Thanks for the nice comments!
Today is our last day in Oklahoma, so I thought I'd post a quick note before I lose my computer access again.
We've had a wonderful week here; it will be hard to leave tomorrow. Dean, Fran, Karen, and Ella drove up here for the weekend from San Antonio. We really enjoyed their company, and the kids had a blast with their cousins! Our weekend together culminated with a water balloon battle out in the yard - lots of fun. Yesterday we visited the Cowboy Museum in OKC - one of the boys' very favorite places to go.
Tomorrow morning we'll head out through Oklahoma and southern Missouri. We're planning to camp at the Big Spring campground in the Ozark National Scenic Waterway. On Thursday, we'll drive to Kentucky for our last big stop at Mammoth Cave National Park. Then, a couple of driving days through Kentucky, West Virginia, and Maryland to get back home.
I'll try to send some pictures, if Verizon will let me, tomorrow before we get out into the boonies again. I hope everyone at home (and elsewhere) is well. Love to you all.
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Friday, June 23, 2006
Oklahoma!
We arrived in Oklahoma at Ken's parent's house on Wednesday night - a day early. The heat and humidity in Arkansas just got to be too much, so we cut our stay there short.
We did have a wonderful time during our two days in Arkansas, though. I have some great pictures, but I haven't been able to send them since we left Memphis. We were in the midst of state parks and national forest in Arkansas, with no cell phone coverage. We have limited service here in Oklahoma, so we can make calls now but still can't send pictures. We're just outside of Oklahoma City, not exactly out in the wild anymore, but Verizon has limited service here. I'll just have to save up the pictures for next week when we get on the road again.
After we left Memphis, we drove to Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas. What a cool place! It's the site of the world's only finders-keepers diamond field, a 37-acre field of volcanic dirt where diamonds and other gems have been found for decades. There are still an average of two diamonds found each day! There were three found the day before we arrived. Alas, we found none - and no one else did the day we searched either - but we had fun and found lots of pretty rocks, including a lot of jasper. And did I mention it was HOT?? After a couple of very sweaty hours searching for diamonds, we cooled off in the park's pool/waterpark. Jamie & Craig loved the waterslides.
We left Crater of Diamonds Tuesday afternoon and headed north. We stopped for dinner in Hot Springs at McClard's BBQ, renowned as the best BBQ in the south and Bill Clinton's personal favorite (he grew up there). Sure enough, the walls were covered with signed celebrity photos...and the ribs were outstanding! We pigged out, then continued through the Ouachita National Forest (a beautiful drive) to Petit Jean State Park.
Petit Jean was our favorite stop from our last trip to Oklahoma. It's a gorgeous state park perched high along a wooded canyon. We took our favorite hike there, Bear Cave Trail, which is covered with enormous rock formations perfect for climbing. The boys had a blast, but it was really hot and humid, so we decided to continue to Oklahoma a day early.
So now we're enjoying the company of Ken's parents (not to mention their air conditioning!). Jamie and Craig are having fun with their friend who lives next door and enjoying his pool. Our nephew Dean, his wife Fran, and their girls Karen and Ella arrive late tonight from San Antonio. We can't wait to see them all.
Pictures to follow, whenever I'm able to send them again!
We did have a wonderful time during our two days in Arkansas, though. I have some great pictures, but I haven't been able to send them since we left Memphis. We were in the midst of state parks and national forest in Arkansas, with no cell phone coverage. We have limited service here in Oklahoma, so we can make calls now but still can't send pictures. We're just outside of Oklahoma City, not exactly out in the wild anymore, but Verizon has limited service here. I'll just have to save up the pictures for next week when we get on the road again.
After we left Memphis, we drove to Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas. What a cool place! It's the site of the world's only finders-keepers diamond field, a 37-acre field of volcanic dirt where diamonds and other gems have been found for decades. There are still an average of two diamonds found each day! There were three found the day before we arrived. Alas, we found none - and no one else did the day we searched either - but we had fun and found lots of pretty rocks, including a lot of jasper. And did I mention it was HOT?? After a couple of very sweaty hours searching for diamonds, we cooled off in the park's pool/waterpark. Jamie & Craig loved the waterslides.
We left Crater of Diamonds Tuesday afternoon and headed north. We stopped for dinner in Hot Springs at McClard's BBQ, renowned as the best BBQ in the south and Bill Clinton's personal favorite (he grew up there). Sure enough, the walls were covered with signed celebrity photos...and the ribs were outstanding! We pigged out, then continued through the Ouachita National Forest (a beautiful drive) to Petit Jean State Park.
Petit Jean was our favorite stop from our last trip to Oklahoma. It's a gorgeous state park perched high along a wooded canyon. We took our favorite hike there, Bear Cave Trail, which is covered with enormous rock formations perfect for climbing. The boys had a blast, but it was really hot and humid, so we decided to continue to Oklahoma a day early.
So now we're enjoying the company of Ken's parents (not to mention their air conditioning!). Jamie and Craig are having fun with their friend who lives next door and enjoying his pool. Our nephew Dean, his wife Fran, and their girls Karen and Ella arrive late tonight from San Antonio. We can't wait to see them all.
Pictures to follow, whenever I'm able to send them again!
Monday, June 19, 2006
Sunday, June 18, 2006
Saturday, June 17, 2006
Thursday, June 15, 2006
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Getting ready
packing time
Cool, it works! I figured out how to send photos to this blog from my cell phone, so you can follow along on our road trip to Oklahoma.
Here's a rough idea of our itinerary:
- First stop - 2 nights at Shenandoah National Park
- Drive through Virginia and Tennessee, with a quick stop in Memphis at Mud Island.
- Visit Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas to look for diamonds!
- Two nights at Petit Jean State Park in Arkansas (one of our favorite stops from our last trip).
- Onto Oklahoma to spend a week with Ken's parents, our nephew Dean and his family.
- Through Missouri, with a stop at the Ozark National Scenic Waterway.
- Into Kentucky, with a stop at Mammoth Cave National Park.
- Through West Virginia, Maryland, and back home!
So, check back here for photos...just don't expect much text after this. I'll have to type with those tiny buttons on my cell phone!
