McFadden Family Adventures

Travel Adventures with Tom & Vonda

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  • Tulsa Tunnel Tours

    Tulsa Tunnel Tours

    Last week we took a tour of the tunnels in downtown Tulsa. It wasn’t exactly what I thought it was but the tour was interesting and we enjoyed it. We met our tour guide at the Hyatt Regency and began the walk under the city. The tunnels are used by many people to get to offices, restaurants, pick up mail and get from place to place without going outside. There is a vault under the Bank of Oklahoma building. Sadly I wasn’t able to take pictures as they weren’t allowed. The vault was brought from the train station by temporary train tracks and the building built around it. It is still used today for safe deposit boxes. We also traveled down a short escalator to get there and it was the first escalator in the state. It was such a big deal that people lined up around the street to have a chance to ride it. It opened in October 1949. “The newspaper actually published instructions: “Grasp the moving handrail, step onto the moving step and stand still.” The original escalator was replaced in 1960 when the building was renovated.

    We were expecting tunnels that weren’t used, at least I was. There was only one tunnel that was used by kkkkkkkk to cross under the street. Back in the hey day of oil strikes, it was feared that oil barons would be kidnapped and even perhaps their families. So, kkkkk had a tunnel hand dug from the building where he lived to the building where he worked. It is no longer used but we were able to go inside, just not exit on the other side because it is locked.

    There is history to read on the walls and we were given a glimpse of those things. You don’t have to take the tour, you can go on your own, but I don’t think I would have known where to go.

    There was stained glass in one of the buildings of the Tulsa skyline. It was amazing to look at.

    The buildings were art deco and I have heard that Tulsa has many art deco buildings. There is a tour to explore the art deco of the area as well. This space below allowed smoking for many, many years. When it was originally built the ceiling was white. They tried to clean it but it took so much work they abandoned that idea and left it as it was.

    We did see an art installment in one of the buildings. There is another one in the Denver airport. I don’t know if that one has a name but our guide named this one Chase because it sits in front of the Chase bank office. Someone asked if the other one was named Morgan.

    If you’re in Tulsa and want a quick tour, 90 minutes, this is a good one. I highly recommend it.

  • 2025 A Year of Change

    Every night when I go to bed I think about how my life is so different than it was just six months ago. The first six months of 2025 were filled with church activities and leading worship as a pastor alongside an amazing group of people in Kelso, Washington. July 1 we began our journey across the U.S.A. to see all the baseball stadiums. If you’ve been following along, you know how that went. We didn’t make it, but there’s still an opportunity to see them all. We’ve got some plans to do that in the future. We made some changes when we got to Canada. Tom was a little too optimistic in our ability to not completely pass out and die from exhaustion.

    We had some truck troubles with a death wobble in the northeast. We made it to Florida without dying. Always a good thing, in my opinion and got the truck fixed while we spent time at Disney World. It’s been interesting to have most of what I own in one place. Someone asked me the other day if I had gotten settled in. I told her, “well it’s not hard when everything you have is in your home on wheels.” She thought we had moved to Oklahoma. I don’t have a desire to live permanently in Oklahoma again but it’s been an amazing three months being with family. We’ve certainly enjoyed being able to spend holidays and birthdays and all the days in between with those we love. We’ll be back before too long, I’m sure.

    There have been laughs along the way, worries as well. But through it all we had fun. There is so much to see in our country. We barely scratched the surface of the amazing places to see. We had planned to be on the road December 30 but life has a way of telling you where you should be and what you should be doing. So, we’ll be heading west on January 30 instead. We have great stops along the way but aren’t staying as long as we had planned at some of them. We need to be back in Washington state for awhile as we have appointments and I’m eager to get some of my fabric from storage.

    That’s another change that I’ve embraced. I am back to sewing/quilting and have big plans for this coming year in getting some things done. Here’s a couple of my projects from 2025. That Christmas tree skirt was made for my cats to lay under the tree, their most favorite thing to do. The tablecloth was a continuation of a table runner I had started years ago. My table isn’t big enough for a big table runner so this seemed like a better idea. I’ve got a quilt going now and more to come!

