Texoma, Dallas and a Cloverleaf to Loco

On Tuesday we had the opportunity to travel through some areas we had not seen, stayed over in Dallas and saw some equally interesting sights upon our return.....ah but I get ahead of myself. To begin:

We left our home in Lawton slightly before 9 a.m. for a lunch meeting 163 miles (260km.) hence.  We coasted through the bright sunshine with the radio on and enjoyed some scintillating conversation until our imagination was captured by this.

Although one can look on a map, it seems so two dimensional compared to the real thing. This is Lake Texoma, which straddles the border. It impounds just under 40,000 sq. mi. (103,000 sq. km.) To someone who was raised on the Wet Coast, it seems almost ocean-like, with the exception of the 100F. temps.

As one follows Hwy. 70 east you descend a hill and cross Texoma on a long bridge which has a paved jetty on the other side of about 1 mile.

It almost looks like the Gulf Islands seen from Vancouver. Oh wait it's 100F., bone sucking dry and the crickets be singin'.......woof!

After our lunch engagement, we continued to Dallas for dinner another couple meetings, a quick sleep and then started to head home. We decided to come up
I-35 for a change and saw this lovely porcine smoker. Better have a lot of meat if you're planning on firing up this oinker!

Upon approaching Ardmore OK we started to see roadside signs for Cloverleaf. As neither of us knew what Cloverleaf was we stopped in to take a look. The entry is lined with bicycles in sherbet colors. The whole place is awash in color,

Even in it's dilapidated condition I could recognize this as a Dodge A-100 kiddie carousel ride from the late 60's. What an adorable reminder of yester-decade.

The entry sports 2 Javanese lions and the pressed aluminum grille of a Ford F-600 series truck. The place is overrun with things to see. Trompe L'oeil much?

One thing that caught my eye, and sweet tooth was this giant display sundae. Oh Lord, I'm glad it isn't real or I would sink into a sugar coma trying to eat it.

I don't know if this trailer is used for overnighters or simply decor but it looks to be mid 50's. It looks like an Airfloat, but there were so many manufacturers that came and went during that era , it's hard to tell the players without a name tag.

Heading west from Ardmore I checked the map and found out we could take a road that passed through Loco. Many of my ardent readers will say you can't go Loco, you're there already. I beg to differ. Here is the Loco water tower.

When we actually drove through town, I couldn't resist taking a picture of the Post Office. It will be here until they hitch it up and tow it away, or build something more permanent. Considering the population of Loco is 122, they may well stick with the mobile variety just in case there's a USPS evac. order.

Just over one hour later we were home again and none too soon. It was high time for a shower and some cheese....behold the power of cheese.
We covered just over 500 miles 3 meals, 2 tanks of gas, assorted road snacks and 2 tired wanderers. Until next time.....ciao bambini!

Small Thoughts on Small Towns

Hola Amigos:
It's been quite a while since I posted, and while I feel remiss, I'm not losing any sleep and I sincerely doubt you are either.

We have been missing our scooter rides due to hot weather. When the temperature goes over the "century mark", it takes the fun out as one bakes and rolls. I am including a couple of days in this  entry.

Here is my beloved Scooterchick, preparing to saddle up.

And here we are having turned onto a road that was supposed to lead to Catfish Rd. After turning onto the road we had to turn around.....yeah the sign behind the Chick?.....ROAD CLOSED!!

We saw these flowers. Just kidding, I thought I would throw them in for a color blast. Hibiscus, at Lowe's....hahaha

Wanted to toss in this building. It was the Hotel in Faxon. You may not be able to see the sign that says to inquire about weekly rates? No thanks!

I think this may have been the Hardware store. It looks dilapidated now.

This is the First Baptist Church of Faxon. The town isn't big enough to have a Second Baptist Church. What a whopper, it must seat all of 40 folks. I guess that means they truck folks in from neighboring farms to fill the pews.

Believe it or not this is Faxon Town Hall. Small community, Miniscule Hall.

The Faxon post office. Beside it there is a commemorative marker. It notes Faxon 1905-1998. I guess they weren't sure they'd make the centenary.

As you leave Faxon, a deserted Iron Bridge over a mostly dry creek bids you adieu. It is tired and deserted, much like the town.

Next up we have the thriving market community of Elgin. I can say thriving because this town boasts gas station, 5 banks, a McDonald's and that's not all....

Though the main street looks pretty deserted even looking in both directions. Is there hope?

Yes there is, in the form of Trivets Restaurant. We enter expectantly.

The exterior is inviting, who knows what wondrous delights await within?

Apparently, they take the Trivets business seriously. When the girl that owns the joint started, she had a few and put them up on the wall. Customers have donated more ever since and this is the result!

They also have a decor which can best be described as Country Kitsch. Many of these items have for sale tags on them. It's a good thing we have limited space in the bikes or we might have left with a load of decor.

I imagine this is the Coca-Cola corner. It features many historic Coke ad materials.

We took our seats and perused the menu. Although limited it had enough to catch our interest. We were sincerely and inseparably interested in breakfast. I did find it interesting that the "coffee" was served in a Washington State Patrol mug.

This is the Elgin City Hall. It seems modern and businesslike. Compare this with..

The main street of Fletcher OK. This sleepy little burg has all the charm of a geriatric narcoleptic. It dozes peacefully in the late morning sun.

This is the First Methodist Presbyterian Church. It is made of Granite cobbles from the mountains about 30 mi. distant.

It shares it's corner with the First Baptist Church. This one certainly looks more prosperous than the one in Faxon.

This is or was some sort of convenience store. The  vintage advertising nailed to the facade was interesting enough to take a picture.

The Fletcher Mercantile was likewise not open. What wonders were inside? I guess we shall never know.

At least this building is easily recognizable by the lettering on the door. Should we need help, we'll know where to turn.

Here is the requisite bike porn. The scooters repose gleaming in the sun in front of the Fletcher City Hall. Across the street was the Tag Agency, which was surprisingly open. We inquired about some friends who live in the area. While I was asking after them, they drove up outside.

These are the Archers, Tony and Rebecca. We happened to catch them home, as they are packing for another trip to Uganda. They regaled us with stories of their ministry and travel and we returned the favor. We also found out that they can take a shower during their 20 hour layover in the airport in Dubai for only $420 each.

Wet wipes are cheaper than that.  We shared coffee, stories and prayer and then it was time to head back to Lawton.

We arrived back just before 3. The temp was about 88F. Not too bad, but a shower felt great just the same.

So ends my tale of small thoughts and small towns. Elgin has just over 2,000 people, Fletcher just under 1,200 and Faxon a whopping 187. Holy Schnikies!!!

Until next time.....