4/5 – Drive to Oklahoma
We planned on a 10 hour drive from Arkansas to Lone Wolf Oklahoma, based on both of us independently checking route options using various maps and of course Google, the distance is 480 miles. We finally arrived at Quartz Mountain State Park in Lone Wolf, OK at 7:40 PM, almost 12 hours. We stopped in Clinton to fill the fridge at United Groceries, a local employee owned chain, right on brother! We bought a great T-bone steak to share on the grill, but did not expect the drive from I-40 to the campground would take over an hour and run our gas down to risky low levels. Set up of the camper was smooth except for the sloped ground, a cold beer and sandwich is about right at this time. High wind warnings are forecast for tonight and over the next few days, 30 MPH with gusts over 50, this week with a couple of cold fronts coming across the plains states. At around 9:30 PM the winds started. The site is relatively sheltered, we expect to be protected. In a short time the noises are getting loud outside as everything loose starts to bang around. The camper starts to shake and rumble, large bangs are heard outside. When I venture out in a pair of boxer shorts with a flash light, the plastic covers on three dumpsters are slamming open and closed, this continues until 2 or 3 AM. Every side, crack, and crevice are being sand blasted in the wind. We have had high wind experience and know how to secure the camper and seek alternate sleeping arrangements. Sleep does not come easy when it feels like you are riding on the high seas. Sometime during the night it quiets down and rest is achieved.
4/6 – Quartz Mountain State Park
On a morning walk, the beauty of the park is unique, and much unexpected for Oklahoma, but that is why we are here 🙂 . We will stay put for two days here. On the short walk, I spoke with a fisherman who has lived here his whole life, he loves it here in the park, loves the beauty and the lake. The lake is a dammed river, the impounded water is used as a reservoir for agriculture, the levels are near minimum low level right now. After high school, the man worked at the park for a couple of years, then joined the Army in 1974, later the air force, and then re-settled on a ranch near by. He said south-west Oklahoma is known for high winds. He used to catch rattle snakes in the mountains here. Our neighbor in the next site said the winds were rather horrible overnight, they were new to the camping trailer, and all of the inside panels were rattling. They live in Broken Arrow, near Tulsa.
There is a prominent rocky mountain near our camp site, which is accessed by the New Horizon trail. The trail is described as short, steep, and rocky requiring good footing, and beware of the rattle snakes, which I am pleased to not have experience with. The unique terrain is smooth rounded red sandstone rock with great views to the lake, the farmed plains and other small mountains in this range. Linda doesn’t love the long hard hikes, but she does love a good scramble up steep rocks 
Retired and Loving It 