Change of Plans and Travel to Amarillo, TX

So, Karin is good at math, said NO ONE. EVER.  Y'all who know me well, know just how true that is.  I can't do math, I don't LIKE math, and trying to do any kind of math causes me great anxiety.  So, it should come as no surprise that I can't count a week of 7 days and I would get mixed up between Sunday the 5th (which doesn't exist, by the way) and Monday, which really is the 5th.  Dick kept asking me when we were leaving OKC, and I kept telling him Sunday, the 5th.  That only worked up until Saturday, the 3rd.  On Friday, Donna & I had made plans to meet up at 10 am, in Tulsa, at The Gathering Place.  Well, they say if you want to hear God laugh, tell him your plans.  Obviously, He was in need of a bellybuster, 'cuz He sent us a storm the likes of which we hadn't seen in years.  Where is all this going, you ask?  I know, I hear you....just bear with me a moment.  So the storm is actually BETWEEN Oklahoma City and Tulsa, so neither Donna nor we are impacted by the high winds, torrential rains, flash flooding and hail the size of quarters.  BUT...and it's a BIG but....in order to REACH Donna, we would have to travel THROUGH said storm.  And then, once our brunch and visit were complete, we would have to travel BACK through said storm.  Dick and I talked about this at 7 am, Saturday, and about 7:15 or so, decided that to attempt travel like that was not necessarily the smartest of ideas.  Especially when we had to leave bright and early the next morning (Sunday, the 5th).  So I texted Donna, and she was already up too, and she also had been eyeing the storm.  She agreed, it would not be prudent to brave the storm to visit.  So, we had Saturday to hang out at the campground, do laundry, do some cleaning and prepare to leave Sunday morning.  Bright and early.  The 5th.  Now you see where this is going?  There is no Sunday, the 5th!  Saturday afternoon, Dick mentioned that we had arrived on a Monday, purchased one week (7 days, for those of you that can count), and we should be leaving on a Monday, 7 nights after arrival.  Whaaa?  Maybe we should look at the calendar again......OH.MY.GOSH.  All of a sudden, it appears that we are NOT leaving on Sunday, we are leaving on MONDAY.  The 5th!  Well isn't that a kicker.  OK, so what do we do with the extra day?  Well, we kicked around the idea of going up to Donna's in Tulsa, but in truth, we had slept in waaaay too late to do that, and when we DID get up Sunday, we started thinking about our upcoming Harvest Host slots in September.  Coincidentally, again on the 4th and 5th.  

For those of you that might not know, Harvest Host is a free-camping program, where you stay at a Host member, free of charge, and usually with no hookups (electric, water and sewer).  You are pretty much on your own, there may be one to three other campers, or you may be all by yourself.  You are invited to tour the facility - it's usually a farm, orchard, winery or some other agricultural installation.  If you wish, you are encouraged to make at least a small purchase, in return for them allowing you to stay on their property free of charge.  So, being that we had back-to-back Host stops scheduled, and it's been running anywhere from 90 to 100 degrees, we thought we might ought to check and see if either spot was offering at least electricity, so we could plug in and run our air conditioner.  

We called our first reserved stop, an Alpaca farm in Santa Fe.  Good thing we did!  As it turns out, Santa Fe commissioners have changed the zoning regulations, and overnight camping is now prohibited on the farm property.  Whaaaa???  So, we had a reservation, but apparently, it cannot be honored.  Good to know now!!  The next night's spot was yet to be reserved; it was going to be an Air & Space museum in Pueblo, CO.  We checked their website and their reviews, and looked at the photos previous campers had uploaded.  It appears they park you out at the very edge of the parking lot, and there is absolutely no way to plug in.  Well, no need to stay there, either.  So, finding a place to park, for two days, in a holiday week, consumed most of what was left of the Sunday.  After a good and filling dinner of home made spaghetti and salad, we watched some TV and called it a night, safe and secure in the knowledge that we had found a suitable campground to tide us over those 2 days in September.  And we would be leaving our current campsite bright and early in the morning.  Sorry, Donna, it would have been great to see you and give you another big hug, but not to be, at least not this trip.

