Arkansas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico
09/06/2019 - Drove 218 miles to Lake Dardenelle, an Arkansas State Park. The description on the internet looked beautiful. And indeed, it was. Lake Dardenelle was huge--40,000 acres. It is a man-made lake and reservoir, dammed up by the Arkansas River.
The campground was beautiful. We parked on a point jutting out into the lake and had water on 3 sides. Lots of trees, but rocks on the shoreline that prevented swimming. This was a 2 night rest stop. Susan and Bev brought hot dogs and salad for dinner. Trish was down with a cold.
09/07/2019 - Tom worked on the Magneshade (our shade for the windshield). All 4 dogs got good walks. I spent the entire day updating my bookkeeping. Now I am caught up until we get home. Not much to tell you today, and no pictures. I fixed mushroom ravioli for dinner, Everyone seemed to enjoy it. We also worked on a watermelon that Trish brought (she is feeling much better). I then worked on a big segment on The Biltmore on my blog. Good rest for this stop.
09/08/2019 - As we left the Arkansas State Park, we passed this nuclear cooling tower spewing steam. I haven't seen one of these in a long time.
Drove 235 miles to Shawnee, Oklahoma to the Grand Casino. The RV parking lot was a little difficult to find due to construction in the area (they had several storms that took out a bridge over a creek, and were rebuilding it). We had a parking spot, and it was just that--a gravel parking lot, but we cannot complain as it was full hookups, and FREE.
Tom and I took the Jeep to downtown Oklahoma City to visit the memorial of the bombing of the Federal Building in April of 1995. I remember that day so clearly. I had just signed up for AOL DSL online, and was browsing the news for my first venture on the internet. All the headlines were about the bombing so I found a chat room where people were talking and were there that day. They were talking about the chaos in the city. I actually chatted with some of them online. I was amazed how I could be so far away, and still be in the middle of it with people there. I was awestruck at the power of the internet, and wondered where it would take us all. I will never forget it.
The memorial was beautiful. After entering, we saw this sign and a large plot of grass on the right with glass and metal chairs lined up, and a long vanishing edge pool in the center.
The ranger told us that the grass was the footprint of the building, and the chairs represented each person killed. The chairs (168 in all) were placed according to where they were when they were killed; first row was first floor, second row was second floor, etc. Since the daycare center for the employees' children was on the second floor, the small chairs in the second row were all children (19 children were killed in the blast).
Each chair is engraved with their names. The pool in the center was built over the street that ran in front of the building. There was a second gate at the back with the time, "9:03".
The back gate shows the time that the bomber entered in his truck and parked in front of the building at 9:01. The bombing went off at 9:02. The front gate shows when the responders arrived at 9:03. You could almost see the entire event unfold, and the heaviest loss of lives were right in front of the parked truck. Whoever designed this memorial did a great job. We came out with such sadness, and saw others teary as well. Across the street was a memorial to St Joseph old cathedral. It was so damaged in the blast, that it had to be taken down. It looks like Jesus is crying.
We walked back to our car and drove to Staples downtown to return a tablet I bought for Tom (I didn't like it). Then we drove back to the casino lot. At 5:00, we all went to dinner in the casino sports grille. It was pretty good. Then we all donated in the casino, and left for the RV lot.
09/09/2019 - Today is another driving day. Tours are over, and we are all tired and ready to get home. Today we drove 280 miles to Amarillo, Texas in the panhandle of Texas. we are staying in a campground called Overnite RV Park (that was appropriate). It was a very nice campground, with pull-thrus and 50 amp service. We couldn't ask for more. It was a little cooler here, and a welcome break from the heat and humidity. I fixed corned beef and cabbage for dinner. Tom, Trish, and I enjoyed it, but Susan did not have any (she is a vegetarian), and Bev didn't like cabbage. She made a sandwich out of the garlic bread and the corned beef. Oh well....it was a good idea anyway.
09/10/2019 - This is our last driving together with the girls. We drove 288 miles to Santa Fe, New Mexico. Again, our campground, Los Suenos de Sante Fe RV Park, was hard to find. There was no signage, and they shared a common driveway with two other businesses. Luckily, one of them was Mannys Auto Sales, and he had a big sign. I had to call the campground office and get directions. I immediately texted Trish so she could find it. The office put us in the wrong spot, so we had to move all the way to the back. I was frustrated at the office help because I was having the girls for dinner, and they would probably have to drive to us tonight.
