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Published: April 30th 2010
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RV Travels
Scoot across Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Tennessee
Leaving New Mexico we dropped down secondary roads, traveled through Ft. Sumner, where we stopped off to take a photo of Billy the Kid’s gravesite for Connor and Joey, then continued on Route 70, looking forward to seeing the Muleshoe Wildlife Refuge in Texas, where the Sand Hill Cranes winter, but par for the course, as far as secondary roads go, the one into the wildlife refuge was dirt and we couldn’t get in at all. We were disappointed by that.
However, all that was lost was a couple of hours on itty bitty roads, with compensation - we did see many Scissor-tailed Flycatchers, found only in the general area. We were really lucky as we found them as far east as Oklahoma. These Flycatchers with long beautiful tails, love fields, on the sides of roads, especially if there are trees and shrubs which became more numerous as we moved east. We spent the night in a lovely KOA RV Park in Shamrock Texas, and took photos of Cliff Swallow nests under the overpass going into the campground. The swallows were in the nest peeking out at us. There are
thousands of the Swallows and they build their colonial mud nests where ever there is a bridge and close water as they swoop over the water to eat all the bugs which abound on the surface. The terrain did not change much between New Mexico and Texas but we took some interesting photos of small towns along the way.
As soon as we crossed into Oklahoma on Route 9, the world turned Green, the river banks and rivers were still bright red, but there were more of them and the new abundance of water resulted in the dozens shades of green we are use to seeing in the East. All of the Greens was a great change, there seemed to be more oxygen in the air to breathe, which I am sure was just my imagination. We traveled through the entire state of Oklahoma on Route 9 which parallels Route 40, spending the night about two thirds of the way through at the KOA in Checotah, where we came in early and stayed late the next day to watch the hummingbirds on the feeders in front and the two families of Orioles in the back - birder heaven. We
also did laundry and cleaning chores, but the birds were more fun! .
All through Oklahoma there were green pastures with gold mustard blanketing the grasses, and hundreds of cows and babies. The calves were newborns and they all tended to group together, almost as if mom said “ok, you babies stay over here together, we moms are going to go graze and chat for a while.” As we drove by all heads would turn in our direction. That is the benefit of not traveling the main highways - you can actually see the country! We also saw dozens of mares and colts in the fields, those beautiful spotted Indian ponies. Oklahoma was a joy to traverse.
We made an overnight stop in Hot Springs Arkansa, what a rip. We visited the National Park Center, toured a Bath House - very interesting indeed. It made me think of Paul Grandmother Nana and the hotel she and Popa stayed at in Ocean Grove. I could just see her there on the porch and taking the "steam" in the bath. We had a superior steak dinner at Steakhouse , Paul's Ribeye covered with mushrooms and peppers and my sirlon covered
with sausage and peppers - enough for dinner the next day too.
The following day, April 28th, we crossed into Tennessee and checked into the Graceland RV Park, right behind the Heartbreak Hotel - how campy is that? We booked a tour of Memphis with Blues City Tours - don’t bother - they are totally unorganized. Take the free shuttle provided by Sun City Tours, tour Sun City Studios and spend some time on Beale Street. We ate pulled pork bar-b-que at Blues City Grill and it was great. It is really fun to see a bunch of sixty-year-old ladies, or there abouts, dressed in leopard skin and pink boas, cooing over Elvis. I never did quite get Elvis, but I liked the movies and probably appreciated him more because all of the adults I knew hated him horribly. The Heartbreak Hotel shows his moves in the lobby all day and has an Elvis channel, Fun, Fun!
This morning, April 30th, we got an early start, bad weather is chasing us, and we have fled to Nashville arriving early at the KOA. I snagged tickets to Grand Ole Opry for tomorrow night - first row balcony - and
Green Oklahoma
What a relief to see green scheduled a Gray Line Tour of Nashville in the am. I know Gray Line is reliable; we take the Gray Line tour of every major city we visit. I took a chance with the Blues City group in Memphis - I shouldn’t have. The KOA in Nashville on Music City Parkway has the Gray Line people right in the lobby and they provide all transportation, how nice is that?
The weather is following us however, and we will be needing raincoats tomorrow.
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