    While 2025 hasn’t been the best of years for many and only God knows what 2026 has in store we are still here. We’re trying to do the best we can for ourselves and for others. I have always hoped to leave this world a better place than I found it. Some days I think that’s not possible, but other days I can see the difference a simple smile, a kind word or a helping hand can make to another person.

    I look forward to the adventures to come this new year and I look forward to seeing old friends, making new ones and finding new places in this world to see. My hope and prayer is for people to remember we are in this world and treat each other better.

    I hope to see you along the way. Happy New Year!

  • Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial

    Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial

    A few weeks ago we visited the Memorial in Oklahoma City. We were living in Tulsa at the time of the bombing and I remember it well. It was horrific and very moving to see how they have remembered those whose lives were lost. I recently saw a story that they are going to be adding some things and doing some renovations. I thought it was on par and in some ways a better memorial than 9/11 in New York.

    There is the sign from the hotel where Timothy McVeigh stayed, the shirt that he was wearing when he was caught, even the car McVeigh was driving when caught.

    You are able to go into a room and hear the meeting of the water board, minutes before the bomb exploded at 9:02 a.m. on April 19, 1995. It was recorded and the bomb can be clearly heard and I imagine was felt as well.

    There is also the wood that contained the stained glass of the nearby United Methodist Church. The glass was blown out.

    On the outside of the memorial is the survivor tree and chairs that are placed for each person that was murdered. It is a moving memorial. There is also a wall that remains from the original building.

    If you are ever in Oklahoma City, don’t miss this memorial. It’s important for us to remember the good and the bad. This is one of the worst disasters in our state and country.

  • Rhema Lights

    Rhema Lights are a sight to behold. We have gone most years we have been here. This year the weather cooperated and we were able to walk around and really experience everything. Rhema Lights started in 1982 at Rhema Bible College with about 60,000 lights. This year there are over 2 million. It’s certainly not to be missed. It opens the day before Thanksgiving and goes through January 1. Here’s a link to their website for more information. https://www.rhemalights.org/

    There were a lot of people but it didn’t seem to be as crowded as it was last year. We were able to find a parking spot this time.

    I took a few videos as well. The lights were synchronized to the music.

    You can also drive through some areas not easily accessible by walking. We chose not to do that this year. It was getting a little cold by the time we were done and our son had to get up early for a flight home.

    Another great adventure at Rhema Lights! I highly recommend seeing it at least once.

  • Tulsa Air and Space Museum

    Tulsa Air and Space Museum

    I’ve been remiss in posting our adventures while we’re in Oklahoma. There have been many and I’ll be catching up in the next few days. My son and his girlfriend came for Thanksgiving and we went to the Tulsa Air and Space Museum for the afternoon. It was an interesting day and we enjoyed looking at the many exhibits.

    We also flew a simulated hot air balloon. I had a better score than the others!

    I spent a good deal of time taking pictures in the cutouts as well.

    If you’re in Tulsa and have an hour or so to visit the museum, I highly recommend it. There is a cool human sundial outside you can experience and it works! It was 1:00 when we did it.

    A short adventure on a lovely November afternoon with my family was just what we needed. I hope your days are filled with adventure as well.

  • Will Rogers, Oologah Oklahoma

    Monday we took a trip up to Winganon, Oklahoma. A friend had posted a photo with a caption about a cement mixer that had fallen off a truck. Here’s the information from their website. “The Winganon Space Capsule is a happy accident that has turned into one of the most memorable and fun photo ops in northeastern Oklahoma. In 1959, a cement mixer was on its way to help build the bridge over Oologah Lake. Unfortunately it wrecked along the way, tipping over while full of cement. By the time a tow truck came to haul the cement truck away, all of the cement had hardened inside of the mixer. The tow truck was not able to handle the extra weight, and the crew decided to haul only the cab and come back for the detached mixer later, which never happened.

    Since the incident, the mixer has been painted many times by artists and local citizens as it sits on the side of this remote road. It was a variation on the American flag for a long time until a few artists decided it needed a make over in 2011. They did much more than just paint this roadside attraction that has become important to the town. It was turned into a space capsule complete with the NASA logo, rocket thrusters and shiny aluminum paint. It is a convincing spectacle that is definitely worth stopping for.” (https://www.travelok.com/listings/view.profile/id.22870) We were only 40 minutes away so I wanted to go take a look. It was sort of anti-climatic. It’s just sitting off the side of the road. There was a lot of mud so I couldn’t get too close.

