Thursday, April 7, 2011
Queen Wilhelmina to Hot Springs
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| How do you pronounce Ouachita? |
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| Ouachita Valley |
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| Patient Co-Pilot |
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Queen Wilhemina State Park
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| Our Campsite at Queen Talhemina State Park |
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| Dog's Eyeview at Sunrise |
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| Lodge in the Distance at Sunrise |
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| View from Campground |
We drove into the campground to pick out a couple of campsites. We found that they have a very nice “bath house” here, so we chose sites near that.
We had to go to the lodge to register. There was a man out front guarding the new crosswalk that had just been painted. I had already driven through here once, so this was the second time he had to guide me around the crosswalk.
They have a dining area in the lodge that looked very inviting. It was about 4 p.m. when we got there. We decided to have dinner there about 7 p.m. The ladies at the registration desk were very nice and very informative. They told us about the many places to visit in Arkansas. Who knew??? They have a lot of state parks. I think they said there are 52. Some are just tiny places though. I believe my campsite, with hookups, was $18 or thereabouts.
When we went to the lodge for dinner, there were quite a few diners already in there. One of the waitresses had told us about a group that was meeting there at the lodge. We were hoping to avoid the "crowd", but they were there having their dinner at the same time. There actually weren't that many of them.
One lady had a plate full of fried chicken livers and she offered us a few. I had one. It was pretty yummy, but it would have been better dipped in some sort of dressing. I ordered fried shrimp. They were out of baked potatoes, so they served me two huge scoops of mashed potatoes with white gravy. One huge scoop was plenty. We had already served ourselves a salad from the salad bar before our dinners arrived. We were a little disappointed in the food, but it was tasty enough and we didn't have to fix it ourselves. (I think I forgot to mention that Judy fixed a delicious dinner the night before. She grilled vegetables and a steak. Mmmm!!! It was much better than the dinner at the lodge.)
We opted for separate sites here, so we would each have a nice view of the valley, albeit through the trees. It’s good that they’re bare or we might not see much of anything. It’s a hazy view from here, but it’s nice. The wind is blowing really hard. It’s a hunker down sort of day. I think I’ll hang out here for a while, take a shower, then head toward Hot Springs National Park. They say it’s right downtown, but Judy found that there are campsites there. She’ll be able to get a site at half price, since she’s older. : ) I guess that’s where we’ll meet up later on. There are tours of the hot springs, which sound interesting, but I don’t know if I’ll make it there early enough. I’ll try to get in on a tour, now that I know we can camp right there.
There’s a Pioneer Cemetery in this area that we could hike to, but the weather is not very conducive to that. We passed a turnout for the cemetery on the drive here, so we could possibly go back there. It sounds interesting, but I’m not sure whether or not I want to take the time for that. I prefer pioneer cemeteries with my relatives in them. The walk would be nice, if it wasn't so windy.
Well… I better fix some breakfast and get on with my day. I’m not sure whether or not I’ll have time to post pictures. We’ll see.
Robbers Cave to Talimena Scenic Drive
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| Robbers Cave |
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| Wildflowers at Robbers Cave |
I got myself going a little more quickly yesterday. I skipped the shower. That always helps. The weather was a little better at Robbers Cave. The sun was shining. That’s a good sign.
I tried to move quickly, so I’d be ready to leave at a reasonable hour. I considered waiting for coffee from McDonald’s. That would have saved time, but I didn’t really want to wait, so I took the time to make coffee. I have a new percolator, so the coffee is pretty tasty.
Before long, I was ready to unhook and move along. Judy would be ready soon, so we decided that I would go to the dump station before her. That was a reasonable decision, since I had Judy blocked into the site.
After I dumped, I drove up to the little store nearby to get a postcard, but they told me there was a gift shop across the street with a better selection, so I went across the street to take a look. They didn’t have a really great selection, but there were very nice ladies working there and I was able to find a couple cards.
I chatted with one of the ladies for a while. She and her husband had taken their grandson to Vicksburg, MS a few years back and they had a great time. She told me I had to have some grits there. She also said there are casinos there, so my ears perked up. Besides that, she said they have really good food at the casino buffets. I liked the sound of that too. (Judy doesn’t have the same admiration for casinos, so I don’t think we’ll be eating at any of those or partaking of their free accommodations in the parking lot. Such a shame!)
The gift shop lady told me they had toured a courthouse that had a lot of antiques. She said they found it very interesting. We already had our sights set on Vicksburg, but she gave me a few new ideas.
After I left the gift shop, I headed for the post office. Luckily, it wasn’t far. That was a quick stop. I wanted to go to McDonald’s to grab some breakfast to eat while driving. I had to backtrack to go there, so I stopped at the gas station on the way. I didn’t need much gas, but it’s good to have plenty when one navigates like I do, which could probably be described as hit and miss.
Unfortunately, they were no longer serving breakfast. My body clock STILL hasn’t adapted to the time change. I had to get lunch, which really wasn’t what I wanted, but I WAS hungry. Heaven forbid that I fix some food myself. (I try to travel with healthier food, so it doesn’t always sound appealing. Crazy, but true.)
