Another Reason I Love Being on a Bike

I went to the annual medieval fair in Norman, OK last weekend. This is probably the first year in a decade that it hasn't been either pouring rain all weekend, or pouring rain for half the weekend, and nothing but swampy mud for the second half. Anyway, due to the unexpected nice weather, there seemed to be three times as many people attending this year. This, of course, meant that there were a lot more cars than parking spaces. People were patrolling the streets waiting for someone to pull out, lining up along neighborhood streets, and parking several blocks away. I, on the other hand, just pulled into this spot in the grass, along with several other bikes, right on the edge of the fair grounds. I was so pleased with myself that I snapped this picture with my phone before heading into the fair.

 Honestly, if we had to we probably could have fit four or five more bikes in there too. 

Day Trip, Lake Murray Loop

I took the opportunity a couple weeks ago to take a day and drive down highway 77 to Lake Murray. I had heard good things about the loop that circles the lake, and decided to give it a try. Highway 77 was a great road, running roughly parallel to I35, but twistier. I'd recommend it on it's own as a good day ride, even without the lake loop. 

77 cuts straight through downtown Wynnewood, Oklahoma. The mainstreet still has the original brick-paved surface. Coincidentally, this picture was taken right around the time I lost 77 completely and went about 20 miles out of the way of my originally planned route. It all worked out though. We ended up passing through a very nice nature preserve on our way back.

We filled up the tank in Ardmore, just before reaching the lake. I wish I had a picture of the station. There was a woman in a little booth, and some very "retro" pumps. After you fill up, you just go over to the booth and tell the woman how much you put in and pay her. She even rounded it down to the dollar. Compared to the pay before you pump method at most stations today, it seemed very foreign. 

When we got to the lake, we stopped in this little park area for a picnic lunch. Other than being a little windy, it was a perfect day for it. 

Tamales and corn make a great meal for camping or picnicking if you bring a small camp stove. It might not look great, but it's easy, you don't have to carry much, it's hearty enough to fill you up during a long day, and it's delicious. Just take a can of creamed corn and a can of tamales, combine them in a pot, heat and eat.

After lunch, we got back on the bike for the ride around the lake. It had warmed up a little, and was really a perfect day for it.

Lake Murray is positioned just south of Oklahoma's Arbuckle mountains (or  at least what we call mountains here in Oklahoma, but they're at least pretty) so it has some great rock formations.

Lake Murray State Park is the largest, and oldest, state park in Oklahoma. There are several interesting buildings on site, including a lighthouse that has been converted into a museum about the history of the park as well as the local wildlife.

Other Resources: -The MotorcycleRoads.US page about the loop

-A bit about the history of the park

1st Annual Diabetes Solutions Poker Run

Diabetes Solutions of Oklahoma is a not-for-profit organization based in Oklahoma City, aimed towards improving the lives of people with diabetes and reducing the incidence of diabetes and the complications of diabetes. It also happens to be an organization that I've been involved with for a long time. I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when I was 9 years old. Only 2 months after being diagnosed, I went to my first session of diabetes summer camp, and it changed my life. Aside from the invaluable education I received that summer about the disease that was now a part of my life, I learned that I wasn't alone, and that it was possible for people with diabetes to live full and productive lives just like anyone else. Now, 14 years later, I still go to that camp every year, as a counselor for other children, many of whom are newly diagnosed and just as confused and frightened as I was. If it weren't for Diabetes Solutions, none of it would be possible. That's why I'd like to encourage everyone who's able to come out to the Thunder Road House Cafe on April 26 to support Diabetes Solutions of Oklahoma, not to mention have a good time and possibly win some money while you're at it. Click on the title link to go to the Diabetes Solutions website for more information and to register for the run. I'll be there, and I hope to see you there too.