Welcome back. Memorial Day weekend 2020 is history now but before it slips away in our memory here’s a few places I went you might find interesting. First, I took a spin down to south central Oklahoma to Tenkiller Lake on Saturday to see if folks were getting out and I found all the boat launches crowded with people out on the lake to enjoy the weather. At the restaurants things seemed somewhat back to normal although not everything was open.
If you are not familiar with Tenkiller, it is one of the larger lakes in Oklahoma and also one of the clearest. A popular place to have a weekend home for those who can afford that sort of thing, the area round the lake is quite beautiful with big hills, lots of trees and wilderness areas for hiking. As you can imagine camping is big here and the camp hosts I spoke with told me that their campgrounds were full for the holiday but that spaces were usually available on regular weekends. If you’re in the mood for a day trip or even an overnight stay Tenkiller is a great destination.
Fort Gibson Lake is nearby and when I got to Sequoyah State Park which is on the lake, I found most of the campsite and cottages rented although the historic Lodge there won’t open until June. Sequoyah is another great place to visit which offers not only swimming, boating and fishing but also golf and tennis. Several of their rental cabins are right on the lake with decks over the water so put this place on your list too.
In northeast Oklahoma I found plenty of swimmers and boats at Lake Copan and the campgrounds there were full except for a few spots that were under water. The campgrounds at Hulah Lake which are now run by a group of great volunteers had a few spots available and at $10 a night for seniors you can’t go wrong. If you haven’t been camping or picnicking along the scenic bluffs here, I can tell you the view is well worth the trip.
On another note, my friend Jerry Poppenhouse who is a well-known photographer from this area was back in town for the weekend and shared a few thoughts on his recent move to Phoenix, AZ. Even if you don’t know Jerry personally you have probably seen his photographs over the years. Hired by Phillips Petroleum Company to take photos of their projects, he traveled around the world to every job they had underway back in the day. The North Sea in the early days of off-shore drilling, Jerry was there. He was the first American with a camera to visit the Great Wall in China. He photographed celebrities too, including Walt Disney, Robert Redford. Willie Mays and dozens of other big names. After retiring from Phillips Jerry went on to teach others his art at Okmulgee State University for ten year. Yes, friends I’m sure you probably know who he is and have seen his work. Here’s this week’s scoop. Although Jerry is now living in Phoenix and won’t be there, Gail’s Estate Sales will be conducting a sale of his belongings soon, photos and all so you might give her a call at (918) 440-5200 for the details. In the meantime, don’t forget to check out the Dewey Antique Show that’s coming up on June 6th.
Till next time I’ll see ya down the road…………….