Missouri and Oklahoma

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Not all of our travels are the glamorous types. We are also living out here. I mention this because we bought new tank monitors at the FMCA rally and planned on having them installed there. However, bad weather was headed that way and the installer had more business than time so we arranged to meet him in Sadalia, Missouri where an Escapee Rally was scheduled. (Escapees is a full-timer RV club. We belong to them but did not go to their rally.)

As many of you have heard me say, this motorcoach is like a trophy wife. She did not disappoint me. The installation took 4-1/2 hours because our floor plan is not typical.$$…ching ching.

We scheduled an appointment at Camping Word near Springfield, MO. The appointment was to troubleshoot the new Roadmaster auxilary brake we had installed at the rally. It worked properly the first time we used it and thereafter-NOT! The Service Manager at this location is a master mechanic. He and two techs spent nearly 3 hours troubleshooting before finding a miswiring. Roadmaster is picking up the bill on this one. We have to say both Roadmaster and Camping World were great!

Next stop was Grand Lake O' the Cherokee in Oklahoma. This is outside the Cherokee Reservation. It gave us pause to think of the Trail of Tears. Many of these people consider President Andrew Jackson as we do todays' terrorists. He ordered the march off their land. So many died on the Trail. Yet we would not be the United States today otherwise.

Here we stayed at a Resorts of Distinction Park and were quite impressed. The American White Pelicans stop here in their migration South (sorta' like we snowbirds were doing!) We were surprised to find this bird inland but learned they spend warm months North on rivers and inlets in Montana and South Dakota. Migration occurs mainly during daylight in flocks sometimes numbering in the hundreds, often flying in the familiar V-formation and using thermals when available. We were lucky to see one of the flocks soaring. Unfortunately I had just turned the camera off!

We did an "overnight" in Oklahoma at Onapa Campground, just off the reservation. I was delighted that the new owners had built a storm cellar! Mid-October we will be near Dallas, Texas and look forward to visiting son Mike and his wife Donna. Hopefully we don't need the storm cellar in the meantime!

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Photos

Pelican in flight
Beach at the campground

White Pelicans
Beach at Grove, Oklahoma

Mama with babies
White Pelicans

Onapa RV Park
Storm Cellar in foreground

Storm Cellar!
Oklahoma

Comments

[joannie]

Oklahoma
Hi Karen and Tom, Love, Love, Love seeing the pictures and hearing where you have traveled. Your RV looks huge in the picture. Looks as big as a Bus. The storm celler looks like it is quite large. Happy Travels and May God Bless,

[Paul and Mary Blue]

Onapa RV Park
We have an annual rv site on lake Eufaula about 4 miles from Onapa on the other side of the lake. You were in our old stomping grounds. We are in Virigina in Front Royal just off the skyline drive. Making our way to Florida for the winter.

[Mullibear]

Your Annual Site
No wonder you loved your site. The area is beautiful!

[Judy Grabowski]

Learned Something
I didn't know that American pelicans stayed in Montana & SD when it's warm (July-August, probably). Always like your pics. Thanks for keeping us posted--glad to hear about the good service at Camping World in MO, too. If you're close to Whitney after your Dallas visit and have time, give me a call--512-619-3457.

[Mullibear]

Missed seeing you in Whitney
We skipped Lake Whitney this time and tried out Tres Rios, nearby. Next trip thru' we'll look you up Judy. Thanks for reading my blog.