Red Rock Canyon State Park, Hinton, OKMay 9, 2011
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| We have pulled into a small campground in Oklahoma. This has been our longest leg so far. We went 388 miles with the wind really buffeting us around. We saw our gas mileage go from an average of 7 mpg to 5.6 mpg. That is quite a jump when gas is approaching $4.oo/gallon. We had figured that in Florida, without towing a car, we get a whopping 8 mpg. That is pretty good considering we are driving around our home. This is a charming spot in a canyon that is the middle of the prairie. The Indians used this as a winter camp to escape the cold prairie winds. The canyon was a landmark during the California Gold Rush 1949. It was a haven for weary travelers. There is a spring fed creek that runs all year. Earlier today we crossed the Arkansas river and just saw a bunch of mud. There has been a drought and it is not uncommon for prairie rivers to go dry. We were surprised by the dry river bed. (I look up a lot of interesting tidbits on my new smartphone as we travel. The internet is great.)...Anyway, we are parked along the spring fed creek. Bob is sitting outside playing his dulcimer. He just got one in Branson, Mo. The dog is crashed on the sofa. We took a short hike along the California trail in the Canyon. It is really, really red rock here. Tommy matches the dirt. Bob has a lot to say about the turnpikes in Oklahoma. They wanted exact change at every toll booth. Even when there was someone manning it. Luckily we had rolls of quarters for the laundry. We noticed that the showers required quarters...What's up with that???? I think Bob and I will take a shower together to save money. ****************************************WHOA, You'll never guess what happened!!!!! After our showers and after watching some DVD's, I took the cat out for an evening walk. Bob decided to join me with the dog. The door slammed...and locked. The front doors were locked. The car doors with our extra set of keys...locked. We are both in our PJ's, without any keys. What do you do at 10:00 at night, in your nightie and you are locked out. You check all the windows...all locked! Luckily, a couple came by to take a shower across the road. They tried to help us break into the car, but after 30 minutes we decided we were not world class or even second class burglars. The good Samaritans called the ranger, who contacted a locksmith. They left us to wait for a locksmith. After half an hour, the young man returned with beer and water for us. He sat and kept us company until help arrived. In under 60 seconds the locksmith popped the RV lock and handed us a bill for $140.00. This expensive lesson has changed our routines. Someday we will be able to laugh at this...actually, after a couple glasses of wine I thought is was really funny. There I am without much on, in the middle of a canyon, singing to keep our spirits up. Oh well! Bob can laugh about it now. |
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