So, this morning, Monday, both of us got busy doing our (self) assigned tasks and got the camper ready to roll.  Didn't take us long, so apparently we are finally getting the hang of all the systems and processes in this new camper.  We were rolling out of the park before 9 am!  We knew there was a Pilot Travel Plaza just 4 miles down the road, and that's where we planned to fill up, on our way by.  We like to travel on a full tank, 'cuz, you just never know.  We pulled in to the Travel Plaza, right at 9 am, thinking at that time of day, it would be a quick, in and out stop.  HAHAHA, must have told our plans again.....There was an empty pump, and we pulled right into it.  That should have been our frist clue - we NEVER get to  pull straight into an empty pump!  Dick's credit card had been compromised a few days ago, and he spent an afternoon with USAA trying to get a new card issued and sent to us at the current campground.  Too late, 'cuz they had already issued a new one, and sent it to our mailbox in Florida.  Well, crap.  Eventually, he talked someone into overnighting a temporary card to us at the campground, and it was received.  However, it was severely restricted in its permitted usage, so we decided we would just use mine until we could call for our mail, which would include Dick's new card.  HAHAHA, there we go again, planning!  Apparently, even though that new card has not yet reached Florida, it, too, has been compromised!  Already!!  As a result, they locked our account!  So, when we tried to access it, using MY card, to pay for our fuel, bright and early this morning, the transaction was denied!  We spent a half hour trying to get $60 worth of fuel!  (which did NOT fill us up, by the way)  Took a phone call, a trip inside to clear the pump, and a text authorization, all for 20 gallons.  End result, we were now at 9:30, half an hour behind, and still just starting out on the day's journey.  But, hey, we were safe, and the weather was clear.  

So now we are headed to Amarillo, TX, a day and 30 minutes later than originally expected.  Our planned route is I-40, all the way, and most of I-40 covers the old Route 66, so we hoped we could see some of the historic sights along the way. 

First up was this old bridge.  Here's the synopsis of the writeup on it, in case you don't want to follow that link:

Here is another bridge on the famed Mother Road, Route 66.  This structure consists of 4 160' modified Parker Truss spans plus two 100' ponies at each end. The bridge is of the old standard width, and has two 10' wide driving lanes (as opposed to today's 12' lanes). If you saw the picture of the old US 169 bridge crossing the Caney River, you'd realize that the 160' span on that bridge is the same as the 160' spans on this one. This bridge still has its corner brackets and a very heavy-duty type of lattice guard, similar to the kind installed on a bridge in Blackwell, OK built in 1924. This bridge was also built in 1924.

Just a few miles down the road, we came upon Yukon's Best Flour Mill.  Again, if you don't want to follow the link, here's what they have to say about the mill:

The mill and storage silos were built in 1900-02 by John F. Kroutil and operated by him and the Dobry family until the 1930's, when the Dobry's moved across E. Main St. and started their own milling enterprise. The earlier association had come about as a result of a Dobry marrying John Kroutil's sister. The advertisement on the mill champions Yukon's Best Flour. A fire early on in its operation destroyed a lot of the original mill structure; but, the mill was rebuilt and continued to operate, the fire being a chance to upscale and incorporate new methods and to correct original engineering glitches. The framework on the roof of the mill is comprised of individual bulbs that light to spell out Yukon's Best Flour at night.

And and example of the omnipresent oil wells:

As we traveled west, the countryside got flatter and flatter.  Good thing, as we were battling a strong headwind.  And we didn't have a full tank.  (see above!)

Eventually, we came across some wind mills....and more wind mills, and MORE wind mills. 

This dust cloud was simply a farmer tilling his field, but it was visible for miles!

We were still in Oklahoma, but I'm pretty sure I can see Texas from here!!!

Yup, there it is!

More flat land, with some really deep washes.  This photo doesn't really show how deep this little valley is, but, trust me, it's not somewhere you'd want to be during a rainstorm!

And MORE wind mills.  LOTS more.

More flat land.  Pretty sure I can see Amarillo, and I know it's still 100 miles away!

OK, I know this one is terribly blurry, but remember, we travel at 61 to 62 mph, so it's really hard to get a good shot.  I thought I'd be able to read the name on the side of this water tower, and Google it, to find its story, but, ummmmm....if YOU can read it, or you know where it is, let me know, k?  But, yeah, it's listing pretty badly.  I would love to know the back story.....

About an hour down the road, we hit the next Pilot, just before the exit to The Big Texan RV Ranch, and what do ya know?  Easy in, empty pump (uh-oh, should we be worried???), fully fueled, and easy out.  Really!  And turns out, it was a darned good thing we exited when we did, as the NEXT exit, which we were supposed to take, was CLOSED!  We figured that out, when the ramp to get back ON was also closed!  We just stayed on the access road, and voila!  There was the street leading right into the park.  We checked in, no problem, and there was even an escort to our site, and 2 milkbones for Bailey.  Nice and welcoming.  But when we pulled into our assigned site, I asked if we could get some help to lop the overhanging branches.  The escort was absolutely adamant that the branches would pose NO problem for us, and they wouldn't come anywhere near our slideout.  Ummm.....Let me just say, I might not can do math, but I'm pretty sure I know how wide my slide is, and I know for a fact that those branches ARE going to hit our slide out and our topper.  These photos were taken with the slide partially extended.  Pretty sure the branches are already hitting us.  Hence, the ladder.  And the loppers.  Yup, we took care of the problem, under the withering glances of the escort, every time he rode by.  He didn't offer to help, but he didn't stop us either.

