Nostalgia Tour

Life is a funny thing. It never really works out the way you plan, and that's alright, I guess. Wanderings of a Girl Ryder has definitely taken the back burner for the last...oh, you know, DECADE. Shit, I'm gettin' old.

Thus, I was really surprised to see that people still find my WGR blog in the shadowy depths of the interwebs, and that made me a little sad that I had space/storage issues back then and had removed most of the photos from the posts. And, that I've lost a lot of pictures due to faulty thumb drives, so I can't add them back. You'd think after losing all of my pictures three times over the last 15 years, I'd learn to back up my work, but...

Currently bike-less, also a life concept I never would have associated with myself when I was in my 20s, but, hopefully, that will change in the future. Some things change, and some things don't. I still love exploring my local area, photography, and getting into good trouble ('xcept now it's the kind that lets me be in bed by 9PM). I have been exploring a bit in a completely different location, and maybe I'll share some of those adventures here in the future. 

On that note, I thought I'd share a little bit of a nostalgic tour. I backroad-road tripped my way over to Walters and Comanche for the first time in, well, also almost a decade. I got a tip about a little store in Comanche that has garden art, so I had to go check it out.

I have lots of great memories from coasting around WWC (Walters, Waurkia, & Comanche), and it's a loop I rode on a regular basis in one form or another. It made me a little sad, but maybe that because I was in a car. 

The car thing let me turn it into a girls trip with another photographer, and we listened to music and reminisced about the good ol' days when you could hang out at the gas station and get a date. But, maybe that was just me. I feel like that might not be the best dating advice in today's world, so DON'T DO THAT. Oh, and a cool thing about road tripping with other photographers is that they don't look at you all weird when you make a random U-turn to take a picture of something. And, sometimes they catch things you didn't see because, you know, you were actually paying attention to the road for once.

I remember Walters was a super cute little town back when the Silver Spoon was still there, but it looks like the town is going through a little rough patch. Store fronts on Main Street (Broadway St) are empty and run down. I realize, it's not just a Walters' problem as small towns nationwide (even worldwide) have been fighting a battle they may not win. But, it's still sad to see. The state of our communities reflect the state of our society. Maybe investing in our communities and actively participating in them would change the world, but I ain't no city-planner or sociologist, so what do I know? 

And, even though, I have seen Walters' experiencing better days, it still has charm and history. Hopefully, there's also hope for better days.

Walters' Main Street (Broadway St) still has a couple of independently owned gyms, a library (that makes me happy), a florist, a bank, a salon, the electric company (if it hadn't been a Saturday, I may have run in and asked about my ever-increasing electric bill and why my bills oddly went up after they switched out the meter...but, I digress) and two great murals. They even got themselves a Dollar General Market which curiosity led me to investigate. I had to know: what makes it different from a regular DG? I'm apparently naive; I was expecting some fruits and veggies... A couple of extra shelves of boxed groceries compared to the other DGs I've seen. But, if you need groceries, then maybe get 'em at the independent grocery store, eh?  I didn't make it down to Walters Hometown Grocery, but at least there's something other than a chain in town!

What's a Walters hidden-gem? I would love to know along with any stories from Walters' happier days. If you have any awesome stories, comment and share them. Oh, and where do you eat???  

Moving on. Quickly, though, 'cause jeez this is gettin' long. I also ran out of time on this trip, so I didn't grab any shots in Comanche. 

I was pleasantly surprised driving through Comanche. It's still tiny, blink three times and you might miss it, but it's definitely changed since I last rode through. I'll have to go back and visit the diner and check out Main Street when I have more time. Cowtown Corner is worth the trip, so if you're in the area, sure you'll find something worth buying. Owners are super friendly, too. 

I'm pretty sure the whole town was at the school (sporting event?) when I drove through. Some cool things I never knew about Comanche, OK:

-It was formerly known as Tucker. As in Mother Tucker, just kidding. It had a post office in 1887. When the Rock Island Railroad came to Indian Territory in 1889, the townsite was moved and eventually renamed Comanche in honor of the Comanche Tribe. Apparently, the annual Comanche Carnival was a big deal from the early 1900s to the 1920 (I'll have to see if the Oklahoma Historical Society has some pictures of this event). I'm talking' up to 25,000 people allegedly came to this event - that's an insane number for me to wrap my mind around. Especially, for the early 1900s. Apparently, Frank James (Jesse James' bro), Geronimo and Quanah Parker had attended the event at some point of its run. Frank James settled down near Cement and Fletcher if my memory serves me right. They've has a newspaper since before the 1900s, and still have one.

