Oklahoma City

When we were heading to Oklahoma City Murray realised that our visit coincided with the dates of the US Masters Golf. The RV park that I had originally selected did not have cable TV, so Murray did some sleuthing and found a campground that did have Cable TV. A lot of RV parks advertise WIFI and Cable TV, but when you get there, the WIFI leaves a lot to be desired and the Cable TV may only have 7 channels (you may get more in free to air!). So Murray rang them up and asked if their cable channels included the golf channel, and bingo. That is how we came to find the Rockwell RV Park. What a gem. You can actually see it from the highway, so you would think it would be noisy, but for some reason, thankfully, that has not been the case as we have now been here for the 4 days of the golf. We are so grateful that we changed to this campground and had the cable TV, as we have just seen Adam Scott from Australia win the green jacket at Augusta and take out the 2013 Masters. Whoo hoo.

Indoor heated pool. Spa to the far left

After we checked in and set up the other day, Murray was enjoying the golf, and I felt I needed to take a walk. I wandered around the grounds for a short while and checked out the bison in pens down the back (they sell bison beef products here). I then thought that I would check out the office as they often have some good tourist information there. The office offers a free daily newspaper along with fresh hot coffee and home made muffins each morning. While inside the office, I walked up the hallway that led to the heated indoor pool and spa (the only RV park with a heated indoor pool in Oklahoma), and to my surprise found myself chatting to some ladies in a small hairdressing salon. 

Hairdresser Kathy is pulling out the chair ready for me. Next door is the indoor pool and spa

It was almost 6 weeks since my last visit to the hairdresser and so the timing was right for me to have a touch up, so I made a booking there and then. The hairdresser Kathy is part owner of this RV park and she was interesting to talk to. After doing my hair, she offered to pick me up the next day and take me to get some hairdresser supplies at her local supplier where she uses a discount card. The supplies allow me to touch up my hair without needed a hairdresser! We had a fun hour or so selecting hair products and also rifling through a wholesale gift shop where Kathy also has a business account. I couldn't walk in off the street and buy from there, but with her business contacts I could make purchases. Like the kind host at the last campground who offered us the use of her car (and which we did twice), Kathy is an example of the kindness we experience during our RV travels over here. Thanks Kathy.

When I did research on things to do in Oklahoma City, I read about the Historic Stockyards and the Rodeo Opry which is Oklahoma's official county music show. Like the Opry in Nashville, this one has been supporting up and coming country music singers since 1977. We decided to book in for the weekly performance and walked away with two free CDs as the lucky door prize to the audience members who came from furtherest distance. Being from Australia we were sure to win! 

The sign speaks for itself - the world's largest cattle market

I ventured inside the Rodeo Opry 2 hrs before the show

Line up of the country singers we saw perform

During my research the name Cattleman's Steakhouse kept coming up too, so when I realised it and the Opry were across the road from each other, AND were both within the historic stockyard precinct, my plans fell nicely into place. We could  park in the Stockyards, have dinner at the steakhouse then walk across the road to the Opry for the 7.30pm show. We had a great evening. The Cattleman's Steakhouse was originally a cafe that opened in 1910 to feed the ranchers bringing their cattle to the stockyards. It may look like a regular old cafe from the outside, but let me tell you, the steaks inside lived up to their reputation! I noticed an old photo of the front of the building with the cars of yesteryear, so I decided to take a photo to show a comparison with the cars of today.

Old photo of the steakhouse

Photo of the same cafe yesterday