Are we still in Kansas?

April 23, 2007

This was a good day in Oklahoma City. We started out visiting the 45th Infantry Museum and took a walk around the outside looking at the tanks and planes. Brought back some memories for Doug as it had some of the equipment he used when in the service in the early 60’s. We then started inside wondering why there was only one car in the lot. We found out when we got to the door and it said the museum was closed on Monday!!!!

We then went to the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. It was a really well done museum with lots of information of the development of the west. It had what looked like the street of a small town in the mid to late 1800’s. Most of this we knew, but gives you renewed appreciation of the life of early settlers.

Then we went to the Oklahoma City National Memorial. What an emotional site. It was so personal you felt you almost knew the survivors as well as the victims. There were areas Doug just had to go through quickly. I hope that the developers of the memorial to 9/11 will visit this and take note. I remember, of course, when this happened, but I sure have renewed respect for it.

Weather was overcast today but no rain, temperatures in the mid 60’s.

April 25, 2007

Weather is very overcast and tornadoes are predicted to later today. We left OKC around 11:30am heading toward Kansas and more bad weather. If it gets too bad we will just pull over and stay in a parking lot someplace.

April 26, 2007

Had a lot of severe weather warnings last night but nothing really came of them. It is very overcast and cool this morning, about 58 degrees. More bad weather predicted for today.

We camped at Lakside RV Park, nice setting, on a long dirt road. We are so early in the season that the bath houses were not even open.

Just had a jolt!! Heard a loud noise and looked out to see that our awning was half unfurled!! We stopped and rewound it and started off again. We were not 1000 feet down the road and it happened again. When we went out this time we found that one of the locks had been broken and we had to use bungies to hold it up until we could get to a campground and do better repairs.

The weather is deteriorating as we go!!

Stopped ata bison ranch. It was really nice, but we could not get near the bison. We were the only ones there so she did not take the wagon out. We got a lot of interesting information on bison and purchase some bison burgers and a roast.

Our next stop was at Nicodemus, KS. This is a national Historic site. It is a small community started in 1877 by blacks that were running away from the KKK and other prejudices in Tenn. and Kentucky. They walled all the way because they were told there was a better life there!! Another one of those eye opening moment!!

As we continued northwest the weather continued to get worse. We started at 58 degrees and by the time we got to the campground in Oberlin, KS the temp. was 39 degrees and raining!!! We were told that the weather further north on 83 (our route) is bad and other campers have stayed here longer waiting for the weather to turn. We will wait until tomorrow and see what it is before deciding if we will leave or stay!