Where the Wind Comes Sweeping Through the Plains

Arrived in Forrest City, AR after a long day because of construction and bad roads before and after Memphis. It is just a straight shot from Nashville on I40, but as you near Memphis the roads became very bumpy and construction had us down to stopping and starting making the trip a lot longer.

The RV park here is very nice. Small and no amenities such as bathhouses, laundry, but great internet and satellite TV.  The spots are large with nice green grass. There is a restaurant - Sawmill Café - right outside campground and grocery store, gas, etc close. Very nice overnight stay. Nothing to do in area, but convenient for a short stop.

Walked to Café for dinner. Typical buffet dinner with fried chicken, okra and tomatoes, cabbage, and dried out desserts. As we were leaving a local started a conversation with us - she could tell we were not - and talked and talked and talked.  She and her husband eat at the Sawmill Cafe often.  She recommended we visit a state park near the farm where she grew up.  Not much to do in Forrest City, AR. She was very nice, though.

Spent the next night at a KOA in Sallisaw OK.  OK park. Staff is nice. Not as pretty as some but fine for overnight.

We stopped for gas at Checotah. A man gassing up his truck asked Dennis about his "rig", where we had been, etc. Dennis asked him if he had an RV since he seemed to know a lot about them. He said he used to. Dennis asked him why he got rid of it.  He said, "The ex-wife got it in the divorce."….. Enough said.

We feel like we are almost home since coming into Oklahoma. Dennis grew up in Edmond and most of my

Parking lot RV Park but close to our stops

relatives were born here.

I know the other states are not another country, but seems like "our country" back in this part of the world.

Checked in at Rockwell RV Park in OKC. Dennis' brother and sister-in-law are here, too. We are visiting friends and relatives.

On Saturday evening had dinner with old friends, Jerry and Jerre Lynn, friends Dennis grew up with. Jerry was best man at our wedding. It was nice to catch up!

Sunday evening we all had dinner with one of Dennis's aunts, one of his cousins, and her husband.  We found out Dennis's cousin's husband grew up on a farm in western Oklahoma down the road from where a friend of mine in Sugar Land grew up!   It is amazing what you find out when you sit down and visit with people.

Monday we went to the Oklahoma National Memorial. It was the most moving memorial and museum we have visited on this trip -  and we went to the 911 Memorial in NYC. It was so well done and an experience everyone who is near OKC should do. Dennis's brother had walked through the memorial before but not done the museum. He said he was sorry he had not done before as it added so much to the experience.

The chairs in these photos represent the  people who died in the bombing. There are nine rows of chairs which represent the nine floors in the building where the attack happened. The chairs on each aisle represent those on each floor who were killed.  The large ones are adults and the small ones are children - there was a daycare center on the second floor. The chairs are lighted at night. The name of a person who died are on the front of each chair.  I saw a chlld's name on one of the smaller chairs and then inside the museum where there were items found after the bombing  I saw the same child's pink tennis shoe.  My sister-in-law and I teared up often.

Statue of Jesus outside the Memorial: Inscription "Jesus Wept."

Wall of children's tiles sent from all over U. S.

 Our daughter, that we adopted when she was 6 months old from Oklahoma, had a biological uncle and aunt who perished in the bombing. I was able to take a photo of their pictures with their names to send to her. It is part of her heritage and important and she was able to share with her children.

 

We visited with another of Dennis's aunts and another cousin in the afternoon. The older people know so much history of the family and are so glad to talk about it when we take the time to come to see them. We don't have many older relatives left and it reminds me to see and talk to them while we can.

Toby Keith's for Lunch!!!!!

Crossed over into Texas the next day!!! Almost home.