The blog is back by popular demand. I wanted to make one final post on this RV Adventures blog to sum up our last year. We have been traveling for fifteen months and had a lot of great days with a few bad ones mixed in. I guess that is life for everyone.
We have really enjoyed our time here in Dripping Springs catching up with family and friends. We seem to get the same questions over and over so I thought I would end this blog with some of the answers.
What was your favorite thing about the adventure? My favorite thing was seeing so many family and friends along the way. We saw people we hadn't seen in 30 years, reconnected with family and solidified a new friendship that will stand the test of time.
What was your favorite place? This is a hard question to answer. We saw a lifetime of vacations in one year. Peg is pretty definitive about Mesa Verde being her favorite National Park. I loved finally being able to see Washington DC and Niagara Falls, but if I was picking my favorite state I would say Oregon or North Carolina. We both agree that the Grand Tetons were spectacular.
What was the worst thing? RV life is not as cheap as we had hoped. RV Parks are not like camping and the rates are much higher than we expected. We couldn't just pull our 40 foot monstrocity into the local state park. And there are a lot of hidden expenses - laundry ($3 - $8 per load); holding tank chemicals and vet bills just to name a few. We also didn't realize how much work it would be figuring out where we wanted to go, how to get there, and where to stay when we got there. Three blowouts taking out large chunks of the rig causing us to sleep in parking lots ranks right up there with worst thing.
What was the biggest surprise? We are still amazed at how comfortable we are in our 40 foot trailer. The simple life is definitely for us. And the animals never skipped a beat.
OK so after a year traveling across America what do you think? This question took me by surprise. I think overall we learned that people everywhere are predominately nice and friendly; that the whole country is not Austin, Texas - people live on a lot less in most other places; and highway construction, cows and cornfields are EVERYWHERE! There is a lot of open space out there.
What have you learned? Well this is a very long list. First we learned we can do anything we put our minds to. We also learned we had no idea how much we didn't know about RV life when we started. We learned the value of tire pressure; Good Sam Club; a helping hand and the G.P.S. I learned I really miss my kids and friends and it is way too easy to lose touch. We also learned a thing or two about the importance of patience to a relationship.
Who is the better driver? Oh NOOOOO. We are not answering that one!
Well it turns out that I have enjoyed blogging so much during this past year that I have decided to continue through our Panama adventure. For those of you that don't know our long term plan is to see the United States (i.e. 44 states in fifteen months) and then make a move to Panama - the one in Central America not Florida. Three years ago we bought a 1/2 acre lot in the development Los Islotes on the southwest corner of the Azuero Peninsula. We have decided to begin this adventure by renting a house in the east coast town of Pedasi so that we can attend the Buena Vida Spanish Immersion school. This will serve two purposes; learn Spanish and make sure we love Panamanian living as much as we think we will before building a house and moving all of our earthly belongings. We are ready to begin this next adventure so I have created another blog http://bairnhesspanama.blogspot.com . So if you want to continue with us go to this link and submit your email address in the sign-in box to get the emails.
Thanks to everyone for being a part of our RV Adventures.
Sunday, February 9, 2014
Friday, November 29, 2013
We Did It!!!!
West Memphis, AR Nov 15 - 18, 2013
We left Kentucky and started our trek back to Texas. We chose the Tom Sawyer RV Park as our halfway point between KY and Gilmer, Texas. It was a fabulous park right on the Mississippi River. They even laid out the park so that our big back window faced the river. We were able to watch the big barges going up and down the river. They also had a great walking path through the woods around the park and free laundry! We washed everything! For some reason there were ladybugs everywhere. We were both covered with them after a walk in the woods.
