I left the rest area before sunrise. I wanted to get to Tinker AFB and use the gym to shower. But I somehow got through the wrong part of the base where there was no gym. I didn't want to waste time finding a gym and left, only to land a few hours later at Foss State Park just west of Oklahoma City. This was a nice three-hour break from driving. I realize now I don't give Oklahoma enough credit for prettiness.
The park is 12 miles north of I-40 on Foss Reservoir. Day use is $10 and the park office has a credit card machine outside. I paid the fee, then drove down to the tent site area where I washed up. There was a truck parked nearby, but didn't see any tent so perhaps the people were sleeping in the large truck. I felt alone enough to wash my hair, let Zeke wade in the clear water, and explore the park.
The park is a haven for water sports. It has a marina on the south side of Foss Lake, and a beach on the north side. No dogs are allowed on the swimming beaches. The tent campground was at a part of the south lake with no beach. The red sand bluffs on the shore were at least six feet tall and littered with snags. Alltrails.com mentioned The Great Western Trasouil running through the park and I wanted to hike on it for a few miles. It was 9:30am and the weather was partly overcast and low 70s.
The park has a short "Heart Healthy" trail that connects the Cottonwood campground with the Cedar Point campground, but I was looking for something more along the lakefront. I found an unmarked road off the Cottonwood campground and walked on that. That was a pleasant 0.7 miles to a boat launching site, more red bluffs and snags, and dead trees in the water. This must not be a popular site! A more grassy trail came in from the west and I continued on that trail. This was mostly a prairie trail, with star thistle and lots of blue-bellied dragonflies. My GPS showed me walking in a loop, but no official trails showed up on the map.
The grassy trail became more overgrown the longer I was on it. At one point I came across an abandoned picnic table erected in August 2017 by Eagle Troop 355, with a sign stating that hunting was not allowed past this sign. So was I walking on a hunting trail up to this point? There were definitely deer around watching us. I turned on the trail leading from the picnic table, but now the grass was even more overgrown. It was not conducive to hiking so I went back on the loop to complete 2.6 miles.
I stopped in Elk City at a Braum's and had a simple poppyseed-chicken salad that also had blueberries and strawberries thrown in. Braum's is all over the central Midwest and serves good ice cream and burgers and also has its own line of groceries in each store.
The sky was getting dark as I drove west on I-40. I didn't veer off Route 66 this time; I stayed on the interstate to make good time. My next planned stop was Amarillo. I wanted to stop at the Six Car brewpub in the downtown area, discovering along the way that my favorite Mexican restaurant, Acapulco, has closed! The interior was completely gutted and two homeless men were sleeping out front. What had happened for this established business to close? All I could find out is that in late January there was an eviction notice on the front door, so they have been closed at least six months. Many Yelp reviews stated the restaurant had a bad smell and that often the music was too loud. Well, those two things will certainly keep me away. The owner, Robertino Alberran, also has a criminal record with three DUIs and one for public intoxication going back to late 2010-June 2016 but I haven't found any recent health code violations.
My stay at the SixCar brewpub was as long as it took me to have two beers. I didn't go inside as masks were required and I had left my mask in the car. Touchless menus were available scanning barcodes via cellphone cameras, and beer was served in plastic cups. This wasn't quite the atmosphere from my last visit, where kids played out in the patio and the tables were crowded, but it's a nice brewpub with a kid and dog-friendly ambiance.
I stopped in Cline's Corner in New Mexico where another storm exploded. A few hours later I settled at a rest area on the south side of Albuquerque.
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C/76 Acapulco Mexican Restaurant 727 S. Polk St. Several items uncovered during storage; employees did not wash hands when changing gloves or changing tasks; ice machines need to be cleaned; sanitizer in bucket in salsa bar at improper strength; dirty dishes on prep line with clean dishes; placecard was removed (placecard must not be defaced or removed, resulting in a re-inspection fee charged. Additional action or fines may be applied for tampering or removing the sign again). COS. Clean dishes must be completely separated from dirty dishes at all times. To be corrected within three days. Faucet in women’s restroom not working properly; English hand washing sign needed in men’s restroom; no soap in men’s restroom; thermometers needed in all coolers holding potentially hazardous foods; accessible hand sink must be available in all food prep areas; items in hand sink; hand sink in ware washing area blocked by dishes. To be corrected within 10 days. No certified food manager; inside coolers/freezers need to be defrosted and/or cleaned; under sinks/equipment in bar needs to be cleaned; grease build-up needs to be removed; floors, walls and ceilings need to be kept clean at all times; several cutting boards need to be resurfaced or replaced; date marking labels found on clean dishes; prep sink with an indirect waste connection needs to be installed. To be corrected within 30 days. 3/11/2018
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