A Devil of a Time

I considered headings for this post and couldn't come up with anything very pleasing! Now I know the Devil doesn't live here...but I think he sure could right now! It is once again 110 degrees today. We are maintaining day by day...completely out in the sun with no shade trees! DH actually went with the neighbors this morning and played golf on a golf course near here. I have not been feeling too good. Actually went to a walk in clinic yesterday afternoon and that alone was a pleasant suprise, finding an open clinic on Sunday! No lines and no waiting and once my meds kick in now, I'll hopefully feel much better, but for now, I just will stay in and stay down. No need to be outside anyway. I really do like it here, and we will definitely make another trip down here at another time.
This past week we have gone into Oklahoma City and toured the site of the OKC Bombing and Memorial Gardens.






It was eerily quiet and a somber site, but structurally interesting and amazing at the memorials still left on the fence by people that visit. We must never forget those that lost their life by the hands of a deranged individual, mad at our government.
We ventured from there down along Brick Street and had lunch at Tobey Keith's Bar and Restaurant.... I love this Bar!

Another day, we went West to Kingfisher, which is the Birthplace of Sam Walton.

We toured the Chisolm Trail Museum, which was boasted to be the greatest cow trail in the world.






It served to get Texas cattle north to the Kansas Railheads from which they were shipped to other parts of the country.

Jesse Chisolm was a mixed-blood Cherokee guide and trader. Born in 1805 and died from food poisoning in 1868 from tainted meat. Guess they didn't refrigerate much back then. I think that I like my washer and dryer much better than these that I found outside of the Dalton Gang's Cabin!




We went back east yesterday about 5 miles from Edmond...to a fun location. After a 5 mile drive on the old Route 66 we stopped at a real Landmark, a futuristic building holding over 500 glass bottles of Soda.

The corner is marked by a 66 ft. tall LED Pop Bottle, complete with straw!Surely it would be much cooler lit up at night! It is named aptly, Pops museum!

It is also a convenience store and restaurant. We got there about 12:30 and the place was rockin...absolutely packed and over an hour's wait for a party of 5.
We, being a couple and willing to sit at the counter, got right in. It was a very fun atmosphere.
We had Buffalo Burger Specials and got some pop to go!










I think that is the end of the touring for this year. I have begun to trace my family tree and with Cherokee lineage, I want to do some research here, but will come back at another time for that. We are headed north and hopefully away from some of the heat on Wednesday. Will get a good early head start!

Enduring the Heat

I can't believe it is staying this hot, this long! Day in and day out the temps go up over 100 degrees. Tuesday we left Arkansas and drove almost 300 miles west and a little north to Guthrie Oklahoma. Our first stop in Oklahoma was to a Welcome Center where I was very happy to see it was clean and modern and had lots of information about the state.

The travel aides answered all our questions and volunteered extra information and literature with things to do and places to see. I had a couple of things in mind and we are staying in the midst of four golf courses, so I thought I would have the activities covered.

It's too hot to play golf! These four courses were designed and built by a pro golfer, Duffy Martin, who owned a great part of the countryside where this RV Park and Courses are located.

DH has enjoyed visiting with him and Duffy has told DH a lot about the area in just a couple of morning visits. This morning he honked (horn sound like a cow and he has a roo bar on the front of his Lincoln TownCar)and waved and told us he was going into OKC to a singles dance! Only 95 years young!

The first night we were here, we happened upon Roma's Italian Restaurant. It is an authentic Italian Eatery, family owned and operated,very reasonable. We have taken a couple of trips into Guthrie and browsed in the downtown gift and antique shops, had lunch at the Stables restaurant, which was excellent, and looked at beautiful art, pottery and other items made in Oklahoma by local crafts people and artists. Many of the buildings are of beautiful old restored Victorian Architecture.
I am totally impressed with this place and it will warrant another trip down here in the future, hopefully when it's not so hot and DH can get a few golf rounds under his belt. Guthrie was the first state capital of Oklahoma until they took a vote and moved it to Oklahoma City.

There's a lot of history here,there's also tornado damage from a storm that came through here about a month ago and wreaked real havoc on the east side of the golf course next door to us, and through north part of town.

I don't think anyone was exempt from destruction this spring. Glad we missed it.

Ozark National Forest

Happy Independence Day! We aren't celebrating much...it's too hot! We got outside when it was barely daylight, rinsed and wiped the bottom third and the ends of the coach to get rid of the dust.
Yesterday before heading up into the hills and forest the car got an automatic scrub so that I could see out of the windshield to drive!

