Driving from North Platte north through the central portion of Nebraska, we noticed a dramatic change in the topography with the appearance of undulating, grass-covered sand dunes. The Sandhills, covering over 19,000 sq miles, is the largest grass-stabilized dune region in the Western Hemisphere. Sitting atop the Ogallala Aquifer, the area is dotted with spring-fed lakes, marshes and winding rivers - providing outstanding wildlife habitat and prime rangeland. The miles of undulating hills dotted with large cattle herds made for a very enjoyable drive.
Valentine is the center of a diverse region of quiet lakes, grassy sand hills, secluded waterfalls, a national forest, two national wildlife refuges, big ranches with real cowboys and one of the top 10 canoeing rivers in the US. With 2,800 residents, Valentine is the "big city" of Cherry County.
Though larger than the state of Connecticut, Cherry County is home to only 6,000 people. Traditionally, "frontier" was defined as a place with fewer than six people per square mile. Even with all those folks living in Valentine, Cherry County averages only one person per square mile!
While in Valentine, we visited 3 waterfalls, a national wildlife refuge and a State Park. Pictures will be posted on Facebook.
Two notes. 1. In the picture of the Sandhills, notice the sandy spot. These are areas where the wind has managed to strip the grass off the sand, and are known as blowouts. 2. The Niobrara falls - Smith & Fort - are unique because of their convex faces. A very interesting look.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Oklahoma - 2011
Thank you to all who responded to my survey. It appears that most would like more on Facebook, but many want me to continue the blog. And then there is the problem of some who are not on Facebook. As someone said "what to do, what to do, what to do?" Sooo, I will try to do both, but with some changes. Since photos have been a complicated issue on the blog, I plan to put some photo albums on Facebook and put mainly narative on the blog. I will also put a link to Facebook on the blog. Hope it works, let me know.
Our 2nd stop in OK was Guthrie, a city born of the 1889 Land Run. Located in the Unassigned Lands, Guthrie was chosen as a site for one of the Federal Land Offices where land seekers were required to file their claims. It became a city of over 10,000 in a single day, April 22, 1889.
Four months after the Run, in August 1889, The Guthrie City Directory listed: 6 banks, 16 barbers, 16 blacksmiths, 17 carpenters, 2 cigar manufacturers, 5 newspapers, 7 hardware stores, 15 hotels, 19 pharmacists, 22 lumber dealers, 39 doctors, 40 restaurants, and 81 lawyers!
November 1907, OK was declared a state and Guthrie was the First State Capital. However, in 1910, an election was held and Oklahoma City was named the capital. Only 1 session of the State Assembly was held in Guthrie. Today Guthrie is nationally renowned for its collection of late 19th and early 20th century Territorial- and Victorian-style architecture. There are over 2,000 buildings within the Guthrie Historic District covering 1,400 acres.
The State Capital in Oklahoma City was built 1914 - 1917. Though the blueprints specified a dome, it was not added until 2002. It is the only Capital in the USA with an oil well on the grounds.
April 19, 1995 will always be remembered as the day of the Oklahoma City bombing. Pictures of the Memorial will be on Facebook.
Oklahoma has nearly 400 drivable miles of Route 66, more than any other state. We found the only round barn on Route 66, built in 1898. We also had lunch at Pops: gas station, restaurant, shake shop & convenience store with 500+ soda selections; 66 ft soda bottle; & a 12,000+ soda bottle collection. The roof over the gas pumps features angular steel-beam structure inspired by historic bridges on Route 66. Check out the pictures, the anchor beams are buried 50 ft in the ground!
Our 2nd stop in OK was Guthrie, a city born of the 1889 Land Run. Located in the Unassigned Lands, Guthrie was chosen as a site for one of the Federal Land Offices where land seekers were required to file their claims. It became a city of over 10,000 in a single day, April 22, 1889.
Four months after the Run, in August 1889, The Guthrie City Directory listed: 6 banks, 16 barbers, 16 blacksmiths, 17 carpenters, 2 cigar manufacturers, 5 newspapers, 7 hardware stores, 15 hotels, 19 pharmacists, 22 lumber dealers, 39 doctors, 40 restaurants, and 81 lawyers!
November 1907, OK was declared a state and Guthrie was the First State Capital. However, in 1910, an election was held and Oklahoma City was named the capital. Only 1 session of the State Assembly was held in Guthrie. Today Guthrie is nationally renowned for its collection of late 19th and early 20th century Territorial- and Victorian-style architecture. There are over 2,000 buildings within the Guthrie Historic District covering 1,400 acres.
The State Capital in Oklahoma City was built 1914 - 1917. Though the blueprints specified a dome, it was not added until 2002. It is the only Capital in the USA with an oil well on the grounds.
