Category Archives: Texas

We just arrived in Grove, Oklahoma in Cedar Oaks RV Park. We are just a short walk from Grand Lake so once again we are looking out on beautiful water.

Our last blog had us saying good-bye to John Martin Reservoir State Park in Colorado. From there we went to Dalhart, Texas (our 11th state). We just hung out there for two nights and then headed to Amarillo – Oasis RV Park. There was a lot to do in Amarillo but I caught a little cold. I didn’t feel too sick, but I sneezed hard and threw out my back. So I didn’t get to see much of Amarillo. We went out the first day to stock up on food and had lunch at Jason’s Deli. But that was it for me for a few days. Doug got out to see Cadillac Ranch, which is a strange collection of old Cadillac’s buried hood first into the ground. The tradition is to spray paint them, so Doug added to the crazy designs.

I felt much better and really enjoyed our stay at Foss State Park in Oklahoma – our 12th state. We had most of the park to ourselves and had a view of the water. We spent some time at the small Sunset Beach. Foss has a herd of about 40 bison and we saw on a sign that they would be fed on Saturday mornings at the visitor center. So on Saturday we went to see them up close. We wondered then how those bison knew to come to that visitor center on Saturday mornings. Pretty smart bison? It turned out that they were always roaming in that field and they showed up every morning hoping for a treat.

After a pleasant stay of four nights at Foss, we drove to Oklahoma City and stayed at Roadrunner RV Park. We spent our first morning there walking around Martin Nature Center. On our second day we went into Oklahoma City (natives call it OKC) and checked out the great transportation system called EMBARK. The free buses take you through the Downtown area with plenty of stops near the attractions.

We headed straight to the Memorial. We both remember our horror at the television coverage of the bombing of the federal building. I knew it would be hard to see this tragedy up close and it was. The outdoor memorial park is serene but sad. There are two gates – large black stone rectangles – one marked 9:01 and one marked 9:03. Immediately you realize that that one minute in between changed everything. The dark water in the reflection pool mirrors the gates and on one side you see a lawn with 161 empty chairs. And some of those chairs were tiny. And then as you walk to the museum you pass the Survivor Tree. And you know that this city celebrates the courage it took to quickly move from tragedy to a brighter future. The museum is remarkable – you are THERE – you see and hear the reality of the carnage and damage. There are videos of survivors and first responders and displays of found objects. The museum building had been badly damaged also and some of that damage remains intact behind windows so you can see exactly what that bomb did. And the room with photos of all the victims also had small items donated by families that gave you an intimate look into their lives. The many babies and children that were lost are heartbreaking. The final part of the museum shows in detail the chase to find the bombers and their trials and execution and incarceration. Yes, it is overwhelmingly sad; yes, it is frightening to experience this terror; but when you leave you come away with a feeling of strength that this immense horror was put in the past by the city – 9:02 – and then at 9:03 those brave residents turned to a full recovery and rejuvenation. It is the American spirit shining through.

We had a great lunch at West in the Bricktown section of OKC. We finished our day there with a long walk along the Canal. I love public art and I look for it everywhere. Along this canal walk was one of the most amazing sculptures I’ve seen. It was larger than life sculptures of part of a wagon train. There was a Conestoga wagon and over a dozen horses and riders. As you walked around the canal you saw it up close from all angles. It was amazing.

On Monday, September 26, we drove a short distance to our next heavenly site at Tall Chief Cove on Skiatook Lake. Another beautiful view of water in a pretty campground. This was the first Army Corps of Engineers Park we’ve stayed in. We loved our time there and hope to stay at other parks like this.

This part of our trip was special since we were able to visit with our neighbors from Oro Valley, Karen and Don, who relocated to this area right before we left. Don is the Director of the Osage Forest of Peace, an interspiritual contemplative retreat center. They visited us at the RV for lunch on Tuesday and we spent the afternoon sitting under the oaks and enjoying the lake breeze. It was a real thrill for Doug and me to be invited to the retreat center for lunch on Thursday. We enjoyed the peaceful forest, the delicious lunch and the welcoming community there. We participated in the meditation, toured the facility and saw the public rooms and private cabins. We got to pet our favorite neighbor dog Lily and loved Don and Karen’s cabin. We had a great hike through the forest and then headed home. It was so nice to share this pleasant peaceful time with our friends.

We did get into Tulsa on Wednesday and spent a few hours at the Woody Guthrie Center. It is a great tribute to Woody but also to those singer/songwriters who followed his example. Bob Dylan’s archives are now housed in this center. All of my favorite artists were part of the exhibits. We listened to some of their songs, some Bob, some Pete, Arlo’s Alice’s Restaurant and Bruce’s Born to Run. There was much to see and interact with in this museum. Woody’s songs inspired us all and he used his words and his musical instruments to fight for social justice. He carved on his banjo: This machine surrounds hate and forces it to surrender. The sign on the front door of the Center lists the hours of operation and then it says: No weapons allowed except guitars.

We had planned to go to a recommended vegan restaurant near the Guthrie Center but got caught up in the Wednesday Food Trucks around Guthrie Green so we ate grilled cheese and listened to live music with a crowd of locals. We got a feel for Tulsa as we walked and drove around. Our final stop was The Outsiders House. Our daughter Becky has been following the reconstruction of this house, featured in the movie. She was excited to see the photos of the renovations we sent her.

That catches us up on our blog. I’ve decided that shorter blogs would be better and since we don’t want to forget any of our adventures, I’ll just be writing more often. We hope you enjoy following us on our adventures. We would love to hear from you – tell us about your trips and sights you have seen. If you want to give us advice about visiting future places, we are heading to Missouri next – Joplin and Branson. From there we are going to Arkansas, Mississippi and Alabama. Our schedule is pretty open so maybe we’ll be able to take your suggestions.