On the road to Western Oklahoma – Gas Wells, Geocaching, Battlegrounds, Golf Courses, and Jim and Tammy Baker get a night’s rest

My favorite mother-in-law Nana had her 50th high school reunion in Clinton, Oklahoma last weekend. Sweetie was going to go with her to keep her company. SuperPizzaBoy and I were staying home. Huh, no way, if Sweetie and Nana are going on a road trip, so are SPB and I.

Team Sweetie and Nana got a head start on us Friday. I left work early and grabbed SPB after school. It took an hour or two longer for us get to get going than what I planned, but hey, who is on a schedule? Not me, not on a road trip.

So off we went.
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By the way, see the little gizmo on the lower right. That is Sarah. It is a Garmin Nuvi 500 navigation GPSr, with special geocaching features. SPB and I have given it an English female  accent that drives SPB into hysterics. We call it Sarah after fellow blogger Sarah of Brit Gal in the USA. Check it out, it is one of my favorite blogs. We might have been able to meet this weekend but she was a little under the weather. Maybe next time.

We got to Clinton, kind of late, everybody had already eaten and was either that the football game or the casino. We visited with some of Nana and Sweetie’s relatives and then went to bed. SPB was tired.

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The next day, Sweetie and Nana headed off for reunion activities. SPB and I hit the road.

We passed by a natural gas processing plant that I work with now in my job.

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And one I worked with in a past job. This one I helped start up in April 1984. Then I got to drive through all the way to Lake Charles, Louisiana and start it’s sister plant up.

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I was way confused back then. I lived in Houston, my office was in Dallas, I took care of stuff in Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Missisisippi.  Life is much simpler now, Oklahoma and the Peoples Republic of Kansas.

We saw drilling rigs.
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We found geocaches
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Checked out the Washita Battlefield National Historic Site
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While there, SPB, filled out a workbook and was sworn in as Junior Park Ranger. He is very proud of that badge. His Grandfather, my Dad was a US Forest Ranger in New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah.
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Now, I’ve saved the best for last. You see I used to work out here back in my field days. In Cheyenne, Oklahoma the local golf course doesn’t have grass on their greens. They use oil soaked sand. Why? because it is hard to grow grass, that’s why. I cannot tell you how many times people have called BS on that story. Well here is documentary evidence.

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It looks like this year’s tournament has passed. Sorry I didn’t let you know earlier. The phone number is listed if you want to enquire about next year’s tournament or if you would like to see they can work in a tee time for you. I’m not sure what kind of reciprocity they will have with your club. Especially if your club isn’t quite “top drawer.”

Here, is the bar and lounge, members and guests only please. Ladies are welcome on Tuesday.
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Here is the green on the 9th hole.
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Have we got this settled? Everybody satisfied? You guys going to back me up?

Now on to the next item, remember these folks, from a long time ago?

Remember how old Jim got in trouble, he eventually went to prison. Tammy Faye left him. Jim is out of prison and is back in the televangelism business beaming from Branson, Missouri. But the local legend in Elk City, Oklahoma is that after his disgrace,but before his trial, when Jim and Tammy had to load a Uhaul to move cross country back to their home. They spent the night in the old Holidiome in Elk City, right off Interstate 40.

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I have no idea if the story is true but everybody says it is,

Then, it was time to head home.

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We were home 27 hours after we left. Not bad for a road trip, huh?

8 thoughts on “On the road to Western Oklahoma – Gas Wells, Geocaching, Battlegrounds, Golf Courses, and Jim and Tammy Baker get a night’s rest”

  2. Baloney

    I actually know someone from Elk City. Does that make them famous since TF and J stayed there one night with their UHaul?
    I will have to give Doc a gift certificate to play that course. He will LOVE it. I’m sure CRCC has a reciprocity agreement with them…

  3. Brit Gal Sarah

    It looks like you had a fun trip and thanks for the lesson on Cheyenne Golf Course, I had no idea. The ‘new’ Washita Battlefield Museum is pretty neat and a big improvement on the original, I love the building design.

    I am still chuckling about having a GPS named in my honour! Hopefully we will get to meet up for some geocaching one of these days.

  4. Janie

    Maybe SPB will be a forest ranger like his grandpa. He could be in charge of geocaches in the National Forests. That would combine the interests of all.
    Funny about the golf course. But truthfully, think how much water is wasted in keeping up those greens. “Sand greens” may not be a bad idea. (I’m sure “top drawer” golfers would not agree!)

  5. Yogi♪♪♪

    @Sunny – oh yeah, Jim went off to prison for fraud.

    @B – you know, I bet doc would like his membership transferred out there.

    @Brit Gal – I loved the site. I think they have done a great job with it. We’ll meet up one of these days.

    @Janie – I hadn’t thought of that but sand greens have to be lots more “green” than regular greens.

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