After we explored Historic U.S. Route 66, we were ready to visit our family on the east coast.
Brian and I were having so much fun on this adventure, but knew winter weather was fast approaching. We headed east on U.S. Route 66, which is also known as Interstate 40. It wasn’t long before we crossed the New Mexico/Texas state line and entered the Central Time Zone.
Texas is the second-largest state in the United States by both area and population. It’s nicknamed the “Lone Star State” and their motto is, “Friendship”. According to Texas.gov, “There’s something for everyone in Texas”. They have fourteen national parks, eighty-nine state parks, and thirty-six historic sites.
We continued heading east on I-40 and soon passed the Cadillac Ranch. The ranch is a public art display featuring half-buried Cadillacs covered with bright graffiti. We wanted to stop and check it out, but decided not to. We still needed to get through Amarillo and Sailor didn’t need to be in his crate any longer than necessary. I snapped a couple of quick photos and Brian got the Big Tan Turtle through Amarillo with ease.
Later, we saw the largest white cross we have ever seen and it marked our exit. It’s one of the largest crosses in the world, standing nearly 200 feet tall. Things are bigger in Texas. Around 3 o’clock that afternoon we arrived at our destination, The Creek RV Park in Groom. We pulled into our spot on an old Texas farm, admired the scenery, and waited for the owner to arrive in order to pay the fee.
This spot was perfect for an overnight stop. We were parked on a beautiful, quiet, secluded piece of land in farming country. Even though there were four spots available, we were the only ones there. The park had water, sewer, and electric and only cost us $35 a night. It didn’t have showers, laundry facilities, or WiFi, but we didn’t need these amenities. We had cell service and a quiet, safe place to park for the night.
Later, the owners came by to introduce themselves and collect the fee. After a short chat, the owners left and we were on our own. We were over four miles from the interstate and loved it. The two of us spent the evening enjoying the peaceful area and planning our next few stops. The Big Tan Turtle was doing great on this trip and we didn’t want to push it. He only likes going around 150 miles a day, so that’s what we’re going to do.
We left the next morning shortly before 11 o’clock and continued east on I-40 toward Oklahoma. Oklahoma is known as the “Sooner State” and their motto is, “Work Conquers All”. According to, Oklahoma.gov, they have the #1 city park in the country in Tulsa. They also have thirty-eight state parks along with several events and festivals throughout the year.
A few hours later, we arrived at our destination, Wanderlust Crossings RV Park in Weatherford. This was a very nice park with beautiful landscaping and large concrete parking pads. It was actually a little too nice for us and our 1984 Winnebago. They have a rule that if your vehicle is ten to fifteen years old, it must be approved by management. We were very grateful for a nice, safe place to park and it cost us $42.00 for the night.
After getting settled, we decided to check out the area. A few spots down from ours was a playground with a big blue box sitting on the concrete. It wasn’t long before Brian and I realized this was a storm shelter. We knew we were in an area prone to tornadoes, in fact one touched down along I-40 east of Weatherford three days before we arrived. The extra stop here and there kept us from being in this area during the storm. We knew we had to continue to follow our instincts and go with the flow.
The next day, we continued our journey east on I-40 to the Pine Tree RV Park in Okemah. We arrived shortly after 1 o’clock in the afternoon and felt welcomed right away. The owners came by, introduced themselves, told us the story of how the park got its name, and collected the $45 fee for the night. They were very friendly and did a great job turning their property into the Pine Tree RV Park. We had good cell reception plus water, power, and sewer.
Once we took care of the Big Tan Turtle, we let Sailor explore the area on his leash. It has taken some time and training, but he has gotten much more comfortable on his leash. After we wore him out, Brian and I walked around the pond and admired some of the creative displays they had around. We took a few photos and just relaxed, it was such a peaceful setting. Then, we headed back to the motorhome and prepared for another travel day.
Our next and final stop in Oklahoma was Cabin Diesel Services & RV Park in Big Cabin. Even though we have family waiting for us at the end of I-40, we needed to visit our northern east coast relatives before winter, so we headed north on US-69. We arrived that afternoon, paid our $30 fee, and parked the Big Tan Turtle. The park had water, sewer, power, a picnic table, and great cell reception. This was perfect for an overnight stop.
We enjoyed our time exploring Texas and Oklahoma and met some of the nicest people in America.