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Joan's Blog - 2007
Day
1 – Sunday, May 20, 2007
We departed
We stopped for a great
lunch in
Bob told us about his
newest venture - barbecue sauce. The Apple’s ranch is the less famous part of
the old 101 Ranch. Bob sauce is called 101 Ranch Barbecue, A Taste of the Old
West. He gave us each a bottle and he’ll sell it to folks who email him at cowboy@ptsi.net.
It’s spicy and good!
The scenery here is
awe-inspiring. Black Mesa, the highest point in
We arrived back at the
Hitching Post just as it was getting dark. We fixed sandwiches and turned in for
the night.
Day
2 – Monday, May 21, 2007
Kenton
to Woodward
After a comfortable night
at the Hitching Post, we set up to broadcast from the Kenton Mercantile www.kentonok.com
. We were joined by owner John Mayfield and proprietor Wes McBride. Once the sun
rose, a local dog named Harley joined us. According to John, Harley wanders
around town with another dog and two white cats.
The Merc was built in 1898
by Drew Barnum (PT’s nephew) in what was once a thriving town with about 1500
residents. Today, the Merc is open daily (except Tuesday) from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00
p.m. Wes will serve breakfast, lunch, or an early dinner. Most folks order a
cheeseburger and fries for $5.95. Last weekend, the Merc served lunch to 157 of
the 1000 bikers who came through town on a five state ride. Climbers who make it
to the top of Black Mesa can get come to the Merc for a signed High Pointer
certificate.
Folks who want to stay the
night can rent one of three Kenton Kabins http://www.geocities.com/kenton_merc/Kabins.html
at the Merc. John says there aren’t many places four people can stay for $65 a
night.
We said our goodbyes and
headed for Woodward. On the way, we stopped in Guymon to eat a tasty lunch at
Acapulco Mexican restaurant. After lunch, we visited the Sunset Hills Golf
Course to see what the winner is going to enjoy. The course looks challenging.
We left Guymon and headed
for Woodward, where we plan to broadcast in the morning. We stopped at the local
radio station K-101 and met with owner J. Doug Williams, and radio personalities
Dan Ridenour and David Wayne. They helped us solve a minor equipment problem and
worked out the logistics for the morning broadcast.
We arrived at
We met our next Paris
Limousine driver at the park.
After checking into our
cabins, which each had a view of the lake, we went to Woodward for a quick
dinner and a driving tour of town. By 7:30, we were ready to call it a day.
Day 3 – Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Woodward
to
I got up this morning at 4:00 and stepped outside. It
was too early for the sun, but I heard voices a few doors down. The folks in the
fourth cabin must be early risers. By 4:25,
Things were hectic at the station. The K-101 morning
show kicked into high gear after the first segment with Magic Man and they
didn’t calm down before we left at 9:00. We were all ready for breakfast, so
we stopped at the Silver Spur Café just west of town.
The café had come highly recommended and we soon
discovered why. We enjoyed a filling breakfast served by Melissa. Her mother
owns the café and they had participated in our prize package for today. While
there, we met father and son, David and Thern who were traveling together for
the summer in a big rig. I got a quick tour of the truck and met their two
dachshund puppies.
Soon we were on our way to Alabaster Caverns. We took
Highway 50 north from Moreland. We drove by a high red bluff with a group of
cows on top. I had
We arrived at the park office just in time for the
11:00 tour. Our guide, Kim, was outstanding. She’s worked at the park for 18
years and seemed to know everything there is to know about the cavern. I’m
embarrassed to say this is the first time I had been to the park. I was stunned
by the experience. We even saw a bat, which is unusual for this time of the
year. This place is special. http://www.travelok.com/listings/view.profile/id.110
We were joined on our tour by a family of four. During
the walk, I overheard them say they were staying at
The drive from Alabaster Caverns to
Our destination today was
Marybeth offered to be our guide, so she hopped on the coach and off we went. Our first stop was the newly restored Poncan Theatre www.poncantheatre.com , which has the largest collection of original lobby art in the country. Dave May, executive director, gave us the quick and informative tour.
