Dateline: Oklahoma Welcome Center, OK, May 14
Still wet, but at least not thundering. A slightly better welcome center than Arkansas, but still a palid effort. Let's try harder, Oklahoma!!!
Note the skeletal teepee to the right. The grounds were littered with them - it looked like a huge art exhibit had just been struck. (Or rained out.)
Dateline: Oklahoma Welcome Center, OK, May 14
A little help for the geographically impaired.
(And kudos to the lovely hand model.)
Dateline: Clinton, OK, May 14
Giddyup, little catfish!
Great catfish sandwich - and surprisingly good vegetables!
Dateline: Cherokee Trading Center, OK, May 14
In her element.
To be fair, she got me a killer Route 66 shirt, and she still makes a phenomenal hand model.
Dateline: Cherokee Trading Center, OK, May 14
The new acquisition. There are buffalo in Oklahoma? Didn't they pretty much wipe out the southern herds...?
Dateline: Texas Visitors Center in Amarillo, TX, May 14
Now we're talking! Great architecture, bathrooms clean and delightful to use (don't ask), and fun artwork to pose a dog with! Way to go, Texas! Oklahoma, Arkansas: are you paying attention?
Dateline: Palo Duro Canyon State Park, TX, May 14
It may not be the Grand Canyon (that'll have to wait a few days), but it don't suck. We camped down at the bottom, near one of the those bright red rock formations in the distance.
Dateline: Palo Duro Canyon State Park, TX, May 14
Our campsite. Dirt and ants. Funny thing how well red dirt sticks to fuzzy white dog butts.
For a good time, click the picture to the right - it should bring up a panaramic view of the campsite. (Oh, indulge me - I was playing with one of the features of my new camera!) If you look around, it'll look like we were the only mad fools in a tent, but there were actually others. Just not many.
Dateline: Palo Duro Canyon State Park, TX, May 14
The first time these birds romped through our site, we were thrilled! Real, live butterballs on the hoof! Gosh, they made loud gobbling noises and everything, and I must have burned twenty shots on 'em. Turns out we were kinda camping in their scratching ground, so they wandered through a lot.
Fun fact: did you know when turkeys walk with their features flared like this, it sounds like someone dragging a full garbage bag?
Dateline: Palo Duro Canyon State Park, TX, May 14
Health food a la Riches: peanut butter, raisins, and cookies. In your face, Weight Watchers.
Afterwards, we thought we might read a little, but the lights attracted so many bugs that we just went to bed, shut the screen, and listened to the howls of distant armadillos. (Nancy thinks they were coyotes. Ha.)
Dateline: Palo Duro Canyon State Park, TX, May 15
We have to drive to Santa Fe, but maybe a quick hike won't delay us too bad... but which one? Ack!
Except for the brown dirt on EVERYTHING and the flies which sounded like B-52's (but which clearly didn't care for the DEET we'd pickled ourselves in), this was the best camping so far!