-Comancheans include athletes (Alvin Dark & Boyd Franklin Morgan), writers (Clifton Adams, Wynona Morris Nations & Arlene James), artists (Terrence Clark & Shelby Myers, Jr.), singer Hoyt Aston, actor Silver Moon, the oldest known living survivor of the Tulsa race massacre (Viola Fletcher), and a lot of rodeo champions & barrel racers.

Know somethin' cool 'bout Comanche? Share it with me! Anybody been to the diner? Tell me how it was!

Thanks for stopping by!

Stay Curious & Stay Kind, y'all!

Driving Miss Daisy on the Extra Sunday

Sunday's alright for driving. Yup, as a matter of fact, Sunday's alright for playing Miss Daisy. And, who would want to miss out on the conversation gems like extra Sundays, theories about ghost towns, missing windmills, and those friendly shotgun wielding Oklahoma folk? Not this rider, especially when I get to be a backseat driver. I, therefore, volunteered to be Miss Daisy.

My old...er companions I mean the lovely ladies I accompanied talked about the concept of an extra Sunday. Apparently when you get to a certain age and lifestyle, days blend together and Saturdays turn into odd Sundays. Odd because nothing that usually happens on Sundays happens. What actually does happen on Sundays? I mean Donut shops still make donuts, coffee shops are still open (if we had any), and Wal-Mart still rolls back prices and rolls small shops out of the market. Of course, it comes as a nice surprise (or maybe a bad surprise if one had plans on the first Sunday) when one wakes up on the actual Sunday to realize there's an extra Sunday to enjoy. Or maybe it's a pre-Monday. A Monday everyone can love. A Monday where people can go have fun on their motorcycles enjoying nature...while polluting it. Hm, let me rephrase that. A Monday where people can take their motorcycles for a ride to nature and go hiking while picking up other people's trash. You'd be amazed which holes I've been in where there have been beer bottles and leftover gatorade bottles. Really people? The water bottles are much lighter to carry back when they're empty. But, I digress. It's nice that some people can blame having extra Sundays on memory problems that come with old age, but how do I get to write it off? Something to ponder on my extra Sunday.

For years, I've been wanting to do Ellenbrook's refuge tour partially explained in a book called Outdoor and Trail Guide to the Wichita Mountains of Southwest Oklahoma complete with a map featuring a little sombrero-wearing dude riding a donkey. If that doesn't add credibility to the adventure factor, then what would? I'm all about turning left at the cactus...until you find out that the cactus that was there in the 1970s isn't there anymore. Bummer.

Skeptical was my middle name when prepping for this tour. Especially after reading the route description. A tiny paragraph (I'm talkin' a two sentence paragraph) covered 75 miles of travel all on dirt roads. I thought the directions were sucky to say the least. Based on the route the donkey was on and GoogleMaps, I pieced together what I thought an accurate route description. I probably shouldn't make fun of Ellenbrook's sucky directions since I beat his sparse paragraph with a post-it note. Unfortunately, the ladies who were driving Miss Daisy had even less faith in my post-it note and brought a GPS.

"Where's y'all's sense of adventure?"
"It's out for pie."
Hmph.

Cruising the back roads of Oklahoma made Ellenbrook's sucky directions not so sucky all of a sudden while stopping next to thousands of sun flowers...then again those weren't mentioned in the map. The Post-it Note directions worked well...with the GPS. Turns out street signs aren't really used out in the boonies. And, if they are, it's for target practice.

75 miles and only one car seen. We passed more cattle on the road than cars. I warned #333 and #273 of their fate, pleading with them to stage a revolt and run before it was too late. Not sure they believed my facts to be on the level. Cows. People told me I lived in the sticks. I was tempted to offer a trade at one of the ranches. Figure I'd go back once I've found a nice way to market a neighbor who moves mailboxes at night.

This adventure gets travelers the closest they'll ever get (without trespassing) to Baker's Peak and Cutthroat Gap. Story time, yo: 

Cutthroat Gap is located next to Cut-Off Head Mountain. One leads to the other, I guess. In the spring of 1833, Kiowa warriors were off on a raiding mission. The remaining (mostly women, children, and the old) were attacked by the Osage tribe. The Osage unmercifully killed most of the Kiowas who were camped in the valley. The heads of the dead were cut off and placed in brass buckets throughout the camp. There's a nice surprise when one's looking for a cup of sugar. Among the dead was a chief who had led a war party attack earlier in the year on traders coming back from Santa Fe. They do say Karma is a bitch. From this raid on traders, the Kiowas allegedly stole silver coins ($10,000 worth back then). Legend has it that coins were still popping up in Cutthroat Gap years after the massacre.


