Old Folks Home

 4/24/2023 to 4/28/2023      The highlight (and primary purpose) for choosing this state park was the chance to visit with Paige and Mathew, who live nearby. We got to see their beautiful home, share wonderful meals, and catch up on each others lives.      We stayed in the Prairie Clover Campground at Clinton State Park. We assume that what we see from our RV campsite is prairie clover. It's not water or forest for sure.       Paige brought lots of family memorabilia with her when she came to spend the day with us at the park. She and Scott had fun reviewing the very old family Bible, pictures from a family trip to the 1939 New York World's Fair, and much more. We also got a chance to talk with Sue Ellen and wish her happy birthday.                  The park has lots of hiking trails that are well marked. Many go along the lake. We could access the blue and white and red trails ...

  4/21/2023 to 4/24/2023      Eisenhower State Park is another big park with multiple camping areas spread out. We stayed in the Blackjack Campground, which turns out be a very beautiful area surrounded on three sides by water.  I tried to upload a short video showing the water surrounding us. It won't play for me, but I'm leaving it in to see if it somehow magically appears.        It's been very cold and windy for our visit. With freezing temperatures in the early morning, we opted for drinking coffee looking at our indoor fireplace (i.e. space heater).  We were able to have gin and gin by our outside propane fireplace each evening.       The last day was calm and sunny, so we were able to paddleboard some.   This is a view of our RV from the water.       There are miles of equestrian trails in this park, but they are all out on the open prairie, so we didn't try them. There are gravel ...

 4/20/2023 to 4/21/2023     We are in the Osage Plains Campground of a very large, spread out park. Just staying one night, so won't be able to explore much. We did take a nice trail along an inlet of the lake.     Our campsite view is unremarkable, but it is a pull through and full hookup site, which is always nice.     I have to say it was very hard to get here from Oklahoma. We ended up on a dirt/gravel road for about 15 miles. It was labeled "Dd" which I decided must mean dangerous dirt road. Our RV certainly got dirty, both inside and out. When we finally got to Cross Timbers we had a very hard time finding our campground. This Kansas State Park doesn't have an office you get to first. Like Oklahoma, you sign up on line and just go to your site - if you can find your site.   

  4/17/2023 to 4/19/2023     Osage Hills State Park is small, but very nicely laid out with lots of trails, a small lake, bathrooms close by and lots of trash cans. Our site is at the top of the circle of 20 RV sites. This is our last state park in Oklahoma for a while. We're interested to see if/how the Kansas State Parks are different.        We hiked the Overlook Trail the afternoon we got here, a 3 miles loop leading through the remains of the camp of the CCC troop who created the park in the 1930's, fields of beautiful purple wildflowers and views of the lake. We saw deer and several armadillos - the first significant wildlife of our journey so far. Must be getting to be the wildlife season.  Armadillo (if you can make it out inside the red circle)     Lookout Lake is very small, but very good for paddleboarding when it's windy, because the wind can't get to the lake.        Major progress in the last week...

 4/12/2023 to 4/17/2023     Guest Blogger: Maudie     Well we sure are in Oklahoma. All the towns we've passed through or been to have both a pawn shop and a liquor store within walking distance of each other. While these of course are the necessities of life for us Oklahomans, they don't provide the prettiest views. The towns are not as pretty as the parks. The parks are certainly pretty. Our camp site is beautiful, so all you people who consider Oklahoma flyover country you are wrong!      Though it's hard to tell from the picture it gives a great view of the water and the sunset. It helps that we haven't really had any neighbors for the most part, but as it's Friday the park is filling up. You can't get away from those neighbors even in an RV!     The vista is certainly prettier than at the last park, but the trails aren't quite up to snuff. To give you an idea of what I mean I think I'll just start ...

 4/8/2023 to  4/12/2023     Sequoyah State Park is another large one. Three RV camping sites, nature center, lodges, restaurants, golf course, many trails and paved walking/running paths. Our site is in the Choctaw Campground. It's relatively new, with full hookups for all 20 sites.     Maudie agreed to do the blog for this site:     First RV camping site I've been to so I don't have much to compare with. But to my inexperienced eyes this place WAS AMAZING!!!!!!      The weather was perfect so the entire party (including Annie) did a good deal of hiking. The park has an abundance of trails. The most interesting trail by far was the Fossil trail. Some group of boy scouts made it when they were looking for eagles and their nests in 2009. It's called the Fossil trail because along the trail are rocks with fish fossils imbedded in them.         The trail involves some pretty intense hiking. At po...

 4/5/2023 to 4/8/2023     We are staying in the Turkey Flat campground of what used to be Arrowhead State Park, but is now the Arrowhead Area of Lake Eufaula State Park. It's a huge area on a huge lake. The Turkey Flat camping area is small (about 40 campsites). We are on an outer site that faces a nice looking forest area.      We are just a short walk away from a calm section of what apparently is the largest manmade lake in Oklahoma. The batteries on our electric bikes might not last if we tried to ride all around the park. There is a marina, a golf course, an airstrip, and lots of other camping areas.     Same as McGee Creek - no vehicle stickers, no trash cans, not many rules. There is a dumpster at the entrance to Turkey Flat, so better than the two mile drive at McGee Creek. Shower is doable, but not as good as the ones in Texas state parks. Lots of dogs that take exception to Annie, but she just ignores them. Model camper so far, prob...