One of the main destinations for our journey this summer, aside from Gary’s drone jobs, has been to visit my sister and her family in Oklahoma. They had lived in Texas for forever and a few years ago moved to OK to be closer to their daughter, son-in-law, and adorable granddaughter.
On our way through the southern part of the state, we spent a night in Durant, an interesting city that I had never heard about before. Durant hails several points of interest. It is the center of the Choctaw Tribal Nation and home of their casino empire, the 7th largest casino operation in the country. Durant is home to Southeastern University of Oklahoma. And it is home to the second largest Peanut statue in the US!
Well, we did stop by the casino, the local brewery, and a lovely downtown restaurant, but sadly, we missed the peanut viewing. Maybe next time.
Our overnight stay was booked through an app called Boondockers Welcome. Unlike Harvest Hosts, another app we use often, Boondockers allows travelers to spend an overnight at someone’s backyard or driveway for no fee. Through Harvest Hosts, travelers stay overnight on a farm, brewery, winery, or golf course for free but are expected to purchase something of nominal value – a carton of eggs, a bottle of wine, etc.
Our Boondockers Welcome couple kindly offered us a cup of tea and a slice of pecan pie and some lovely conversation as we joined them on their back porch that evening. This has always been one of our favorite aspects of traveling around the country. We meet kind, caring folks, learn something new about places and connect with someone on a different level. We all share the love of travel and exploration and can share these adventures and knowledge with others.
I also feel that making these connections with strangers, however fleeting, makes the world a bit friendlier, a tiny bit less distant, and perhaps, a little more livable.