Moving on a couple years, Baker's Peak gets its name from PFC Baker who was on a scouting mission from Camp Radziminski (historical marker picture from blog post Cold Springs...sort of) with another scout in 1859. The story goes that they found themselves surrounded by 200 Comanche and Kiowa warriors. Baker's companion was killed, and Baker sought refuge on higher ground (isn't that a Star Wars concept?) In a battle that lasted two days, Baker is said to have killed over 80 Native Americans. He was rescued by a search party from Camp Radziminski. 1 vs 200 sounds somewhat like an exaggerated bar story for the guys. I wasn't there, so I'll just give him the benefit of the doubt.

Ellenbrook's map went well (with the Post-It and GPS) until the water tower. Not to be seen were (possibly) the Taylor Ranch house, an old wooden windmill, a natural spring, and cemetery (I do love cemeteries!). Maybe they all got sucked into the Twilight Zone since Ellenbrook's excursion in the 1970s. Someone should have sucked the map up, too. Utterly confused about where the hell we were on Ellenbrook's map we trekked on. I now have Googlemaps homework. Does Googlemaps cover the Twilight Zone? It's Google, I'm sure it does.

Gorgeous Oklahoma scenery on the tour. Worth the trip even if the windmill, spring, and cemetery can't be found. Sucky directions and all, Ellenbrook's book is highly valued in my personal library with all of its trail recommendations and area history. I'll upload my Post-It note to the Facebook album. Happy pre-Tuesday!
This blog is brought to you by the lovely (biased opinion, we know) Stone Turtle – Lodging, a small family owned and operated hotel / lodging business near Lawton, Oklahoma, Fort Sill,  the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, Meers and Medicine Park. Yeah, that’s right we’re a small lodging business close to all the awesomeness Oklahoma has to offer!!

Google Maps plans yet another ride

You know it's going to be an awesome motorcycle adventure  when the ride starts with a jump start. Not Blueberry, of course. After stopping by the store to buy some gummy worms (the early bird gets the worm and the early worm gets eaten), these early birds had some worms, jump started the companion bike, and rode off into the sunrise...well, rode off into the west while the sun was rising in the east. No need to get technical.

As we approach the unexpected town of Rocky, the excitement of the unknown is starting to show in my face as I pray the town is bigger than Cookietown. Please at least have a post office! It's in a slight curve of the road that I get distracted from my negotiations with the town-size gods when I spot a young man just sitting in the ditch observing passersby...not that there were any. If that unexpected sight didn't send my negotiations down the drain, it was the strong feeling of deja vu. I kid you not, it was not long ago that I curved through the curves of HWY 115 back when it wasn't under construction (okay, so maybe it was a while ago) that I saw a young man just chilling out in the ditch watching imaginary cars and me go by. I'd almost bet my IRA it was the same young man. You might think that's unlikely; 100 miles apart the same man sitting in the ditch. But, if I find myself on the outskirts of Rocky, why can't he? Plus, how many people can list ditch sitting as their favorite past time? Besides the fact that I was experiencing a weird case of deja vu, it may as well have been a scene from The Twilight Zone. There was this episode in the first season, I believe, where a woman drives across the country by herself. During her travels, she keeps seeing the same hitchhiker. Everywhere she goes, there he is. Just staring at her. Now, her hitchhiker ended up being the grim reaper so I'm hoping it's not quite like an episode out of The Twilight Zone. I probably shouldn't start and end my days watching Twilight Zone episodes...

Google Maps hadn't mentioned anything about a town named Rocky, but there we were in a small town with absolutely nothing besides a post office and four churches. Do I know how to negotiate or what? In a town named Rocky, I would have expected the theme song from the movie Rocky (the first one) to float down from hidden speakers on Main Street. How cool/odd would that be? God knows if I lived in Rocky I would have Gonna Fly Now by Bill Conti blast upon those who ran over my trigger wire on Main Street. Make someone feel like they're in the Twilight Zone for a change. Of course, I had to wander the empty streets of Rocky. Even the churches were empty. On a Sunday morning! In Oklahoma! Blasphemy! Where's the Bible Belt hotline number when you need it?

The people (if there are any) of Rocky have a thing for little dogs. Not one Great Dane or Lab was seen. Millions of little vermin were spotted. Maybe the little dogs are from an unknown planet in outer space who landed, invaded, and annihilated all Rocky-ians. Good thing they didn't zap us, too!

