Monday July 8, 2013 Shawnee OK to Double D Campground Texola OK

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The one about The Oklahoma Memorial

Last night I went back to the casino again for about 2 hours. I played on $20 for the longest time, all those video reels I love, and when I finally started to go into my money I stopped. I had my free soda, my free ice-cream, and got a shuttle to take me back to the RV row by 8:30. Not much on TV so I spent time writing until I fell asleep sitting upright at my dinette. I guess I missed Big Brother.

Again, this bratty Winston dog had me up early. All he wants to do is get me up, go out and pee, then curl back up on my bed under the a/c vent. GROWL. I was ready to go at 7:30, but I couldn’t leave that early, my places for the day don’t open until 9, and I was within a few miles. So, I twiddled my thumbs until 8, then went in search of gas. My Flying J app showed the nearest one 35 miles west, so I opted for Love’s, another truck stop place, $3.199, meter stopped at $125. Two miles, yes two miles west on I40 was both Flying J and Pilot (they are one company now), but gas was $3.299, so I did a good thing by stopping at Love’s. But, more importantly, why doesn’t their app show these locations?? Garmina didn’t know where the Bass Pro Shops was, so I counted on Siri who got me the 25 miles lickety split.

A whole lot of research about the Oklahoma City bombing Memorial told me that the city offered a free shuttle bus tour of the town, one of the stops being at Bass Pro Shops. I figured this would be a good place for me to park the RV, turn the generator on and leave Winston for the estimated 3 hours I would need. I went in to talk to the store greeter who told me the first shuttle wasn’t until 10:30, an hour away. Frak. I regrouped my brain, and called the memorial site and asked if there was a parking lot close by and was told there was one directly across the street. Brain ping pong, do I drive there thru downtown and hope the parking lot has 2 adjacent spaces to hold my length, or do I wait the hour. I opted to try to find this parking lot.

The directions were easy enough. It looked like there was lots of construction on the last road, but no workers today, thank goodness. I found the parking lot, and it was big and empty, but required me passing thru a gate to get in. I hit the curb and then ran over it, but at least I didn’t hit the awning. I secured 4 spaces, turned on the generator and went to figure out how to pay. (After I exited and had to go around the block, I saw another very wide entrance, no curbs….Go figure) On the unoccupied office wall was 2 metal boxes with numbers 1 to 100, 50 on each. Under each number was a slot. Hanging off the box was a chain with a piece of metal shaped like half a credit card. Directions: put your parking fee, $5 in coins or bills, into the slot under your number. Use ‘pusher’ to make sure bills get all the way in. No way was I giving them $5 for each space, so I carefully folded 5 $1 bills into thirds and shoved away with the pusher. Triumphant, I walked across the street and had a choice, go to the left or go to the right. I chose left, and of course that was the wrong/long way around the block. I got a nice tour of the grounds where the building stood, and got the great shot of the gardener cutting the lawn with clippers holding a flag, only wish it was centered a little more. A chain link fence is on one street entrance where ribbons and flowers are placed. There is a reflecting pool overlooked by the Lawn of Chairs, one for each victim. Beautiful.

Into the museum which is housed in the building next door to the bombed Murrah Federal Building. This building was damaged by the explosion, but reconstructed specifically to house the Museum. 168 people died by the truck bomb Timothy McVeigh parked outside the building, most due to the implosion of the building, rather than the explosion itself. The floor collapsed. I got to sit in a re-created Water Authority office where a meeting being taped was called to order at 9:00 am April 19, 1995. We heard the first 3 minutes of the meeting, and then the actual explosion. Very very eerie. As I walked on I saw pieces of debris, parts of the Ryder Truck used for the bomb, pictures and family memorials of all the victims. I took some pictures of pictures inside the museum (I praised the manager for allowing pictures, so many museums don’t allow inside flash. He thanked me, he said he fought for that for a long time and got it approved 2 years ago, so many who come want pictures of their friends and relatives……..)

There was a section on arresting McVeigh – he was pulled over 50 miles away in his getaway car because he didn’t have tags on it, and incarcerated just because the sheriff felt like it, I think. The bombing evidence showed the truck was rented to him; his name came up as being in jail 50 miles away, and was arrested, tried, and subsequently executed. Very short nutshell story just to remind you all of a few facts.

