470. Marietta, Love County (OK64)

Oklahoma has been making a strong showing on the back end of the trip, and is going out even stronger. This is a lovely way to finish. It reminds me a little of Emory but with a taller dome, or St. Joseph. That’s neither here nor there at the moment. There were only three things that mattered to me at the moment:

1) There was a virtual on then courthouse grounds. With so many passed, how could I not take the time and grab it? I was here and it was probably the least I could do.

2) My official cache was at a barbeque joint. The cache called itself “D-Best-B-B-Q,” but I knew that wasn’t true because I hadn’t gotten back home yet. To be fair, I haven’t had any Oklahoma barbeque, but they’re not exactly known for it either. I will cede that it’s probably quite adequate, but the best? That I doubt. It occurs to me that I haven’t had any barbeque out on the road, or really much in the way of regional specialties (cracklins excepted). Maybe I should do something about that next time?

3) It was time to get home. I was done, worn out, at the end of my proverbial line. Forty-three counties in 3 days? I’d put in my work and it was time for well deserved rest. The good news was that there’s only 13 counties left before I would be done with Oklahoma once and for all. The bad news was that they were split up between the Panhandle and the east. That was a consideration for another time. Five more hours and I would be back in the cradle that is Austin, ready to lie in my own bed and dream of future trips.