Wednesday, June 16, 2021 - We drove for four hours due north out of the Dallas area to the super small town of Onapa, Oklahoma. This town is located just north of Eufaula, Oklahoma and very close to Lake Eufaula, the third largest lake in the state. We had planned to go to Branson from the Dallas area, but we could not get reservations at the RV park that we wanted until the 20th or four days later than planned. So we just planned a stop near Lake Eufaula to take up the time before heading to Branson. The area is extremely green and lush with all the rain that they have been having. The entire southwest is experience a heatwave and Onapa has its share of heat and humidity. When we crossed the border into Oklahoma, we stopped at a rest/visitor center and were able to pick up some great tourism pamphlets on the area. The lady at the visitor center also recommended kayaking on the Illinois River which we will get to soon.

After we arrived, we made sure that the trailer was hooked up to services and then we went about unloading the kayaks from the RV and loading them onto the truck so that we could head for water as soon as we figured out where the best water was to be found. After loading the kayaks, we decided to drive to Lake Eufaula State Park to check it out. This is a very pretty state park and we could have taken the RV there had we known about it in advance. It was really hot and humid, but the trees provided considerable shade. We looked at the lake and decided that we would forego kayaking in Lake Eufaula; the water was really muddy. The lake is also large with lots of boats and jet-skis. We drove to the town of Eufala and discovered a place called Braum's Burgers and Ice Cream. We had heard that they had excellent ice cream at a reasonable price; this turned out to be true. Lisa got a single scoop on a waffle cone, and I got two scoops (of course) on a larger waffle cone and they were great; the price was $3.94. Can't beat that price with a stick!

Thursday, June 17, 2021 - We decided to go to explore the Illinois River (yes, it is called the Illinois River even though it is located in Oklahoma) and Lake Tenkiller. The Illinois River is about the same size as the American River in Sacramento and it is is clear. The water is a very comfortable temperature and there are many public access sites along the river. We drove to a couple of the entry points and decided that we would come back the next day in the morning to kayak the river and that we would go to Lake Tenkiller for an afternoon kayak. So, we drove about thirty miles to a state park on Lake Tenkiller. That is the correct name; Lake Tenkiller. It is named after a prominent Cherokee family that owned a ferry crossing the river in this area. A dam was build by the US Corp of Engineers between 1947 and 1952. The lake is noted for having the clearest water in the entire state of Oklahoma since it is fed by the exceptionally clear, Illinois River. The lake is also promoted as a place where you can go to scuba dive because of its clarity. Brochures state that the water can provide up to 28 feet of visibility. The ranger at the gate was super nice and said that we could enter for free by displaying our "Geezer Pass," the federal national parks pass. We unloaded the kayaks and headed for the water. The visibility of the water was about three feet; it was by no means clear. There had been a lot of rain and the water was pretty muddy. Then we walked into the water which was, in my opinion, the same temperature as the ambient air; 95 degrees Fahrenheit. The water was super warm and not refreshing at all. We went for a short (45 minutes) kayak ride and then headed back to the truck. We loaded up the kayaks and then left the area for the RV. The drive back to the RV took about one hour and ten minutes.

Friday, June 18, 2021 - We got up early and departed at 0700 hours for a small restaurant near the Illinois River where we could get a breakfast sandwich before heading to our "put-in point." We drove about ten miles up-river to our public access entry point. After unloading the kayaks, I then drove back a kayak and float business called Peyton Place about seven miles down the river. I could park the truck there and, for $10, they gave me a ride back to the start point. It all work out well and before too long, were were on the water. It turns out that only one of the commercial rafting companies along the river will shuttle "private users" up and down the river. The others will not not and they want you to pay to use their equipment and services. On a normal weekday, there could be between 1000 and 1500 rafters and kayakers on the water. On a busy weekend, that number could balloon to over 10,000; it can be a real mess out there. For us today, the numbers seemed to be on the lower end; maybe 1000 or less. There were lots of groups and everyone seemed to be having fun. There are lots of large carp in the river and they scurry away from you as you float over them. Fun to watch. We stopped and waded out into the river at one point and enjoyed the cool, refreshing temp of the water; although Lisa always tortures herself by entering the water at the slowest possible speed imaginable. Takes her a while to adjust to the cooler temperature. Fun to watch!! We encountered several large groups of people. One group leader (a guy) had a stash of plastic necklaces. He stopped his group and then yelled out who would be next? All the guys started hooting. Then one of the young ladies on the rafts started yelling and exposed her breasts. She then received the necklace. I began to wonder what the guys had to do to get a necklace? The thought was not a pretty one. Apparently, the guys were not tasked. Seems that this antic was degrading of the ladies and should not have been part of a fun trip down the river. Oh well, I guess it was supposed to be fun? Shortly thereafter, we reached the end of our drift and we pulled our equipment out of the river and loaded the truck. We stopped at some picnic tables, in the shade, and had our lunch. We then drove back to our RV.

NOTE: Just before leaving the Dallas, Texas area, I discovered that one of our two leveling airbags on the Ford truck (located near the rear suspension springs) had broken and would not hold pressure. I deflated the functional airbag to equalize the amount of lift somewhat and continued the drive to Onapa. While here, were were not able to find a repair facility. We intend to drive to the Branson area and, hopefully, get the repairs done there.

Saturday, June 19, 2021 - We went for a bicycle ride of 22 miles. We drove to Lake Eufaula State Park where we parked the truck and drove through the state park on a major road that had very little traffic. Later in the day, more vehicles came along as families were finally getting to the lake with their boats and jet skis. The good news was that they were very courteous and gave us plenty of room. We also had a pretty big shoulder to ride on. It all worked out quite well. After the ride, we drove to a Sonic Burger in Checotah, Oklahoma. We got vanilla cones and enjoyed the respite from the heat of the day.

Sunday - We head for Branson, Missouri.