Tag Archives: 2020

Make Oklahoma OK Again

…it was never that great.

Prior trips to Oklahoma have been variably successful. In 2012, while we were looking for graveyards of interest across the driveable radius from DFW, we wound up in Davis, OK, toured the area around Chickasaw National Recreation Area, explored some seriously hot and dusty cemeteries, and consumed questionable food in a variety of locations. We chose southern Oklahoma in mid-summer, which is less pleasant than say, St. Croix. Between the limited scenery, beverages, and frankly edible food, we drove home that weekend telling ourselves we would not return. And we didn’t. With the exception of stops on the way to and from Arkansas over the years, we have remained Oklahoma-free. This year, we were looking to squeeze in a quick road trip around kid’s schedules and COVID restrictions. Despite our lingering reservations, pictures of the Wichita Mountain region and taking a look at the terrain maps on Google convinced us to try one more time …

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Plague Travels Under Open Skies

In early 2020, our world was turned upside down with the news of a global pandemic. We were one of the last groups of travelers allowed on the slopes in Breckenridge that year, and as we drove home in the middle of March, we tuned into the unbelievable news. Ski resorts in Colorado and New Mexico were closing down for the season. Restaurants in most states would limit their service to takeout only. Masks, at first were discouraged. Then encouraged. Then required, depending on the state. And then fought over. Arriving home in Texas that March, we resigned ourselves to the idea that we’d be stuck at home for a while, along with the rest of the country (and in fact, the world).

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A Masked Tour of Southwest Texas

The summer of 2020 was a chaotic time. The pandemic was still in full force, coming back with another wave after declining in cases for a month or so. Business were open to varying degrees, with varying restrictions, tending on the more lenient side in our part of the country. We had settled into a comfortable routine of working from home, cooking from home, exercising from home, entertaining adult and teenage children at home … the list goes on. July was the perfect time for a break from all that. Yes, travel would still present challenges, given the lack of available dining opportunities, but it was also an excellent time for exploring the world on a socially distanced agenda, which is our preference anyway.

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