Gilmer, TX Nov 18 - 24, 2013
We have been looking forward to our visit to Gilmer for a long time. A chance to see our dear friend Ken Brown and his fabulous family. We arrived at the Watts RV park back on a narrow county road with a country boy in overalls to show us to our site. After pulling Suni uphill to our concrete pad that was just big enough, seriously two inches on each side. It took a little maneuvering to get us completely on the pad. Once settled we were happy with the park nestled in the trees full of fall color with lots of open spaces and a couple of ponds. We met Ken at his new business office in White Oak which is 45 minutes from Gilmer. He and his brother Kevin recently purchased Livingstones a business which engraves beautiful rocks and tiles. After the initial hugs and smiles we learn that they are in the midst of moving the business back to their home in Gilmer. We did take a tour of all of the places we have been hearing about since Ken moved back here 8 years ago. It was great to see his property and meet his parents. They insisted we extend our stay so that we could celebrate Thanksgiving with the family on Friday evening. We feasted and fellowshipped with the extended Brown family. It was so great to finally meet all of the people we have been hearing about for years. They are a beautiful family filled with love and we had a wonderful time. We also used the extra time to help the boys moved. It was a great way to spend time together catching up. This is a good time to say if you are looking for some special Christmas gifts checkout their website www.thelivingstones.com . We love you Brown Brothers!
Dripping Springs, TX Nov 24 - ....
We left Gilmer early Sunday morning hoping to beat the wintery weather hitting the country. We drove down 35 thru Austin with off and on rain, but no sleet or snow thank you God. We are all settled in at Cottonwood Creek RV park which is on RR 165 about 3 miles south of 290. It is farther from our friends that we would like, but it is a beautiful wooded campground. Unfortunately we don't have very good cell service and the internet is spotty. We look forward to catching up with everyone soon.
Coming Soon.... our final post the A & P Choice Awards (thx MK)!
We left Kentucky and started our trek back to Texas. We chose the Tom Sawyer RV Park as our halfway point between KY and Gilmer, Texas. It was a fabulous park right on the Mississippi River. They even laid out the park so that our big back window faced the river. We were able to watch the big barges going up and down the river. They also had a great walking path through the woods around the park and free laundry! We washed everything! For some reason there were ladybugs everywhere. We were both covered with them after a walk in the woods.
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| Barge on the Mississippi |
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| Moon over the Mississippi |
Gilmer, TX Nov 18 - 24, 2013
We have been looking forward to our visit to Gilmer for a long time. A chance to see our dear friend Ken Brown and his fabulous family. We arrived at the Watts RV park back on a narrow county road with a country boy in overalls to show us to our site. After pulling Suni uphill to our concrete pad that was just big enough, seriously two inches on each side. It took a little maneuvering to get us completely on the pad. Once settled we were happy with the park nestled in the trees full of fall color with lots of open spaces and a couple of ponds. We met Ken at his new business office in White Oak which is 45 minutes from Gilmer. He and his brother Kevin recently purchased Livingstones a business which engraves beautiful rocks and tiles. After the initial hugs and smiles we learn that they are in the midst of moving the business back to their home in Gilmer. We did take a tour of all of the places we have been hearing about since Ken moved back here 8 years ago. It was great to see his property and meet his parents. They insisted we extend our stay so that we could celebrate Thanksgiving with the family on Friday evening. We feasted and fellowshipped with the extended Brown family. It was so great to finally meet all of the people we have been hearing about for years. They are a beautiful family filled with love and we had a wonderful time. We also used the extra time to help the boys moved. It was a great way to spend time together catching up. This is a good time to say if you are looking for some special Christmas gifts checkout their website www.thelivingstones.com . We love you Brown Brothers!
Horses roaming the 43 acre Brown Estate
Best Friends Forever
Dripping Springs, TX Nov 24 - ....
We left Gilmer early Sunday morning hoping to beat the wintery weather hitting the country. We drove down 35 thru Austin with off and on rain, but no sleet or snow thank you God. We are all settled in at Cottonwood Creek RV park which is on RR 165 about 3 miles south of 290. It is farther from our friends that we would like, but it is a beautiful wooded campground. Unfortunately we don't have very good cell service and the internet is spotty. We look forward to catching up with everyone soon.
Coming Soon.... our final post the A & P Choice Awards (thx MK)!
