“Real travel requires a maximum of unscheduled wandering, for there is no other way of discovering surprises and marvels, which, as I see it, is the only good reason for not staying at home.” - Alan Watts
We sat down at one of the 2-tops near the window while our waitress hollored across the counter asking what we wanted to drink, We responded as she nodded marking two styrofoam cups with a "w" for water. When she arrived at our table, Jer looked puzzled at the colored drinks and politely told her that we had ordered water. She smiled with the awareness that we were not regulars, "this is water, them be colored straws!"
What we were witnessing for the first time in our lives was "optical food coloring," no chemicals or dyes, just a straw that reflected sunlight into our cups - another example of how our lives continue to expand with new and unexpected perspectives as we nomad across the country!
And then there was Ada's Wintersmith Park; built in 1933 by the Civilian Conservation Corps (a government work program for unemployed men), it was the first time the National Park Service worked outside of national parks. Wintersmith Park is located on the southeastern edge of Ada and contains 150 acres of land, Wintersmith Lake, a public swimming pool and splash park, a lodge, courts for basketball, softball, volleyball and horseshoes, a 1.5-mile lighted trail, eight picnic pavilions, a playground, a dog park, and a Kiwanis amusement park, bridges, trails, and a public amphitheater. We have never visited a municipal park with this many features - and in a town with fewer than 17,000 residents! The tranquility of the setting, along with regular morning walks, reminded us both to make a point of strolling more in nature and scrolling less on our phones!
Truly, Ada, Oklahoma holds a treasure of history and pride along with wonderful people. The city has produced five governors over the years and has proven to yield a myriad of surprises. We're glad we got to experience it!
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