April 19, 1995 will always be remembered as the day of the Oklahoma City bombing. Pictures of the Memorial will be on Facebook.
Oklahoma has nearly 400 drivable miles of Route 66, more than any other state. We found the only round barn on Route 66, built in 1898. We also had lunch at Pops: gas station, restaurant, shake shop & convenience store with 500+ soda selections; 66 ft soda bottle; & a 12,000+ soda bottle collection. The roof over the gas pumps features angular steel-beam structure inspired by historic bridges on Route 66. Check out the pictures, the anchor beams are buried 50 ft in the ground!
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Thoughts On Texas
1. Texas is BIG. And WINDY. As we went around the state, weather kept changing.
2. Fortunately, we did not get caught in the fire area, but Laura did have a couple bad days when winds carried smoke into the DFW area. With 1 1/2 to 2 million acres & hundreds of buildings burned, can't believe Obama turned down the request for disaster relief. Oops, Republican state!
3. The West part of TX kept having fires, and we (being just south & north of Fort Worth - 2 different parks) kept having storms. We missed the tornados, but seemed like every thunderstorm included HAIL! We got hail at least 3 times, no damage.
4. We really enjoyed our time near South Padre Island. Great visiting with Jean & Dick, Bruce & Dorothy, Jerry & Barb. And Laura tried to eat her weight in shrimp (all you can eat meals), but failed. BUT, it's near the gulf, Humid!
5. Visited San Antonio, visited with Kay & Doug. The Alamo & the Riverwalk are amazing.
6. 3 week visit with Deb & family, seeing the kids & their friends, Easter dinner, having Pattie & kids join us, was GREAT.
7. Visited Crossroads Winery (we first visited there April 2010), bought some of their My Cheeky Bastard wine, met the new owners & the old owners were there too, Fun.
Spent 2 months in Texas, now time to move on. I have several pictures which I will post over the next few days. Oh, did I mention that the winds seems to blow ALL the time in TX. Well, we are now in Oklahoma, and YES, the wind is blowing 20+ MPH!
2. Fortunately, we did not get caught in the fire area, but Laura did have a couple bad days when winds carried smoke into the DFW area. With 1 1/2 to 2 million acres & hundreds of buildings burned, can't believe Obama turned down the request for disaster relief. Oops, Republican state!
3. The West part of TX kept having fires, and we (being just south & north of Fort Worth - 2 different parks) kept having storms. We missed the tornados, but seemed like every thunderstorm included HAIL! We got hail at least 3 times, no damage.
4. We really enjoyed our time near South Padre Island. Great visiting with Jean & Dick, Bruce & Dorothy, Jerry & Barb. And Laura tried to eat her weight in shrimp (all you can eat meals), but failed. BUT, it's near the gulf, Humid!
5. Visited San Antonio, visited with Kay & Doug. The Alamo & the Riverwalk are amazing.
6. 3 week visit with Deb & family, seeing the kids & their friends, Easter dinner, having Pattie & kids join us, was GREAT.
7. Visited Crossroads Winery (we first visited there April 2010), bought some of their My Cheeky Bastard wine, met the new owners & the old owners were there too, Fun.
Spent 2 months in Texas, now time to move on. I have several pictures which I will post over the next few days. Oh, did I mention that the winds seems to blow ALL the time in TX. Well, we are now in Oklahoma, and YES, the wind is blowing 20+ MPH!
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Winstar Casino
Winstar Casino, Thackerville, OK is just a mile north of the Red River, separating TX & OK. The Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma started it in 2004, we visited in 2005. It has grown so fast, it now has 519,000 sq ft of gaming floor, making it the 3rd largest in the world! Trust me, it's a long walk from the Bingo Parlor to the Hotel. They also have a 12 story hotel connected to the casino, a separate hotel on the property, a championship golf course & a 200 site RV park.
Check out the exterior facade! You will see images of London's Parliament Building, Rome's Coliseum, and the Arc de Triomphe from Paris. And since we won money, we like it!
Check out the exterior facade! You will see images of London's Parliament Building, Rome's Coliseum, and the Arc de Triomphe from Paris. And since we won money, we like it!
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Camp Site in Highland Village
In the past when visiting Deb & Family, we have stayed at Lake Park in Lewisville. This year, a new road (2499) was completed near their new home across part of the Lake making a 5 minute drive from Pilot Knoll Park to the house. Wow! And the Park has GREAT campsites! I have uploaded a couple pictures to show you one of the BEST campsites we have EVER had. Since we don't have sewer hookup (just water & electric), now if they can only do something for the bath room & shower building, but then, Deb's house is only 5 minutes, and they have real nice showers.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Random Thoughts and Comments
1. Our primary reason for traveling this winter was to see & visit with the many friends we have met in the Parks past winters. Great success! What fun it has been to see so many again.