Saturday, November 16, 2013
Kentucky Caving
Cave City, KY Nov 11 - 15, 2013
We drove thru Tennessee and into Kentucky to fill in the big hole in the middle of our states map. We decided on Mammoth Cave National Park located in Cave City about 90 miles north of Nashville. The drive was a little longer than we like, but went smoothly and we beat the incoming cold front and storm. We arrived at Singing Hills RV park which gave us a site off by ourselves next to an open field. It is a small, older park, but has full hook ups and our site is really long. It doesn't have a laundry room which is very unusual, but it is only two miles from the park entrance.
The weather is predicting a cold front with a 40% chance of snow for the next day and for once was right on the money. We awoke to a beautiful white layer of snow everywhere and since it didn't get above 38 degrees all day, it actually stuck.
We did drive to the visitor center to check out the available cave tours and buy our tickets. Mammoth Cave is the longest cave system found in the world at over 400 miles long. It is different from the other caves we have toured in that it is very dry and therefore doesn't have many formations. The Green River responsible for forming the cave system is now 370 feet below the surface. We decided on the Historical Tour which entered thru the entrance they have been using for two hundred years. Can you imagine women in their full long dresses complete with corsets carrying lanterns hiking down into the cave? Our guide was excellent with the perfect amount of knowledge without the effort at humor that some of them try. Since we weren't allowed to use a flash, none of my pictures of the inside of the cave came out.
The NP did have a bike path that was unforgettable. It was nine miles one way through the forest and since it is fall there were leaves everywhere. It was really fun and beautiful. We saw lots of huge deer along the way.
Coming soon.... Tom Sawyer RV park on the Mississippi
We drove thru Tennessee and into Kentucky to fill in the big hole in the middle of our states map. We decided on Mammoth Cave National Park located in Cave City about 90 miles north of Nashville. The drive was a little longer than we like, but went smoothly and we beat the incoming cold front and storm. We arrived at Singing Hills RV park which gave us a site off by ourselves next to an open field. It is a small, older park, but has full hook ups and our site is really long. It doesn't have a laundry room which is very unusual, but it is only two miles from the park entrance.
44 states in 15 months - not bad
The weather is predicting a cold front with a 40% chance of snow for the next day and for once was right on the money. We awoke to a beautiful white layer of snow everywhere and since it didn't get above 38 degrees all day, it actually stuck.
We did drive to the visitor center to check out the available cave tours and buy our tickets. Mammoth Cave is the longest cave system found in the world at over 400 miles long. It is different from the other caves we have toured in that it is very dry and therefore doesn't have many formations. The Green River responsible for forming the cave system is now 370 feet below the surface. We decided on the Historical Tour which entered thru the entrance they have been using for two hundred years. Can you imagine women in their full long dresses complete with corsets carrying lanterns hiking down into the cave? Our guide was excellent with the perfect amount of knowledge without the effort at humor that some of them try. Since we weren't allowed to use a flash, none of my pictures of the inside of the cave came out.
The Historic Entrance
Coming soon.... Tom Sawyer RV park on the Mississippi
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Thank you... Thank You Very Much
Memphis, TN Nov 8 - 11, 2013
We left Hot Springs and made our way across Arkansas into Tennessee and then south into Southaven, Mississippi where the EZ Daze RV park is located just south of Memphis, TN. The traffic and road construction in Memphis is a little crazy, but the RV park is very nice. Our site is right next to a huge fenced in area for the dogs which is always a plus. Calcite had a ball just running around in circles getting her wiggles out.
We went back and forth trying to decide whether or not to spend the money to see Graceland and decided to go for it. There is quite an industry surrounding the King with a whole shopping center with every kind of Elvis souvenir imaginable and then some. In addition to touring his home there are "museums" dedicated to his cars, his hometown, his time in Las Vegas, his airplanes, his '68 Comeback Special and his time in Hawaii. We enjoyed every minute of it. We have always had a secret Elvis crush and we love him even more now. He seems like a really good guy in addition to being an incredible entertainer. He was very disappointed with his acting career and hated all of the sappy, singing movies he made. He wanted to be a "real" actor favoring dramatic roles. His personal favorite and the one he was most proud of was "King Creole". He couldn't wait to finish out his movie contract and get back to performing concerts. He had been making movies for a decade and was afraid the public had forgotten about him as a singer. It was 1968 and he wanted to get back on the stage. He developed the idea of a televised come back show which later became known as the "68 Special". The crowds went wild....Elvis was back! Nine years later he would be dead at the age of 42. Peg saw him in concert in 1972 at Madison Square Garden, still the consummate performer.
