering to purchase such supplies was when I started that gig. Haven't even contemplated a lure or shotgun shell since.
And shopping is something I do for 45 minutes somewhere between Dec. 20 and 24 to purchase presents for the entire family.
Needed a couple of button-down shirts a couple of weeks ago, so I went to the mall. Walked into the Dillards entrance near the men's department, strolled to JC Penney's, looked around there, then went back to Dillards, where I purchased two shirts.
Was back in my car in 25 minutes. Got what I needed and did what I consider shopping around. Won't need to go back for months.
I bow in awe.
And why's that, Trix? My shopping proficiency or other unmentionables. :-)
Hmph. The fact that your life is so simple that you can spend 25 minutes a year buying clothes, of course.
I can stand up to pee, too. It's all about testosterone, I suppose. Simple? Not sure I agree with that. There are just other things I'd prefer to do.
Sleeping would be one. Watching TV. Washing my hair.
I think one significant difference between men and women, in GENERAL, of course, is that women shop and men get.
Which one's which:
"I'm going to the mall to shop this afternoon."
"I'm headin' to the mall to get some shorts."
Probably why a man can get two shirts in 25 minutes and not return for that sorta stuff for a long time.
As always, enjoyable text and photos, Trixie. Someday I'll get you in my small town to do a post ... but I don't think we have anything as interesting as OKC!
I love small towns too Tech!
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