It's taken me over four years to realize this: small town Oklahoma is closed on Sundays. No exceptions. What a Twilight Zoney trip it has been. As we enter the abandoned downtown of Cordell, not a soul was seen. The diner offering everyday lunch specials was closed. I guess their Sunday lunch special is to let people starve. Good thing for worms!

On the corner of Sayre and Sayre (okay, so it's not that small), you can find easy access to a five step program. All in one street corner! Five steps, you ask? First, when you commit a crime, the police will assist you (step 1). Of course, sitting in jail is no fun so you have plenty of choices to select your bail bond source (bail bonds men galore- step 2). Since there's likely to be a trial, a leech...I mean, lawyer will be necessary. Options for this third step exist, of course. You'll go to court in Sayre's fine court house (step 4). And, when the leech sucks you dry, and has coffee with the judge, you'll experience the fifth step of the program: Norfolk Correctional Facility. Sayre has a nice bank- just sayin'.

All jokes aside, going back to step four, this was the reason for my trip. Not going to court, I'd like to save that for my experimental years, but the Beckham county court house was featured in the 1940s Grapes of Wrath movie with Henry Fonda. I can't remember seeing a court house in the movie, but if the sign says so, it must be true, right? I do, however, remember an OKC milk truck in the movie. The coffee mentioned in step five would probably be had at the Brick House (...she's a brick...HOUSE) Coffee Shop off of Main. How excited I was when I saw that the little court yard with flowers, chairs, and tables was part of a coffee shop. It's like Pavlov's dogs; the idea of coffee starts conditioned salivating. I see a nice little coffee shop reflected in the window. How neat to find such a treat in a five step town! As little espressos, cappuccinos, lattes, and iced coffee drinks are dancing around in my mind (and little muffins, too) I go to the door to find a heartbreaking sign on the door. "Closed on Sundays." Might as well add a sign that says "No coffee for you chump!" Where's the hospital for my broken heart? They probably don't have one since medical is probably available at step five.

Somewhere between Sayre and Altus, I lost my hair tie. If there's one thing I've learned, it's that just twenty minutes of wind and open hair can cause unimaginable painful tangles which take hours of patient combing to get undone. Ain't nobody got time for that, but I still like to avoid the ten minutes of hair removal by excruciating comb yanking. At the last gas stop of the 270 mile adventure, I searched my backpack for another hair tie since I usually have extra. Usually, but not this time. I really just need to attach a few to my handlebars. I did, however, find some combat boot shoe laces a mile long. How'd those get in there? I can't remember. So shoelace hair tie it was. After looping a quarter of a mile of shoelace around my hair, I tied it off and attached it to my shirt so someone's antenna wouldn't find itself with an Oklahoman for decoration.

Pictures on Wanderings of a Girl Ryder Facebook page!
This blog is brought to you by the lovely (biased opinion, we know) Stone Turtle – Lodging, a small family owned and operated hotel / lodging business near Lawton, Oklahoma, Fort Sill,  the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, Meers and Medicine Park. Yeah, that’s right we’re a small lodging business close to all the awesomeness Oklahoma has to offer!!

Cold Springs...sort of.

It was a cold, dreary January day. Not even the sun felt like making an appearance. It was a day to spend on the couch next to a warm fire while reading a book and sipping coffee out of a 44oz cup. That's the kind of day it was. Of course, one can spend a day reading any day. The opportunity to go out on a small adventure presented itself (and with a partner in crime, at that) so I thanked Serendipity and took it.

It's funny how when there's no rush and no specific plan that things just tend to work better than when a lot of planning is put into a trip. We left Stone Turtle Ranch at leisure and no designated time. Blueberry, unfortunately, was left in the warm garage. I can't expect Blueberry to always want to go ride when I do. Vain of me, isn't it?

I thought it couldn't hurt to swing over to the Narrows in the Wichita Mountains Wildlife refuge since I had a hunch the climbers I missed yesterday may try their luck there if they hadn't frozen to their sleeping bags the night before. I, of course, had to stop (yes, again) to take some pictures of some buffalo relaxing along the side of the road into the Narrows. As we approach the parking area, I spot the bright yellow car I left a note on yesterday. Was my hunch dead-on or what? I think I've still got some intuitions to gain before I apply to a sleuthing school. And, wouldn't you know, Serendipity was still with me because just as we got closer to the car, one of the climbers came back to his car. We had managed to catch them just as they started out to find the trail.

