The Trip to "The City"

Today was a different day, we changed from battlefields and creeks to visiting Oklahoma University (OU). The campus was amazing and the weather was just perfect. It was in the mid to upper 80's and there was a constant breeze. Mr. Eugene, who works at the Department of Geography ta OU gave us a pass to use the teacher parking and gave us a shirt and hat. He greeted us at the car and made us feel welcome at this big university. The tour that we had was excellent. It felt a little weird looking at colleges when I still don't know where I am going to high school. Our guide, John Paul, is a senior and knew a lot about the history and the facts about OU. All of the students that we saw were very nice and were funny. They were having their student elections so everyone was campaigning. We felt like part of the community.

Then for lunch we went a place called Which Wich. It is like potbelly but better. It was very windy so we had to constantly hold down our things but the sandwiches was amazing.

The rest of our day was different. We went to the Oklahoma City memorial about the bombing on April 19, 1995 at 9:02 am. It was very sad and still hopeful at the same time. The memorial is where the building used to be and then there is a museum next to it. Everything was somber and we were not alive when it happened so I finally felt like I knew about it. We went down and walked on a man made canal and saw a monument thing that showed bigger than life statues of people racing out to stake their claim of land. It was cool to see. We were planning to go to dinner at a Mexican restaurant on the "water front" but it was crowded due to a Taylor Swift concert close by.

Today was fun and we learned a lot about some terrible things that our country went through.

A Symbolic Day

Today the STAMPS group traveled to the University of Oklahoma (OU)!!! At OU went on a campus tour. Even though I had an headache (which Ms. Trenkle took care of) for the hour tour I had fun. After the tour we received OU t-shirts. By this time we were eager for lunch. Lunch was at "Which Wich," get it?, Which Sandwich? We ate lunch with Najah and Kiera who are Ms. Trenkle's X-students. After lunch we said good bye to Najah and Kiera and headed to the Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial. On April 19, 1995 Timothy McVeigh rented a Ryder truck and filled it with nearly 5,000 pound of ammunition. Timothy drove the truck in to the Alfred P. Murrah federal building. The bomb went off killing 168 men, women, and children. There were three pregnant women who died in the bombing. The Bombing Memorial consist of two gates which had 9:01 one on gate and 9:03 on the other. This freezes the minute of 9:02 when the bomb went off. The site also has a big chair for every adult that died and a small chair for every child that died. The bombing memorial also has a reflecting pool as well as a site museum. To get our mind off of the gruesome information learned we went to Sonic and got ice cold drinks. We later went to the Land Rush Monument which explained how the government was basically giving away free land and certain people claimed there land before you legally could. They were called "Sooners," which is OU's mascot. Overall, I feel today was worth suffering a headache all day.

College, Bombings, and Sonic oh my.

This morning we got up at our hotel and headed for school. Not Stuart Hobson, but Oklahoma University which is near Norman and is home of the Sooners. We went into the parking lot where we were met by Mr. Eugene. He gave us a cap and said for us to go the visitor center. There we met by a man named John Paul. He gave us a tour of the Campus. He took us to the Library, Cafeteria, Football Stadium, The Ada Lois Sipuel Fisher Garden, and a fountain made by rocks from the different counties of Oklahoma. After the tour, we went to Mr. Eugene's office. Then we went to the bookstore to buy some souvenirs and clothes. Then we went to a sandwich store called Which Wich. What is unique about Which Wich is that you place the order on your own bag. There we met two college students named Kiera and Najah.

After that we to the Oklahoma National Memorial or the Oklahoma Bombing Memorial. The story goes that a man named Timothy McVeigh put a bomb in the Alfread P. Murrow building and left. On April 19th 1995 at 9:02 AM, the bomb exploded and killed 168 people. The memorial had two tablets with 9:01 and 9:03, freezing the 9:02 moment when the bomb exploded. The memorial had 168 chairs, one for every dead victim and some were smaller to represented the children killed. After we left the memorial, we went to the Sonic HQ and got some slushies. Then we went to the Landrun Monument. Then we went to Cracker Barrel for dinner and that was the rest of the day

