Day 12 - Texas

Day 12
October 28
Texas

Dear Miss Smith,
    We had a long day. We said goodbye to Natalie and Lydia then we left for the XIT museum. We got in the museum and we went to the XIT ranch exhibit first. People said the XIT ranch was the best grazing land in Texas but the owner had to sell it cause he could not pay the bills.

Then we went to the railroad exhibit. We saw the conductor’s stuff that he used. It was really cool but we had to go get lunch.

Sheriff's Desk

We went and ate lunch then we went to the county sheriff exhibit. You got to see what it was like. they had a jail and a rifle rack too. We had a lot of fun then we went to the wildlife exhibit.
All it was was a lot of statues so we went to the other ones. There were a lot of other ones.

Tack barn and hey loft

    Then we left for San Angelo. It was a long time before we got there. Me and Joseph got tired of riding. We got there finally! We could barely walk cause we were in the RV so long.

P.S. I got you a gift from the gift shop. I can't wait till tomorrow.

               Love,
                      Levi

Day 11 - Oklahoma

Day 11
October 27
Oklahoma

        My Dearest Miss Smith,
    I do know it is Amy’s turn to write, and since my handwriting is not at all like that of my companion nor does she address you as “my dearest Miss Smith,” I realize that you are undoubtedly wondering why I am writing instead of Amy. I will get to all that later. I only wanted to make sure you were quite clear that it is not Amy who is writing this letter.

    I am sitting here in the living room of our cabin enjoying the quiet after such a fun and stressful day. The cabin has four rooms which means Timber can sleep in Amy’s room once more and Penelope will sleep in mine. Natalie and Lydia are both sharing a room and now and then I hear giggling. Well, tomorrow they will both return home, so I decided to let them enjoy one night of whispering and giggling, though I expect they will fall asleep shortly. But I really should start at the beginning of the day, and I shall as soon as I return the ice pack to the freezer.

    The day started early for all of us. No one wanted to miss a single minute of life at The Hitching Post. We ate our own breakfast and then walked out to see what was going on. I do wish you could have seen the four of us, Miss Smith, all striding along in our cowboy boots.
    All the two younger girls could talk about was horses so the first place we headed was the corral. There it was discovered that since we were the only guests, we could take a trail ride whenever we wanted. You may be sure that we all decided that a trail ride right then was just what we had been wanting. Natalie was the first to be helped up onto her horse. A lovely white one. Lydia was next and her horse, to her great delight, was brown. Nearly the color of her boots and hat. My horse was a darker brown with white stockings on her forelegs and a white diamond on her face, while Amy’s horse was nearly black.


    We had a trail guide with us and after showing us the basics of riding, for Lydia had never ridden and it had been many, many years for me, he had us ride a few times around the corral before we started off. Oh, I simply cannot tell you about that ride, Miss Smith. We wound through the woods, the trees of which were dropping their last leaves. We saw a few deer as we had left the dogs behind. The trail brought us into a meadow and to a stream. Very pleasant it all was and I was almost disappointed to return some two hours later.

    Leaving Natalie and Lydia with the horses and the ranch hands, since they couldn’t be persuaded to leave, Amy and I walked up to the main house and were shown around. Everything was charming in its own western way. Perhaps I should redecorate one of my rooms in a western style when I return from this trip. It certainly would be interesting.

    After a barbecue lunch served outside from the chuck wagon, the four of us were taken for a ride on the 1882 stagecoach. The driver was dressed in the clothing of the time as was the man who rode shotgun. We were told that they were taking the mail as well as us on this trip. The bumping and rattling of that ride was enough to keep anyone awake. It was a dozen times worse than the dirt road leading to your great aunt Eliza’s sister-in-law’s granddaughter’s house. I don’t see how folks could ever travel in stagecoaches and were it not for the delight of experiencing first hand how it felt to travel in those long ago days, I am afraid I would not have enjoyed it. As it was, with the younger girls’ great excitement, it was not difficult to share it, especially when suddenly the man riding shotgun called out, “Hurry up them horses, I think those men aim to rob us!”
    We all eagerly peered out our windows. Since there was no glass, we were able to put our heads out and watch. Several men on horseback were rapidly nearing the stagecoach with bandanas over the lower parts of their faces and with guns drawn. It was an exciting race and quite thrilling. Guns were fired both by the men on horseback and by our driver and guard. At last, the stagecoach was saved by the approach of some cavalry troopers who took off after the bandits.
    It was as the stagecoach was leaving the others behind in the dust (and let me assure you, Miss Smith, that it was very dusty), that it happened. We went over an extra rough piece of road and Amy, turning in her seat to look at the retreating riders, was thrown rather violently across the seats and landed on the floor of the coach, her left hand and arm taking the force of her fall. For a moment we could only hang on to our own seats and look at her. Then, when the road grew more level, we helped her to her seat again. Poor Amy, her arm was in great pain though she never said one word of complaint.
    When we arrived back at the ranch, great was the consternation of the driver about the mishap. Amy assured him that she would be all right, but he insisted on having it looked at by someone there. It was declared to be only sprained, but she was told not to use it for a while. She has it well bandaged and resting in a sling made of bandanas.
    As soon as Natalie and Lydia found out that Amy was going to be all right, they headed back to the corrals to visit the horses and see if they could talk someone into letting them ride again. This they accomplished and neither Amy nor I saw them again until suppertime.
    This letter is growing quite long, Miss Smith, I truly hope you do not mind. Amy said for you to please not worry over her. In the morning Lydia’s parents arrive with Joseph (who came down with his family from Wisconsin a few weeks ago, to visit his grandparents, and stayed on so that he might catch a ride down to meet us), and Lydia’s brother Levi. They will be going with us to Texas and I have a feeling they will liven things up even more. I wonder if they like opera?
    And now, my dear Miss Smith, I will go to bed. You shall hear from me soon since Amy won’t be writing any letters for a little while since she is left handed.

