Installment #11 - Retirement Trip

3-28-06

Last stop in Texas was Eisenhower’s birth place in Denison, Texas….then moved along Highway 69 to cross the Texas border into Oklahoma. As we drove north through Oklahoma, there were a lot of wildfires on all sides…did see one that had burned right up to Highway 69, with fire fighters there. We stopped overnight at the Choctaw Casino in McAlester. There was live music playing which Tony thoroughly enjoyed while Sharon donated to the slot machines.

Next stop was the Coal Miner’s Memorial Plaza in McAlester (listing 1700 names of coal miners who lost their lives. Also was a memorial to Carl Albert (local coal miner’s son who came within one-step of the Presidency two different times…one when Spiro Agnew quit and again when Richard Nixon quit. Sharon mentioned a kiwi farm up the road – Tony was very interested – so off we went (6 miles west, 4 miles south). As we got closer signs indicated kiwi plants. Tony thought it was going to be the kiwi bird – to him that would be amazing to see. End result, we had to unload the car to turn around within a mile of the kiwi plants, after going down a dirt road – lakes all around, all roads a dead end.

Saw a huge sign near Checotah OK, stating this was the home of the winner of American Idol TV program….this didn’t help Tony’s impression of Oklahoma. J Next stop was the USS Batfish submarine (http://www.batfish.org/) …what an experience that was…being on top of and walking completely through the submarine. USS Batfish, launched in 1943…no other sub was able to do what the Batfish did…she sank 3 submarines, plus 11 other vessels for a total of over 37,000 tons of enemy shipping. Fifty-two submarines were lost during WW II – this park had a memorial to all of them with bronze stands naming each ship and its crew, 3605 brave sailors in all!

Overnight stop in Wal-mart at Vinita for a few more groceries. Next morning we chose to eat in the Worlds’ Largest McDonalds in Vinita, OK. Mini Will Rogers museum about Oklahoma’s favorite son – one who said "I never met a man I didn’t like", and (he was an Indian) "My ancestors didn’t come over on the Mayflower, but they met the boat". We then got onto Highway 2 to avoid the costly Oklahoma turnpikes, heading towards Miami OK.

We stopped in Miami to see the "mighty Wurlitzer" at the Coleman theatre on Route 66. Unfortunately it was closed on Monday. After stopping at the tourist bureau, a person there called Barbara Smith, the manager of the theatre. Barbara and her husband came down, opened the theatre, and gave us a two hour tour….well worth the visit. (http://www.coleman.miami.ok.us/).

Drove on through Welch OK (June and Johnny Cash country….Tony was thrilled J ). Saw sign about a "storm spotter school….which didn’t help the "nervous" Tony at all. On to Commerce OK – lots of very high sand piled all around this town – the birthplace of Mickey Mantle. Next entered the state of Kansas, saw llamas outside of Columbus KS, lots of railroad tracks everywhere (most of them being used), a bison herd in Pittsburgh KS.

Stopped at Big Brutus near West Mineral KS (http://www.bigbrutus.org/). A 16 story excavator for rapidly moving the over burden away from a coal mine.

Arrived in Fort Scott – took some pictures of the #1 National Cemetery, one of 12 original National Cemeteries designated by President Abraham Lincoln.

End of Day 50 with 128 miles driven today. Plan to look around Fort Scott tomorrow and then head into Kansas City MO to see Wanda Colburn.