Oklahoma University and The Oklahoma City National Memorial

Hey everyone today we went to Oklahoma University and The Oklahoma City National Memorial. We took a tour of OU's campus led by a senior named John Paul? (sp.) He did a great job and we got t-shirts from the visitors center. We went to Mr. Eugene, one of Ms. Trenkle's friends and he gave us hats and t-shirts We then went to a couple of OU stores and got some souvenirs. Afterwards we went to Which Wich?, a sandwich shop with some AWESOME sandwiches( Which Wich? means Which sandwich?). We met some Stuart Hobson Alumni named Kiera and Najah. I had a toasted ham and pineapple sandwich and it was GOOD. We then said our goodbyes and headed to the Oklahoma City National Memorial. The memorial was beautiful but the reason it was built is terrible. The memorial was built to honor those killed in the bombing of the Building. In the museum we saw a video that made me cry because it showed people finding out that their children were dead. It was very sad. We went to the gift shop and got stamps. We then went to the land rush monument that showed some Sooners rushing to land. We've yet to eat dinner but we're going to the Cracker Barrel. Tomorrow we're going to Wichita mountains and the Toy and Action figure museum. WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Silent Field

Today we went to Washita National Battlefield. Some people are trying to get the name changed from battlefield to massacre site. There was a clash between the Cheyennes and the Americans in the dead of winter. It was at dawn and the Americans, led by Custer, murdered many Cheyenne men, women and children. The Native Americans were trapped in this Plains land and were being murdered. Some got away while others froze to death. The most cruel thing that I think that Custer did was round up and murder all of the ponies and horses. The Cheyenne people get their pony when they can walk. There horses are like their family members and they know each other very well.

It was very cool to be led on a tour by a Cheyenne woman whose relatives were at this camp. The people at the park were very nice. They did a lot of special things for us and we learned a lot. They helped us make spiritual shields and taught us about the proper manners of a tipi. At this place we learned so much about Washita and the slaughter of the Cheyenne people.

A Moment of Silence

Today the STAMPS group ventured for almost three hours to Washita National Battlefield. When we were traveling to the National Park it looked like we were in the middle of no where! Once we got to the park the view was amazing. It was all hills and prairie. So we entered the Park's Visitor Center and three friendly NPS Rangers greeted us inside as well as outside. The first activity of the day was visiting a replica of a Cheyenne tipi. I learned that when a Native American tribe kills a bison they use every part of it--literally. Right after learning about the Cheyenne Tribe we learned about the different types of medical attention the Cheyenne had and what Cutler had. My favorite park of the day was actually getting to go and walk through the place when this great masseur happened. I feel today was meant for us to stop and give a moment of silence.

Washita "battlefield"

Hi everyone today we went to the Washita "battlefield". I'll explain why I put battlefield in parentheses when the time comes. Before going to the "battlefield" we went to the visitor's center. There we met rangers Kathryn, Joel, and Minoma, and Christal. Ranger Minoma is of Cheyenne blood and works there educating the public(which is fitting because the Cheyenne and Arapaho were the Native Americans in the"battle"). We sat in a "teepee" and learned what parts of the buffalo were used for what tasks. We learned about her family and their religious practices and connection to God. We then learned about how the American side treated their wounds. Back then if not much could be done for a limb injury they just amputated it. Other injuries for the most part simply required the removal of a weapon part i.e arrowheads, bullets, etc. Afterwards we saw some pictures of the primary doctors and some saws and probing knives. After being utterly disgusted we went back into the "teepee" and learned about the medicines the Cheyenne and Arapaho used in the "battle" and in general. Afterwards we learned that the warriors made their own shields. We saw an almost exact replica of Little Rock, the second in command chief(it wasn't exact because they didn't want to offend his spirit). We then made our own shields incorporating the four stages of life/primary races: white, the beginning of life and the white men, red, aging up and the Indian men,yellow, getting older and Asian men, and black, nearing the end of your life and black men. My shield has water on it which supports life and the sun which represents nurturing and growth. As we prepared to go to the "battlefield" we got stamps and stamped our "STAMPS" stamp with a new date. By now you're wondering why I keep saying "battlefield" and "battle". Well the American forces, led by General George A. Custer basically blindsided the Cheyenne and Arapaho. We saw prayer cloths tied to trees at the Washita River that Cheyenne and Arapaho people put there. What disturbed me most was tat they killed their horses which were considered a part of the family. I'm not done though, sadly. In the early 1900's someone took the horse bones and turned them into fertilizer. We hiked the trail and came back to the visitors center. The rangers thanked us for coming all the way from D.C. to see the park. My favorite part was hearing the events and stories from the perspective of someone who's family was affected by this horrific event. Tomorrow we're going to the Oklahoma City Memorial and Oklahoma University.