With love,
~Priscilla

Day 11 - Oklahoma

Postcard

Dear Miss Smith,
I am having so much fun a the dude ranch. The horse I ride is white. It has white hair too. I love it when I gallope and her hair blows around like the wavy grass on the prairie. I have brown boots on that have spurs on them. My bandana is red and I have a red cowgirl hat with a silver star on it. Being with Lydia on the trip just makes it all the better!

Love,

Natalie

Day 11 - Oklahoma

Postcard

Oklahoma

Dear Miss smith

I am having so much fun at the dude ranch!  My horse's name is Dusty.  She is brown.   I get to wear  brown boots and a black hat.  They have clean and comfortable log cabin's to stay in that are very quiet.  It is very relaxing and I like it a lot.   You should have been here to see Dusty!

Love,

Lydia

Day 10 - Oklahoma

Day 10
October 26
Oklahoma

        My Dear Miss Smith,
    Having a three hour drive ahead of us, we departed quite early. In fact, it was so early that I was the only one awake. Yes, I do realize, Miss Smith, that I am not an early riser. However, this morning I was awake even before Amy, so, leaving the three girls to slumber, I got in the driver’s seat and set off. I debated about what I should listen to, and then settled on Gilbert & Sullivan. I do enjoy their music.

Isn't the lake just lovely?

    Seeing a sign for Great Plains State Park, I turned in and parked. As I had thought, everyone was up, and after a quick but hearty breakfast of Cream of Wheat and toast with orange juice, we all set off for a walk. Well, let me rephrase that. Natalie, Lydia and I set off for a walk with Penelope, while Amy got out her bike and took Timber for a run. One cannot fully use up the energy of that German Shepherd on foot. The younger girls took turns running with Penelope. We took one of the easier trails which was flatter and less rugged. The rocks and trees, the deep blue of the lake shimmering in the early morning sun, the clean, fresh air all combined to make it a lovely place.
    After spending about an hour at the state park, we once again hit the road, if I may use an expression so devoid of truth. As we drove we practiced our Cherokee. I do believe it will take us longer that a week to learn the language.
    Miss Smith, as we continued on our way, we came across an interesting topic for discussion. Twice we crossed over the Canadian River. Now what was the Canadian River doing so far south as to be in Oklahoma? And why did we cross it twice? Having never studied or even heard about the Canadian River, I could not answer the girls questions about where it came from. Therefore, we got out maps; well, Amy, Natalie and Lydia did for I was driving, and began to study them. They found out what river the Canadian emptied into and what states it traveled through. Really, Miss Smith, that would be a good project for you. Call Bekah over some day and I’m sure the two of you will enjoy the research.

The Officer's Quarters

Guard House

    All were quite excited to arrive at Fort Supply. Most of the buildings have been restored to
their original look. There we visited the officer’s quarters, the Commanding Officer’s Quarters and the only brick building, which was the Guard House. Did you know that this was the supply depot for General Phillip Sheridan’s winter campaign of 1868-1869? It was also where the 10th U.S. Cavalry was stationed. That would be Pershing’s own favored 10th. The ones who really saved the day on San Juan hill with Teddy’s Rough Riders, the ones whose only defeat was in Mexico when the fault was not theirs, the ones who helped earn Pershing the name he treasured, “Black Jack.” You must read up about them, Miss Smith.

