Bye Bye Texas

You can't put anything over on the Salyards. Having learned about "omelets in a bag" in boyscouts, they fixed us a wonderful "bag" breakfast and sent us on our way north.

Oklahoma proved exciting mainly because John had never been there before. However, we did pass such attractions as a small farm saying they had "Show Pigs" (all we saw were goats so perhaps they've been showing the wrong animal). Another place had signs advertising "Cedar logs"; then "Rustic cedar logs"; then "Cedar Furniture"; then "Wanted - Cedar Logs". I was thrilled to see the first vegetable garden of the trip that showed spring lettuce, onions & peas. (Southwestern OK also seems to have dirt, more rain and mixed hardwood and pine forests.) We resisted the urge to try to find points of interest in Frogville and Swink.

Because of the rain/fog we took the less scenic route to Hot Springs. If you haven't been there they have a street lined with old 1920's bath houses such as the one in the photo, run by the park service. (Therefore they also close at 5:00, just when tourists like ourselves are arriving.) The horses are in town racing at the beautiful Oaklawn Racetrack but, they too had gone to bed for the night. Uncle Joe's second hand store (you didn't tell us about this little investment scheme, Joe!) was also closed. Next door, however, McClard's Bar-B-Q was open as it has been since 1928. It just happens to have been rated the best BBQ in Hot Springs and of course they had a photo of Bill Clinton eating there. (We must be out of the true west - they serve pork, not beef.)

PS - Doing this blog does have some advantages... John gets to go dry the sheets. Rambo leaked somewhere else than just on John's shoulder. However, the moon is out so perhaps we'll spend a dry night after all.