Category Archives: Oklahoma/Texas/Arkansas

Day 9, Amarillo, TX to Albuquerque, NM, April 12th

306.2 miles today, 2,368.7 miles total

We left Amarillo this morning almost having traded our RV in for the one with Beth in the picture!?! Looks like something the Clampetts would have on the Beverly Hillbillies. We both drove some coming to rest in West Albuquerque at American RV Park in time for the gorgeous sunset and delicious dinner prepared by beth. m, b & t

“On the road again. Just can’t wait to get on the road again;
Goin’ places that I’ve never been;
Seein’ things that I may never see again;
And I can’t wait to get on the road again.” –Willie Nelson

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Day 8, Tulsa, OK to Amarillo, TX April 11th

362.5 miles today, 2,062.5 miles total

We left Tulsa and drove across Oklahoma and Texas to Amarillo. We travelled along Route 66 in Elk City stopping for lunch at the Country Dove Tea Room. We even posed for a picture wth the owners. We drove along parts of the old Chisholm Trail used in the late 19th century to drive cattle overland from ranches in Texas to Kansas railheads.

After checking into Amarillo Ranch RV Park & doing our walk/jog, we took a chauffeured limosine one mile to the world famous Big Texan Steak Ranch, home of the free 72 oz steak (if you can eat it all in less than one hour)!?!? We had a delightful meal & fellowship with Dale & Mary Ann from St. Louis pictured at the restaurant with us. Beth & I split the 18 oz (1/4 of the 72 oz) man vs food steak pictured below. m, b & t

“Come along boys and listen to my tale; I’ll tell you of my troubles on the old Chisholm trial. Come-a ti yi yippy, yippy, yay, yippy yay! Come-a ti yi yippy, yippy, yay! On a ten dollar horse and a forty dollar saddle; Ridin’ and a punchin’ them Texas cattle. I’m up in the morning before daylight; Before I get to sleep the moon’s shining bright. It’s bacon and beans most every day; I’d sooner be a-eaten’ the prairie hay. Got a hole in my hat where the rain runs in; Got a hole in my boot where it runs out again.  Come-a ti yi yippy, yippy, yay, yippy yay! Come-a ti yi yippy, yippy, yay!” –Cowboy Song (1870’s)

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Day 7, Memphis to Tulsa via Arkansas, April 9th-10th

420 miles today, 1,700 miles total

We left Memphis, Tennessee late yesterday morning and travelled the day in high winds across Arkansas to Fort Smith. After hearing of impending severe storms in Oklahoma, we decided to continue on to Tulsa before the storms were to start at midnight and stay with our friends, Victoria & Rick Cameron.  They sheltered us from the OOOOOOOOOOOklahoma winds, rains & tornado warnings in their apartment for a few nights. Yesterday was in the mid-70’s and today’s high was 38 degrees, rainy & windy!?! We relaxed in our cozy setting of fellowship with friends. We visited Oral Roberts University including the largest praying hands, ate dinner at a German Beer House and devoured dessert at an Italian cafe. Our respite can be encapsulated in the following quotes. m, b & t

“A journey is best measured in friends, rather than miles.”–Tim Cahill

“OOOOOOOOOOOklahoma where the wind comes sweeping down the plain, Where the wav-in wheat can sure smell sweet, When the wind comes right behind the rain; Oklahoma ev’ry night my honey lamb and I; Sit alone and talk and watch a hawk, Makin lazy circles in the sky.

We know we belong to the land, And the land we belong to is grand;
And when we say, Yeow! A-YIP-I-O-EE-AY
Were only say-in “you’re doing fine Oklahoma,
Oklahoma OK”–Oscar Hammerstein (Oklahoma lyrics)

“For what it’s worth: it’s never too late or, in my case, too early to be whoever you want to be. There’s no time limit, stop whenever you want. You can change or stay the same, there are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. And I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you never felt before. I hope you meet people with a different point of view. I hope you live a life you’re proud of. If you find that you’re not, I hope you have the courage to start all over again.” 
― Eric Roth, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button screenplay

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Reproduction of “The Glass of Wine”–Johannes Vermeer c. 1658-1660 courtesy of Tim Stevenson (1997)