McFadden Family Adventures

Travel Adventures with Tom & Vonda

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  • 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.

  • Lake Eufaula

    When I was a girl between the ages of 12-16 we camped at Lake Eufaula every summer. My parents set up camp for at least a month. They worked as nurses and went to work but my brother and I stayed at the camp with other family or friends. I can remember going home one day for a quick supply trip and taking a shower. My hair was filled with little pebbles from the lake. I loved those trips.

    I met another Vonda at that lake for the very first time in my life. I learned to waterski when I was 12 and the same day I was “making music” with a glass bottle and a rock. I fell, the bottle broke and I cut my hand rather badly. I wasn’t able to be in the water the rest of that trip. In fact, months or maybe a year later I had to have glass cut out of my hand. It had healed with the glass still there.

    I hadn’t been to Lake Eufaula in probably 35 years. I passed it on the way to my mom’s but never stopped. My sister in law and her husband have a boat so last Sunday we went with them out on the water. It was a fun evening and I had a great time.

    We’ll be camping at Belle Starr Campground soon. There’s sure to be more adventures. I hope your adventures continue this Fall. I’m still waiting for it here in Oklahoma.

  • Tulsa State Fair

    Tom and I took a trip to the Tulsa State Fair a week or so ago. We hadn’t been to the fair since before we got married. The last time I was there we bought an ornament with our wedding date (to be) and our names. I still have that ornament and I would include a picture but it’s in storage in Washington State.

    I had lunch at Cutie Pies. We had seen it on the local news that morning and wanted to try it. They have an awesome Watermelon Lemonade as well as some great desserts. I was there for the savory meal and enjoyed a chicken bowl. Tom had chicken/fries from the place next to it. We saw some interesting signs for food but didn’t experience any of those. Thanks goodness!

    I wanted to spend some time with the baby animals. We’d seen that some new piglets were born and also some baby goats. It took a while to find them but we did. I had a great time petting and feeding the goats. Although when I left one of the older goats tried to eat my shirt. We didn’t get to pet the new piglets but they were cute. One pig had 16 piglets the day before!

    We had a good time at the fair, even without riding any rides. Tom and I disagree on the rides to ride anyway. We picked up a funnel cake for my mother-in-law on the way out. Here’s our conversation on the way to her house. I am holding the funnel cake.

    Tom: Are you sure you have it?

    Me: Yeah I’m sure.

    Tom: Have you seen me drive?

    Me: Yes. I’m holding on for dear life.

    Tom turns to go on the expressway.

    Me: THE ARROW IS GONE, YOU CUT IN FRONT OF THOSE PEOPLE.

    Tom: I was sure if I took that turn too fast the funnel cake would fly off the plate.

    Me: I HAVE THE FUNNEL CAKE!!!

    The funnel cake made it safely to Linda’s and was enjoyed.

    We’re still experiencing summer here in Oklahoma. We’ve had some 93 degree days and 90’s are still expected this weekend. I’m over it. I was hoping for some regular Autumn weather, but in Oklahoma not much is regular. As an Okie, I can complain. Hope your days are cooler.

  • Oklahoma

    I’ve been remiss in posting since we arrived in Oklahoma. A lot has been happening since we arrived. We have moved into our campsite that we expected to stay at for three months. But, while the office area and entrance look wonderful, the rest of the campground is not so wonderful. We are packed in here like sardines. We had difficulty even getting parked because of the steep area by the road. There are some sites that are larger and when Tom asked about them, they said they were premium sites and there was a waiting list. He was pretty upset because we had booked this campground many months ago. He told them he would have paid extra for a larger site. Sadly there was no hope of that. We did get moved to a new location which is slightly better but we had already decided to move to a new location beginning October 30.

    We have plans to visit Craters of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas at the end of the month so we will move after we return. So, if you’re planning on stopping at Mingo RV Park, get the premium site for more room. There are a lot of working people here from out of state.

    I’ll be updating in the next few days. We’ve had some adventures these past two weeks. It’s been two weeks today since we arrived. We haven’t been lounging around I can tell you.

    I hope your days are filled with adventures as ours are.

  • Hot Springs National Park

    Hot Springs National Park

    Today we ventured a few miles up the road to Hot Springs National Park. Once again a different type of park. We accidently came across the Mountain Loop and so we drove up to the observation tower. It was lucky that we found it at all. We were just slowly driving up the road and a car came up behind us rather fast. Tom pulled over to let them pass. When we reached the tower and were paying to go up a young man walked up and said thank you for moving over. I was supposed to be here at 9:00 a.m. The other man at the counter asked if he was sleeping one off. It was closer to 10:00.

