OKC from KC ~ 353 miles

We started our day after 9 am. Instead of taking the short run to I35 I decided to again take Ward Parkway a short distance from what I said The Plaza, actually The Country Club Plaza, in case you want to look it up. If you like Summit Ave. in St. Paul then you will love the old section of the mansions of KC on Ward Parkway.

The love of driving down to Oklahoma City, OKC, is the long stretches of open land. You can see the winter wheat sprouting through with green leaves. Soon to die back and regenerate in spring. This wheat is used extensively in loaf breads throughout the world. If you are expecting mountains and streams with people fly fishing for trout forget it. Then you hit the Kansas turnpike through the Flint Hills of Kansas. A couple signs which read, Beware of smoke from fires, pull over and wait till it clears. We turned off the toll way close to the boarder of Oklahoma at Wellington OK for lunch. We drove through the town of 5,000 and found few home grown places to eat that were still in business. On the way out we saw Andy’s Bar and Grill with a lot of cars and pickups around it. Well it was a place to eat and low cost. $5.75 for a Beef BBQ with a large side of onion rings my beef with cheese was semi filling. No need to return.

Here comes my Bohemian story, get ready for a chuckle. As we are heading into OKC I am running a little low on fuel. Off to the left is a Shell station, we have a 15% discount at them and BP. Pulled in and inserted the card, pressed the button, nothing and no prompts. I then said to myself, no wonder the state patrol is here and left. Down to the next turn off and there is another Shell, six pumps and four are working and cones covering some area for what reason I don’t know, off I go again. Then two exits ahead is the next Shell, now these are more than we have seen in the whole state to this time. Up the ramp, take a hard left at the top and whoops I am now in a turn to go back north. Got off on the first one and there was another gas station. Here is the kicker, I pickup 7 gallons, save a buck and a nickel at Shell. Yes for 7 gallons because in Texas gas is cheaper – now I hope so anyway. Don’t look at the cost of the steaks we ate later.

We again are at a Hampton Inn in Bricktown OKC. In this area is a canal, a spin-off of the one in San Antonio’s River Walk. It had some boats but not running tonight.

Here was a dream of mine. One of the new-old gull wing Mercedes. WOW.

We walked the canal area and decided to eat at Mickey Mantel’s Steakhouse: http://www.mickeymantlesteakhouse.com/ . A good choice, next time I will come with a bigger appetite. We had a cabernet The Crusher Wilson Vineyard Clarksburg California – smooth. We then ordered the meal, sparse but filling. Shirleen got the winner Roquefort Filet – Filet Mignon with Roquefort Sauce (a blend of Roquefort cheese, cream cheese and white wine) smooth and delicious. I the contemporary: Tournedos Béarnaise – Tenderloin Medallions, OK but pass next time. Our waiter, Zach, has lived in the city then California and back here, part Cherokee and proud of it. Nice after we started talking but pushy when we began. Walked back to the room to write this and get some sack time. Only 350 miles or so today and a scant 195 tomorrow. jerr