2. We also have managed to meet up with many old friends from Michigan (especially from high school and Long Lake).
3. The weather! Record rainfall while we were in Pahrump, NV, cold - down to 7 degrees in St. David, AZ, and warm - 80's in Southern TX. Oh, did I mention the wind blows a lot in S TX?
4. The RV parks. We have seen more open sites in the parks than ever before. Are people just not traveling, can't afford it, or ??
5. Langtry, TX. Home of Judge Roy Bean, a very nice TX Visitors Center, and the smallest RV Park
we've been in. Shared the park with a motorcyclist for 2 nights & a Class B van 1 night. Three of the 6 sites occupied. We were less than a 1/4 mile from the Rio Grande River. Roy Bean was known as "The Hanging Judge", but there is NO record of his having ordered the hanging of anyone.
6. Visits to Mexico. Visit to dentist in Algodones (near Yuma), "Look Ma, no cavities". Felt very safe, lots of visitors from USA, the usual vendors, etc. Went to Palomas (south of Deming, NM) with friends for lunch, seemed very empty. Very few visitors, no street vendors, and more police & military presence than Algodones.
7. My son says I watch too much news, a friend on Facebook says people who watch Fox News are being brainwashed. They both may be right. But, I'm NOT happy with the way our country is headed.
8. Price of diesel fuel. I repeat - When in H... are OUR country leaders going to let OUR oil companies drill for OUR oil?
9. Have shown some of our itinerary in the right hand column. Gee, maybe back in Michigan later this year!
It has been an interesting & fun winter. We now are sitting just across the causeway from South Padre Island, awaiting the arrival of "Spring Break". Should be fun!
2. We also have managed to meet up with many old friends from Michigan (especially from high school and Long Lake).
3. The weather! Record rainfall while we were in Pahrump, NV, cold - down to 7 degrees in St. David, AZ, and warm - 80's in Southern TX. Oh, did I mention the wind blows a lot in S TX?
4. The RV parks. We have seen more open sites in the parks than ever before. Are people just not traveling, can't afford it, or ??
5. Langtry, TX. Home of Judge Roy Bean, a very nice TX Visitors Center, and the smallest RV Park
we've been in. Shared the park with a motorcyclist for 2 nights & a Class B van 1 night. Three of the 6 sites occupied. We were less than a 1/4 mile from the Rio Grande River. Roy Bean was known as "The Hanging Judge", but there is NO record of his having ordered the hanging of anyone.
6. Visits to Mexico. Visit to dentist in Algodones (near Yuma), "Look Ma, no cavities". Felt very safe, lots of visitors from USA, the usual vendors, etc. Went to Palomas (south of Deming, NM) with friends for lunch, seemed very empty. Very few visitors, no street vendors, and more police & military presence than Algodones.
7. My son says I watch too much news, a friend on Facebook says people who watch Fox News are being brainwashed. They both may be right. But, I'm NOT happy with the way our country is headed.
8. Price of diesel fuel. I repeat - When in H... are OUR country leaders going to let OUR oil companies drill for OUR oil?
9. Have shown some of our itinerary in the right hand column. Gee, maybe back in Michigan later this year!
It has been an interesting & fun winter. We now are sitting just across the causeway from South Padre Island, awaiting the arrival of "Spring Break". Should be fun!
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Humor
After having dug to a depth of 10 feet last year, New York scientists found traces of copper wire dating back 100 years and came to the conclusion that their ancestors already had a telephone network more than 100 years ago.
Not to be outdone, a California archaeologist dug to a depth of 20 feet. Shortly after, a story in an LA newspaper read: "California archaeologists' discovery of 200 year old copper wire have concluded that their ancestors already had an advanced high-tech communications network a hundred years earlier than New Yorkers."
One week later, a local newspaper in Michigan reported the following: "After digging as deep as 30 feet in his pasture near Houghton Lake, MI, Clem, a self-taught archaelolgist, reported that he found absolutely nothing. Bubba has therefore concluded that 300 years ago, Michigan had already gone wireless."
Just makes me proud to be from Michigan!
ps. So why is President Obama going to Michigan today?
Not to be outdone, a California archaeologist dug to a depth of 20 feet. Shortly after, a story in an LA newspaper read: "California archaeologists' discovery of 200 year old copper wire have concluded that their ancestors already had an advanced high-tech communications network a hundred years earlier than New Yorkers."
One week later, a local newspaper in Michigan reported the following: "After digging as deep as 30 feet in his pasture near Houghton Lake, MI, Clem, a self-taught archaelolgist, reported that he found absolutely nothing. Bubba has therefore concluded that 300 years ago, Michigan had already gone wireless."
Just makes me proud to be from Michigan!
ps. So why is President Obama going to Michigan today?
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