Before I left Robbers Cave, Judy and I had agreed that we would meet on the Talimena Scenic Drive. Lucky for Judy, but not so lucky for me, after driving through a few different “road work” areas with double fines (You know what that means!), I noticed a fire was burning along the roadside up ahead. I drove until I could see it better. The road was covered with smoke and I could see one truck stopped there. Maybe there were volunteer fire fighters working to put out the fire. I called Judy and told her I was turning back.
On the turnpike between Norman and Coppers Cave there were signs saying don’t drive into the smoke. I thought those were funny signs, but I thought the advice was probably good. After all, “Where there’s smoke, there’s fire!”
Judy, the experienced map person, told me which town to put into the GPS to get me on an alternate route. Before heading back through the “road work” again, I decided to listen to the GPS and head off to the right (east, I guess). Wow! That was one of the best drives on this trip. Up and down over rolling hills past ranches with cows and horses grazing everywhere. I loved it! I had to cross a bridge with weight restrictions. I was hoping this rig wasn’t too heavy. Eventually, I got up to the road that connects with the Talimena Scenic Drive (I know that now.), but since I had my GPS pointed toward Caston, OK, the GPS led me the wrong way.
After driving for a while, I switched my GPS to the city of Talihina and it started going crazy. It wanted me to go down every little road. I fell for this once before and ended up on a BUMPY dirt road. Instead of just telling me to turn around, the GPS tries to take me on side roads back to where I belong. I finally figured out for myself that I needed to turn around. I know this is why it’s wise to look at actual maps more often, but I don’t mind the wild goose chases so much. I allow time for them. : )
Anyway, I finally got back on the right highway and headed toward Talimena Drive. Lacey wanted to get out, so we stopped at a place named “No Name City” or something like that. I should have taken a picture. It seemed deserted, but we could hear a dog barking.
Before long, Judy drove up. She had taken an alternate route too and also enjoyed her drive. We chatted a bit and then headed off toward the Talimena Dr.
Just as I was starting to drive away, I heard, “Wolf! Wolf! Wolf!” I looked out my window and saw a big Basset Hound practically under my wheel. He started to howl. I guess we overstayed our welcome and someone let him out to chase us off. I was glad we were all back in our vehicles before he reached us. I had to drive away slowly for fear of running over him. He howled as we drove away, but he didn‘t chase us. I think he was trying to get his owner to come out and help him deal with us.
We stopped at the visitor’s station at the beginning of Talimena Dr. The sign read, “Closed until Spring.” Hmmm??? Oh, well! Judy walked over to read the bulletin board and I went on down the road.
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| Talimena Scenic Drive |
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| Lacey on Talimena Drive |
The drive was beautiful, with many turnouts on either side, that overlooked the valley below. There was a lot of haze in the distance and we could see the smoke of several fires. There is a lot of kindling in this area. There are lots and lots of trees, many of which are still bare and fairly dry. As Judy pointed out, the trees in some areas had already sprouted, while others had not. There were a lot of tiny wildflowers on the roadsides too. Judy and I drove at our own pace, but we met up every once in a while. It was a leisurely drive. I got sleepy, of course. I hate that!!! I wish that wouldn’t happen. I managed to make it to the end of the drive without falling asleep. That's a good thing!
Monday, April 4, 2011
Hiking at Robbers Cave
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| Spring has sprung! |
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| Dogwood |
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| Hiking Trail |
Judy and I went up to the store to pay for our site. It is a really good deal. We got to share the cost of a site again. Judy is plugged into 50 amp and I’m plugged into 30 amp. Judy got a SENIOR discount for us. It was only $42 for two nights. Very nice!!!
After we paid for our site, Judy, Lacey and I headed out on a nearby hiking trail along a ridge above a creek. We never did see the creek, but I’m sure it was down there. It is a pretty wooded area and spring has sprung. It was pretty chilly, which is good for me. I like to hike in cool temps. The sun peeked through the clouds every once in a while. Judy would have liked more sunshine, but we had a good time.
After we finished hiking, I figured I earned a good lunch, so I made a grilled cheese sandwich with pepper jack cheese. Lacey got a Bully Stick and stayed outside on her rug chewing on her stick. Later, she crashed on the Roadtrek porch. I listened to my audiobook for a while, then I got back to work on my blog.
Judy has a great meal planned for tonight. We’re hoping to get away somewhat early tomorrow. We want to have plenty of time to enjoy the scenic drive from Talihina, Oklahoma to Mena, Arkansas known as the Talimena Scenic Drive. We think we’ve dodged the stormy weather that is going across the country. (I never hear any news, but Judy told me about it this afternoon.)
Judy just let me know she is getting dinner started. I'm going to take Lacey for a quick walk, then I'm going to join Judy for dinner. I'm looking forward to a quiet evening in Robbers Cave.
Robbers Cave, Oklahoma
Judy and I are at Robbers Cave State Park. We had a pretty rough drive from Norman, OK yesterday. Judy left earlier than me, but we both had to deal with the high winds. She pulled off at a rest stop for a while. Just about the time she was getting back on the road, I pulled off at a different rest stop on I40. It just wasn’t worth fighting the wind. I didn’t have a deadline. I’m on vacation after all! I thought I might just stay at the rest stop over night. It was a very nice place. They even has a walkway through a grassy area where dogs are allowed. Imagine that!
