Saturday, May 14, 2011

Weekend Adventure... Can I call it that?

Tami, my youngest daughter, and I had a brain storm one afternoon while talking on the phone to one another.  We decided we needed to plan activities for our entire family to participate in this coming spring, summer and fall.  So what better way to do that than to browse through the entire Travel Oklahoma events calendar for the coming year?  We couldn't think of any. 

We listed an activity for nearly every Saturday till the end of October which is as far out as the www.travelok.com calendar had been scheduled.  Had there been something through the months of November and December I am quite certain we would have forged ahead with the planning.  

Seeing that both Tami and I are Free Spirits by nature and feel the need to be doing something new all the time... not to mention we are great and getting others involved in our grand schemes, LOL... we fall short of nothing less then spectacular when it comes to planning activities that are usually memory maker events.  Not that everyone else isn't willing to participate after a bit of coaxing, but as with most things, Tami's and my expectations usually run a lot higher than anyone else.   

Strawberry Fields Forever...

Visions of strawberries ripe and sweet, the smell of them in the air, strawberries, strawberries everywhere.  Well that was the expectation anyway.

Our plan today was to attend the "Stilwell Strawberry Festival" in Stilwell, OK.  It is about a 1 1/2 hour drive straight West and then 30 minutes south from the Sand Springs/Tulsa area.  There... all planned.  Tami, Rick and their three children headed out around 7am, and Mandi and her two children (who live in Owasso 30 minutes North of Tulsa) were going to drive in to her work downtown where we were to pick them up at 9am and they could ride with us.  

Everything was going as planned when just about the time we are walking out the door I get a call from Mandi telling me she can't find her keys.  She was talking about just not going but I could hear the kids in the back ground groaning about that option.  Eventually of course she did find them but by then we were already in Owasso to pick them up.  Not a big deal to us but the morning already had Mandi in a tizzy.  


The five of us finally arrived in Stilwell by noon.  Tami and Rick said we had just missed the parade... but hopefully we had made it in time to buy some flats of strawberries and get some of the free ice cream and strawberries they give away as long as supplies last (expectations still high).  We walked around for quite some time looking for booths or displays of strawberries and never could find them.  So Loren decided to ask someone who told us growers were selling flats of strawberries out of the bed of their pick-up trucks... now get this... for $25 per flat!!!  Somebody slap me!!!  I can buy them cheaper at the local Walmart Store.  All I wanted to do is put some in the freezer and make some jam. Mighty expensive jam it would seem. 


Things were so different than I remembered.  Mama and daddy used to take me and the girls to the festival about 25 years ago, but it has changed so much.  As my husband would say, "Well when I was a boy"... makes me laugh now that I think about it... It doesn't seem like such a long time till you realize how much time has really passed.  

The whole atmosphere seemed different with lots of food vendors and kiddie rides.  It was such a disappointment.  It was almost like walking through Mid-Way at the State Fair.  On the upside... the weather was cool and breezy, as you can see by our jackets in the photo below, but a far cry better than being hot and muggy like it usually is this time of year.  


We never did see any booth giving away free ice cream & strawberries.  Bummer!  We felt violated... lied to... cheated... ripped off!  I'm just saying... Nothing you can do!
Stilwell Strawberry Festival, Downtown Stilwell OK
The funnel cakes, which were huge, were $6... we did get to walk around and visit with each other for a few hours and then we were all ready to head someplace else to eat.  

We ended up driving all the way to Pryor before we stopped for a late lunch.  Napoli's Italian Food... yum yum!  After dropping Mandi and her children off in Owasso we headed for home.  We were so wore out from the events of the day that Loren went straight to bed (6pm) and in bed he still is. LOL!  I could do the same but if I did I would wake up about 2am and not be able to go back to sleep.  So there you have it.


Next week is another adventure.  Expectation are high!  We will head to Pawhuska, OK to the Indian Taco Festival.  Taco's on Fry Bread...  hummm!  It starts at 10am and will end at 4pm.  One good thing about these festivals and events... we are getting to show our children and grandchildren our Oklahoma culture and territory. If it were not for these events they might not ever go to some of these places.  I think it is so important for them to learn about and know about our state.  Sometimes it makes you more appreciative of your own home town.  I'll be back soon... 

4 comments:

  1. It was a big bummer NO STRAWBERRYS... What is a strawberry festival without tons of strawberry's?? I didn't even eat one. They should have called it a craft fair lol. The parade was long got some cool shots and had fun spending time with my family that made it a great day. Tami Bolstad

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    1. I loved it even though we bummed out on the strawberries. It is great just to get away from the same old routine of everyday life. Next time we should take the dogs... LOL! Making memories is what it is all about. Mama

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  2. How hilarious! I laughed until I cried. Sounds like our family alright!
    Wish I could have been with you but a long time friend passed away and we went to his funeral today at 2:00. I met him the first time when I was about 13 years old at church. We learned at the funeral another one of our friends passed away don't know when his funeral will be...I guess I'm at that age when everyone around you dies.
    Hope you have as much fun at the Indian Taco Festival. Love Mom

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    1. Mama, wish so much that you were able to get around like you used to do. We had fun and made memories. I hope we can do some more of this now that everyone is living so close again. The grandkids are almost grown and time is fleeting. I feel like I am running to make memories with them all. Miss you being a part of all of this. Makes the time bittersweet for me. Love you more and even more than that. Deb

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