Graceland wasn't at all what I expected. I guess it is a large house for the time period, but not by today's standard. It is very elaborately decorated filled with colors from the sixties and seventies... lots of green shag carpeting and mirrors. The tour includes an audio recording explaining the different rooms on the first floor, basement, and around the grounds. His racquetball court has been converted into an exhibit with wall to wall recording awards and some of his famous jumpsuits. They also had displays with lots of his movie paraphernalia, his and Priscilla's wedding clothes, his various television appearances etc. There was a whole room dedicated to his charitable work. The only award he personally accepted was the Jaycee's man of the year where he gave a very humble and thankful acceptance speech. They had quite a few home movies showing him playing with Lisa Marie and just looking like a down to earth guy. It was a really fun experience and I am glad we did it.
We used our last day to learn about another King.... Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. King was assassinated at the Lorraine Hotel in Memphis on April 4, 1968. They have converted the hotel and the rooming house across the street (from where James Earl Ray took the shot) into the National Civil Rights Museum. Another powerful experience. The museum is very well done with displays and information about the entire civil rights movement in addition to the assassination, investigation and prosecution of James Earl Ray. There is also a lot of information on the conspiracy theory's that have circulated over the years. We actually saw the bathroom from where the shot was fired and the room in which Ray was staying. We also stood on the balcony where MLK was shot. Another great man taken from the planet too soon.
As our adventures are nearing the end we both are feeling extremely blessed to have been able to see so much of this beautiful country, learn about so much of our history, meet and see so many wonderful people. God is so good.
Coming soon.... Mammoth Cave, Ky and our final state sticker :(
We left Hot Springs and made our way across Arkansas into Tennessee and then south into Southaven, Mississippi where the EZ Daze RV park is located just south of Memphis, TN. The traffic and road construction in Memphis is a little crazy, but the RV park is very nice. Our site is right next to a huge fenced in area for the dogs which is always a plus. Calcite had a ball just running around in circles getting her wiggles out.
We went back and forth trying to decide whether or not to spend the money to see Graceland and decided to go for it. There is quite an industry surrounding the King with a whole shopping center with every kind of Elvis souvenir imaginable and then some. In addition to touring his home there are "museums" dedicated to his cars, his hometown, his time in Las Vegas, his airplanes, his '68 Comeback Special and his time in Hawaii. We enjoyed every minute of it. We have always had a secret Elvis crush and we love him even more now. He seems like a really good guy in addition to being an incredible entertainer. He was very disappointed with his acting career and hated all of the sappy, singing movies he made. He wanted to be a "real" actor favoring dramatic roles. His personal favorite and the one he was most proud of was "King Creole". He couldn't wait to finish out his movie contract and get back to performing concerts. He had been making movies for a decade and was afraid the public had forgotten about him as a singer. It was 1968 and he wanted to get back on the stage. He developed the idea of a televised come back show which later became known as the "68 Special". The crowds went wild....Elvis was back! Nine years later he would be dead at the age of 42. Peg saw him in concert in 1972 at Madison Square Garden, still the consummate performer.
I'm going to Graceland, Graceland...
Elvis Motto... Taking Care of Business In a Flash
Graceland wasn't at all what I expected. I guess it is a large house for the time period, but not by today's standard. It is very elaborately decorated filled with colors from the sixties and seventies... lots of green shag carpeting and mirrors. The tour includes an audio recording explaining the different rooms on the first floor, basement, and around the grounds. His racquetball court has been converted into an exhibit with wall to wall recording awards and some of his famous jumpsuits. They also had displays with lots of his movie paraphernalia, his and Priscilla's wedding clothes, his various television appearances etc. There was a whole room dedicated to his charitable work. The only award he personally accepted was the Jaycee's man of the year where he gave a very humble and thankful acceptance speech. They had quite a few home movies showing him playing with Lisa Marie and just looking like a down to earth guy. It was a really fun experience and I am glad we did it.
