2018 Woolaroc & Keystone State Park

Woolaroc stands for "wood", "water", and "rock". It is a collection of paintings some of which were done by Frederic Remington, Charles M. Russel, William R. Leigh, Thomas Moran and others. 

Also in the collection are more contemporary artists such as Wilson Harley, John Clymer, Clark Hulings, and others. 

Much of this collection was personally acquired by Frank Phillips (founder of Phillips Petroleum aka Phillips 66) and has been enhanced by donations from other members of the Phillips family.

The collection also includes pieces of sculpture by western artists including Remington and Russell. The collection is located on his ranch in Oklahoma which has since been turned into a protected area and museum. In addition, there are exotic animals from all over the world which roam these lands freely. In October 2018, JoAnn and I had a chance to visit Woolaroc and also Keystone State Park as part of a very lately celebrated 30th wedding anniversary.

 The visit was outstanding. We will always remember our trip.






Woolaroc

This sign in on the road going into the ranch. There is a strong Indian influence in the collection and the ranch.

This is Frank Phillips and his wife's home on the property and is very large and spacious. 

Different animal species range freely all over the ranch land now donated to the state. Very interesting to see each animal in the "wild".

Joann with Duayne who is married to Joann's daughter Janet. They drove us out to see the area. This is the front of the museum.

Authentic Indian pottery is part of the collection.

Original model of Lincoln sitting in his chair. Used for the model in Washington, DC.

One of the main rooms in the museum. Note the variety of pieces in the collection. There are several rooms such as this.

Indian dress.

There are dozens of hand made statues in the collection all bearing a western theme.

Another room.

Actual head dress worn by local Indians in the area. 

Another statue hand made by an artist.

Amazing collection of animals. The animals actually lived on the ranch and died a natural death and then were preserved.

Replica of an Indian village. The figures are hand carved from wood. 

The view from the front porch of Frank's house. Astonishing. 








Keystone State Park

JoAnn at Keystone.

Floating Docks.

Keystone Lake. Windy and cold.

Keystone Dam

Eisenhower State Park TX

The park is located in Grayson County TX and is 423.1 acres in size. It was opened to the public in 1958 and named after Dwight D. Eisenhower who was born in Dennison, TX. The park is open throughout the year and offers opportunities for picnicking, hiking, fishing, boating, and water skiing among other sports. 

Here is JoAnn at the park entrance. The weather was quite nice with warm temperatures.

We have parked at a marina on an small arm of the lake. Boat docks can be seen in the background. Not many people were out today.

At another spot on the lake is the gas station and grocery store for the boaters.

Panorama of shore and lake.

Telephoto view of the lake from the pier across from the gas station. On the other shore is Oklahoma.

Panorama of small inlet with dock houses.





Here is JoAnn sitting at the entrance of the yacht club which is located within the park.

Travertine Nature Center, OK

On August 3, JoAnn and I traveled to the Travertine Nature Center located within the Chickasaw National Recreation Area. The recreation area has many places to visit including streams, falls, swimming areas, and bison. Our time was limited so we only traveled to the nature center.

Upon entering the area, we first encountered Bear Falls. Here is JoAnn at the falls. The area has several streams which have falls such as shown.

This part of the stream above Bear Falls. The water is clear and tranquil.











Bear Falls from another angle.

JoAnn at the front of the nature center. The architecture was designed in a Frank Loyd Wright sense.

Part of the interior of the nature center. The center contains exhibits and a 100-seat auditorium in which lectures are given.

The center is so long one end had to be built over a stream bed

The next and last stop was at Little Niagara Falls

This part of the stream below Niagara is exceptionally clear

We didn't have time to look at everything but as the map indicates,
there is a lot to see here.

Tucker Tower Nature Preserve, OK

Tucker Tower Nature Preserve is located within Lake Murray State Park in Oklahoma. The lake is 5700 acres and the park is the largest (12500 acres) in the state. The park is located near Ardmore and is named for OK governor William H. Murray.

We have arrived at the nature center and JoAnn is posing at the entrance. There isn't an entrance fee but donations are welcome. The area is quite fascinating to visit.








The nature center is across the lake from a marina. Here folks are enjoying a slide into the water to cool off. The temperature was over 100 degrees today.



Here is the front of the nature center. The egg-shaped artwork is made by the silhouette of flying birds overlapping. The center contains exhibits of animals that have existed in the area eons past and also those that live in the present. The exhibits are well done and provide much information.

In this view, the Tower is visible behind the nature center.











Before we went into the center, we watched some geese slowly swim by looking for a handout. Unfortunately, we didn't have anything for them.









JoAnn at the front door of the nature center. The center is equipped with cold water, air, and restrooms.

Partial view of the interior of the nature center. There are several displays describing the geology and wildlife. The visitor could spend a lot of time just looking at everything in this room.







After looking at the exhibits in the center, we went out the back door and walked up a steep flight of stairs to the Tower. It's bigger than it looks from this angle.

This is on one of the sides of the Tower. JoAnn is taking a break after climbing the stairs from the nature center. The front door to the Tower is just out of sight on the right.








The interior has a very large fireplace that is lit at night when the evenings get cold. It also has stairways to the top of the tower. Right now, JoAnn is watching a movie explaining how the Tower was constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930's.

Near the top of the Tower is a room with a spiral staircase leading to the top. 

The trip was fantastic. The exhibits were informative and the architecture of these buildings fascinating. 

Bonham State Park

We were at Bonham State Park on June 16th enjoying a mild breeze and temperatures in the mid-80's.
The park is 261-acres in size and has rolling prairies and woodlands all around the lake.

This sign shows the lake and various trails in the area. It also gives some information to understand the area better.



















Ranger Station and JoAnn

Ranger Station from front. Easy to tell which way the wind blows in this area. Everything tilts to the left including the flagpole.

Ranger Station and pavilion with a view of the lake in the background.











Panorama of Bonham Lake with the pavilion, pier, and boat house in view.


Here's JoAnn sitting at a picnic table viewing the lake. It was fun to sit and just enjoy the area.

Pier on the lake. It's nice to stand out on the pier and view the lake and shoreline.











Looking back at shoreline and boat house.

Cattails were growing along one side of the pier.

About to leave the park but stopped along the way for JoAnn to give scale to the trees which border the park. It was a very nice place to visit and we want to come back.

Trails map for Bonham. There are a large number of trails in such a small area.