THAT’S A LONG PANHANDLE! Sept 16

 I had never realized how big Oklahoma is.  I mean, take a look at a map!  With the panhandle it’s almost the entire width of Texas – and THAT’S a LONG state!  I warmed up Moonshadow baking fresh muffins as Rob went to check on his new tarantula pals in the morning before we got on the road.  The itinerary was pretty much a block to the highway and 4 long hours driving a straight line to the end of the panhandle and a final slight right!

The day passed.  We watched the grasslands turn to wind fields turn to oil fields.  We pulled over for lunch in Slapout, OK with a population of 8.  Yup.  I think they were all from one house because that’s about all that was there besides a gas station – where they worked?  We never got out of the RV.  Just pulled over, ate lunch and were back at it.

After a stop for fuel and a couple groceries in Woodward, we backtracked a short distance to Boiling Springs State Park.  Each state has their own unique reservation system.  I got that figured out and managed to find a spot and we were settled by mid-afternoon.  The site was kind of high and dry so we didn’t set up much but got out to check out the park.

Wandering a myriad of essentially unmarked trails, we found our way what we think to be the perimeter of the park.  We covered a heart healthy trail, one around a quite impressive (albeit closed by Covid) swimming pool and mini water park complex and a trail to the North Canadian River which twists its way not only through the park but well throughout the state. 

We finally found our way, led by my first in person sighting of an armadillo to the namesake of the park – the Boiling Springs.  In an area designed and built by the CCC in the 30’s, it was laid out and presented very nicely.  The springs are your basic springs, really, bubbling away through the sand and definitely appearing as though boiling – hence the name, right?  Maybe anticlimactic but still work the hike.

Just saying - this is the spring - BOILING

Feeling spent from a long day on the road and a decent hike to stretch our legs, the night was spent without ado.  Dinner a few games of whatever was at the front of the game cabinet and early to bed, happy for another safe and successful journey toward home.