The front of the house
The Living Room - love the peacocks
Looks like any normal kitchen from the sixties. They said someone was always cooking as he had company 24/7. They played pool or jammed in the Jungle Room until all hours of the morning.
Jungle room, shag carpeting on floor and ceiling
Not a crazy extravagant pool either
This is the "sitting room". Elvis played that piano and was singing songs on the morning of the day he died. The last time anyone heard the King was from this room. He was to start a nation wide concert tour the next day.
Look at all these gold and platinum album awards! There were many more walls of records
throughout the tour an amazing number of hits.
Classic Elvis jumpsuits
Elvis is buried on the grounds with his mom, dad, and grandma. There is also a small marker for his twin stillborn brother Jesse Garon Presley. He was born 35 minutes before Elvis.
We used our last day to learn about another King.... Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. King was assassinated at the Lorraine Hotel in Memphis on April 4, 1968. They have converted the hotel and the rooming house across the street (from where James Earl Ray took the shot) into the National Civil Rights Museum. Another powerful experience. The museum is very well done with displays and information about the entire civil rights movement in addition to the assassination, investigation and prosecution of James Earl Ray. There is also a lot of information on the conspiracy theory's that have circulated over the years. We actually saw the bathroom from where the shot was fired and the room in which Ray was staying. We also stood on the balcony where MLK was shot. Another great man taken from the planet too soon.
Dr. King was shot right there on the balcony outside of room 306.
This is the actual room where the shot was fired. The window was left open as it was found. It is said that James Earl Ray crouched in the bathtub and rested the barrel of the rifle on the windowsill. You can see when you look through the window that it is an easy shot to the balcony of room 306.
As our adventures are nearing the end we both are feeling extremely blessed to have been able to see so much of this beautiful country, learn about so much of our history, meet and see so many wonderful people. God is so good.
Coming soon.... Mammoth Cave, Ky and our final state sticker :(
Saturday, November 9, 2013
Hot Springs
Hot Springs, AR Nov 4 - 8, 2013
It was raining when we left Aubrey, TX and headed to Hot Springs, AR and kept up for most of the drive. We struggled to find a place to visit in Arkansas so we could get the state sticker and decided on Hot Springs National Park. Catherine's Landing RV park was fabulous. It is one of five in a new luxury resort style RV parks in the nation and they know how to do it. Nice large sites with lots of grass on a little lake. We really liked it. It was a little tricky to get to and Nadine (our GPS) took us on a couple of tiny streets through a neighborhood to get there.
This National Park is not like any other we have been to in a small city and surrounded by low lying mountains. The area is home to 47 natural hot springs which provide odorless, flavorless and colorless water which is thought to have therapeutic properties. Bathhouses were built starting in 1877 for people to come enjoy the healing powers of the water. It was a popular vacation site for many years and even had a government operated bathhouse that operated as a public health facility for those that couldn't afford luxury. The visitor center is in the restored Fordyce Bathhouse that was built in 1915. The typical day at a bathhouse consisted of a twenty minute soak in a tub where someone scrubbed you with a loofah, a sitz bath, a vapor steam cabinet, hot packs, massage and a needle shower. The tour of the bathhouse was fun as we were able to see all of the facilities. There was even an old gymnasium with antique work out equipment. The men and women were kept completely separate. Behind the visitor center they have one spring left open so you can see what it looks like, but the rest of them have been covered to keep them protected. The National Park Service collects all of the spring water and then doles it out to the remaining spas. There are still two houses that you can bathe in the spring water; one in the traditional manner of the early 1900's and a second in a more modern facility.
We also took a scenic drive thru Hot Springs National Park. The fall colors were magnificent.
Coming soon.... Memphis, TN, Mammoth Cave, KY, Gilmer, TX, Glen Rose, TX and then home.