After we both got settled and walked the dogs, Trish, Susan, and I went to Albertsons to get a few needed groceries. Then we stopped at a shoe store (no luck there), and drove around a little to see what was there. We got home, put the groceries away, and had a nap. At dinnertime, the girls came down to our spot for chicken and rice. They really liked the orange chicken.
9/11/2019 - Tom and I left in the morning to find a lab so I could get my blood tested. The location that Google sent us to did not work out. The lab had moved over 4 years ago. I called the local hospital, St Vincent's, and found that they had a walk-in lab across the street. I talked to them and they gave directions to their location. We arrived and were done in about 45 minutes (not too bad!). Back to the campground by 10:00.
Trish, Susan, Tom and I took the Jeep into downtown Sante Fe. I wanted to see the miraculous stairway at the Loretto Chapel again. I told Trish and Susan all about it.
Here is the story of the stairway :
When the Sisters of Loretto left Kentucky in 1852 and headed southwest, Sante Fe was a very small town, populated by mostly Indians and Mexicans. They were trying to establish a convent in the Ancient City (Sante Fe was founded in 1610). A school was built first, by Mexican carpenters. They called it The Loretto Academy of Our Lady of Light. Later, about 21 years after the Sisters left Kentucky, a chapel was built by the same Mexican carpenters. It was patterned after a Gothic style chapel in Paris and was 25' x 75' by 85' in height, with a choir loft in the rear. The chapel took 5 years to complete in 1878 at a cost of $30,000.
When it was almost done, it was discovered that an error or omission had crept in somehow. The chapel was beautiful, and so was the choir loft, but there was no way to get from one to the other. Many carpenters were called in to discuss the problem. Because of the height of the loft, a conventional stairway would take up too much space from the chapel below. The solution told to the Sisters was either a ladder, or rebuild the loft. Neither were acceptable to the Sisters, so they decided to wait and make a novena (a prayer of 9 days) to Saint Joseph, the Saint of carpenters.
As the story goes, it was on the last day of the novena that a gray-haired man with a donkey and a tool chest stopped by the Academy. He asked the Mother Superior if he could be of help in the building of a stairway. She was delighted to have him do so, and let him go to work. We don't know how long it took him. Some say it was done quickly, and some say it took 6-8 months. In either case, the work did get done. The Sisters who were present during the construction said that the only tools he used were a saw, a T square, and a hammer. They also remembered large tubs of water with wood soaking in them. When Mother Superior looked for the man to pay him, he had disappeared. Even the local lumber yard had no record of any wood being purchased.
The stairs consist of 33 steps and two complete 360 degree turns, without a center support. It rests at the top on the loft, and at the bottom on the floor. Wooden pegs were used instead of nails.
Over the years, architects and builders from many points outside the state have come to inspect this masterpiece of construction, and never fail to marvel at how it manages to stay in place. Many thought that it should have crashed to the floor by now, but it stands as it was built, even to today. It gets daily use by the girls who attend the Academy, the Sisters, and the choir, of course. The railing, which is a piece of art in itself, was added 2 years after the staircase was built for the protection of those who use it.
Some experts claim the stringers appear to have been put together with great precision. The wood is spliced in 7 places on the inside, and in 9 places on the outside, with each piece forming part of
of a perfect curve. Also, the wood is of a hard variety, and according to wood authorities, is not native wood to New Mexico. Where the wood came from is a mystery to this day. These are my pictures of the current staircase.
I have taken the liberty of taking some of my story-telling from a pamphlet at the church, as I could not remember all of the details. In any case, the staircase is beautiful and a marvel of construction. If you are ever in Santa Fe, NM, you can see it for yourself. The chapel held services from 1853 to 1968, and the staircase was used every day.
After the Loretto Chapel, we wandered through several shops in town We walked quite a bit, and stopped in a french pastry shop for goodies, Trish bought some Christmas decor items and was very pleased. We left town and drove back to the campground.
At 5:30, we left for our last dinner out. We went to a highly recommended Mexican restaurant, La Chola, near our campground, We had to wait about 45 minutes to get in, and the parking lot was completely filled. I guess that is a sign that the food is good, And it surely was----a little spicey, but very good. Tom got an extra spicey burrito, and it was a little more than he bargained for. He was sweating, even though it was actually a little chilly outside where we ate dinner.
