In the 6 previous days prior to our departure, it snowed twice. Not deep, but enough to make you a bit anxious. We're off on our annual winter sojourn away from the snowy white north. We were actually experiencing 'Indian Summer' (can I say that?) but have had snow already so we scooted out of town in time. Our itinerary changed this year due to my mom's health concerns, but we plan to be back on track for the Great Southeastern Tour in 2023. This will not be a long trip, but we'll take a couple of overnight stops for shopping and visiting our son and grandson. Gas prices are a concern this year. As of departure we were looking at $5.09/gal average for diesel, but $5.58 here at home. The lowest prices are usually always after we cross the Missouri River in St. Louis, but this year who knows? So much for the BS of 'Build Back Better'.
Stops we made included Pontiac 4H Campground Pontiac, IL $20, Lambert's RV Park Ozark, MO $33, Lake Thunderbird State Park Little Axe, OK $90/3 nights, and Town and Country RV Park Marlow, OK $60/2 nights. We did make reservations at both Lambert's and Lake Thunderbird, but the rest are not necessary this time of year. The final destination is once again our winter place at the Rotodome Ranch in Leakey, TX. No boondocking this trip.
Most of our meals enroute were the OTR packages we prepared at home. These are leftovers that we sealed and froze for later use. Easy meals to warm up on the road and still mighty tasty: Red Beans & Rice, Chicken Pesto Gemelli, Italian Sausage Soup, and BBQ Brisket meat for sandwiches.
We did have some maintenance issues to deal with in the weeks before our departure. We needed to replace and seal the freshwater tank drain valve. Also, we had to reseal the bedroom slider floor underneath. Ultra-lite RV models use materials that are much lighter to save weight, but also result in construction repair issues down the line. Lots of plastic, fiberboard and cheap fiberglass to aluminum frame mounting. We have been dealing with such issues this past year.
Replacing the old mounting structure to make a stronger floor
Lots of fabrication, new wood, and sealant work here
Our RV is 7 years old now with over 90,000 miles on it so here we are. Given the price of new units, for now with help we are becoming quite the craftsmen at fabrication and on the road repairs. You have to love Flex Seal. We carry a supply of the spray, liquid paint, putty, and sealant with us. The nickname of our RV has gone from 'McMansion' to 'Band Aide Betty'. Additionally, we had our home septic tanks pumped as they were very close to full, and the grey water septic system flushed as well.
Although we have made the trip on this road dozens of times over the years there are always several remarkable stops to be made. Such is the RV Park in Ozark, MO at Lambert's. It is located next door to Lambert's Cafe, home of the 'Throwed Rolls'. I won't elaborate except to say that their cuisine is TOP NOTCH. Nothing fancy, just incredible down-home cooking.
They are located in Ozark, MO Sikeston, MO and Foley, AL. The best part of this stop was they deliver free of charge to the RV Park. Order, set up, and enjoy a beer with the local news and soon enough it's dinner time. $32 for an overnight here with full hookups.
Lambert's Meatloaf, Catfish, and all the trimmings
In Oklahoma we stayed a couple of days at Lake Thunderbird State Park, about 30 miles SE and beautiful. Reasonably priced at $30 @ night, we always enjoy staying here. Also, in OKC......we picked up some Meat Church Rubs, KOSMOS Wing seasonings, Blue and Gold Sausage, as well as a large fossil I had cut at a local lapidary shop and picked up Del Rancho Steak Sandwich Supreme on the way back to camp. I learned a lot about that fossil. At first, I thought it was an agate, but 'Rock Guy' at the shop showed me that it was a sea algae fossil. Texas is full of great fossils from the Cretaceous Period. I look forward to finding more. If you're in the OKC area and an amateur geologist, I highly recommend this shop.
Good Earth Rocks Gallery - Oklahoma City Crystals, Minerals, Gemstones
Home Away from Home Lake Thunderbird, OK
The Money
Cretaceous period algae fossil
Del Rancho Lil' Steak Sandwich Supreme
Ok, now where's the wings?
We treated ourselves to NO TURNPIKE from Oklahoma City 80 miles SW to our grandson's place in Marlow, OK. We arrived to more rain. While in Marlow we stayed at Town & Country RV Park, small, but nice at $30 @ night. We needed to do some laundry this stop. We made a side trip with our grandson up the road to Rush Springs resulting in some of the best BBQ in the state. Smokin' Joe's Rib Ranch is legit with everything you could ever want or need. They are also located in Davis, OK.
Brisket, hot links, and okra, oh my!
Yeah, that'll take about 11 minutes to devour
Grandma Barb & Brock
The last leg of our journey is a stout 436 miles south through the heart of Texas on county and state roads. Not a bad drive, Texas roads are good. 1571 miles, highest diesel was $5.79 in Sawyer, MI, whereas the lowest was $4.59 in Bellefontaine Neighbors (St. Louis), resulting in 12.1 mpg. Arrival in Leakey and the ranch is always good, we were trying to beat the rain coming in next week. We pray daily and hope for good news about mom. We keep up with her status each day so far. All our love.
"When I started counting my blessings my whole life turned around"
Willie Nelson
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