Sulphur, OK (USA)

I needed to go to Oklahoma City for a conference, so my office rented a car for me and let me leave this morning (got the rental car from Enterprise at 0715). Since everyone else was scheduled to arrive late in the afternoon, I took my time heading north. The weather was cooler than it has been - I had to wear a coat. It was cloudy, too, but the weather improved as I drove north on I-35. I've been wanting to visit the Chickasaw National Recreation Area for many years, so I seized this rare opportunity. I got off at the OK-7 exit, but without a map of the park, my first turn-off led me to a remote area of the park. It was a good thing, though, because I got to see several deer along Cooper Memorial Road and in "The Point" region. I met a woman working at a ranger station - she was with the controlled-burn team from the Department of the Interior. She told me about their work, along with the many other parks in the region they service. I got a map of the park and headed into the nearby town of Sulphur. After filling the car up with gas at the Snak Shak (1220), I drove into main area of the park. For several hours, I explored - visiting the Travertine Nature Center and hiking along trails that led to natural water sources (Antelope Springs and Buffalo Springs - in both, you could see the spring water bubbling up...). The weather got really nice - hot, even - and I felt refreshed as I got back in the car for the rest of the trip. My next plan was to stop in Norman, home of Oklahoma University. With the late afternoon traffic, it was tough to turn where I wanted, so all I saw was a statue of James Garner as I drove through town on Main Street (along with a distant glimpse of the football stadium). Decided I'll need to go back... Took OK-77H north to my hotel at Tinker AFB (just north of I-240): the Indian Hills Inn (Air Force Inns). Took care of a little work email before heading out to locate the conference location (turned out to be pretty easy). Secure in the knowledge that I won't get lost tomorrow, I drove over towards the Will Rogers Airport to meet up with the other folks from the conference team. They were staying at the Embassy Suites but I didn't know what any of them looked like. Fortunately, my first attempt to make a connection (i.e., walked up to two strangers at a table in the bar) was successful. Spent about two hours chatting (and enjoying the happy hour). Later, we walked across the street to Chili's for dinner. We were joined by late arrivals as we ate. After eating, I spent a little longer chatting in the lobby - prepping for our meeting. Made it back to my hotel around 2300. Went right to bed.