The Battle of Washita

We started by going to a Starbucks. We then had a three hour drive to Washita Battlefield. Before we got there, we watched a video that explains the battle of Washita. Soon we got to the new visitor center. The first thing we did was enter a room with animal skins and blankets on the floor. We were supposed to imagine it to be a tee pee. There, a lady who was a Cheyenne Indian brought us some artifacts that would be in a tee pee. Next we went to a surgeon who was talking about the medical technology of the 1860s, we went back to the tee pee and talked about warrior shields. Then we got to make one. After that we got our stamps and bought stuff at the gift shop. We then drove to the actual battle site where the entire thing happened. There, we saw the place where the village was, where Black Kettle was killed, the place where the ponies were killed and where Custer was looking at the battle scene. After that we said good bye to Washita and we headed for the hotel. On the way we went to Sonic, Applebee's, and a trading store where we bought souvenirs. Our day then ended when we arrived at the Marriott.

Our day today was full of hopping in and out of the car. We also did some very cool things today, starting with talking with the Superintendent of Chickasaw National Recreation Area, Washita and the Oklahoma City Memorial. This interview went on for about an hour and we asked him about 15 questions. He was on vacation in Vail, Colorado skiing with his family. We all gave him a thumbs up for being a skier.

After that great experience we went down the rode to the Sulfur school building. At the school we saw a presentation about the national parks here in OK and in return we showed them a few parks from DC. The kids were really nice so we went out to recess with them. It was cool to see how the kids there thought of DC.

For the next couple hours we visited and walked around the Chickasaw park. It is a wonderful place with water everywhere. The spring water tastes and smells like rotten eggs because of the Sulphur in the water.

We saw all of these pavilions, springs, trails and falls built by the CCC.


I could have stayed there fro hours with the water crashing all around you. We saw Little Niagara, the biggest falls built by the CCC, and the Lincoln bridge. There we met the nicest dog ever. She is three months old and is very small. We took some pictures with him and sat for like five minutes.

We got in and out of our car a lot and got very wet. At the end of the day , we went to a fried pie place and went to dinner at Red Robin. Today was full of activities and we got a lot of things done.

A Day at Sulphur OK (and a terrible smell)

At 7:15 AM we got up from bed and got dress and our stuff for the day. We saw Ms. Trenkle in a National Park Service Uniform. We got into "Phill" or our car and headed for the town of Sulphur, Oklahoma. On the way we saw a store that sold garbage. The first place we went to was the Viz or the Visitor Center. There we saw Ranger Lauren and Ranger Chris. We toured the place and then went to the Vendome Well. We had to get mineral water there and MAN did it smell. That water smelled like rotten eggs. The reason it stank is because there was sulfer in it. After we had that smell we went to the National Park headquarters for Oklahoma and met some rangers. We also talked to Superintendent Bruce and asked him some questions. After that we went to a school that had an elementary school, middle school, and high school rolled into one. We saw a presentation on the parks at Oklaholma and then we showed a presentation for them. We got to go to their playground for a few minutes and then we went to Chickasaw. There we went to Pavillion Springs and a nearby stream. We then went to the Lincoln Bridge. We went to the Flower Gardens and saw a river near by. After that we went to a restaurant called Mazzio. After that we went to the Buffalo Pen. There were seven of them. After that we went to a cliff and see a view of Sulphur, after that we went to see some more spring, we went to the Nature Building. There we saw two owls named Prince and Daphine. We also saw a movie. After that we went to a waterfall called Little Niagra. We unfortunaltely had to say goodbye to Ranger Lauren. After that we went by the man made lake. We then went to a store that sold fried pies, they were very traditional.

Our Long Day

Hi everyone we've had the LONGEST day ever. It started when we had to leave the hotel at 6:45. We then ate and headed to the Chickasaw National Recreation Area (CNRA) and met Rangers Chris and Lauren (in their National Park Uniforms). We then went to Vendome Well--sulphur springs that pump out water. The stench of the water was AWFUL!!!!! It smelled like rotten eggs.

Afterwards, we went to Sulphur Public Schools to present about some National Parks in D.C. The 6th graders told us about Chickasaw, Washita, and the OKC memorial. After we said our goodbyes we went to Chickasaw and went to the Lincoln Bridge. We then went to an Italian eatery called Mazzio's, where everyone there had over 4 slices of pizza!

One of my favorite places today was watching the Bison roam free. I took almost 300 photos!! Later that day I got a special "STAMPS" stamp. We also got a Junior Ranger Stamp as well. The final event of today was Chickasaw National Park. I really enjoyed siting on the falls with my feet in the water. The algae in the water felt so weird!! I think today was the best day so far.

Chickasaw National Park!!!!!!!!!