We took off headed North on SR 7 into the Ozark National Forest, stopping at a few highlighted scenic view sites and enjoyed the trees and winding drive for a few hours.

We drove deep into a wooded campground to see the falls that were listed on the map as a view.

Heavy smoke from several camp fires hung in the trees and as I got out, found it difficult to breathe!

Gone are the days when that sort of thing didn't bother me! The trees there were so dense that very little sunlight peeked through but the heat and humidity still intense.

While enjoying this stop over and a pretty little park, the dog has been spooked with the sounds of fireworks going off in town for the past two nights. We found a nice Steak house in town and that was our weekend treat.

Now we're celebrating this holiday with hot dogs potato salad and ice cream here at home! Tomorrow will be a long driving day with our destination being Guthrie Oklahoma. Clean Rig, Clean Car, rested people and hopefully low traffic. It's gonna be another scorcher so I think we'll get up early and go some miles before it really heats up.

Bird Dogs, BBQ and Battlefields

On Friday before leaving the state of Tennessee we took the day to tour some things that we like.

We left our park early in the morning and drove about 75 miles down towards Memphis to Grand Junction Tennessee, the location of the National Bird Dog Museum.

This location of three combined buildings, a combination of The National Bird Dog Museum, The Field Trial Hall of Fame and the Wildlife Heritage Center.
This is a wonderful tribute to some of the great Hunting Dogs and their owners/handlers. The displays capture 40 different breeds of Retreivers, Flushing dogs and pointers.



A meeting facility and library for teaching and understanding the different elements of Sporting Dog Events and Functions.

We took our own Pointer in to visit the Museum and she was very well behaved. We visited the German Shorthair Display on the walls and strolled through the facility viewing all of the wonderful paintings, prints and donated items.

Many works of notable Sporting Dog Artists. The Director talked with us and took pictures of us with our dog in front of the museum. This place is entirely privately funded and dedicated to preserving the past and protecting the future of the Sporting Dog and anyone who would want to experience the world of Bird Dogs. After a very interesting morning we decided to stop at a small roadside BBQ and experience some local flavors.

We gauged the place a success by all the trucks and traffic stopped all around. Waiting or eating and it was turning out to be a hot day.

We were parked at a camp in the location of a Civil War Battlefield and on the return trip from Grand Junction, stopped through Shiloh at the National Battlefield site and Shiloh National Cemetary.

These locations were very vital in the Civil War, and it's hard to imagine over 9000 Confederate Soldiers lined up and in the trees at these battlefields alone and many more Union Soldiers invading and fighting from the north.

Too much history for such a short time! Saturday July 2 we got up and got on the road early, committing two very big no-nos and I'll not be doing it again! After getting fuel in the town of Parker's Crossing, we got on I 40 and headed West.

After all, I thought it was a straight shot not leaving the Interstate. We traveled 316 miles....too far......and traveled not only on a Saturday, but a Holiday Weekend Saturday! Oh MY!!! Too many idiots in a hurry and we had more close calls in one day than in 6-8 months.... We'll not be doing that again!The whole 300+ miles we only saw ONE Patrol car. Interesting, on a Holiday weekend no less!

Thankfully we arrived all safe and sound in Russellville Arkansas, after crossing the Mississippi River at Memphis, taking pictures of where some of the flood waters stood and making our way over half way through Arkansas, about 75 miles past Little Rock.
We will be here for three nights until Tuesday when hopefully the Holiday travelers will be back at work and we will move on!The heat is oppressive and got to 104 today. I hesitate to even venture out and about...for fear that the vehicle will overheat or malfunction, we did explore some today though.

Stay tuned tomorrow for an account of our travels today into the back woods and Ozark National Forest.

Testing Me in Tennessee

In my last post while in Georgia, I had somewhat of a plan. That has been changed several times. Gee this planning is fun! We spent all day last Wednesday waiting on the folks at Mid State Service Center to finish repairing and reinstalling our Generator.

They were good enough to let us stay in their electric hook up lot when it was too late to get us on the road. We wanted to hang out and run the generator and make sure that it was fixed.


Then, when I called ahead to Chatanooga TN to get a spot for Thursday night, they were full. Next best plan, make a run for it and we traveled over 300 miles just east of Nashville to Lebanon Tennessee.

Now Lebanon is the home town of the first original Cracker Barrel Restaurant. Being a fan of that place, we went to try it out and experience the place that started it all. Except our receipt said #2. Upon inquiring about the history of the place, the chain originated in 1969, but the first establishment burned down and thus a #2 replaced it being in the original town, but different location. I think that it was some of the best Cracker Barrel food we've had. We are also fans of Golden Corral Restaurants and the one in Warner Robins Georgia is hands down the best I've EVER had! After a great meal, we went to the next thing on the list that Lebanon is noted for,and that's their Outlet Mall. It is large and we had a pretty good workout walking up and down and through all the shops.

