Double Date Friday

Don has the best ideas for Date Day Friday.  Today, we decided to double-date with Rick and Wendy.

We left about 10:30 AM.... Our goal:  a Meers Burger and any and all sites and scenes in between.  The first site was these teepees at the Southern Plains Indian Museum.  We didn't stop... just kept driving toward that hamburger that we've heard so much about.

We passed this old rock barn on the road to Meers.  Don slowed down stopped so I could take this picture.About 12:30 PM, we arrive at our destination:  Meers Store and Restaurant.It doesn't look like much, but it's a very famous place.The water tower looks quite odd with a windmill on top.Don has a foot in Oklahoma at the front door of the restaurant.A little history of this place.  Not included in this plaque is the fact that this restaurant is sitting on top of a fault.  There is even a seismograph machine inside.Rick and Wendy under the big sign hanging on the side of the restaurant.We saw a lot of service men and families at Meers today, all from Ft. Sill in nearby Lawton, OK.  We decided that today must have been a graduation-from- basics-day.Inside the restaurant was this scale with a pretend hamburger being weighed.We waited in line for close to an hour.Rick and Wendy waiting for our food.Wendy, Don and I had the Meers Burger with Freedom Fries.  Rick had a huge hot dog with cole slaw and onion rings.  No wait, Wendy didn't have FF's.  The food was pretty good, but we probably won't go back... unless it's for the peach or cherry cobbler and homemade ice cream.  Now that was outstanding!  It was gone so fast, I didn't even get a picture.

Since we were in the Wichita Mountains area, we decided to take a drive through.  We saw our first bison right near the road.  Next... the prairie dog city.  They were everywhere!  "Whoa, it's stopping... if one door opens, I'm out of here!"  (Of course, I zoomed.)Probably passing the word by the prairie dog secret method. We saw this sign and took a look. The Chapel.Inside the chapel.The ceiling in the chapel.A tribute to our Veterans.Another tribute.A tower at one end of the chapel.A big roadrunner flew up on top of some rocks.The scenery from the top of one of the rock structures.A statue of Christ.Rick and Wendy.Another bison taking his afternoon siesta under a tree.  After all, it's 100 plus degrees this afternoon.You know that Don found a lake.  This one was very pretty with very blue water.There were a few herds of longhorns.Another lake.We found ourselves at a museum.  Yes, the buffalo roam here, as you can tell.This one was grazing around back and came right up to the window where we were watching him.I think he was looking at us.  Only a thin sheet of glass separates us.  I have to admit, I thought of that charging buffalo scene in Dances With Wolves.Or maybe he was looking at his own reflection in the glass.Inside the museum. (without flash)Rick found a perfect hat that will solve the sunburned neck problem.There was one for Wendy, too, with a ... hole in the back for her ponytail.Rick bought his, Wendy didn't.

Our next stop was Rush Springs, where they were having their annual Watermelon Festival Parade.  We arrived a little too late, but saw a few horses and riders and this horse-drawn wagon.We found what we were looking for... a watermelon roadside stand.  Behind were two beautiful quarter horses, who were hanging around for free melons.Across from the fruit stand.My date and Rick and Wendy in the fruit and vegetable stand.More horse pictures.  Well, he just kept posing for me.  Isn't he just beautiful?Down the road came this 1956 Chevy, which we decided had probably been in the parade.Shortly, with our yellow-meat watermelon and various fruit purchases, we were back at the park, tired, but happy we had this day together.  Who knew there was such neat places to go and see within less than two hours from where we are parked.