Since Serendipity had been so kind to me today, I had absolutely no concerns about being able to take the time to share the beauty of my stomping grounds with the climbers. Since my adventurous partner in crime had no qualms with taking a short spontaneous walk into the Narrows, off we went. I was a little surprised to find the water in West Cache Creek was still frozen. Had I known, I could have brought some ice skates since Lawton is not up to speed when it comes to winter activities.We let the climbers start climbing and started on our way back to the car. Not much was seen on the way out of the refuge, just the three buffalo who I captured on film. Because captured on SD card just doesn't  sound as good.

The general idea was to find a little abandoned mining town called Cold Springs. But, since Roosevelt and Mountain Park were in that area, we were in a car, and Serendipity was being so good to us, we cruised the streets/junk yards.  Roosevelt is filled with junk yards. If you have a project vehicle and need parts, try going there. I'm sure you'll find what you need. The old Arts and Crafts building is crammed with bumpers, hoods, doors, etc. The old high school (built in 1930) across the street from the Arts and Crafts building is surprisingly big for a rural school built in 1930. Found the old, old school house, too. We found a small cafe which was currently open and closed. Both signs were hanging in the window. Since there were no lights, we figured it was currently using the closed sign. I thought I had a post with some Roosevelt/Mt. Park history, but I couldn't find anything. So look back for another post soon!

Found at Roosevelt's bar.

After checking out Roosevelt's Cemetery and driving by a haunted house (or so it was labeled), we made our way south. I was very excited to go looking for Cold Springs along the north shore of Tom Steed Reservoir. Now, I'll admit some of my appeal for Cold Springs comes from the legend that the stolen loot of a stage coach headed to Fort Sill circa 1885 is rumored to be buried on the banks of Otter Creek. I counted county roads utterly confused when 1530 came after 2320 only to find out that Cold Springs has a gigantic sign along the highway. We turned onto the dirt road and started driving towards the reservoir. There's a tiny community back there and no more signs to be found. There was a road crossing over the railroad in two spots, but since someone forgot to bring a map, we weren't sure if that was a good idea since two locals had just ambled back over the tracks. I always think that in places like Roosevelt and the country surrounding it, they'd never find the bodies. Keeps me from places I probably shouldn't be exploring...sometimes. Since we were running out of daylight hours, we called it good for the day, and started looking for the Gold Belle Mine. 

The remnants of the old mine are right off the highway and easy to find if you're driving north on HWY 183. As far as I was able to find, this smelter was part of an illegal miner camp, Wildman, established in 1901 which was destroyed by Fort Sill's soldiers. The only things left to see of the cyanide ore mill (which never processed ore) are the cooling tower and the concrete foundations. It looks to be the local hangout judging by the trash at the bottom of the old cooling tower. 

After efficiently braking for the first historical marker once I had the notion I wanted to see the marker, I had my buddy holding on to the handle next to the passenger seat for the rest of the ride along with the comment "Jesus! You need a bumper sticker that reads I brake for historical markers." Well, I think I need a bumper sticker that reads I randomly decide to brake for weird things whenever I please.

Before turning around, we cruised through the six or so streets that make up Mountain Park. They have a post office, a bank, a small park, and a closed cafe (surprise, surprise). Mountain Park never experienced the glory it could have since the guy who was supposed to sell his land to the railroad back in the day thought he could get more than $6,000 and demanded more money. The railroad altered its plans, left Mountain Park in the dust, and made Snyder fit into the plan instead. All but seven of the businesses which had been established in Mountain Park then moved to Snyder. A lesson about the effects of greed.

For pictures from this adventure please check out the Facebook album.
This blog is brought to you by the lovely (biased opinion, we know) Stone Turtle – Lodging, a small family owned and operated hotel / lodging business near Lawton, Oklahoma, Fort Sill,  the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, Meers and Medicine Park. Yeah, that’s right we’re a small lodging business close to all the awesomeness Oklahoma has to offer!!

Back to Fast Charlie and the Moonbeam Rider

You won't find any pictures of Blueberry on today's post since I'm feeling a tad bit guilty; I dreamt of another bike. A sexy chopper to be exact.

Okay, I really need to watch that movie before I mention it again.Yes, I went back to where the beginning of the movie was filmed, Faxon. I don't always drive to Faxon....But, when I do... Okay enough play on those Most Interesting Man of the World memes. A couple of uncertain left and right turns got me out to the old school. Uncertain, only because I didn't know where I wanted to go. My navigation instinct is still in fine form. Woman's intuition, right? The school was up and running in 1902 and just recently closed. Okay, 1995 may not be as recent as I keep thinking it is. The old school bell can be found in front of the post office in Faxon (so I've heard). I have yet to find the post office. Next time.

