July 1-2, 2007
Temperature: 72 degrees
Elevation: Bartlesville, OK 700 ft. Alva, Oklahoma 1340 ft.
Total Mileage: 390
“My key still doesn’t work” the woman said to the clerk at the motel registration desk, as I walked towards the elevator.
As soon as I pressed the button for our floor, I noticed the lady coming towards us. When she entered, I said, “having a tough time with your key?”
“Yea, I bought a special crystal this morning, from the Indian gift shop, and kept it in my pocket. When I got my key the first time, I put it in my pocket with the crystal, and it probably ruined the magnetic strip on the key,” she said.
“Yea, I’ll bet that’s what happened” was all I could muster.
We began July 1 in Bartlesville, OK. A check with the local weather the night before told us that our original route would not be possible for most of the route was under water.
We left Bartlesville, heading west on pavement, and soon entered the Osage Indian Reservation. The land became rolling prairie covered by green grass. It was beautiful.
The first town we came to had a sign for the Osage Casino, a double-wide trailer house.
We moved west through the town of Ponca City, which had a refinery. I know it shouldn’t surprise me, but I always expect refineries to be confined the coastal areas.
We crossed I-35 and soon came to Pond Creek. Creek at this point isn’t what I’d call it. It seemed more like a lake that went on for miles.
We passed field after field of nothing but water. Luck was on our side. The water was lapping at the edge of the pavement in several places. A few more days of rain would’ve meant large detours for us.
At one point we came to several houses where water was about to enter. Several dogs were on the porch staring down at the water and looking very forlorn.
I like towns in Oklahoma. They still have a Main Street with buildings, although I’d guess half are empty. The sight is nice.
The weather was still spitting rain when we arrived at Alva, OK for the night.
The next morning, we awoke to more drizzle. We donned our raingear and set off into the wet. We traveled maybe 40 miles west of Alva and the rain stopped, literally and figuratively. It seemed like it had never rained at all. Drought conditions still exist.
Once the roads dried out, we continued on our original route, and, since the moisture had disappeared, the roads became sandy.
We crossed the Beaver River and followed the county road practically through somebody’s yard, very interesting.
My bike then got its revenge when it just laid there and didn’t help us get it upright at all.
About an hour later, we arrived in the town of Liberal, KS, a town where we can visit the House of Dorothy and Coronado Museum. We haven’t decided if we want to try it or not.
See y’all down the trail.
Ron and Meredith