Dave joined us on the coach for the next leg of our
journey, the brand new
Our Paris Limousine driver, Gary, was leaving us in
We stopped by the Chamber After Hours event, just to
say hello to the nice folks in
After a quick bite to eat at Head Country Barbecue, we
made our way the monument just as the sun was slipping away. Standing Bear, the
tallest bronze statue in
Day
4, May 23, 2007
Rich was waiting for us when we arrived at the Chamber
office. He had coffee brewed and welcomed us with a big smile. The broadcast was
smooth and the staff couldn’t have been more accommodating. They even brought
us ham and cheese stuffed pastries from the Daylight Donut shop in town.
While Magic Man did his thing on the air, I took a
tour of the city offices with Janet and Gary Martin.
We grabbed a quick bite to eat at a café across the
street and boarded the coach. We couldn’t leave
After a tour of the
No visit to Catoosa is complete without a stop at the
Blue Whale. We pulled into the parking lot and piled out of the coach. Jeff was
the first to scale the whale and Mike and I were right behind him. What a great
Route 66 landmark this is. http://www.oklahomaroute66.com/articles/catoosa.html
By this time, we had worked up a good appetite. I
offered to take the guys to Hank’s, my favorite onion burger joint in
We had time to stop at the Philbrook Museum of Art to
see the renovated gardens. Wow! They are absolutely breathtaking. The winner of
this trip is going to have one fabulous weekend. http://www.philbrook.org/
Our next stop was the Skelly Lodge www.skellylodge.com
where we would spend the night. We found our way there with some help from Ruth
McMillan, who runs the lodge for her son Tom. Ruth met us outside and gave us
the grand tour. The view from the porch is breathtaking. Miles and miles of
treetops are visible from behind the house. It is one of the most beautiful
vistas I’ve seen in
Rustic furnishings, modern conveniences, exquisite
antiques, and incredibly comfortable beds were in abundance. The lodge has eight
bedrooms upstairs, separate restrooms for men and women, and one room with bunk
beds. Families are welcome. I will absolutely be back with mine.
We met Jimmy Paris and his wife Susie at Molly’s
Landing in Catoosa. Jimmy and Susie were taking over for Mike and had brought
their dog, Precious, along for the trip. Precious is little, white, and
exceptionally well behaved. However, her presence meant we couldn’t eat inside
the restaurant. The folks at Molly’s were very accommodating. They allowed us
to eat outside at some tables usually reserved for guests waiting for dinner.
The wind was blowing just enough to keep most of the bugs away. Our waiter was
wonderful and our meals were excellent. http://www.mollyslanding.com/
Jeff had called Channel 2 weatherman Dan Threlkeld
earlier in the day to see if we could swing by the station. Dan gave us the
station tour and explained how the weather clicker works. It was great to see
him in his element.
By the time we left the station, Jeff and I were about
to fall asleep. It was nearly 11:00 when we arrived back at the Skelly Lodge.
Susie was waiting on the porch for us, where she’d been enjoying the peace and
quiet of the lodge with Precious. Before bed, she made me a wonderful cup of
tea. I could get used to this!
Day
5, May 24, 2007
Catooosa
to
The alarm rang at 4:00 this morning after a
delightful, but brief, sleep. We arrived at the Blue Dome Diner about 5:15,
where Brian Prewett greeted us with hot coffee and the smell of bacon. I could
tell this was going to be a good morning. http://www.facebook.com/people/Blue-Dome-Diner/1619648435
Our waitress and resident artist, Francine Adams www.frantheartzone.net,
had recommended the homemade bread. True to her word, the bread was outstanding.
I felt more awake already.
Dan Threlkeld walked in after the sun came up. We were
delighted to see him and the
By the time Jeff completed the show, the diner was
bustling with activity and it was raining cats and dogs outside. I hadn’t
finished my blog from yesterday, and wasn’t in the mood to get drenched, so
Jimmy and Jeff returned to the Skelly Lodge for our belongings and to pick up
Susy. I stayed at the Blue Dome, utilizing the WiFi.
I was sorry to miss one last visit to the lodge,
mostly because I’d promised Ruth I would sign the guest book. I’d been too
tired the night before and too rushed this morning. Ruth…if you read this, I
LOVED my short stay and I’ll be back!