It was raining when we left Aubrey, TX and headed to Hot Springs, AR and kept up for most of the drive. We struggled to find a place to visit in Arkansas so we could get the state sticker and decided on Hot Springs National Park. Catherine's Landing RV park was fabulous. It is one of five in a new luxury resort style RV parks in the nation and they know how to do it. Nice large sites with lots of grass on a little lake. We really liked it. It was a little tricky to get to and Nadine (our GPS) took us on a couple of tiny streets through a neighborhood to get there.
Catherine's Landing
Steam cabinet or what looks like a torture chamber
The fountain in the middle provided cold spring water for drinking
Beautiful stained glass everywhere
Antique gym
Natural spring water temp avg 143 degrees. Hot Springs NP is not a volcanic area. The surrounding rocks absorb rainfall, as the water percolates downward the warm/hot rocks it flows through heat the water at a rate of 4 degrees every 300 feet. This is the average geothermal gradient worldwide, caused by the gravitational compression and by the breakdown of naturally occurring radioactive elements. It takes 4,000 years for the water to make a round trip through the system. Eventually the water meets faults and joints leading up to the lower west slope of Hot Springs mountain, where the water surfaces......4,000 years later!
Fordyce Bathhouse: In 1915 it was the best game in town. Now it is the park visitor center and museum
We also took a scenic drive thru Hot Springs National Park. The fall colors were magnificent.
Coming soon.... Memphis, TN, Mammoth Cave, KY, Gilmer, TX, Glen Rose, TX and then home.
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Krazy 4 Knettels
Aubrey, TX October 31 - November 4, 2013
We happily pulled out of the Council Road RV park hoping to beat the weather. Once we got out of the Oklahoma City traffic the drive was an easy one. We actually had trouble finding an RV park close to where Jacob and Alex live in Allen, TX. The first three parks we tried were full if you can believe it. We finally found this one is Aubrey which is about 20 miles from them, but it was fabulous! A nice big site with grass all around and great facilities. We got all set up and called the kids. They came over, we had a yummy dinner and watched my traditional Halloween movie Hocus Pocus. It was so good to see them.
We had a great weekend together! We cooked delicious meals, went on a bike ride, visited Landon Winery, watched another movie, played Yahtzee (Jacob killed us, he wasn't shy about communicating his stellar victory!), went to church to see Jacob play the drums in the worship band, and went bowling with their Life Group. We had such a good time. Alex is busy finishing up her Master's Degree in Social Work. They love her so much at her internship they are holding a position for her until graduation in May. She is working with youth at a hospital on an outpatient basis. Jacob is training for his second marathon in San Antonio on Nov 17th. They love living in Allen and are preparing to hopefully buy their first house in the coming year.
Coming soon.... Hot Springs, AR
We happily pulled out of the Council Road RV park hoping to beat the weather. Once we got out of the Oklahoma City traffic the drive was an easy one. We actually had trouble finding an RV park close to where Jacob and Alex live in Allen, TX. The first three parks we tried were full if you can believe it. We finally found this one is Aubrey which is about 20 miles from them, but it was fabulous! A nice big site with grass all around and great facilities. We got all set up and called the kids. They came over, we had a yummy dinner and watched my traditional Halloween movie Hocus Pocus. It was so good to see them.
Happy Halloween
We had a great weekend together! We cooked delicious meals, went on a bike ride, visited Landon Winery, watched another movie, played Yahtzee (Jacob killed us, he wasn't shy about communicating his stellar victory!), went to church to see Jacob play the drums in the worship band, and went bowling with their Life Group. We had such a good time. Alex is busy finishing up her Master's Degree in Social Work. They love her so much at her internship they are holding a position for her until graduation in May. She is working with youth at a hospital on an outpatient basis. Jacob is training for his second marathon in San Antonio on Nov 17th. They love living in Allen and are preparing to hopefully buy their first house in the coming year.
Landon Winery - Yummy!
Aren't they adorable!