Fort Supply

    But, to return to the Fort. It was established as a supply base for the winter campaign against the Southern Plains Indians. Did you realize that George A. Custer, who was then a Lieutenant Colonel, was at this post for a time? I always thought of him up north in the Black hills of the Dakotas and Montana. I see I have much to learn about this great nation. Cavalry units also escorted cattle drives traveling from Texas to Dodge City.
    We all enjoyed wandering around and visiting with the staff of the fort. We ate our lunch there and after a bit more visiting, we took the dogs for a run and then we again were ready to depart. The anticipation for our next and final stop in Oklahoma was growing by the minute. Lydia and Natalie could talk of nothing else but riding horses at the dude ranch. Seeing that not one of us had the proper attire for cowboys (or cowgirls, I should say), we made a stop at a western store where we picked up hats and boots for us all. My hat is black. There is a braided black band around it fastened with a silver piece, but it is rather plain. I would have dressed it up more, but Amy told me I might scare the horses if I added any “fancy do-dads” I believe she called them.
    We arrived at The Hitching Post Bed & Breakfast mid afternoon. We are staying in a log cabin. Quiet and clean; this is refreshing. This evening we wandered around and made plans for tomorrow. We are going to go on an 1882 stagecoach ride, go on a trail ride and enjoy western life to the fullest.
    And now, I must end, Miss Smith, for I do not wish to be tired tomorrow for our full day of ranch life.

With much love,
~ Priscilla

Day 9 - Oklahoma

Day 9

October 25

Oklahoma

Dear Miss Smith,

Our first stop this morning in Norman was an Indian museum, Tribes 131. It was really cool seeing all of the Native American fine arts. There were various types, from painting to bronze sculptures to jewelry, to rugs and more! It was wonderful getting to watch the different Indian artists, whether they be full-blood or only part-Indian, working at their various professions.

We stayed there till about lunch time when we headed over to the Sam Noble Museum.  When we got there we went straight to the Red Bud Café for lunch. Their sandwiches were good, though not the best I’ve ever had.

After we ate we walked through the rest of the museum. It’s is mostly about natural history. Due to this fact there is an almost unbearable amount of evolution in the exhibits. One of the most interesting exhibits, I think, was the Gallery of World

Cultures. There were displays from ancient cultures like Roman and Greece, which tend to be rather intriguing to me.

We drove to Duncan next to the Chisholm Trail Heritage Center, a museum dedicated to the cattle drovers from the Old West. Though not as neat as Cowboy museum ‘Cilla wrote about yesterday but it was great fun. Any one, especially children, would love it! There are various hands-on exhibits, as well as the regular displays. One of the younger girls’ favorite was the branding station where you could design your own brand. I loved the Duncan Store. Priscilla, wearing her big hat (you know the one with the bird on top), got behind the counter as if she were the clerk ready to help Natalie, Lydia and me with our purchases. She is highly amusing, especially when she is acting, though I’m sure you already know that.

~Amy~

Day 8 - Oklahoma

Day 8
October 24
Oklahoma

Looking our our Tepee window

        Dear Miss Smith,
    Ah, the delights of traveling in new places, of seeing new sights, hearing new sounds and smelling new smells. Really, if the trip continues to be as enjoyable as it has begun, it will truly be a remarkable experience.
    As Amy and Natalie have mentioned, we spent the night at Tiger Mountain Ranch in a tepee. Our tepee was fully furnished with beds and even had a fire ring in the center. We all enjoyed it and stayed up rather late telling each other old Indian legends around that fire such as why the Possum has no fur on its tail. If I have time and room later in this letter, perhaps I will tell you that story. But allow me to return to the ranch. Tiger Mountain was formerly a bed and breakfast, but they have now changed it, or are in the process of changing it, to a recovery center for women. Since we already had our reservations and were all women or girls, they invited us to come visit anyway. It was an enjoyable time, and after a delightful breakfast, we drove on our way.

    We listened to my Cherokee CDs as we drove. I am still determined to learn Cherokee. I wish I could send you a clip of the CD in this letter, Miss Smith, but unfortunately I cannot. We are starting to catch on to a few words, though their exact meaning is still puzzling.

    We arrived in Oklahoma City around mid morning and headed straight for the Cowboy Museum. Now I will admit that Amy at least had some reservations about a museum, especially one dedicated to cowboys and western life, but we had not been in there long before she was as interested as the rest of us. Miss Smith, you really must come and visit this museum, since your great, great uncle’s third cousin was a cowboy!
    So busy and intrigued were we by all the displays that it was nearly one o’clock before we made our way to the restaurant which has the quaint name of “Dining on Persimmon Hill” to eat. The food was fabulous. We all decided to go with the buffet, so we had our choice of two soups, eight garden salads, three entrees, three sides and four desserts. Oh, Miss Smith, I haven’t eaten so much since I was dining in Paris after I unmasked the marshmallow thief. I must mention the desserts. We each chose a different kind so as to be able to try them all. My personal favorite was the chocolate Italian cream cake. Lydia enjoyed the bread pudding, while Natalie was overjoyed to discover the carrot cake and Amy the strawberry torte. Just telling you about this is beginning to make me hungry.
    Once we had eaten more than our fill, we slowly made our way back to examine the rest of the museum.

