November 20, 2025 (Thu.) - Travel to Oklahoma: Reconnecting After 41 Years.
Travel Day! We packed up and left Arkansas, bound for Yukon, Oklahoma—just outside Oklahoma City.
We were up early, as usual—Lynn at 6:00 AM and Kirk at 8:00 AM. The morning started off rainy, though the blue jays kept us company once again. By 9:45 we were on the road for the 236‑mile drive, a little over three and a half hours, with an ETA of 1:22 PM. The trip stayed wet and gray, but it had its moments of amusement, like spotting a “bear crossing” sign and other unique-to-us signs along the way. One surprise: Oklahoma doesn’t seem to have highway rest areas! Eventually we pulled into an E‑Express gas station around noon in Okemah, OK, with a spacious lot, perfect for a quick pit stop—though the big‑rig section was marked as Pay to Park. Since we were only stopping for five minutes, we didn’t pay, and thankfully we weren’t towed.
By 2:00 PM, we rolled into our campground. Formerly Mustang Run RV Park, it’s now called Campground Collective. The place is impressive: level cement pads, sparkling clean bathrooms, a welcoming clubhouse, and even a goodie bag at check‑in.
We planned to stay a week to catch up on mail and packages. Our Amazon orders had already arrived and were waiting for us—yay! Or so we thought. Lynn was expecting moisturizing cream and a nail kit, but instead we opened a box with six tubes of men’s deodorant and two giant packs of Nutter Butter cookies. The package wasn’t misdelivered; Kirk’s name and the tracking numbers matched. So, Kirk spent part of the afternoon filing a service request and talking with Amazon. Total mix‑up! Maybe a SKU error? On the bright side, Kirk now has plenty of deodorant, the correct order is on its way, and we scored two packs of cookies we both love. The downside? Two packs of cookies we both love.
The rest of the afternoon was more relaxed. We unpacked, wandered the clubhouse and grounds, and played a round of checkers. Kirk assumed Lynn would be an easy opponent since she hadn’t played in decades—but he was wrong. She outmaneuvered him with sharp strategy and beginner’s luck.
Adding to the excitement, Kirk reconnected with an old friend from his Florida days. Tim, who now lives near Oklahoma City, hadn’t seen Kirk in 41 years. That evening, we met Tim and his wife Carol at Lokals, a restaurant with great food and live music on the patio. We spent hours catching up, and by 8:30 PM we left feeling grateful to reunite and looking forward to meeting again before we head out.
It turned out to be a full day of travel, surprises, and reconnections—one that reminded us why we enjoy the journey so much.
Weather (Yukon, OK) – High 63*, Low 59*. Wind 3-4 mph with 25 mph gusts. Rain. No humidity.
Traffic – Not much until Oklahoma City.
Food – Lokal – very good.
Notable – Meeting up with Tim after 41 years!