    There is a wonderful history of the Hot Springs on the second floor of the observation tower and we spent some time there. It is all enclosed but the top floor is open with the same views. We enjoyed both floors. Here are some views from the top and an observation platform lower on the mountain. We didn’t jump in the elevator by the way.

    Next we visited the visitor center. This was the old Fordyce Bathhouse and the tubs and other paraphernalia are still there. It was interesting. We watched a good video about the history of the park and Hot Springs.

    After our visit and me getting a national park passport stamp we headed back to the truck. It had started raining and let me warn you all now, DO NOT step on the metal pieces in Hot Springs with sandals while it’s raining. I took a nose dive and hit the pavement. Tom was grabbing for me. The people walking in front of us, of course, returned to try to help. One man said, “you’ll feel it in the morning.” He’s likely not wrong. I’m fine and we continued our journey on. I did come across another one of those metal pieces and walked to the side of it. They are working on the streets and have large metal pieces on the sidewalks and road areas.

    We are at Finish Line RV Park. A strange place with no office, a gate with a code and the concrete slabs are downhill, well most of them. The park tables all have skeleton ghosts attached and there is a ghost family out in front of the laundry/store. Everything is on your honor, pay by Venmo. Not many people here but it’s the end of the season. We’re heading out to Oklahoma in the morning, where we’ll be for 3 months. I’m hoping for some okra! Praying your journeys are blessed.

  • Magic Kingdom

    Magic Kingdom

    I love Magic Kingdom. There is nothing better than walking down Main Street and seeing Cinderella’s Castle. This trip we were staying at Fort Wilderness Campground so we were able to take the ferry to the front of Magic Kingdom. Some of our family went on ahead and we came later. Well not too late. We didn’t arrive for rope drop, which is a first but we were at the front entry by a little after 8:00. Our plan was to ride Tiana’s Bayou with our first lightening lane. Sadly it was down. We stopped to get pictures in front of the castle. I am so glad we did.

    We decided to ride The Jungle Cruise since Tiana was down. It was a walk on that early in the morning. They have revamped this ride and I must say it is better than ever. Our “guide” was amazing and we enjoyed “the tour.” She said at least four times, “Did you know elephants have a great memory? I wish I had a memory like that, it would really help me in my job.” We all laughed each time of course.

    The highlight is always going “behind” the waterfall. It’s always been one of my favorite rides at Magic Kingdom. By this time we were able to go to our next lightening lane, The Haunted Mansion. We had tried to ride it the night of the Halloween event but were removed before ever getting on. It had broken down that night. So, we were glad all went well with the ride this time.

    Heather (my daughter) left her phone in the Haunted Mansion ride so a half hour or so was spent waiting on a cast member to find it and return it. A few of us decided to go see the Country Bear Jamboree. It is also newly revamped and I love the “new” songs. I was a little confused when one of the lady bears was singing but no where to be found. She usually comes out of the ceiling but she didn’t this time. I don’t what happened with that. Here’s the only video that I actually got. I don’t know what happened to the rest of them.

    After this we journeyed back to Heather and the kids had ridden Haunted Mansion again hoping to find it. She had tracking on it and they could see it outside the ride. Come to find out, the lightening lane cast member had it all along. Goodness. Well now that we had that taken care of we journeyed on to Pirates of the Caribbean. “Jack” was in the area where we were walking and he scared Piper, my youngest granddaughter. I’m sad I wasn’t recording because it was funny. Tiana was back so we headed there before lunch. It is a great remodel. After the 50 foot drop when you think the ride is over, it’s not! There is so much more to see. I don’t normally like water rides but I’m glad we did it! The front four seats got really wet. The back four not so much.

    We had lunch at Jungle Navigation Company/Skipper Canteen. It was great food and I think we all enjoyed it. After lunch was the Tron ride again. Tom decided he didn’t want to do it a second time, so he waited for us at the exit. Afterwards, the kids took off for Space Mountain and then to get pictures with Stitch.

    Tom and I headed to get Dole Whip and then some last minute shopping before heading back to the campground. We were joined later by the rest of the bunch. We decided to go back to Hollywood Studios since Magic Kingdom was closing early for the Halloween party. It was another chance to ride Tower of Terror.

    We had an amazing trip to Walt Disney World. It was certainly memorable and I was happy to see my family and friends after two months. I’m already looking forward to another visit, sometime in the future. You have perhaps heard the saying, “If you aren’t at Disney, your planning your Disney trip.” That is always my motto! Thanks for reading!