On the way back to the highway, we pass this old couple sitting out in their yard enjoying the sunshine of an 80-degree December day. They waved kindly to two unknown bikers passing through their tiny little town on gravely road. Must say it was friendlier than when I cruised through Cooperton.

Growing up out in the country, cars you didn't know just didn't happen to drive by. It was either one of the very few neighbors or someone utterly lost. So, I usually expect a Cooperton welcome when I ride to small towns since I grew up suspicious of unknown vehicles drifting down the road (unless they waved, of course). But all that is changing now that suburbia is taking over my lovely idealistic country picture where you know your neighbors. May not like 'em  an' they may not like you, but toleration is do-able and expected. And, when your house is on fire, they still feel obligated to stop and help.

People want to move to the "country" but still have their neighborhoods (safety in numbers, I guess), yet they don't want to have neighbors. They don't want to wave, they don't want to look you in the eyes, they don't want to acknowledge you. No siree, Bob!  They just want to drive past you (ignoring you while you're waving nicely) and move your mailbox. But, enough about mailboxes. Thank God! You say. Where and what is your point? You wonder. Well, it got lost trying to find my mailbox!

So thank you, Faxon couple, for the nice wave and no dirty look.

From movie-famous Faxon, we rode to Chatty.Not as famous, but just as nice. The town looks to be ready for Christmas. Love small-towns which take pride in their town. Strolled  through the little park before getting back on the bikes to ride to Cache.

So riding back to Cache, I noticed this truck sitting in a field with the driver-side door open and the driver just chilling in his seat. What in the world? I thought. As I zoomed by a little more, I noticed he had his shotgun set up on a table. Does he seriously call that hunting? Sitting in his truck waiting for a deer to come eat corn while playing on his phone? Yes, it's amazing what one sees when one's not paying attention to the road.

Ended a lovely day in Medicine Park. The food and service at the Old Plantation were awful! However, the "river-walk" was lit up really nice, worth the evening drive to stroll along the creek.

Medicine Park, OK

This blog is brought to you by the lovely (biased opinion, we know) Stone Turtle – Lodging, a small family owned and operated hotel / lodging business near Lawton, Oklahoma, Fort Sill,  the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, Meers and Medicine Park. Yeah, that’s right we’re a small lodging business close to all the awesomeness Oklahoma has to offer!!

Explore OK trial run

It was a busy day. Especially since someone could not stay away from the car show in Medicine Park. Guilty! But, it was worth the rush because I got to see some sweet rides (go back a post or two). Anyhow, yours truly came up with the idea of doing history tours in Southwest, OK. Yes, sure we may not have as much history (time-wise) as wherever Plymouth Rock is, BUT we have a rich history nonetheless. State history may only be a century, but the Native American history goes back many centuries. And, of course, let's not forget the not so up-and-up history provided by the outlaws, gamblers, and fortune hunters back in the day. Southwest Oklahoma also has a loud military presence which I'm reminded of on a weekly basis when my windows and pictures rattle like in Mary Poppins. Yes, that's  one of two things I remember about the movie. One, Mary Poppins had the coolest bag ever. I mean, who wouldn't want a bag which could carry a motorcycle and apparently not weigh a ton? Two, the family always had to hold the valuables down when artillery was expected. However, they had it down to a science. Fort Sill hasn't given me its schedule. I wonder if they even have one. Maybe they ought to watch Mary Poppins...

 The Loop:

• Huckleberry Barn
• Victory School #43
• Saddle Mountain
• Cooperton
• Babbs Switch School Memorial
• Hobart
• Quart Mountains

Victory School #43

Over the years, I've ridden to many interesting places; Sometimes only to make a mental note to come back to check it out, sometimes with the opportunity to explore and be questioned by the local police. I've received a lot of comments and interest in the wheres (location) and whats (history) so together with Stone Turtle Ranch I decided to try my luck as tour guide. It was the first, of what I hope to be many, what I'm calling Explore Oklahoma tours. 

Our second stop was the old Victory School #43 building. It's interesting that a stretch of road barely 20 miles long had three schools in the early 1900s (Meers School, Victory School, and Saddle Mountain School). Victory School, according to the Oklahoma Historical Society, is believed to have had a teacherage (a house for teachers) when teachers usually lived with families who lived in the area. The one-room school house offered knowledge to the kiddies from 1902 to 1946. Teacherages were usually found in school districts prior to 1915 and at schools with two or more rooms which makes the fact that Victory School #43 had one kind of unique.