My audiobook, The Judge’s Daughter, was getting very interesting, so I listened for a while, then dozed for a while. When I woke up, I decided it would be too boring staying at the rest stop and I wasn’t sure that Judy had received my text message, so I decided to hit the road, even though it was still quite windy.
Once I got on the highway, I realized the wind had died down a little and I had more energy to wrestle with it. The thing I didn’t think through was the fact that I would arrive at the park when it would be too dark to see ANYTHING.
When I got to the town of Wilburton, where you turn off to go towards Robbers Cave, I couldn’t determine where to turn. I turned on some small roads and drove around for a while. Eventually, I called Judy. It was great that our phones were working. While she was trying to figure out where I was, I finally came to the turnoff, which was actually well marked and not too hard to see. It’s just that there was a sign earlier that made it look like I was at the turnoff when I wasn’t. You understand, right?
I still had about 15 miles to go, but it was a straight shot and not too bad. Eventually the GPS announced that I was at the south entrance to the park, but there was no obvious entrance. I continued driving, thinking I had missed the entrance and would need to turn around. Well… I was headed up a mountain and there was no place to turn around. A big truck came up behind me. When I finally found a crossroad, I couldn’t stop because the truck was right on my rear end. As I drove by, I saw that it was the entrance to the park.
I called Judy again while I was looking for another place to turn around. She had no idea where I was, of course. She said I should have turned right at the entrance. The truck finally passed me. I came to another turn off that said Robbers Cave. I was delighted. I thought I was at the other entrance. Well… It was a dirt road and I could not turn around. I was hopeful that I was headed in the right direction until I came to a fork in the road. At that point, while still on the phone with Judy, I decided I better turn around, since there was now a place to do it. Judy was trying to find my location on the park map. I stepped on the gas, but I couldn’t go anywhere, not forward, not reverse. I thought I was stuck in sand or something. I told Judy I was stuck, hung up the phone and jumped out. I walked around the van with a flashlight and I could see that I was on solid ground, so I jumped back in. I tried to move again, but I couldn’t go anywhere. I figured out that the brake was on. Smart, eh?? Maybe it was always on. I might have set the brake automatically without realizing it when I stopped. Anyway… I was turning around, thankfully. I hurriedly called Judy to tell her not to call out the rescue squad. Guess where she was headed!
I eventually got off the dirt road and headed back toward the entrance. It was still hard to see the turnoff, but I managed to get myself onto the right road. From there it was smooth sailing. Judy met me outside the circle where her rig was parked. She had found a nice spot where both of our rigs could fit. We even had hookups!!! If you’ve ever camped with me, you know I don’t like backing into a site, especially in the dark. I went in nose first. I thought I wouldn’t bother hooking up, but since I have two electrical cords, I decided to hook up. It’s nice to have electricity.
It’s a bit humid here in Oklahoma, but it had cooled down and it was nice sitting outside at the table. It was sometime after 9 p.m. when I finally got here. Judy had a little office set up at the table, so I joined her there for a snack and a glass of wine. It was very pleasant.
It was warm enough when Lacey and I climbed into the rig, after visiting with Judy, that I opened all the windows for the night. As soon as I could, I climbed into bed.
Sometime during the night, it started raining. I had to get up and close all the windows. Luckily, Lacey didn’t stir, so I didn’t have to take her out. It was nice listening to the rain. That was the first rain that we’ve run into. It was just a passing shower.
This morning, after Lacey and I woke up, we went out for a quick walk. Doggies need a walk in the morning. We checked out the restroom. Lacey didn’t want to go into the scary bathroom, but I needed to check it out, so she complied. The shower stalls weren’t great, but I checked the water and it was hot. We headed back to our rig. Once I had things straightened up and we could move in here, I headed out for a nice hot shower. I was glad I did.
On the way back, I ran into Judy heading out on a walk. We exchanged a few words and went on our way. I needed to dry my hair and get on with my day. I was still hoping to find a little time to blog. It has been a relaxing trip, but I never seem to get around to this. I’m too tired at night and there’s too much to do in the mornings.
I had a lot of dishes stacking up, so I made myself wash those before sitting down at the computer. We have a connection here, which is great, but it seems to be very slow. I’m hoping to finish this and get this much posted. I’ll have to try to backtrack and fill in the missing pieces. I’m sure you can’t wait to read every detail.
Judy just stopped by. We need to head up to the store to pay for our site. We’re going to stay here another night. It will be nice to spend more time here. It’s a beautiful park. Someone on the CyberRally recommended it and I’m glad they did. We’re not far from the Talimena Scenic Drive that we’ll drive tomorrow. Judy says it sounds like the park at the end of that drive, which is in Arkansas, sounds really nice, so we may stop there.
Okay… I’m going to stop here and go outside to explore a little. It should be a great day. It's cool or even cold, but that's good in my opinion. We haven’t spent two nights at any campground so far. This is a real treat!!!
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