Sept 24-26th - Whirlwind trip thru Arkansas to Oklahoma, Amarillo and Tucumcari

Onward thru the great red dirt dust bowl . . .

Dust Bowl of Oklahoma

Oklahoma City

Serenading Bird

Very uneventful drive thru Arkansas. Boring country to drive thru on I-40. We stayed at a Walmart in Conway on the 24th. Driving on into Oklahoma was pretty much like Arkansas, maybe a little more interesting with the large farmland and red dirt. I could imagine my grandparents coming thru here in 1918 on their way to Oregon and stopping over to give birth to my dad in Oklahoma City. What a trip that must have been. The land is flat with long straight roads and I'm sure it was dusty traveling on dirt roads back then. We stayed at Hargus RV Park in Clinton, OK on the 25th. It was run down and in the middle of nowhere, but it allowed a good nights rest after a hard drive. A flock of noisey birds serenaded us early this morning. These were bird sounds I had never heard before. Nothing like we have back East.

Johnson Ranch

Johnson Ranch

Welcome Center and Tornado Shelter

Amarillo and the Big Texan Steakhouse . . .

Driving on into Texas was beautiful country going into Amarillo. We saw oil wells, the Johnson Ranch, and stopped at a rest area which served as a tornado shelter built into the side of a hill. In Amarillo we had a nice steak meal at the world famous Big Texan Steakhouse where if you can eat a 72 oz steak it is free. No, we didn't try it, but our food was good. The entertainment was a strolling guitar picker and singer of ole texas songs and the waitress was the best we have ever had. She was a bit of a ditz like me but very friendly and full of stories to tell and certainly earned her tip.

The Big Texan Steakhouse

Singing Troubadour

Inside the Saloon

Me and the Stagecoach

Time for Nostalgia . . . 

We ended up in Tucumcari, NM on the night of the 26th at a truck stop beneath the Tucumcari Mtn where Mom and dad climbed on their trip out West in1991 before Mom had her stroke and heart operation to give her a new valve. That was probably the last mountain she ever climbed as she cont inued to go downhill from that point, eventually getting Alzheimers.

Mount Tucumcari

And of course I have to show you the big volumptuous sky here in the West . . . 

Hurricane Mills, TN

September 23, 2014 - Hurricane Mills, TN, Home to Loretta Lynn

We departed home early this morning for the West. Drove thru Knoxville and Nashville as we have been there, done that and got a t-shirt. Around 3 pm we were getting tired and mulled over the idea of boondocking, but we kept seeing billboards directing us to Loretta Lynn's Ranch and campground. Passport America campground with a rate of $20.58 which included tax. We couldn't pass this up. 

Loretta Lynn General Store

Our little Lexi parked and ready for the night

So glad that we stopped here. This time of year it was almost empty and very quiet and peaceful. The place is clean and there is lots to do during the Summer season. The sites are level and they have laundry facilities and cute rustic bath houses. Cabins are also available with names like "Don't Come Home A Drinkin". A nice place to end the day and a beautiful place to spend the night. 

They have full facilities for camping, a motorcross track, horses, Loretta's home as well as her large mansion where she raised her family and of course the usual museums and tourists trap gift shops. We enjoyed our one nights stay here and spent the next morning exploring the ranch as you can see from my photos.

Loretta's house

Some of the livestock

Me at the Dude Ranch Store

One of the Museums - beautiful water photo

Such a lovely place to spend the morning. Would like to return here later to explore it more indepth.