After we got set up, we washed the front cap (bug, lots of smashed bugs), installed all the MagneShades and tire screens, washed the sliders (protection for the tile floor) and took showers.  Yup, it's still pretty hot here, and we were pretty sweaty by now.  This campground is owned by the corporation that runs The Big Texan Steak House, so they run shuttles limo service between the Ranch (campground) and the Steak House.  We had just enough time to make our reservation for the 5 pm run.  

Here's Dick, all cleaned up and ready to go eat steak!  The dude in the back, on the phone, is the driver.  That van was not what I had expected, that's for sure.  It was also bare bones, and HARD SEATS.  I'm pretty sure it needed new shocks, too. Lolly asked if dinner was fun, and it was, oh, it was.  I have lots of pictures, but you've been so sweet to read this far, so I'll save them for the next post.  That's our version of a cliff hanger...

'Till next time!

Stockyards City, Bricktown, Mansions and Rt 66 Oddities

Where's Waldo now?  Why, still in Oklahoma City, of course! Yesterday we hit Stockyards City.  Why plural?  I have no idea.  No one in town knows why; even my friend Google can't tell me!  But, there's definitely an S on the sign that stretches over South Agnew, on your way in to Exchange Street.

We were there on a Friday, and they only run the "stampede" and auctions on Mondays and Tuesdays, so we were bummed that we wouldn't see any longhorns this trip.  We did manage to find the candy and pop store, though...what a treat!  Talk about eye candy, check out the bar and hutch!  Just beautiful workmanship.  

In this part of the country they call soda, POP.  It was weird the first time we heard it used that way, but we're getting used to it now.  There were all kinds, that's for sure.  In fact, there was an entire room devoted to dusty bottles of your favorite flavors.

Like bacon.  Who wouldn't want bacon flavored soda?

And some not-so-favorite, like pickles, Ranch dressing and sweet corn.  Weird. Just plain weird.  Nope, we didn't buy or try any!

They had fudge too, lots of it, and penny candy that was $9.99 a pound!  We didn't buy or try any of that, either.  Saving room for ice cream, I suppose.  We asked the young lady behind the counter where all the statues were, and she sent us down the street to the bank on the corner.  So, off we went!  Here are the statues placed in front of the bank.  In 1909, farmers and ranchers invited packing industry leaders to the state to find a location for stock yards and packing houses.  Within a year, Packingtown was born and brought with it saddle makers, boot makers, cafes and hat shops. At one point, the livestock complex featured 2400 jobs in a city of 60000.  But, even though the early 60's saw the demise of many packing houses, the stock yards were still going strong.  The name was changed from Packingtown to Stockyards City.  Auctions replaced individual haggling, and they are still taking place twice a week and the stock yards remain a vital link between Oklahoma's heritage and its future.  In October 2000, town leaders unveiled a 13 foot high monument sculpture to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the stock yards..  "Headin' to Market" features a cowboy on horsebak, corralling a steer toward the stock yard gates.  The statue is dedicated to the sculptor's grandson, who died when he was only 5 days old.  There is no mention of the buffalo at the foot of the granite base; I can only assume it's a part of the series that have been placed, sometimes painted, all over town.  In Lexington, NC, they placed pigs, in Ocala, FL, they placed horses, Norfolk, VA, they put horses, Denton, TX, they put bulls, in Bremer, IN it was cows.  Apparently, here in OKC, it's buffalo.  

As impressive as these statues might be, they weren't as had been described to us by the campground owner.  He had said there were a whole lot of 'em and they were, in his words, huuuuuge.  So, we asked another shop owner, and he knew exactly what we were looking for....but those statues were down in Bricktown.  Down behind Bass Pro Shops.  OK, so I remembered that we had passed a bridge labeled Bricktown when we were down by the Myriad Gardens.  I wrote about them here.  So off we went, in search of Bricktown and the infamous statues!

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Surprisingly enough, those statues were pretty darned elusive!  We found a little Riverwalk-type park, and in trying to locate a parking place where we could stop and check it out, we found the Bass Pro Shop.  It was then that I remembered what the shop keeper had said about the statues being behind Bass Pro.  So, we drove through the parking lot and found ourselves in another, almost empty lot.  When we looked up on top of the hill, we glimpsed what appeared to be a whole wagon train of sculptures.  This was what we had come to see!!!!  Officially, it's called The Oklahoma Land Run Monument, and if you cannot read the inscription on the stones shown below, you can just click on this little linky to get the full story.  It is really interesting, so do give it a read.  It even explained how the nickname "Sooners" came about.  Truly, that is something I've always wondered!!  