Before long, the coach returned to pick me up. We made
a quick stop at Steve’s Books and Magazines on south Harvard. Steve let me
borrow half a dozen copies of the current issue. Our office manager, Kathy
Hehnly, would send him replacements today. Steve’s shop is one of the best
I’ve seen. He’s been selling Oklahoma
Today in
It had been raining all morning, so we opted to take
the Cimarron Turnpike to
Our first stop was Pecks Lodge, my favorite gift
store. http://www.peckslodge.com/ The
store has been open for about five years and is run by a high school friend of
mine named Dan Scroggs. I try to visit every time I’m in town. Dan carries an
amazing number of unique gifts, like HOBO wallets, Planet Earth pet products,
Jimmy Buffet’s Margarita machine, make up, cards, kitchen items, and even
chocolate. I tend to purchase fashion dog collars for my two Great Danes more
often than I should, just ask my husband!
Pecks Lodge happens to be located across the street
from the original Hideaway www.thehideaway.net
. We ordered pizza and ate it in the coach. It was outstanding, as usual. Susy
tried to get Precious to eat some of her pizza, but the dog wouldn’t bite. I
think she was worn out from all the activity.
After lunch, we made our way to Eskimo Joe’s www.eskimojoes.com
just as our contact, Mikhael Reed was walking in to meet with general manager
Tim Holland. Jeff tested the equipment and was overjoyed to discover he’d be
working with headphones for the first time this week. Joe’s is used to having
radio stations in for games and was well equipped for our visit. Soon, owner
Stan Clark came to see us. I’ve known Stan since the late 1970s when we played
softball on the same co-ed team. It was great to see him.
Confident about tomorrow’s broadcast, we made our
way to the Atherton Hotel www.athertonhotelatosu.com
in the Student Union. The hotel has just completed a six million dollar
renovation and it shows. We were greeted by OSU student, Caroline, who made us
feel special from the first moment. Soon, Lyn Putnam, the marketing and sales
manager, came out to say hello. Lyn and I discovered we had graduated from
Jeff and I put our luggage in our rooms and returned
to the coach. Jimmy and Susy were waiting for the relief driver, Rich Garrett,
to arrive. While we waited, we went to Marble Slab Creamery next to Pecks Lodge
on Campus Corner. The ice cream was wonderful and the staff was fun. I had them
take our photo and almost left without my camera. It was funnier than it should
have been, probably because we were getting a little punchy. Soon after we
finished our ice cream, Rich arrived with a black stretch SUV.
Neither of us had been to the Ranchers Club www.theranchersclub.com
, adjacent to the Atherton. We stopped in for a bit of “research” and were
met by manager, Jennifer Grandpre, who told us about the restaurant. My research
involved a lovely glass of pinot noir and a house salad. Jeff had the same wine
and a beautiful shrimp appetizer. Our food
was served in style by our student waiter, Hunter, from
During our light meal, Jennifer stopped by the table
to give us some more information about the educational program at the
restaurant. We were impressed. I’ve decided to put the Ranchers Club into my
regular restaurant rotation in the future. After admiring the pastry selections
(but not ordering one), we called it a night. The 4:15 wake up call would be
here before long and our beds were calling.
As I write this, cozy in the most amazing bed, I’m
already beginning to feel bittersweet about the end of our annual adventure. I
miss my family, but I love exploring
Day
6, May 25, 2007
The bed at the Atherton had been heavenly. I got up at 4:15, packed, and went
down to the lobby to wait for Jeff and Rich. Once we were all ready, we drove
the black SUV limousine to Eskimo Joe's. Mikhael opened Joe's for us and we got
set up. About fifteen minutes later, she brought us a welcome cup of coffee.
At 6:00, Stan Clark arrived. Eskimo Joe's was beginning to come alive. Before
long, listeners began to arrive. I was surprised by the number of kids coming in
until I saw the time and realized they were probably on their way to school.
The Eskimo Joe's team pampered us with donuts, coffee from
Jeff interviewed Stan several times and even revealed the theme of the 32nd
annual anniversary t-shirt and poster -
After the show, Stan arranged a hard hat tour for us at the new T. Boone Pickens
Stadium. We spent a good hour with Flintco Project Engineer Brandon Bull.
We paused briefly at the Round Barn http://www.arcadiaroundbarn.org/
where we found several funny signs
on paper plates. A few hundred yards further down the road, we stopped again at
the almost-complete Pops http://www.pops66.com/
station in
Another year of travel is now behind us and plans are already forming for next
year.
Thanks for listening to KMGL and reading my blog!
See you next year.
Joan Henderson, Publisher of Oklahoma Today