    On our way back to Tulsa we stopped in Oologah to mail a letter. Tom noticed a replica of a house so we stopped to take a look. It was a replica of Will Roger’s birthplace. It just so happened to have been what would have been his 146th birthday. We didn’t go to the museum because I read it was temporarily closed for renovations but I think they just hadn’t updated the website. It was still an interesting find and I’m glad we stopped to take a look. The last picture was in the town square near the post office.

    We have plans to visit some other places in Oklahoma. Oklahoma is often called a fly-over state because people tend to fly over it while traveling by airplane to other states. But there are fun things to see here too. My home state isn’t just a fly-over state.

    Thanks for reading along and seeing what we’re up to. It’s never a dull moment around here. Our latest activity is taking our cat Samantha for a walk. She loves the outdoors as she was a stray that we took in. We don’t let our cats out for fear of them getting hit by a car or getting lost. We used to have a catio but that’s not possible now. She loves going out and I wanted her to be able to go outside. We picked up a cat harness at the pet store. She loved it! So, enjoy this last picture of Samantha out for her daily walk.

  • Crater of Diamonds State Park

    Crater of Diamonds State Park

    We spent the last week in Arkansas with family. Tom’s sister Julie and her husband David met us at Crater of Diamonds State Park. It’s a lovely park located at the diamond mine which is really just a field filled with mud this time of year. We watched videos of people sifting when the dirt is dry and I was wishing for that pretty quickly.

    We spent Monday at the field sifting for diamonds. Sadly, we didn’t find any but we had a good time looking.

    We’d like to go back sometime when it hasn’t been raining and the temperature is warmer. If you’re thinking of traveling there, be sure to make a reservation at the campground. The sites are large, tents are welcome in most and there are separate tent sites as well. The diamond field is open from 8a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and you can rent everything you need. David brought buckets and shovels and we rented the screens. There are many people who come often and have their own supplies.

    Tom wasn’t into it and after a few minutes he just assisted or as David said, he supervised. Tuesday was a rain out. It rained all day. Wednesday we looked around the town of Murfreesboro. It’s a nice a little town and we enjoyed a good meal at the local Mexican restaurant as well as a drive out to the 1,000 year old Indian Village.

    We took a walk down to the river after we got back and it was a nice stroll on a cement walkway. We decided to walk back through the forest path and it was enjoyable as well. We saw an interesting tree that looked like an animal had been gnawing on it.

    It was an awesome week but getting there was not fun at all. Karen (GPS) led us astray. We were traveling from KRiver Campground in Moyers and she took us down Highway 3. There was a weird turn but we went with it. Our first mistake to be sure. The road narrowed to less than a car width and at one point I said, “it looks like a road block.” We came over a rise and our road went into the water. It came out the other side but we weren’t going there. When I say water, I mean a lake. Tom had to back the trailer up over 1 1/2 miles and I was so proud of him. That was not an easy job and he did it well. It added an hour to our travel time but we still got to Arkansas in the daylight.

    Speaking of daylight, it’s about to get shorter tomorrow. I usually hate the time change but that was when I had to be in worship early on Sunday. Now that I’m retired I’ll just sleep until I’m ready to get up. Church here in Oklahoma doesn’t start until 11:15, so plenty of time since I normally get up at 7:00 a.m.

    Here’s hoping all your mornings begin with sunshine.

  • K River Campground

    K River Campground

    We are in Moyers, Oklahoma on the Kiamichi River, mostly by ourselves. We were greeted by chickens when we arrived and they mostly got out of the way. No, we didn’t kill chickens. I’ve seen my grandmother kill chickens and it’s not something I ever intend to do. There’s a petting zoo here and I have seen a rabbit, goat and donkey.

    This morning at 5:30 a.m., yes 5:30 a.m. Foghorn Leghorn crowed us awake. Do you know who Foghorn Leghorn is? I feel really old if you don’t. Google him. He was my favorite cartoon growing up, “I say, I say.” It was dark outside I couldn’t see anything. I got up and turned the heater up since fall finally decided to show up in Oklahoma. I had just about gotten back to sleep and ole Mr. Leghorn started again at 5:50 a.m. I thought to myself, surely that is it. Well no, 20 minutes later he was at it again. Now, don’t get me wrong, I like chickens and roosters but that was a tad too early for me. Plus once would have been enough, not three times. We’re here until Sunday, so I imagine I’ll get to enjoy the morning alarm for the next three days. We’re supposed to have rain so I’m hoping he’ll be inside and I won’t hear it as well. There was also the braying of the donkey but that was after I was up.