OK, OK, OK, so you don't want to click the link, but you want to know how they came to be known as Sooners, right?  Well, I'm nothing if not agreeable and obliging, so here ya go:

April 22, 1889, was a day of chaos, excitement, and total confusion in Oklahoma.  This was the day of the incredible, and notorious, first Land Run, when 50,000 people rushed into the Unassigned Lands of Oklahoma Territory to stake their claim for free land.  Over two million acres in Oklahoma, both farm land and town lots, had previously been measured out by the government.  The vast crowd of hopeful settlers massed all along the border.  All were armed with a flag, to claim their stake -- farmers and scholars, Yankees and southerners, the rich and the poor, black and white, soldiers and laborers, even women riding side-saddle.  At the sound of a cannon shot at noon, the anxious settlers surged forward in a tumultuous avalanche of wagons and horsemen all in one breathtaking instant.  Many did not achieve their dream; in the chaos of the mad dash, people were crushed, horses fell, wagons toppled, and fights ensued.  Besides, hundreds, maybe thousands, of settlers had already snuck in over the border a day or two sooner, to claim the choicest land.  These "sooners", pretending to be exhausted from the mad dash, even having run their horses around in circles to get them all sweaty beforehand, made a show of slamming their flags into their chosen ground just as the first legitimate settlers appeared in the distance.  Dozens of the U.S. surveyors, in spite of it being illegal, had also already staked their claims, prompting years of court cases afterwards, some of which even went to the Supreme Court.

You're welcome.  

If you HAD clicked that link, you would have known that these sculptures are cast at one and a half times lifesize, so you know a 6 foot man would be portrayed as 9 feet tall.  See, I *can* do math!  Haha, no I can't....it was specified in the article.  Y'all know I can't do math, what were you thinking?

This one's a panorama, so be sure to click on the photo to enlarge it and get the full impact.

As we made our way out of town, we came across a sign pointing to the capitol building.  Well, we have nothing but time on our hands, so we turned and followed it!  I knew that most of the interior is undergoing renovations at this time, so it's mostly closed to the public, but the outside renovations are complete.  We happened to be in the left turn lane, when we came upon it, so this was as close as we got, sorry for the blur.  

Next directional sign we saw was to the Overholser Mansion.  Henry Overholser is considered the Father of Oklahoma City, and his was the first real mansion built in the city, in 1903.  It was his wife's (Anna) wishes that it be turned over to the city or state when the time was right.  Their son-in-law sold it & all the furnishings to the OK Historical Society in 1972.  It appears to be truly magnificent. 

Here's another of those painted buffaloes around town:

Mr. Overholser may have had the FIRST mansion in town, but by now, it's certainly not the only one in town.  In this Heritage Block, we found many other examples of beautiful old homes, in various styles.  But all of them, huge, even by today's standards!

It was early afternoon by now, and it was time to begin thinking about heading home.  Always on the lookout for quirky and interesting, we pointed our car towards Route 66, aka, The Mother Road.

  (In his classic novel The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck called Route 66 the "Mother Road" because it beckoned to desperate migrants fleeing the Dust Bowl as they moved west in search of jobs in the 1930s. But in the years after the Depression, the highway took on mythic status as America's main street for adventure.Dec 31, 2014 )

You can read the slightly sordid history of the Tower Theater right here.  Suffice it to say, we did NOT stop in to see the picture show, even though it's probably more family-friendly at this point.

It was sad to see the disrepair of the Geodesic Gold Dome that once housed Citizens State Bank.  It has gone through several iterations and owners, including foreclosure in 2012.  Even though it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003, the current owners have not been able to restore it to its former glory.

Down the road just a bit, is the Milk Bottle Grocery.  It is one of the few triangular buildings in the city.  The milk bottle was only placed to advertise the local dairy industry.  

This little pedestal marks an entrance to the city's thriving Asian sector.  Who knew?!

After seeing all this, we were famished!  We saw a poster that advertised CiCi's Pizza runs a Happy Hour from 2 pm to 4 pm Mon thru Fri, so we Googled for the one closest to our camper and headed that way!  We arrived about 20 minutes too early, so we walked the aisles of Sprouts Fresh Market for that time and found blueberries and cherries on sale.  After stuffing ourselves on delicious pizza (one of the few places offering Mozzarella cheese ONLY), we went back to the market and picked up some fresh berries and cherries.  We went home tired, but happy and full as could be.

Stay tuned for Saturday's adventures!