09/12/2019 - Tom and I were up, walked the dogs, had breakfast, and readied the RV for the next drive to Gallup, NM. We pulled out of our site and stopped close to Trish's rig to hook up the Jeep. The three girls came out to say "goodbye". Trish was a little emotional. I think I saw a tear. We had a good hug and promised to stay in touch. Also, we have another caravan trip planned for 2021 through the Western National Parks. I was sad too. We really enjoyed the girls and the dogs, We will miss them very much.
The campground was beautiful. We parked on a point jutting out into the lake and had water on 3 sides. Lots of trees, but rocks on the shoreline that prevented swimming. This was a 2 night rest stop. Susan and Bev brought hot dogs and salad for dinner. Trish was down with a cold.
09/07/2019 - Tom worked on the Magneshade (our shade for the windshield). All 4 dogs got good walks. I spent the entire day updating my bookkeeping. Now I am caught up until we get home. Not much to tell you today, and no pictures. I fixed mushroom ravioli for dinner, Everyone seemed to enjoy it. We also worked on a watermelon that Trish brought (she is feeling much better). I then worked on a big segment on The Biltmore on my blog. Good rest for this stop.
09/08/2019 - As we left the Arkansas State Park, we passed this nuclear cooling tower spewing steam. I haven't seen one of these in a long time.
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| Nuclear cooling tower |
Tom and I took the Jeep to downtown Oklahoma City to visit the memorial of the bombing of the Federal Building in April of 1995. I remember that day so clearly. I had just signed up for AOL DSL online, and was browsing the news for my first venture on the internet. All the headlines were about the bombing so I found a chat room where people were talking and were there that day. They were talking about the chaos in the city. I actually chatted with some of them online. I was amazed how I could be so far away, and still be in the middle of it with people there. I was awestruck at the power of the internet, and wondered where it would take us all. I will never forget it.
The memorial was beautiful. After entering, we saw this sign and a large plot of grass on the right with glass and metal chairs lined up, and a long vanishing edge pool in the center.
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| Federal Building Memorial |
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| Can you see the small chairs in the second row? |
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| Back Gate |
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| a memorial where St Josephs church stood |
We walked back to our car and drove to Staples downtown to return a tablet I bought for Tom (I didn't like it). Then we drove back to the casino lot. At 5:00, we all went to dinner in the casino sports grille. It was pretty good. Then we all donated in the casino, and left for the RV lot.
09/09/2019 - Today is another driving day. Tours are over, and we are all tired and ready to get home. Today we drove 280 miles to Amarillo, Texas in the panhandle of Texas. we are staying in a campground called Overnite RV Park (that was appropriate). It was a very nice campground, with pull-thrus and 50 amp service. We couldn't ask for more. It was a little cooler here, and a welcome break from the heat and humidity. I fixed corned beef and cabbage for dinner. Tom, Trish, and I enjoyed it, but Susan did not have any (she is a vegetarian), and Bev didn't like cabbage. She made a sandwich out of the garlic bread and the corned beef. Oh well....it was a good idea anyway.
09/10/2019 - This is our last driving together with the girls. We drove 288 miles to Santa Fe, New Mexico. Again, our campground, Los Suenos de Sante Fe RV Park, was hard to find. There was no signage, and they shared a common driveway with two other businesses. Luckily, one of them was Mannys Auto Sales, and he had a big sign. I had to call the campground office and get directions. I immediately texted Trish so she could find it. The office put us in the wrong spot, so we had to move all the way to the back. I was frustrated at the office help because I was having the girls for dinner, and they would probably have to drive to us tonight.
After we both got settled and walked the dogs, Trish, Susan, and I went to Albertsons to get a few needed groceries. Then we stopped at a shoe store (no luck there), and drove around a little to see what was there. We got home, put the groceries away, and had a nap. At dinnertime, the girls came down to our spot for chicken and rice. They really liked the orange chicken.
9/11/2019 - Tom and I left in the morning to find a lab so I could get my blood tested. The location that Google sent us to did not work out. The lab had moved over 4 years ago. I called the local hospital, St Vincent's, and found that they had a walk-in lab across the street. I talked to them and they gave directions to their location. We arrived and were done in about 45 minutes (not too bad!). Back to the campground by 10:00.
