Oklahoma City to Phillipsburg

Today we left Oklahoma City at about 8:15 a.m.  It was beautifully clear and sunny and not too cold at about 62 degrees.  We traveled easterly below the city before swinging northward to catch Interstate 44 heading northeast toward Joplin, Missouri.  We missed most of early morning traffic apparently going this direction with commuters coming the opposite direction toward us at almost a standstill. 

Frontier City Amusement Park

We passed a rather substantial amusement park next to the Interstate called Frontier City which would give the average roller coaster rider a good thrill (certainly I’m too old for that!)  Almost instantly it seemed we were out of the city and into rolling hills with grass and trees everywhere.  OK, I know I am going on and on about the green stuff, but we have been in Arizona for quite a while and it feels good to see the opposite of flat and desert!

Rolling hills east of Oklahoma City

We passed Stroud, OK, which bills itself as the “Main Street of America” and it beckoned to us to get off the Interstate to see what is there.  What fits their criteria for making this claim on a welcome sign and the temptation such a promise holds out to those of us who are passing by?  Maybe the Main Streets of our youth or a reincarnation of Mayberry RFD would pull many of us into Stroud, OK, forever.  A bit of research reveals that Stroud was established in 1892 by a trader named James Stroud.  At that time it had a reputation for being a wild town with many saloons and other businesses catering to thirsty cowboys.  It benefited from the construction of Route 66 from 1926 until its heydays in the 1950s when the Turnpike diverted cross-country traffic from its main street.  The town was almost destroyed by tornadoes in 1999.  Today its recovery is based upon the oil and gas businesses, agriculture and tourism including the introduction of locally-produced wines.  

Arkansas River

We traversed the Arkansas River and saw Tulsa in the distance from the Turnpike then passed the home of Will Rogers in Claremore, OK.  It was at this point that the highway also took us through the Cherokee Nation.  We arrived in Joplin, Missouri, around noon-another town it would be nice to have seen more of and what it is like.  It was established in 1873 by a founder of the area’s first Methodist church and grew due to the mining of zinc until the end of World War II.  Route 66 helped this town regain travelers also.  It was severely damaged in May, 2011, by an EF-5 tornado that killed or injured over 1000 people.  Branson, Missouri is also near today’s route which interestingly is promoting Las Vegas style, live shows but without the casinos.  It is even drawing country western singers from Nashville, Tennessee.  The road now is graced with purple and white blooming trees and pastures with paint horses and their foals.  Caterpillars are building their white “tents” in the branches of trees and we saw an armadillo (unfortunately a road kill) surprisingly but in checking they are indeed this far north!

We saw two large FED EX staging warehouses today, passed the “home of French’s Mustard” and saw a billboard for www.rareseeds.com where they sell “Heirloom Seeds” which is an interesting site.

Fixing the 50 amp electrical cord.

Happy Trails RV Park where leaves are just budding out.

Note the name of this cheese from Wisconsin

The day has ended at “Happy Trails RV Park” in Phillipsburg, Missouri.  I saw a robin here for the first time.  We got the RV electric cord fixed.  The treat of the afternoon was a mall with Russell Stover candies, Wisconsin cheese curds and Blue Bell ice cream we could not pass up!

They are predicting temperatures here in the mid-thirties and forecasting snow.  We'll be on the road early to keep ahead of it!




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Snoopy’s Corner: 
I am lazy today and thoroughly used to my moving home.  I don’t even mind when the slides open up.  I just sit on the couch until it stops moving!

Life is grand-somebody has to be the cat and I got picked!