Day 46...Oct 30
We woke up this morning, took our time getting the van ready for
the road and we even parked right by the showers (bath house) next to the
office while we each took a shower. When we were done there was still no one
around to take our money. So, guess we got a free nights camping...thanks
Arkansas.
We found a great little country diner called Morgan's. Eggs with
bacon for me and pancakes with a slab of ham for Kerry. It was amazing.
Nearest town to Pottsville.
Within a couple of hours we were pulling into Diane's driveway,
a friend of Kerry's going back to the high school years. Diane was the girl who
was with Kerry the first night we met. So, I could actually say that Diane is
the second American I met 25 years ago.
Diane and her husband Travis are the perfect hosts. For dinner
they made a pork roast with baked potatoes and broccoli ... As I was serving myself
I noticed a small pan of gravy on the stove, right next to the other menu
items. I put some on everything and looked forward to digging in. Travis asked
me if I thought the sauce was gravy as he broke out in laughter. Diane started
laughing also. Apparently what I thought to be gravy was actually chocolate
sauce for dessert. They insisted that I toss my food and start again...I
refused and after saying grace I dug into what was an awesome tasting meal. If
you never had chocolate covered pork roast and potatoes before you don't know
what you are missing.
We ended the evening with a Bible study, getting deep into the
word analyzing, contemplating and growing...a perfect day indeed.
Day 47...Oct 31
Today started with the usual coffee followed by a light
breakfast. During the early mornings conversations we did some laundry and
insured that all of our electronics were fully charged. By 11:00am we
were starting to talk about food. There is a favorite Mexican restaurant in
Pottsville that Diane and Travis highly recommended for lunch. Off we went to
enjoy a perfect lunch. Kerry and I loved the fish tacos...very authentic.
There was a Fall Festival going on in town so we decided
to head over there and walk off our lunch. The dog show was very interesting,
especially the one eyed dog. Obviously this wasn't a beauty contest. I bought
myself a cowboy hat for $5.00 and Kerry bought some pecan pie...yummy.
Diane's sister Debbie lives 1 1/2 hours away and was coming into
town to see Kerry. Their friendship goes way back...even before Kerry and Diane
became friends. When Debbie showed up with her husband Ken, it was like time
meant nothing...we all sat around and chatted, laughed and exchanged stories as
if there was never any distance or time between us. Arkansas folks made us feel
extremely welcome...it was awesome.
Ken supervising the kitchen staff
the Kitchen Staff
Must be Break Time
Even the men had responsibilities
After dinner the Halloween kids started coming to the door. We
all sat around entertaining each other for hours until it was time for bed. By
now, Rosie and Diane's dog Hunter were starting to tolerate each other. Up
until now, the two dogs snapped and snarled at each other...it was a territory
possession thing.
Interesting observation...for a dry county (no alcohol sold
anywhere) there sure is a lot of wine and beer on the table. I loved the
pumpkin beer.
Day 48...Nov 1
Before we continued traveling west today we started the day with
an early breakfast followed by attending the early church service at Travis and
Diane's church. While Kerry made the coffee and breakfast I went ahead and packed
up the van, getting her ready for the road. The plan is to leave directly from
church for highway 40 west, and the next destination.
Everything went as planned, maybe even better. It was a great
church service, tons of energy. We said our goodbyes in the parking lot.
Pottsville was now disappearing behind us. Once we got onto the highway, it
wasn't very long before we crossed into Oklahoma, our 30th state visited during
this road trip. Just before we reached Oklahoma City our odometer hit 7000
miles. Many more miles and states to go...
We did stop at two casinos, just to stretch our legs and take
advantage of the facilities. We were wanting to find one that had RV parking
and hook ups. The first place we visited was called the Golden Pony in
Shawnee...the air was thick with cigarette and cigar smoke. The entire casino
was a series of prefab rooms stuck together. We left trying not to inhale. Then
we stopped at the Grand Casino. It was a very nice and clean, and it did have an RV
section. They charged $50.00 per night, too much for our needs. We ended up
giving a few dollars to the slots before heading on down the road. The view of
Oklahoma City up ahead quickly became a shrinking scene in my rear view mirror.
By 5:00pm we were looking once again looking for a place to call home
for the night. We found a KOA just off of the highway on a Cherokee reservation
near Geary Oklahoma...it is one of the nicest camp grounds we stayed in so far.
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