Saturday, May 30, 2015

Oklahoma

Finally we are back out on the road to visit new states and places to see.  We made it to Oklahoma and so far have seen quite a lot just around where we are staying, despite all of the rain and flooding.

We are staying at the Lake Elmer Thomas Recreational Area (LETRA) on Fort Sill, Oklahoma.  It is one of the nicest RV parks we have stayed on yet.  It offers a 365 acre lake with water slides, beach swimming area, boat rentals, and an archery range with bow rentals.  There is also a 18 hole mini golf coarse along with a snack bar that opens up on Memorial Day weekend, except this year it will open late due to all of the rain and flooding in the area. 

The winds blow pretty good across the plains where we are, but so far we have not been blown over, so all is good.  There are tornado watches and warnings around our area a good bit too, but luckily we have not had any tornadoes yet and hopefully will not have any while we are here.
Avery, Courtney, Chloe, Ethan, Ian, and Tia at Elmer Thomas Lake at sunset.
I'm going to have to buy my OK fishing license so that I can fish the lake which holds bass, catfish, and crappie.  I would have already bought them and fished, but the weather has just been too bad.

We have caught some wildlife while here and hope to catch some fish before we leave.
A turtle we helped across the parking lot to the lake.  It only tried to bite me a couple of times.

The kids can not wait for the park to officially open so that they can swim at the beach and play on the water slide.  They did get to play in the sand some though.
Courtney, Avery, and Ian playing in the sand.

The beach at LETRA.

Avery, Ian, and Courtney still playing in the sand.

Ethan's sand castle.  Looks like all he has done is the moat.

Avery starting on a sand castle or just digging in the sand.

Tia's idea of a castle is sticking a stick in a pile of sand.

Courtney and Ian building a wall for their sand castle.
Some of the things to see while in Lawton, OK are the Wichita Mountain Wilderness area or Wildlife Refuge which butts up against Fort Sill.  

Across from Lake Elmer Thomas is Mt. Scott which is 2264 feet in elevation and gives you a 360 degree view of the area around it.  It is well worth the drive to its summit to feel the wind in your face and to take in the view it offers.
Looking at Mt. Scott from the RV park.
Tia, Chloe, Avery, Ethan, Courtney, and Ian on top of Mt. Scott with Lake Elmer Thomas in the background.
Lake Elmer Thomas viewed from Mt. Scott.
Playing around with the Pano option on my iPhone.  The kids could not move into position quick enough.
Since we have been in Oklahoma, it has rained more than not with lots of flooding.  I guess a lot of states are suffering from the rains and floods.  Our prayers go out to everyone who has been affected by it.  

The first night we arrived here the sunset was just beautiful.  I am a sucker for a good sunset.
Sunset on Lake Elmer Thomas.
Sunset on Lake Elmer Thomas starting to show its better colors.
About every evening the storm clouds start to roll in and the wind starts to blow.  The kids go to bed scared that we are going to get hit by a tornado, which is somewhat a possibility, but we trust in the Lord to keep us save and tell the kids to say their prayers to keep us safe.
Another storm rolling in.
The lake is not immune from flooding either.  Normally the black floating dock is a good six inches below the bank or sidewalk, but as you can see it is a good two feet above it with water covering the sidewalk.
Some of the flooding here at the lake.
The water is usually a good foot or more below the sidewalk here, but today it is over it.  You can also see how far the water came up by the debris line where the milk jug came to rest.
The lake's water level rising over the sidewalk with its debris line showing how much it has went down.
The best thing about being in Oklahoma is that fact that we can mark off another state visited, which has slowed down some in the past year.  We hope to get back on schedule of only staying in a state for thirty days rather than months, but you just never know.

I'm sure once we get further out west we may stay in some areas longer like when we visit the Grand Canyon or Yellowstone.  That is the beauty of our lifestyle that we can stay in an area for as long as we want.

Once again we are blessed that we can live this way and that God watches over and guides us in our travels.  May He watch over you too and keep you safe from harm.

We would love it if you left a comment, followed our blog, and/or became friends with us on Facebook.  The links to do all of that are at the upper right of this blog.

Also if you are interested in Young Living Essential Oils or want to know how they can improve your life, please do not hesitate to ask.  We would be more than happy to do an Essential Oils 101 class for you and anyone you know on the benefits of the oils in your everyday life.

Thanks!
Don, Misty, and Kids...

States we have visited so far.