It has rained here a couple of times since we've arrived. This park is in a pleasant country setting right off the interstate, but not near an exit, so you still hear the noise, but no traffic. Today I had planned to go into Nashville and see some sights...but oh no, theres that word again...planned.

I've got a dog with ear infection, I have kidney infection and last night I came down with a roaring sore throat, temperature and cold to boot! So O.K throw me another curve!

No swimming pool or floatie seat for a while. Another small roadblock. I have taken every remedy and pill I can throw at this stuff. DH has a golf date to play in a mini Srs. tourney at an awesome course here early in the morning, so at least he'll get to do something. He took KayCee to the Vet this afternoon. I am watching the rain drops on the window and listening to the thunder.
We are still moving on West Thursday, but only 125 miles or so. I have wanted to see the National Bird Dog Museum for a few years now, so will finally get that in on Friday. No real plans for the holiday weekend, but to try and dodge the traffic and spend a quiet Monday in Russellville Arkansas. After a few short jaunts we will see some sites, check off two more states and land at a golf resort outside of Guthrie OK. on the 5th of July. Back to the 100 degree days once more, I just hope I feel better by then.

Betsy Gets a Facelift

We have spent more time here in Georgia than was on my list for stops this travel season. As enjoyable as this may be, at this time I am ready to move on! Every place that has been on my list of places to see and fun things to do, has either been flooded or blown away, so I gave up for a while on the sightseeing and turned my focus to maintenance issues with our home on wheels. After looking at new and used coaches in Florida and not coming across anything that we're interested in or can afford, we have decided to hang on to "Betsy" for a while longer. We have a very solid coach and with regular care it will stay that way. Traveling on the Interstates is an easy way to make our way around the country, but we have picked up lots of rock chips in the front cap from vehicles pulling in front of us too close and throwing rocks and gravel.
The rear bumper and top end cap, and several places around has started to show some sun fading and I decided she was going to have a face lift. We also had some issues with our Onan Generator running rough, and it needed some immediate attention, since we depend on it to run our A/C even when we travel. The dash air just can't cool this big space, so I found a local RV Service Center in Byron GA. about 22 miles north of here, and when I was looking at their business online, I came across their state of the Art Body Shop also.

After reading about their facility and staff, I decided to pay them a visit while getting the Generator worked on.http://www.midstaterv.com/index.php/body-works-design-center.html Mid State RV Center has been awesome to work with. Michelle Fernandez, the Body Shop Manager explained their process and showed us around their awesome Paint Booth.

I knew immediately Betsy was going to be in good hands and I had found the place that I wanted to get this work done! Mark Walton and the others that helped with the paint process have our sincere thanks for a beautiful job, they were very attentive to detail we are really pleased and I would highly recommend them for any RV Body Work that you need done.

When we decided on what we wanted to have done, they worked and got us in very quickly and tried to coordinate the job with those at the Service Center who have our Generator out for repairs.

Ofcourse if you want to see God laugh, make plans! While Betsy was in the shop, we camped at the Days Inn in Warner Robins GA. four nights. We thought that the Genset would be put back together and ready to go on Friday and when they got finished at the body shop we would get it put back in and return back to the Twin Oaks Campground for the weekend....to take off on Sunday (Father's Day) and scoot through Atlanta in light traffic. Well, that plan didn't come together. A part is ordered and supposed to be here on Monday, so with a little luck, service will get us put back together on Tuesday and we will head down the road on Wednesday.
I had gone ahead and made reservations in Chatanooga Tennessee and also just east of Nashville, at a Resort that we will set down in until after the 4th of July. One of my rules of the road is to not travel on weekends or holidays!(minus getting through cities on Sunday mornings!) I've had to break my rules more than I care to...but hopefully not this time. We will try to time the trip north up I 75 in the middle of the day and avoid rush hour at least. I've had to push my reservations ahead a couple of days. Now I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we don't have any more bad weather, and the part arrives on Monday. We hadn't been back here at the campground very long yesterday...really just wanting the paint job to cure good over the weekend, and it blew up a thunderstorm and rained for about 3 hours! I was almost afraid to go out and look this morning, making up my mind that if we had damage, that's what we have insurance for...and we lucked out.... everything is good. She looks so pretty and new! Until next time....Happy Father's Day to all you Fathers out there. We will be going to a BBQ and pool party here at the clubhouse. It will be a good time I'm sure!