1982 Oklahoma (8/25/1982)

Wednesday, August 25, 1982

We were awakened by a knock on the door. We asked who was there and were answered by a key in the lock! The door burst open; obviously the chain lock didn’t work! The maid peeked in, then said, “Excuse me, sir!” and closed the door. So we got up and left for the day, stocking up on groceries and filling up with gas. We headed north on Oklahoma State Route 34 through cornfields, cattle pastures, and the occasional oil pumps. We passed through tiny towns that could be and were missed in a blink of the eye. Woodward was a city with all the chain fast food places. We turned east on OK 15 through the shabby residential area, then into an area of businesses like well-drilling and pump repair. We turned north on OK 50, and eventually east on OK 50A to Alabaster Caverns State Park. There were a few campsites and a building where we bought tickets for $1.50 for the caverns tour. It was about 11:15, and the tour was at 12:00. We explored the exhibits of stuffed bats and rocks, and had a picnic lunch. We took a short walk to look for bats who roost in trees, but there weren’t many trees here. We saw huge colorful grasshoppers, probably Dactylotum bicolor/Rainbow Grasshoppers. Kathy spotted a huge lizard, whose body alone was about 6” long. Probably a Crotaphytus collaris/Collared Lizard.

Crotaphytus collaris/Eastern Collared Lizard

As she was taking pictures, we were called for the caverns tour. We were led behind the building and down a hillside to enter a hill in a large cavern opening. The cave was used as a hideout, but never really used by the Indians, probably because of the bats. Bats still roost there and hibernate there during the winter. We learned that gypsum was the rock near the top, but below that is more fine-grained and called alabaster. Where water filtered through the alabaster, translucent selenite crystals had formed. Water carved the cavern, and loose rocks and earthquakes left it a jumbled rocky area. It did not have stalactites and stalagmite formations like limestone caves. We saw the stream below us and a crawfish was spotlighted. A bat flew across the cave, and later a Corynorhinus townsendii pallescens/Western Big-eared Bat hanging upside down was pointed out. We saw several dome areas, imprints of the stream on the ceiling, the Elephant Rock, and the Gun Barrel Tunnel through which visitors once had to crawl. We experienced the cave in pitch-black, saw a Batrachoseps attenuatus/California Salamander (?), a mirror lake, and a Eptesicus fuscus/Big Brown Bat holed up in a crevice. It was a good tour and we enjoyed it despite the scarcity of bats. At the other end, we sat on rough wooden benches on a trailer that was pulled by a tractor and taken back to the main building.

We returned to OK 50 North and then headed east on US 64 to Cherokee from where we followed signs to the Great Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge. We found ourselves in the middle of the salt plains with a junkyard on one side and clumps of marsh grass all around. We saw few migratory birds at this time of year, and none that we could identify. We climbed a rusting metal observation platform to look down at the graffiti scratched in the salty dirt. Three miles south there was a Selenite Crystal Digging area that was only open on weekends, but we went anyway. We were on a one-lane red dirt road with rickety bridges over streams, with bushed and undergrowth alongside. We saw lots of birds flitting here and there.

At the selenite crystal area, there was a car with a couple old ladies, who were probably waiting for the couple of guys who had climbed under the wire fence and were digging in the sand. We didn’t sneak in, and signs indicated the real digging area was farther in. From here we could see across to the water reservoir which would attract birds. Saw a toad hopping along. Then saw a flock of the smaller Lanius ludovicianus/Loggerhead Shrikes. We returned to US 64 back to Cherokee, then east on OK 11 which took us past the northern edge of the refuge where we saw many Ardea alba/Common Egrets and a few Egretta caerulea/Little Blue Herons in marshy areas. We passed many pastures full of cattle and common egrets; their necks were too long to be cattle egrets.

We began seeing more oil pumps. We turned north on Interstate 35 into Kansas, and began seeing a lot of wheat fields. In Wichita we checked into the AAA Imperial Lodge, where the motel office was like a bank teller window behind glass, speaking through a microphone, and passing money through a drawer. We got a room for about $32 and found it smelled like someone had spilled cologne. We picked up a newspaper and some coupons, and drove to the Towne West Mall. We ate at Arby’s, and left an unused coupon on the counter, which was soon picked up and used by another customer. After wandering this mall, we filled up on gas, and drove to the Towne East Mall! We bought some cookies from the Cookie Factory and milk from McDonald’s. On our way back to the motel, we kept seeing ads for palm readings, special $1, but weren’t interested. We missed the driveway to the motel and saw a drive-in. Decided to stop and get some shakes. The menu was right next to where we parked. Kathy pushed a button and a squawking voice answered, and gave our order. A three-wheeled vehicle pulled in next to us. We felt a little uncomfortable in this neighborhood, and left when out order was finally brought out to us.

Back at the hotel, there seemed to be a conference of wrecker trucks in attendance. Watched some of the “Face of the 80s” beauty contest, but went to bed before a winner was chosen.

Next: Lincoln, Nebraska.