    There were displays of just about everything western you can think of. Displays of clothes, firearms, paintings, tools, actors, and the list goes on. Did you know, Miss Smith, that the first long movie John Wayne acted in was Stagecoach? I’m not a huge fan of that actor as you know, but I found that piece of knowledge interesting.
  

The Bank

The Church

Town's Windmill

Looking Down Main Street

Of all the places in the museum our all time favorite place was Prosperity Junction. It is a town. A real western town set in the middle of the museum! The ceiling there is 40 feet so they even had room for two story buildings. We walked into the bank, the news office, the church and every other of the nineteen buildings along Main Street that we were allowed to. We saw the windmill that supplied the town with water and even visited J. C. Osborn’s Photography Studio. The only thing that would have made Prosperity Junction complete was if there were people “living” there. I must just mention the jail. The places for the bad guys was made of metal wagon wheel welded together by the blacksmith! Quite ingenious. It is, or rather it used to be, a real jail.
    Really Miss Smith, you must bring your nieces and nephews here some day. When I get back home and you take a vacation (or perhaps you could board the dogs or have a neighbor care for them and you can take leave sooner), you will just have to bring them here. There is a place for the children called, "Children's Cowboy Corral" to dress up and then they can get their picture taken, or “cook,” or many other things. If anyone was learning about cowboys or western life, this is the place they should visit.
    If it had not been for the fact that they closed, we might still be there, exploring new places and enjoying it all. Unfortunately, however, all things must come to an end, and so we departed with many promises to return at a later date.
    Since it was not yet dark, we decided to go ahead and drive to Norman. We picked up Braum’s for supper quite late (we were still rather full, or at least I was) and ate as we drove. I didn’t trust Amy to eat and drive the RV at the same time so I did. We talked cowboy all the way. Well, Natalie and Lydia did. Had they lived a hundred years ago, they would have made wonderful cowgirls.
    We are now parked in Norman. This is the first time we have all slept in the RV together. Lydia is sleeping in the bunk over my bed while Natalie is over Amy. And of course, the dogs are banned to the living room. Neither of them seems to mind. And really, Miss Smith, there is no room for them here. I left the three girls to get ready for bed while I wrote this letter. Now I believe I shall turn in, for it has been a long day.
    Good night. I am thankful that things are going well at home. Keep me posted if anything of interest should occur.

Love as always,
~ Priscilla

Day 8 - Oklahoma

October 24

Morning

Dear Miss Smith,
What I have enjoyed the most in Oklahoma was going to a Cherokee village in Tahlequah.


Also we spent the night in a tipee and I loved it. The tepees were huge. My tipee had a window and I could see all the beautiful trees, animals and flowers. Well, there were flowers in some places.

  In the Cherokee village I saw a campfire.
I enjoyed all the scenery.
Having a great time!

Love,

Natalie

Day 7 - Oklahoma

 Day 7

October 23

Oklahoma

Dear Miss Smith,

I hope this letter finds you in the best of health! And I sincerely hope you are getting along without Priscilla. This is a subject which has concerned to great amounts. She’s not sure if you’re really getting along as well as you say you are, but thinks you’re just trying to make her relax. I’ve told her not to worry, that I’m sure you’re handling everything quite capably but she doesn’t seem to believe me.

We stayed last night at Cedar Rock Inn in Tulsa. That is one of the most beautiful Bed and Breakfasts that I have ever seen and I’m not exaggerating!

We stayed in the Cedar Suite which reminds me of an old-time ranch house with its rustic wooden walls and furniture!

After we finally turned out the lights it was some minutes before everyone settled down to sleep. Despite her comment about the three of us girls being giggly, I must say that Priscilla was just as bad about it! She kept us all laughing with her different stories and then blames us for not getting to sleep on time! Now really!

We did not leave right after breakfast (a meal worthy of the inn by all means) but explored the area more. I fell in love almost immediately with the library! You must know by now that I love books! I’ve told my family more than once that who ever I marry will have to like books because I’ve got a lot!

About mid-morning we drove to Lavender Hill Farm. It was amazing seeing all of that lavender growing out in the fields! They have about five varieties of lavender which they use for flower arrangements, soaps, candles, and scented oils, among other things.

There wasn’t much to see after walking through the lavender fields and visiting the gift shop. I bought some candles from the gift shop. One thing I have found, herb products make very good gifts. Priscilla bought each of us a lavender sachet which we all decided to store in our suitcases with our clothes.

Our next stop is Tiger Mountain Ranch Resort where we’ll be spending the night in tipis! Priscilla is driving right now with her usual opera music going. She is singing along with Lydia and Natalie. I’m really not sure if I shall survive the rest of this drive!

Sincerely,

Amy