Time To Get The Heck Out Of Dodge (well, Junction City, KS actually)!

 


After a night in a warm building with our entire rig, truck, camper and all, we were rudely greeted by freezing cold temps and a seriously sharp wind.  At 7:00am on Saturday, December 17, 2022 the temperature is only 19 degrees F and the wind chill is an even frostier 10 degrees.  We're going to have to sit on our hands for a bit and let the temps come up enough that our water lines won't freeze within minutes of hitting the road.  We're shooting for the mid to upper 20's before raising that garage door and pointing the rig south.

But we are nervously watching the forecast for the area.  If we don't get clear of Kansas now and down into the deep heart of Texas we're going to be froze in for potentially weeks.  A giant polar bomb cyclone is headed our way that will pretty much shut down two thirds of the U.S.

This artic blast is due in 4 days.

It took until after noon for the temps to get agreeable for travel but we were off.  Destination - Wild Horse RV Park, Pauls Valley, OK.  That should get us half way to our winter destination in Texas.  But getting such a late start will put us in at about sunset.  We'll be setting up in the dark.

The sun had just slipped below the horizon as we pulled into Wild Horse.  There was no manned office, we had been instructed to just pick a spot and pull in over the phone.  Out came the headlamp and some much needed attention was given to the waste water tanks.  There were no hookups in the building we had been in for the past three weeks, those tanks were max'd out.  

Having unloaded almost 1,000 lbs of liquid weight I should get a measurable improvement in fuel mileage upon departure.  But for now it's dark and cold and I am well past my dinner time.  I'm headed in for the night and we'll do it all again tomorrow with our final destination for the winter in the windshield.

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The next morning is once again cold at sunrise but warming quickly.  There will be no waiting necessary to get back on the road.  While getting travel-ready there was finally a chance to see our surroundings.  I almost wish I couldn't.  The campers in this I-35 roadside campground had dwindled to rigs that apparently never move.  Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against long-term campers, I'm one myself, having stayed in one spot for as long as four years once.  But the rigs around me this morning in mid-December are a sight better not seen.
Cousin Eddie from Christmas Vacation has nothing on this guy.
Looking around, Wild Horse RV Park has the potential to be a really nice campground.  But its current state leaves a little to be desired.  The utilities (electric, water and septic) were the best part of the park.  The roads and campsites left a lot to be desired.
A broader look at Wild Horse RV Park.
The above wider shot of the campground doesn't seem to be so bad but a closer inspection can make one think otherwise.  What got my attention and brought me to point my camera in this direction was a dog that had barked at me last night during setup and all morning during breakdown.
A closer look at the dog that barked incessantly.  Bottom right
on full-size mattress.
Beside the mattress at the foot of the entry door, the steps were randomly stacked cinder blocks, the tires on the driver side were flat, the stabilization jack on driver side rear was collapsed, and the floor was falling out of the slide out.  And that is just what I could see from this position.  I know people can fall on hard times, it seems that they have just concentrated at Wild Horse.  Sorry we can't stay to help folks but we have a commitment made to Granger Lake starting tomorrow.

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