Coming soon.... Hot Springs, AR
Saturday, November 2, 2013
We're Here for the Sticker
Oklahoma City, October 28 - 31, 2013
Our last few weeks on the road are a bit of a zig-zag across the middle of the country as we try to pick up a few more state stickers before calling it quits. One such stop is Oklahoma City. The drive from Palo Duro to OKC was easy and actually pretty. It wasn't as flat as I thought it was going to be and very green. That changed when we hit the city. The entire city's road system seems to be under construction. We picked Council Road RV park which just outside the downtown area and boasted "easy on easy off". Well they weren't kidding. This gave easy on/off a whole new meaning. The park is right off Hwy 40 and Council Road a major thoroughfare across the street from a huge truck stop. The parks gravel roads were extremely rough with huge holes filled with water. One of their selling features is a storm shelter on site and yes there was threat of severe weather during our three night stay!
We spent our two days glued to the weather channel as the idea of witnessing a tornedo from our trailer is not something we were looking forward to. Luckily it never materialized nor did the predicted hail. There must have been a fire station close by as well because the passing sirens were a constant. Not our favorite stop, but we did earn a sticker!
We did drive into downtown to see the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum which documents the OKC bombing from April 19, 1995. We parked on a street across from the memorial and as we started walking when we were startled by a man hitting the side of the truck as he walked by shouting loudly. He didn't do any damage, but it was a little scary. Walking thru the memorial and towards the museum I was looking at the outside of the building wondering why it was so run down. As we approached we saw the plaque on the side saying the side of the building was left as it was after the bombing. The museum is inside what used to be the Journal Record building which stands adjacent to where the Arthur Murrah Federal building stood before the bombing. The museum was very well done and very powerful. It takes you through the entire day and then the investigation and prosecution of the McVeigh and Nichols. I had no idea that the FBI actually figured out they were responsible within two days. Considering the amount of death and destruction this was an incredible feat. This museum is definitely worth a visit if you are ever in the area.
We drove around the rest of the downtown to see Bricktown, which is a tourist area with a river walk atmosphere and lots of shops and restaurants. We drove over to Stockyard City where the cattle come in, but there was no activity. We were ready to get on our way.
Our last few weeks on the road are a bit of a zig-zag across the middle of the country as we try to pick up a few more state stickers before calling it quits. One such stop is Oklahoma City. The drive from Palo Duro to OKC was easy and actually pretty. It wasn't as flat as I thought it was going to be and very green. That changed when we hit the city. The entire city's road system seems to be under construction. We picked Council Road RV park which just outside the downtown area and boasted "easy on easy off". Well they weren't kidding. This gave easy on/off a whole new meaning. The park is right off Hwy 40 and Council Road a major thoroughfare across the street from a huge truck stop. The parks gravel roads were extremely rough with huge holes filled with water. One of their selling features is a storm shelter on site and yes there was threat of severe weather during our three night stay!
We spent our two days glued to the weather channel as the idea of witnessing a tornedo from our trailer is not something we were looking forward to. Luckily it never materialized nor did the predicted hail. There must have been a fire station close by as well because the passing sirens were a constant. Not our favorite stop, but we did earn a sticker!
We did drive into downtown to see the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum which documents the OKC bombing from April 19, 1995. We parked on a street across from the memorial and as we started walking when we were startled by a man hitting the side of the truck as he walked by shouting loudly. He didn't do any damage, but it was a little scary. Walking thru the memorial and towards the museum I was looking at the outside of the building wondering why it was so run down. As we approached we saw the plaque on the side saying the side of the building was left as it was after the bombing. The museum is inside what used to be the Journal Record building which stands adjacent to where the Arthur Murrah Federal building stood before the bombing. The museum was very well done and very powerful. It takes you through the entire day and then the investigation and prosecution of the McVeigh and Nichols. I had no idea that the FBI actually figured out they were responsible within two days. Considering the amount of death and destruction this was an incredible feat. This museum is definitely worth a visit if you are ever in the area.
The outside of the museum left as it was
Survivor tree and rescuer's orchard. Notice the fire escape, somewhat mangled with the middle missing.
Field of empty chairs - smaller ones for the 19 children
We drove around the rest of the downtown to see Bricktown, which is a tourist area with a river walk atmosphere and lots of shops and restaurants. We drove over to Stockyard City where the cattle come in, but there was no activity. We were ready to get on our way.
Stockyard City sign
Coming soon.... Back to Texas to see Alex and Jacob! Woo hoo!
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