Today was so fun and I think the whole STAMPS group got in touch with nature but that came later in the day. Today was very busy, one place to another and then back to the place we started! We started the day by going to Vendome Well. Wow, did that spring smell. The minerals in the water caused the Water to smell and taste like boil eggs! Any-who, next we went to one of my highlights of the day, Sulphur Elementary School. At this middle school the STAMPS group and I got to present DC's national parks to a group of 6th graders. After the presentation, we got to go to recess with them. (I had a swing competition with Jordan.) Today was the first day we needed our NPS passports. We got three stamps including and limited edition Jr. Ranger stamp. Finally my favorite part of the day! Little Niagara!!! In Chickasaw National Park there are a series of small falls, one being Little Niagara. At Little Niagara I became one with nature. The water was so cold but refreshing. One interesting fact is that an organization called the CCC built most of the mini falls and other park enhancing items in the 1930's. Overall its going to be hard for anything to top today. Thanks to Ranger Laura, Ms. Jessica, Superintendent Bruce, Mr. Chris, the sixth grade class at Sulphur Elementary School, Ms. Trenkle, and ALL OUR FOLLOWERS/VIEWERs!!!!!! (Ms. Sadie 8 Gradie - - This ones for you! Keep following!) Goodnite!!! :)

Oklahoma!!!!

WOW! Today is the first day that "STAMPS" really took of, literally!!! Today at 11: 50 am The STAMPS groups (CJ, Jordan P., Owen & Nick) took off from BWI to Oklahoma. Afterwards we went to see our awesome hotel and got snacks. Later that day we got to meet Mrs. Lauren and her husband. We also had dinner with them at Pei Wei. After a great dinner a Pei Wei we all meet about questions for the Superintendent of Oklahoma National Parks. I can't wait until tomorrow!!

The First Day of Okaholma

We all started at Baltimore Washington International Airport. We met each other at the front of the Southwest gate. We went past the security gate and waited to board the plane. We boarded and we all sat in different places. When we got to the airport, we got our luggage and went to the Dollar stand. We got into a Chevy and headed to the Marriott and put our luggage in our room. We went to a Target or Tarje as Ms. Trenkle calls it. We bought all kinds of food for the day. After that we went to the hotel to put the stuff away. Finally we went to the restaurant Pei Wei with ranger Lauren and her husband. We went to that and had pool and fitness time.

First impression

When we arrived, everything was very quiet. There were not a lot of people in the airport and there was no line for the rental car. It was about a 30 minute drive from the airport to our hotel. At the hotel we dropped of our bags and went to Target. There we purchased breakfast and lunches for most all 5 days as well as some snacks. Coming back to the hotel we put the food in a refrigerator and went out for dinner. We went to a Chinese restaurant called Pei Wei next to the Target.We had dinner with two park rangers, Chris and Lauren. They took us back to the hotel after dinner and thought of some questions to ask Superintendent Bruce, he is in charge of all three national parks that we are going to go to. Finally, we went to the work out room while Owen went swimming. Tomorrow we are going to give a presentation about DC national perks to a group of sixth graders in Sulfur public school. Today was fun and hopefully tomorrow will just the same.

Our First Day!!!!! (WOOHOO)

Oh my gosh we're finally here in good ol' Oklahoma!  The plane ride was a little turbulent but all in all the trip getting here was pleasant.  After we got our rental car we headed to the Marriott, our hotel for the next few days.  We got settled for about an hour then headed off to a Super Target, which was like a combination of a regular target and Safeway.  We got some food and other stuff we'd need for the next week.  We then came back to the Marriott to unload our groceries and sat in our rooms.  A couple of minutes later we went to an Asian diner called Pei Wei where we met our new friends Rangers Lauren and Chris.  We discussed questions that we would ask their superintendent Bruce Noble over a phone interview.  Tomorrow we'll see rangers Chris and Lauren in their National Park uniforms as we present a powerpoint about sites in D.C. to 6th graders at Sulphur Public Schools.

We Leave Tomorrow!

We leave tomorrow! Stay tuned and read what we have to share! We look forward to taking you on our Oklahoma adventure!

Getting Ready for Our Presentation

It's the Friday before our big trip and even though we got out of school for a half day for spring break, we're all hanging out at school preparing for our presentation. We're so excited to be on our way!

Hear what CJ And Owen had to say about our upcoming trip!




Here's Nick!




This is Jordan!




Ms. Jen! Ms. Jen!




And what did Ms. Trenkle have to say about her upcoming trip?

FDR, Thomas Jefferson, George Mason

On March 12, in preparation for our Oklahoma trip, we visited three more National Parks in our back yard: the FDR Memorial, Thomas Jefferson Memorial, and the George Mason Memorial.

Below are pictures and videos from each!

FDR Memorial:







Regarding the Cherry Blossoms:




At the Jefferson Memorial:










And on the way over to the Mason Memorial from the Jefferson Memorial we had some candid remarks about National Parks:






George Mason Memorial: