We were given the coordinates for our campsite on the Army post called For Sill when we made the reservation. It was good, because it led us to the truck gate at the post. This was the first time a guard asked us to pull over and let them in our camper. By the time Greg pulled over they had changed their minds and let us just go on through. There are two campgrounds on Fort Sill, Medicine Creek RV Park and LETRA (Lake Elmer Thomas Recreation Area). We are staying at Medicine Creek which is a small RV camping area with only 11 sites. We have full hookups and the campsites have trees and border the golf course. There is a creek that runs along the edge, as well. The sites are long, gravel and fairly level. It is convenient to everything on Fort Sill. Just take a left out of the campground and you are just a few minutes from the main post and all its conveniences. We paid $155 for a week.
LETRA is about 8 miles down a desolate road that really should only be traversed during the day. The reward is stunning mountain views, a big lake and recreation area. The campground is more of a parking lot with zero trees. They are all full hookup. This campground costs a little bit more than the smaller one, but during the summer this would be so much fun! They have boat rentals, cabins, laundry, a general store, playground…it’s a vacation destination. However, it is by no means “modern” and “shiny.” It is nearly 20 minutes to get to the commissary and main base. I think the weekly rate is about $170 for LETRA. We were at Fort Sill in November and it looks like LETRA is nearly full, and many are longterm.
The first thing we did after we set up our trailer on Monday was do a quick drive to get an overview of the post. We ended up following signs for several miles out to the Apache prisoner of war cemetery where we found Geronimo’s grave. Based on what we have been reading, many of the last Native American leaders were captured or surrendered at Fort Sill. They died here and they are buried here. It is such a solemn coincidence that we had decided to hunker down at Fort Sill during Thanksgiving week to avoid holiday traffic. It really doesn’t feel appropriate to call it a holiday.
Tuesday at Medicine Park RV Campground at Fort Sill, OK
Happy birthday to me! We did what I call birthday laundry and then ran some birthday errands. The laundry room here is all the way out at the LETRA campground. It is beautiful out there, but so exposed to the elements! Winds were over 20 MPH and we huddled in the truck and in the laundry room to stay warm while we waited for the clothes to finish. The dryers were a complete waste of time and money. We ended up loading up our damp clothes after an hour and heading to a laundromat off-post.
We made a box birthday cake (yes, most cake mixes are vegan). Used silken tofu instead of egg. It was good, but so much sweeter than when we make cakes from scratch…actually too sweet. Being able to live this nomadic life with Greg is a daily gift. That might sound corny, but it’s true. I’m grateful.
We experienced our first freeze living in the camper. Our camper is supposedly able to withstand zero degrees and has been tested by the manufacturer. We have an enclosed and heated underbelly and many other nifty features. The weather forecast said the temp would get down to about 35. So we left our water hose out thinking that no freeze means no freeze. Then around 3 a.m. we weren’t able to flush the toilet. 🙂 The water in the hose was frozen.
We also discovered that our tankless water heater has a freeze protection feature where it flashes a code inside our camper that is a bright white light on the display that points right at our bed. The code is FD, frost detected. Then it briefly fires itself up so it doesn’t freeze. This happened several times. I barely slept. I was worried that our camper’s plumbing “system” would freeze or the furnace wouldn’t work or the tanks would freeze. Good times. Everything did fine in the end, and we decided to bring in our hose anytime the low temperature goes into the 30’s at all.
The cats are body heat vampires. I do not confuse this with Cleo being lovey-dovey to me. She only ever sits on my lap when she is cold. I have accepted that. She’s too cute for me to take it personally.
Wednesday at Medicine Creek RV Park at Fort Sill, OK
At about 6:45 a.m., we just had to go outside and see what the freeze did to our living situation. As soon as we got outside we could hear voices in the distance, loud, urgent yelling to the left, to the left, to the right, to the right, now front, front, back back…BASIC TRAINING! These poor saps were out in the freezing weather exercising, and we were hearing it via their speaker system. I stopped to listen just long enough so my coffee wouldn’t get too cold.
So…we took a little run after it warmed up a bit using our app that tells us when to run and when to walk and when to go sit down. We always feel good after our “workout,” but progress is slower than we’d like. Part of that is that we aren’t being as consistent as we should. Part of it might have to do with not being in our 20’s or 30’s anymore. We are going to keep trying. It’s actually fun, usually. Not nearly like basic training.
We have been exploring Fort Sill and it is really massive and full of history. There is actually so much to see and learn here that we aren’t going to be able to do it all in one week. We will make a point to come back.
Thursday (Thanksgiving 2023) at Medicine Creek RV Park at Fort Sill, OK
“Celebrating” Thanksgiving while being surrounded by the graves of the last Indian leaders who surrendered or were captured is difficult to describe. I’m not going to go on and on about it, but it forces certain issues to the forefront that are typically easy to forget amidst holiday gathering chaos. I think life is better when you find ways to give thanks and show gratitude daily for even the most mundane things (and people) that make life easier, better, more beautiful or simply make life possible. No need to wait for the 4th Thursday of November each year.
Our little camper kitchen has everything you’d find in a sticks and bricks kitchen: stove, oven, double sink, microwave, fridge and freezer. To that I have added a small air fryer, my beloved Instant Pot and a single induction cooktop. Space is a bit tight for two cooks, so I had Greg peel potatoes sitting on the couch. We ended up with a cozy, simple dinner of Gardein turkey with stuffing roll, fresh cranberry sauce, green bean casserole and mashed potatoes. We would normally have carrots or sweet potatoes, but somehow I forgot about them! I only make cranberry sauce once a year. I am always shocked at how much sugar they require. And then I eat them anyway. The cats enjoyed Fancy Feast Turkey Pate and did not overeat like we humans do!
Friday at Medicine Creek RV Park at Fort Sill, OK
Exit the Apache/Truck gate at Fort Sill and take a left. About 10 miles down the road just past the quaint town of Medicine Park is the incredible Wichita Mountains Animal Refuge. I am a novice to both the south and the west, so around every corner and over each ridge is a view that blows my mind! This place does not disappoint with mountains, plains, lakes, free roaming bison, elk, longhorns, PRAIRIE DOGS…it’s so great that we made plans to return in a couple of days to see more.
Saturday at Medicine Creek RV Park at Fort Sill, OK
Rainy and cold! Forecast was for upper 20’s at night. New freezing weather plan of action for us: Fill fresh tank. Bring hose and filter inside and keep them in the shower in case they leak. Rely on water pump and fresh tank rather than city water straight from the spigot. There is a heater on the fresh tank that keeps the water from freezing. Worked like a charm! And our fresh tank holds 54 gallons which would last for many days of showers, toilet flushing, dishes, etc.
Sunday at Medicine Creek RV Park at Fort Sill, OK
Return trip to Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge. We saw many bison and found the mother load of prairie dogs. They have always been one of my favorites. They are amazing and so darn cute! We drove to the top of Mount Scott which is over 2,400 feet high. It was impressive, and we felt like we could see about 50 miles from the top. I don’t think I have ever been that far up a mountain, so it was pretty exhilarating. I’ve been up a creek, but that’s a different story.
We also visited the cute resort town of Medicine Park which is right on the same road as the refuge. It is a combination of the groovy parts of Yellow Springs, OH and the mountain tourism of Gatlinburg, TN on a much smaller scale. During warmer months it is busy with tourists enjoying the cute shops, restaurants, live music and swimming in the old school outdoor bath-style setup in Medicine Creek. For $3/day you can enter the creek from many different spots to swim or float around. There are little cabins throughout and a group of colorful cabins called The Birdhouses that overlook the creek. There are so many charming features of this town that we have decided to come back sometime soon and spend more time in the area. Plus the people are amazingly friendly.
The Lawton, OK area has been wonderful! Cleo and Nemo might not agree since it has been too cold for them to enjoy the catio.
Monday (Travel Day!)
We packed up in freezing temps and headed down the road to Copper Breaks State Park in Quanah, TX. We originally wanted to take a more northerly route in order to arrive in Leslie’s neck of the woods in Port Orchard, WA close to Christmas. However, winter weather has been just north of us for quite awhile. Our nights have been below freezing. Snow and sleet just north. We don’t want any part of that for driving. So we are headed southwest and then will evaluate the weather as we go to determine when we turn north.
Copper Breaks is stunning. What we didn’t realize is that it is an international dark sky park. So we decided to show up on THE day of the full moon thus seeing just a few stars. But the moon was magnificent. They have a dark sky viewing area and many scenic overlooks. I have never seen landscapes like this with such a big sky. I’m thinking I don’t ever want to go east again! I’ll bet quite a few people have had that same thought. It’s magical! Lake Copper Breaks and all creeks here are nearly completely dry.
The grocery store in Quanah is NOT magical. There are more healthy and/or vegan options at the Love’s truck stop across the street from it. This is a sad truth.
Tuesday at Copper Breaks State Park in Quanah, TX
We hiked a couple of the easier trails in the park. The Power Line trail was rated “moderate,” and it was! It was a perfect scenario to feel like a mountain lion is following you from a distance. At least that’s what I thought. The rocks and walls are the color of a never-ending sunrise.
Greg and our neighbor, Jerry, have really hit it off. Jerry is camping with his dog, Duchess, and seems like a very kind man. He is is fantastic shape for 82! Everyone we meet who is about that age tells us the secret to a longer life is to keep moving! Jerry generously offered a spot in his yard if we ever go through his part of Texas. Where else can you meet people like that?
Wednesday (Travel Day!)
We knew that we were heading somewhere awesome, because it is very difficult to get a reservation at Palo Duro Canyon State Park. Little did we know that we were heading to the second largest canyon in the US! As we exited the gate area and headed toward the 10% grade into the canyon we were jolted by the expanse all around us. We have been to the Grand Canyon, and this was just as amazing to us…even more so, because we were camping at the bottom of the canyon! We drove the entire length of the canyon road to glimpse a cave, rock formations like The Lighthouse and many sweeping, grand views. We were informed that this road and nearly all trails would be closed the next day for a hunt all weekend. So we were glad to be able to see what we could before sundown.
Thursday at Palo Duro Canyon State Park in Canyon, TX
Palo Duro Canyon State Park has gift shops, a trading post, a museum, lodge, stables and more! During the summer I’m sure it is packed with hikers and campers. It gets very hot there and is super dry to the point where people and pets actually die on their trails if they are ill-prepared or not physically ready for the hike. It is difficult to describe the feeling we had camping in this canyon. We feel very fortunate to have gotten the two nights we were able to reserve. Texas does a great job with their state parks.
The forecast called for temps in the 20’s Thursday night/Friday morning. We noticed tent campers set up next to us and I wondered how they slept in that cold! Our truck was encrusted in ice/frost Friday morning, so tent campers had to be chilly.
We watched a woman in a class C camper try to back into a space and she kept hitting a tree. She finally gave up and parked across the way at another site. You can’t really do that in a sold-out campground. She ended up being in the tent campers’ site which didn’t play out until Friday morning.
Friday (Travel Day!)
We awoke to see two park rangers knocking on the class C camper’s door. (A knock on your door when you live in a camper is usually a sign that something is wrong.) There was another camper parked off to the side. This was a great opportunity for us to use our nosey neighbor skills. I took pictures of the rangers helping the tent campers carry their tent to the site they should’ve had the night before, which was where the class C camper planted herself even after the tent campers knocked on her door last night to inform her that she was in their spot. (We got this information directly from the tent campers the next morning as we debriefed them about their experience.) The new campers woke up the tent campers to ask them to move. Then the rangers had to ask the class C lady to move…it was quite a mess.
Our truck (and Greg) did great pulling our camper up and out of the canyon on a steep, windy road. We drove two hours to Portales, NM which is right over the border and unexpectedly put us in Mountain Time. Imagine our confusion when the cats started sharking us for their dinner an hour early!
Oasis State Park is a postage stamp-sized park with some electric/water campsites, as well as water-only sites. There is a small fishing pond and what they call sand dune trails. There are tiny dunes, barely a change in elevation as far as the eye can see. It is flat, barren, windy and full of attack tumbleweeds! As off-putting as that sounds, it is very pretty here!
And lovely sunsets. And a surprisingly modern and toasty warm bath/shower house. And covered picnic shelters at each site that probably save you from melting in the sun during summertime.
200 Square Feet with Catio Views 
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