Oklahoma is a land of rolling to flat, fertile plains and low hills with intermittent canyons and mesa.

The region In the West and South that we drove through is known as the Prairie Plains, and more specifically, the High Plains.
The semi-arid High Plains are a sub-region of the Great Plains, they are higher in elevation with mainly prairies and grasslands and are known for the steady, and sometimes intense, winds that prevail from the west, and extreme temperatures in the summer as well as in the winters. 

Historically they were the range of the bison and of the culture of the Plains Indians, whose tribes included the Blackfoot, Crow, Sioux, Cheyenne, Arapaho, Comanche.
Nowadays this area produces most of the state's coal and a great deal of oil, while cattle graze on the wide open plains, and farms in the lower valleys produce wheat, corn and sunflowers.

Wheat mill

As I mentioned, we had only 100 miles to go and it wasn't long before we pulled up to the city of Sayre, where we had planned to stay for 2 nights.

Sayre, a typical rural Oklahoma town, has not much going for it but it has a City Park with a small, cheap camping ground and ... wait for it .... an adjacent 9 hole golf course! Ha! How could we resist?

Although still very windy, cold and overcast it at least didn't rain and we quickly hooked up and settled in.

But not before a hair-raising experience though! While driving around the campground to find the best spot we almost drove over this tiny grey kitten:

Safe in Merlin's old basket

If James hadn't slowed down for a turn and saw something moving on the asphalt we would have crushed it! '...Shudder...'!
Fortunately, after knocking on some doors in the RV- park, we found the people who'd 'lost' the little guy .
Apparently a feral cat had given birth and abandoned the kittens, but somehow had come back and moved this one again? I'm glad they're taking it because Merlin didn't want anything to do with it!

After all this excitement, and thankfully happy ending, we spent the afternoon visiting the Washita Battlefield National Historic Site just 15 miles North of us on the Black Kettle National Grassland.



The site protects and interprets the setting along the Washita River where Lt. Col. George A. Custer led the 7th U.S. Cavalry on a surprise dawn attack against the Southern Cheyenne village of Peace Chief Black Kettle on November 27, 1868. The attack was an important event in the tragic clash of cultures of the Indian Wars era.

The site of the attack, today

The strike was hailed at the time by the military and many civilians as a significant victory aimed at reducing Indian raids on frontier settlements as it forced the Cheyenne back to the reservation set aside for them.
However, Washita remains controversial because many Indians and whites labeled Custer's attack a massacre. Black Kettle is still honored as a prominent leader who never ceased striving for peace even though it cost him his life.

The beautiful visitor center features exhibits about the battle, the soldiers and the Cheyenne, as well as a very informative film and a bookstore.

After a little drive through the country side we went back home. During the night the wind finally stopped blowing, the clouds went away and the next morning the sun was out for a gorgeous day!
Perfect weather to play some golf! 

 
Our RV was parked right next to the (9-hole) Sayre Golf course. We had a great view of the first holes, and the clubhouse was only a minute away so we just walked over. 
It turned out that for $15 pp/per day we could golf as many rounds as we liked!

It was a fun little course and after playing 9 holes we went home for lunch and a little r&r .....

That afternoon we drove the 12 miles to Elk City for a visit to the National Route 66 Museum.

This most famous highway ever, crossed eight states from Chicago, Illinois to Los Angeles, California. The  Museum focuses on the people who lived, worked and traveled the "Mother Road" and offers visitors a classic walk through all eight states,

As luck would have it, or not, the main building was closed for renovation, but for half the price we could at least visit the Museum of Transportation, the 'Old Town' museum, where Oklahoma pioneer life is recreated, the Rodeo Museum and the Agricultural Museum.

                        

Compare that to our 5th wheel!

In the Beutler Brothers Rodeo museum

Although there was a lot to see I think I've about seen all the old pioneer stuff there is to see by now.
Unless it's something really specific I don't think I'll do another one of these again .... enough already! 
 

After we got 'home' James went for another round of golf (surprise, surprise) and I took the rest of the afternoon off to read and check upon our next day's destinations.While surfing the web I learned that had we arrived a day earlier, we would have had to evacuate into a storm shelter since they had a tornado warning the evening before we got here.
Phew, although it would have been sort of exiting, I think we got lucky there!

As seems to be our 'routine' we headed out around 9 am the next morning and continued our way north to the Kansas state border.
It was a beautiful, calm and sunny day and we enjoyed the easy drive over the quiet highway.

After about 80 miles of peaceful rolling prairie, and the occasional cow or two, we made a short stop in Woodward to visit the Plains, Indians and Pioneers Museum.

I know, I wasn't going to do it anymore but we thought this one would tell us a little more about the Prairie specifically so we gave it one last try ...

 

Unfortunately it turned out to be a local version of more of the same o' same o'. Oh well, ...

The only thing noteworthy were the outstanding murals on the outside and in the 'rotunda' of the building's entrance-way.

Lets just say that I've now seen all the old town and pioneer stuff that I ever want to see and I will never, ever, go into any of these museums again. Ever! I'm done! (take note of these famous last words)

Another 50 miles further north we crossed the state border and had only 20 more miles to go to the town of Coldwater where we'd camp for the night.
So, here's where I'll leave you for the next post, with a last picture of rural Oklahoma. 

Kansas, here we come!