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Welcome to the Oklahoma Turnpike. A ticket gets you on,
and you pay to get off. The Turnpike is it's own little world, complete with
self contained rest areas, and truck stops. There is no need to exit, until
you reach your final destination. |
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My first visit, to what can only be called a mega rest
area. These stops are positioned between the eastbound, and westbound sections
of the turnpike, and are accessible to both. There is a restaurant, a convenience
store, a gas station, and a picnic area. All are large. |
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The parking area at this stop, is enormous, as is the case
with all of the stops out here. The road is well traveled by trucks. |
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I hit this stop around 10:00 at night, after having driven
for something like 14 hours, and could go no further. Parking in the shadow
of a tanker, I crawled in the back, laid down, and read myself to sleep.
One very handy thing about many of these stops, is the provision of wireless
internet. I was able to check my email, and browse a bit, before going to
bed. |
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I awoke, at the rest stop, around 4:00 AM, and headed west.
Around 7:00, I pulled into Elk City. This is the public park in Elk City
Oklahoma. It offers free camping, and is a very pleasant spot. |
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Though this is not generally considered to be a scenic
feature, the rest rooms at the camp ground bear special notice. These are
pit toilets, and can, literally, be found by nose. This is only for use
by the desperate, or the adventurous. Below: I slept here until noon, getting a well rested, but rather late start on the day. Elk CIty is a wonderful little town. For a better look at the town, click here |
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An Oklahoma rest stop, the last one, before hitting the
state line to Texas. |
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A line of modern teepees marks the picnic area, while a
pet exercise are sits in the foreground. I love rest stops, They are great
places to meet fellow travelers, get information, sit for a while, and grab
a snack. |
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A good place for the traveler with children, to tire them
out, and diminish that restlessness which long car trips seem to inspire
in young children. |
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Checking the maps, and spending some time in the shade.
The sun can get pretty hot, down here in Oklahoma. |
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The shady rest stop, in Oklahoma. My van is visible in
the photo below. |
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Nearly out of Oklahoma, and into Texas, It can be seen
that this is the Korean War Memorial Highway. |
| Back to
Missouri |
Forward
to Texas |