Stop four was in Cooperton. I now know, thanks to Hobart's website, that the sign advertising Saturday Nite Dance is a current thing. So if you find yourself in Cooperton on a Saturday night, have no fear! It's kind of sad when a town with a population of 5 (okay, maybe 15) has more to offer folks than Lawton. Funny how the world works. Drove down Main Street...not much to see there but the bank. And we found this gem (see picture below). It looks to be an old church. Love to have additional information should someone possess it! If I stumble across it in my research, I'll post it.

Additional pictures can be found on my Facebook page.

Tucked away in Cooperton, OK

WGR Social Networking

Hello, my awesome readers!
Wanderings of a Girl Ryder now has a Facebook page. Please "like" my page (and recommend it to your friends if you enjoy my wanderings and wondering thoughts)! I plan on using it to post more pictures from my various rides as well as posting links to new posts. Since blogger seems to have issues uploading my pictures, I thought this would be the best solution. After some massive house keeping (1/25/2013...ish), all of my pictures from this blog (and then some) can be found there. I will be posting updates on when a new post (or edited post) is available since I'm not really sure how the email follow works. Also, feel free to say hi! I won't knock your hat off...scout's honor.

Happy Riding!

This blog is brought to you by the lovely (biased opinion, we know) Stone Turtle – Lodging, a small family owned and operated hotel / lodging business near Lawton, Oklahoma, Fort Sill,  the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, Meers and Medicine Park. Yeah, that’s right we’re a small lodging business close to all the awesomeness Oklahoma has to offer!!

Meers

Of all the times I've written about HWY 115, I don't think I've ever included a picture or short history of Meers. Considering that I ride by (or is it through?...I think it's both) not once a month, not twice a month, but more like twice a week- it's pretty sad that I never stop to take a picture.

Meers sits in the foothills of the Wichita Mountains in southwestern Oklahoma. It's a hotspot to visit for anyone visiting the area *hint hint*. It sits close to a fault line (think earthquakes) and once had a working seismograph. All through my childhood, I always enjoyed going to Meers just to see the seismograph squiggle some lines. It wasn't on display last time I went, so that was a bummer. 

Anywho, they make their own ice cream and beer and have a ton of felines chilling on the porch; Not that any of those items are related. They're closed on Tuesdays, don't accepts credit cards, and won't split a table's ticket.So be warned.


Drinks are served in giant mason jars just like home (at least my home) and the burgers are served in "dishes" which make you feel you're in the old mining camp. And, their burgers are huge. 

Meers History: 

Not even Oklahoma was safe from the Gold Rush. There were quite a few mines in the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge area. Many of which can still be seen. In 1901 a group of miners created a mining district at the base of Mount Sheridan which they named after Colonel Andrew Jackson Meers. At its peak, Meers consisted of grocery stores, drug stores, a café, a newspaper (Mt. Sheridan Miner), a smelter, post office, and then some. It even reached a population of 500 (or in that ball park). 

For more information on the store itself check out Meers Store Website.

Hello, Hobart! Almost as in Vice President.

So of all the years I've been riding out to Lake Altus and driving by Hobart, I've never actually taken the time to take a look at this small little town in Kiowa County, Oklahoma. Serendipity was my friend today; I never thought one could learn so much in such a small town. Before I get ahead of myself, let me start by mentioning to all the motorcyclists that HWY 115 north of Meers turns into a mess of gravel shortly before Saddle Mtn and Hwy 19.

On one of the curves these ruins can be found. Well, not directly on the curve, but you get the drift. I've never stopped because I didn't want to give up one of the few fun 90 degree turns. Anyhow, I finally pulled over to check it out. This is the Victory School which was built in 1929. Apparently the little building ruins to the right and left of the school were outhouses.

Welcome to Hobart. Which was named after Vice President Garret Hobart (VP 1897-1899). Turning off onto Main Street will bring you into the heart of the charming Oklahoma town.

If you find yourself in Hobart, I highly recommend stopping by this museum. Going in, I really didn't think one could spend a couple of hours in that small old train depot. You'll find a ton of information on the Southwestern Oklahoma area. Admission is free, but they do accept donations. During the summer, it's open Monday through Saturday. Winter, Monday through Friday. I'd like to thank the wonderful lady in the museum who offered her informative services.

