Lone Star State

I slept quite well last night, even through when we went to bed I had thoughts of Tornado's running through my brain.  I did have to get up and shut the window as the crickets where "yelling", so loudly that it was as though they were in the 5th wheel!  I could not stand it!  I seriously think that the cricket was having a conversation with Ray.  I mean, remember the hens and rooster in Ontario? I think Ray deserves a new name,,, the Animal Whisperer as he does talk to them!  All animals, not just hens.  He talks to our Martha Jean, he talked to the cricket last night!  Oh you little cricket, go away and let us sleep,,,,, night little cricket!!  Do you have any animals that are not cooperating?  Call Raytard,the Animal Whisperer!  Eventually we did get to sleep.

We had an excellent drive today.  Probably the downfall was trying to find a Starbucks with no luck!  Once we got into Texas there was not many towns to drive off into until we got to Amarillo.  So no luck there with a full bodied coffee.  I think that Starbucks should start to advertise with signs on the highway, when they have a Starbucks within a mile of the exit.  It sure would save time!

Before I move on to Texas, a few things about Oklahoma that you may not have known.  Did you know that Oklahoma is the birthplace of Will Rogers, Toby Keith, Garth Brooks, Carrie Underwood, Sam Walton (king of Walmart) and Ron Howard to name a few.  Oklahoma is also the State that is in the center of the United States.  Wow, we have been in the central of North America, the eastern most part of Canada and now the center of the United States.  I cannot tell you how special I feel right now.  Almost brings tears to my eyes! 

Oklahoma City is the State capital, but is actually the 2nd capital city.  The first capital was originally Guthrie.  April 22nd 1989 was the start of the Oklahoma Land Run and in just 6 hours, 10,000 people had settled in Guthrie, making it the capital.  In 1910 an election was held to determine what the capital should be.  Oklahoma won and has been the capital since.

When we were driving today just outside of Tulsa Oklahoma, a pickup truck entered onto the highway.  The truck was loaded down with something that looked like metal stanchions tubes, or something like that.  As the driver merged into the right travel lane, he increased his speed and all of a sudden one of the pieces came flying out and bounced on the roadway behind the truck and in front of us.  Good thing that Ray likes to keep his distance, because we were able to move around it.  That was our tense moment of the day! (well other than the lack of Starbucks)

So tonight we are camping at the Amarillo Ranch RV park, which just happens to be down the road on Route 66 from the Big Texan Steak Ranch. 

So this Big Texan Steak Ranch, is famous for serving up a 72 ounce steak free to anyone who can eat it within one hour.  You also have to eat, deep fried shrimps, salad and a baked potato.  If you do not finish the whole meal in the hour, then you have to pay $72.00

The restaurant is like an old saloon with long tables covered in checkered table clothes.  There are all kinds of animal heads hanging all over the place and for a split second, I thought that my Moose was up there on the wall. On closer inspection, I realized that this poor guy had quite a layer of dust on him so could not possibly be our moose from Maine.

There was one brave soul who actually attempted to eat the 72 ounces of beef.  I said to him that I really hoped he could eat it as it was rather expensive if he didn't eat the whole meal.  This photo is of him at the start of the meal.  He looks a bit like Sparky Longhurst,,,,, but I really hope that Sparky never tries to eat that much beef!  Might clog the arteries!

We stopped by on our way out when he had about 8 minutes left and he said that 10 minutes into it, he knew that he would not be able to eat it all, so he had decided to just enjoy the meal.  He ate about half of the steak!

The best part of this restaurant other than Ray only having an 8 ounce steak and me having salmon, was we were taken to the restaurant in a limo.  An old limo, complete with long horns on the front.  I think we should buy some of those horns... what do you think?