Some of my photos are pictures of pictures. Most notably, the Lawn of Chairs at night, and a picture of the parking lot I parked in when it was used as an evidence sorting space.

This was another one of those humbling experiences for me. I did cry in the room with the memorial pictures, some of the mementos placed near the pictures were heart wrenching. I had taken a picture of 2 babies from the day care center on the chain link fence, as well as their picture in this room.

They did not sell stickers in their gift shop. The manager saw my disappointment, and gave me a sticker from a roll he had, something they place on the shirts of group members, and I was thrilled; he gave me 2.

I was back on the road by 11:30, first stop Cracker Barrel for the Monday lunch special, baked chicken, corn bread stuffing, corn, more corn bread and a cup of coffee. $7.50. Once more, in this HUGE lot with many open spaces, a few cars had to park in the RV lanes. I am going to follow up with Cracker Barrel at some point and just voice my opinion on this subject – it is most annoying to me.

I40 west of Oklahoma City is much better maintained; most of the road is black asphalt, with only a few potholes, and, even more notably, the tire blow out debris was almost non existent, and I only saw 3 dead armadillos. At some point just west of OK City the trees disappear and the farmland turns brown, and it gets windy. Dust devils everywhere. What trees I saw were bent to the right, ?north?. I saw several areas of old tornado damage – wide swaths of earth where the trees were uprooted. On the news I got a big long explanation of why western Oklahoma’s summer weather is like this, something to do with an air dome; they suffer from a multi year drought.

I was heading for Clinton, home of the Oklahoma Route 66 museum; it was supposed to be right off the exit, and it was, but had the dumbest parking lot I have ever seen, not suitable for me, so I passed right by, but took a picture. I passed a windmill ?farm? on the left, maybe 50 windmills. They look so beautiful spinning away. Picture

Next I headed for Elk City and the National Route 66 museum. This was a much better set up and I was able to park. This was a recreated town with a fake Route 66 running thru it. I walked Winston around as much as I could, but I did not pay to walk thru the exhibits. I bought a Route 66 sticker for the side of Moya.

I continued on the last 25 miles for my day, total today about 225. Double D campground in Texola, OK. I am so close to the Texas border I can spit on it. When I got off the exit, I saw a run down gas station, with a run down store, and a run down restaurant all in front of a run down campground. I went insisde and confirmed my reservation, paid my $12 (Passport America half price rate) and was told to select any site with a gray (30 amp) electric box, but not a yellow ($50 amp, costs $3 more) box. I found one with shade and it was reasonably level. I pulled in, hooked my electricity and water, turned on the a/c and sat down to cool off from the 102 degree heat. Winston was suffering, I took him out for a walk, but he wanted back in. After a while I got out a bucket of water and attempted to clean the bugs off my windshield, but the water evaporated as fast as I scrubbed.

Another BIG Class A pulled in, making me feel a little bit better about this strange place. I am sitting inside in 88 degrees vs 98 outside – I have learned the a/c only cools down 10 degrees in this type of temperature. It is what it is, and I am handling it. It will cool down drastically once the sun goes down. Dinner tonight, nachos of Fritos and melted cheese and the remaining cherry tomatoes, yummy, and no real heat added to the inside. I am remembering to keep hydrated, and I try to drink 8 ounces every hour. Try to…..

I am very thankful that there is decent antenna TV, all 3 networks, so I can watch The Bachelorette. I don’t know why I am watching it, she annoys me, if she talks about her humble upbringing one more time I will reach thru the TV screen and smack her. Internet gossip says she picks Brooks. Am I imagining it or are they in Portugal???? Looks familiar.

Preview of upcoming. More driving on I 40 and Route 66 tomorrow to the other side of Amarillo. On to Albuquerque on Wednesday, and an appointment at Camping World for an oil change Thursday morning. Depending on how much time that takes, I will either travel north a little from Albuquerque or stay another night then head out early Friday morning. Albuquerque is 388 miles from where I am now, too long for me to attempt in one day. I was hoping to get more mileage in today, but I am just too tired. And hot.

Addendum. I met and spoke to the people in the Class A that pulled in after me. They gave me some good pointers on my trip north from Albuquerque. RVers are great people!!

Kat Out

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Photos

Parking Lot
today: where I parked Moya. 1995: where they sorted evidence