This is a retouched picture from 1916 on the set of one of the first motion picture made on location. The film was called "Buffalo Hunter" and filmed in the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge. I think they ran out of money and weren't able to complete the movie.

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 The old pictures found here are all located at the museum. Plus many, many more. If you go, you'll most certainly learn about the Babbs Switch tragedy of 1924 where Santa accidentally started a fire which claimed the lives of 36 people at the Christmas service at the Babbs Switch School. Bad Santa. The memorial can be found between Roosevelt and Hobart.

Places to eat in Hobart!

Sure, there's a Sonic, but why eat at a chain when you can support a local business??? Since I wasn't able to stay and eat in Hobart (next time, I promise!), here are some places to check out:

Bedlam Sports Bar & Grill-110 W 11th St

Big-A-Burger- 418 S. Jefferson

Jay's Bakery-117 W. 5th St

Kozy Diner-214 Main Street

Main Street Grill- 219 S. Main St

Chinese and Mexican food can also be found.

I'd heard of a place called Friendship so I had to check it out since it was on the way home...well, basically. Welcome to Friendship. It seems to be Altus' version of Porter Hill. Maybe with so few neighbors, you have no choice but to be friendly. Not much to be seen here. 3-4 houses, a fire department, and a church.

More pictures on WGR's Facebook album!
This blog is brought to you by the lovely (biased opinion, we know) Stone Turtle – Lodging, a small family owned and operated hotel / lodging business near Lawton, Oklahoma, Fort Sill,  the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, Meers and Medicine Park. Yeah, that’s right we’re a small lodging business close to all the awesomeness Oklahoma has to offer!!

Another Ride to Hinton

So I haven't had much of a chance to ride lately. But, I'm thankful to have found an opportunity to get away from Lawton for a little bit. However, before the next ride, I need to remember to tighten my chain...

Destination: Hinton, OK...again.

Miles logged: 200ish

Stopped in at Red Rock Canyon State Park in Hinton. The road down to the State Park is fun! But, like all fun things in OK, it's short-lived. So, this was the first time I actually drove through the town of Hinton. I have no clue why I was actually expecting something...

The beginning of HWY 37 in Hinton. It's got some nice sweepers, but I like HWY 115 better.

Oklahoma History Lesson:

Hinton was founded in 1902 by a representative of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway. It was a town that thrived from its agricultural nature and the railway. In 1931, the Kiwanis hosted a rodeo. It remains an annual event to this day. The newspaper, the Hinton Record, was first printed in 1904 and is still the current paper. That's kind of neat. In the 60s, they built a nursing home. Hinton is also the home of a nice 18-hole golf course and a prison...

Ah, we also passed through Binger, but I didn't get a chance to stop. On different motorcycle note, I finally bought a copy of Twist of the Wrist!

More pictures of this ride on the Facebook album. 

Cache

So after all this time, and the countless times I've ridden through Cache, I don't think I've ever posted anything about Cache. So here we are. Cache is located about 12 miles west of Lawton. It's one of my many regular detours. Gotta head home, yet don't really want to? No problem. Swing through Cache and the Refuge on the way home. Not enough? Then there's Mt. Scott and Medicine Park...oh the detouring options!

So there's this place in Cache that's been around forever called the Trading Post. When I stopped the dude (owner) wasn't there, hence it wasn't open. He was off chasing cows (I hope that's not like "chasing the dragon"...), but if there's a small green truck out front, then it's open. Small town hours, eh? I have fond memories of running through the trading post back in the day with my cousins when they visited from Germany. The owner was a big history book. So, if you see that truck, it's worth the stop. He owns the former homes of Quanah Parker and Frank James (Jesse James' brother). One used to be able to arrange for a tour, but I'm not sure if that still goes.

Star House. Pic not mine. Click link below.

Quanah's Star House was moved after Fort Sill almost destroyed it (haha, so I guess it's not a new past time). So, Eagle Park used to be a park, but it closed over 25 years ago. For more info click here.

Pic not mine. Click the link below.

This home is now in Eagle Park also. For more info about Frank James click here.

Also, there's was small Mexican restaurant in Cache on Main St. The building of which has this pretty cool mural on it. I think both mural and restaurant are long gone now (2013).

More pictures are on WGR's Facebook page.
This blog is brought to you by the lovely (biased opinion, we know) Stone Turtle – Lodging, a small family owned and operated hotel / lodging business near Lawton, Oklahoma, Fort Sill,  the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, Meers and Medicine Park. Yeah, that’s right we’re a small lodging business close to all the awesomeness Oklahoma has to offer!!