Seeing the USA in our RV

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We began our travels on Wednesday the 14th filling up with fuel at the Love's Elk City Truck Stop up the road because of the low cost of fuel and discovering, again, why we've avoided this gas station corporation over the years. Not only are the truckers rude, not moving their rigs out of the fueling lane after fueling to aid others, but the staff can't seem to help customers by manning the cash registers vs spending time in the break room or resetting the pumps promptly after payment to allow fueling. The stations are dirty and cramped, adding to the unpleasantness. You don't want to go there. We're pleased that Good Sam has made a deal with Pilot/Flying J.
We enjoyed a visit to Hobart, OK, named for a U.S. Vice President, and the name of my alma mater. An aspect of our learning on this trip was the knowledge about the deterioration of “small town America” as drought and the economy, plus edge of town malls, have decimated local downtown businesses who support volunteer activities and local charities. (An aside – just ask how many fast food chains and chain stores in your town support local chambers of commerce and the local charities.) We again were impressed with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service who use diminishing funds to share their knowledge with visitors while protecting our wildlife resources.
We headed for the Ft Sill FamCamp (in the Lake Elmer Thomas Recreation Area) through back country roads on this artillery training base and discovered that wall mounted TVs do “dismount” when crossing dry wash areas in the road. Arriving at the site we were met by the hospitable Nomad Chapter of SMART and welcomed to the happy hour. The ongoing activities were explained for a well planned muster in progress. A quick trip to the base commissary replenished our larder and conversation accomplished the same for our knowledge of the area.
During our stay in Ft Sill we've enjoyed local shopping (with a disappointing Sam's Club and Walmart) but great military base shopping, a Retired Appreciation Day at the new, expansive hospital, and viewing bison, elk and longhorn cattle at the Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge. The Chisholm Trail Heritage Center in Duncan held a wonderful community education day with a longhorn cattle drive, horse team pulling, free admission to the center and chuck wagon lunches. The high spot of the day was live action cow patty bingo. The center itself provides a Disneyesque movie with special effects allowing one to relive the cattle drive experience, augmenting the Center's animal and historical displays. Sulphur,OK is host to the Chickasaw National Recreation Area which we visited to get an NPS cancellation stamp and learned of their nature preservation. As we passed through the many small towns (every 15 miles – the day travel distance on horseback during settlement days) we witnessed boarded up stores and houses, abandoned buildings and the impression that the remaining Walmarts had a role to play in the demise of small town America's retail establishments. Oil is still being pumped out of the many wells viewed from the road. We're experiencing daily thunderstorms passing through the area each afternoon but the drought can only be broken by continuous rainfall. Our SMART Nomads broke camp Saturday evening to reassemble in Shawnee Sunday.

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