We had extended our stay at the campground in Oklahoma for an extra day because the wind was too much for safe travels in the plains. It ended up not being a rainy day at the Oklahoma spot but, with a 13 ft tall motor coach, that wind could cause a disaster if we had hit the road. Better safe than sorry.
The drive to Kansas was one that will haunt me for a lifetime, even though the wind was not the culprit. Our GPS was directing us to go through Oklahoma City which on the beginning day of a National Holiday weekend would have made traffic even crazier than what we had witnessed on our car excursion a couple days prior. So we choose to go west & then north & then cut across to the interstate north of the big city. Well, maybe making up our own travel route was NOT a smart idea!
We ended up on a road that, as it crossed into Kansas, was a freshly paved (no lines painted yet) road that became a soft dirt road almost 4 miles in. Perry stopped the coach while I went ahead in the car to check the road conditions further up. About a mile ahead was a bridge that would not sustain the weight of the RV. We were essentially in the middle of NOWHERE with no phone reception to get directions on the GPS! I returned to the RV & had a serious meltdown, snotty tears & all. And I could NOT figure out in which direction to go from there – no roads were showing on my GPS! And turning a 38 ft long motorhome around on a dirt road … Lawdy!
We finally made it back to a small town & a road that took us to I-35. I certainly did not mind paying a toll as long as it got us to our next stop safely.
Unfortunately, the only address given for McConnell Air Force Base on the RV Trip Wizard App we use was a closed gate. We would have NEVER figured out how to get to another gate (it was 4 miles away with turns on several roads) had it not been for a VERY kind Air Force Police Officer we waved down. He escorted us to the gate & all the way to the campground. A huge THANK YOU to Branden! I sent a letter to his command about his kindness!
All in all, our expected four hour trip took more than 10!
This was a small base & a very small campground. The main sites (11 total) were lined up in a row overlooking a pretty pond. No shade but they were full hook-up sites. Being this was a holiday weekend, all those sites were booked when I made the reservation so we were assigned to “the old campground” not far from there. The sites did have water & electric but no sewer & were TIGHT together. We pretty much kept our side curtains closed because we were nearly face to face with our neighbors.
We drove around the base some but nothing was remotely familiar to me from my memories of 40+ years ago. I spent a couple months at this base attending a school/training for my Navy job at the Roosevelt Roads Naval Air Station airport. I scheduled people on military flights leaving the island during that tour. I did recall a funny episode from my stay “back in the day.” It was a weekend & I was at the base pool when storm clouds rolled in FAST. The wind was crazy within moments & everyone scattered back to the barracks. The tornado alarms were going off &, once inside the building, all the girls had to huddle in the center halls, away from outside windows that could easily shatter. Before I got into the hall I looked out the window & saw a new sports car parked outside that was taking a beating from it’s own trunk cover. That cover was swinging back & forth & had busted the front window. Can you imagine how the owner felt when he saw his car? Not funny … but funny.
On our last day at the Kansas stop (Memorial Day) we ventured into downtown Wichita to see “The Keeper of the Plains” statue, one of MANY things we found on the new app “Roadside America”. It was huge & simple, yet symbolic of it’s purpose. I took a few pictures of the tasteful displays surrounding the area.
This last picture was of a hand made sign left at the locked entrance to a park. Perry had just read the story of the children in Canada – far away but still part of our world community. So very sad.
After we left there we drove through a little bit of downtown Witchita. The streets were quiet which is probably not the case on regular work days. I took a picture of random art just because it was cool.
Then we stopped for dinner at a Braum’s store – reportedly the best ice cream on planet earth. The milkshake was delicious & so was the burger. Perry even did a little shopping in the attached grocery store & found all that was on our list. That was convenient.
As we returned to McConnell Air Force Base we stopped at the displayed planes near the entrance. The big plane in the photo below had a symbol of “The Keeper of the Plains” on the side. Obviously significant to the command. There was also a stone tribute to an air crew & civilians lost during a plane crash nearby in the 1960s. I had never heard of this tragedy & was moved deeply.
We enjoyed our stay at this park – with the exception of the lack of space between campers. And if we have the opportunity to return someday, we will.
Not all who wander are lost … but some are sometimes. :). #whereswaldocamping