    This is a nice campground and I imagine hopping in the summer. There’s a stage for bands, cabins including a tree house with a tree inside and lots of places to tent camp. The Kiamichi River is close but doesn’t seem to have much water right now. It’s been hot in Southern Oklahoma and not a lot of rain. We walked down to take a look this afternoon.

    Tom got up on the roof of the trailer this afternoon and took off the cover of our bedroom air conditioner. We had some problems with it leaking in Tulsa but a repairman came out and fixed it. When we moved the trailer to Lake Eufaula it happened again. He’s talking with the manufacturer trying to get a fix. Thankfully we don’t need it right now so we have some time to get it taken care of. We’re going to have a 20 degrees temperature difference for a high tomorrow. We’re only expecting 60 degrees here. Tom said that will be good, I said I’m not so sure that will be good. It will be cooler for sure.

    We took a trip into Antlers this afternoon to pick up some groceries for the next week. They had most of what we want but there were no items for vegetarians or vegans, which my daughter is. Thankfully she’s not here. To be honest, that seemed small town Oklahoma and not unexpected. Thankfully we had our Impossible burgers in the freezer already. I was just going to buy a couple of extra for chili. That will have to wait. I’m going to make chicken soup instead, which Tom says is not enough to eat for a meal. I think he’s wrong. We’re planning on hamburgers with our family next week in Arkansas so that’s why no chili.

    We’ve had a blessed and quiet day. We’re hoping your days are blessed and quiet as well.

  • Belle Starr Campground

    If you don’t know who Belle Starr was, she was an outlaw that was convicted of being a horse thief and was killed in 1889. Many of her exploits were in Indian Territory or what is now Oklahoma. There is a lovely campground on the shores of Lake Eufaula near the city of Eufaula called Belle Starr Campground. You can get a deep discount with a National Park Senior Lifetime or Annual Pass. There are a few other passes that provide a discount as well including a Permanent Disability Pass. We recently stayed there 5 nights, two of those nights were with Tom’s sister Julie and her husband David. We had some fun rain, not really fun but a lot of rain. There was some thunder and lightening as well on Saturday night. I’ve missed lightening. You don’t get much of that in Washington State.

    Here’s a conversation between Tom and I during the lightening.

    Me: I want to get some video of that lightening.

    Tom: Well, go on down to the lake.

    Me: Did you grow up in Oklahoma? Didn’t you learn to stay away from water when it’s lightening?

    We then proceeded to discuss that perhaps he was trying to get rid of me. I did take some video but didn’t go near the lake.

    I highly recommend the campground but they don’t have full hookups so you will need to limit your days, monitor your water usage or have a portable tote to empty your tanks.

    We’re continuing our travels in Oklahoma as head to Moyers, Oklahoma and KRiver Campground. We’re enjoying the traveling life and our many adventures. Hope you’ve had some good adventures too.

  • Pumpkin Patch

    St. Stephen’s United Methodist Church in Broken Arrow has a pumpkin patch every year. On the first Sunday of October pumpkins are delivered by a semi and set up on the front lawn by many volunteers. We’re usually not here in October so we’ve never experienced the pumpkin patch. On Wednesday this past week we took Linda (Tom’s mom) to the pumpkin patch. They have a great setup, the prices are good and all the funds go to help local missions. I’m even told any left over pumpkins are picked up by a pig farmer to feed his pigs. If your in Tulsa/Broken Arrow or nearby I highly recommend stopping by to get a pumpkin, take a picture or just say hi. I picked up a couple of cute ones myself, said hi and took a picture.

    Linda asked Tom to clean her ceiling fans while we were at her house the other day. She has a cute little cat, named Sunny. Sunny gets into everything and she was certainly making sure Tom was cleaning the fans well. She’s a good watch cat and growls at people arriving or walking on the street.

    Here’s hoping your days are filled with adventures, cats, dogs or whatever makes you happy.