Trish, Susan, Tom and I took the Jeep into downtown Sante Fe. I wanted to see the miraculous stairway at the Loretto Chapel again. I told Trish and Susan all about it.
Here is the story of the stairway :
When the Sisters of Loretto left Kentucky in 1852 and headed southwest, Sante Fe was a very small town, populated by mostly Indians and Mexicans. They were trying to establish a convent in the Ancient City (Sante Fe was founded in 1610). A school was built first, by Mexican carpenters. They called it The Loretto Academy of Our Lady of Light. Later, about 21 years after the Sisters left Kentucky, a chapel was built by the same Mexican carpenters. It was patterned after a Gothic style chapel in Paris and was 25' x 75' by 85' in height, with a choir loft in the rear. The chapel took 5 years to complete in 1878 at a cost of $30,000.
When it was almost done, it was discovered that an error or omission had crept in somehow. The chapel was beautiful, and so was the choir loft, but there was no way to get from one to the other. Many carpenters were called in to discuss the problem. Because of the height of the loft, a conventional stairway would take up too much space from the chapel below. The solution told to the Sisters was either a ladder, or rebuild the loft. Neither were acceptable to the Sisters, so they decided to wait and make a novena (a prayer of 9 days) to Saint Joseph, the Saint of carpenters.
As the story goes, it was on the last day of the novena that a gray-haired man with a donkey and a tool chest stopped by the Academy. He asked the Mother Superior if he could be of help in the building of a stairway. She was delighted to have him do so, and let him go to work. We don't know how long it took him. Some say it was done quickly, and some say it took 6-8 months. In either case, the work did get done. The Sisters who were present during the construction said that the only tools he used were a saw, a T square, and a hammer. They also remembered large tubs of water with wood soaking in them. When Mother Superior looked for the man to pay him, he had disappeared. Even the local lumber yard had no record of any wood being purchased.
The stairs consist of 33 steps and two complete 360 degree turns, without a center support. It rests at the top on the loft, and at the bottom on the floor. Wooden pegs were used instead of nails.
 |
| This is a picture of the original stairs (from a picture in the church) |
Over the years, architects and builders from many points outside the state have come to inspect this masterpiece of construction, and never fail to marvel at how it manages to stay in place. Many thought that it should have crashed to the floor by now, but it stands as it was built, even to today. It gets daily use by the girls who attend the Academy, the Sisters, and the choir, of course. The railing, which is a piece of art in itself, was added 2 years after the staircase was built for the protection of those who use it.
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| The railing was added for safety (picture from the church pamphlet) |
of a perfect curve. Also, the wood is of a hard variety, and according to wood authorities, is not native wood to New Mexico. Where the wood came from is a mystery to this day. These are my pictures of the current staircase.
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| The detail is amazing |
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| my picture, as best I could get it |
I have taken the liberty of taking some of my story-telling from a pamphlet at the church, as I could not remember all of the details. In any case, the staircase is beautiful and a marvel of construction. If you are ever in Santa Fe, NM, you can see it for yourself. The chapel held services from 1853 to 1968, and the staircase was used every day.
After the Loretto Chapel, we wandered through several shops in town We walked quite a bit, and stopped in a french pastry shop for goodies, Trish bought some Christmas decor items and was very pleased. We left town and drove back to the campground.
At 5:30, we left for our last dinner out. We went to a highly recommended Mexican restaurant, La Chola, near our campground, We had to wait about 45 minutes to get in, and the parking lot was completely filled. I guess that is a sign that the food is good, And it surely was----a little spicey, but very good. Tom got an extra spicey burrito, and it was a little more than he bargained for. He was sweating, even though it was actually a little chilly outside where we ate dinner.
09/12/2019 - Tom and I were up, walked the dogs, had breakfast, and readied the RV for the next drive to Gallup, NM. We pulled out of our site and stopped close to Trish's rig to hook up the Jeep. The three girls came out to say "goodbye". Trish was a little emotional. I think I saw a tear. We had a good hug and promised to stay in touch. Also, we have another caravan trip planned for 2021 through the Western National Parks. I was sad too. We really enjoyed the girls and the dogs, We will miss them very much.
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