Woolaroc Rendezvous

{warning: Picture heavy!!}

Since we’ve become friends with Karen and Jared, they’ve mentioned doing these rendezvous things. We really didn’t know what that was but told them we would be interested. So basically, you dress up pre-1840’s, you sleep in tents, and that’s kind of the gist.

A few weeks ago, maybe even a month or so now, Karen and Jared showed us this flier they got in the mail for the rendezvous that happened this past weekend. Karen rounded up some clothes for us to wear and we were in.

Friday Abug and I loaded up with Karen and Jared and left early morning. It’s known that I’m not a morning person, they said they were leaving around 9-10am and I was like really (imagine that really in a whiney voice). Yes, really and I was there, rearing and ready to go, Abug in tow. Hubby was coming down after he got off work and picked Tbug up.

I mentioned yesterday we stopped at Clantons in Vinita on our way down for lunch, some gas station near Nowata and a grocery store and wound up pulling in about an hour or so before Karen told her parents we’d be there.

Then it was time to unload the trailer and start setting up. Now is time to mention I’ve never slept in a tent before so this weekend was mighty interesting (and fun).

Once we were set up, then it was time to get in dress and go around and see the sights.

My shoes for the weekend.

This was Jarrod. He was in the camp next to us. I was confused seeing him in a kilt and then heard that it was actually time period appropriate. Hey, I’ve never been to one so it was a learning thing for me. Over to the right (just outside this picture) was a whole “colony” of French representatives. Then another place there was another group. This is basically living history and really friggin cool. That phrase is not time appropriate ;).

Around 5:30 or 6 we decided to start getting dinner ready. That way hopefully it might be done by the time hubby and Tbug showed up. Cooking over fire in cast iron… nothing I’ve ever done, but a really cool process.

While dinner was cooking, Abug was getting a little antsy and restless so she and I went walking around camp. While it was supposed to be time period appropriate, I was allowed to have my camera. Anything that wasn’t time period appropriate had to be in the confines of your tent. While we were out on our walk, Abug found sand. All she wanted to do was stop and play in the sand. It took longer to get back to camp, then it did getting down to the water area.

So we had garlic toast and pasta as you can see. The pasta was Chicken Tetrazinni. Let’s just say YUM!

On our way, we stopped in Bartlesville at the Dollar store. While there Jared got Abug bubbles. Tbug was helping Abug play with the bubbles. Abug loved the bubbles and now instead of ride, ride, ride, we heard bubbles, bubbles, bubbles.

Once night hit, I got Abug to bed, Tbug went to bed also. Then I had to go outside and play with photos. This picture is even cooler in color… but the black and white is pretty darn cool too, right?

The next morning Jill made us Biscuits and Gravy and sausage patties. Then it was time to enjoy the day. Really, there was no set game plan except to go up to the Woolaroc museum (another post because those photos are all color plus this post was getting long with 42ish photos….)

Jarrod brought over one of those metal contraptions where you try to get things off by working them through… (think the horseshoe game with the ring between the 2). So our Jared worked on it most of the morning. Hubby even took a stab and I played with it for all of about 5 minutes.

I wound up going on a walk with Karen and Jill. When we got back to camp my phone was ringing and we were told that hubby and Jared took the kids down to the rope swing and sand pit. Well I found Tbug on the rope and Abug in the sand.

Lunch was a snack type lunch. Then a bunch of us napped on and off. Tbug got Abug to sleep around 1, and she and I slept in the tent until around 2:30. Then we all loaded up and headed up to the museum. There was a garden outback of the museum that Jill took us to, so perfect family photo op.

Then we went to the cabin to see all the head mounts. Giraffe, lions, rhinos, zebras, you name it. Oilman Frank Phillips established this place in 1925. He would import different animals in and as they would die (usually shipping disease) he would have their heads mounted on the wall.

Then we worked our way back down to camp. Down by camp, the deer had moved up and I got pictures. And yes, that is a white deer. I’m not sure the actual breeds of these deer.

I do believe the Minnie Mouse shades are time period appropriate….

Hubby and I were responsible for dinner Saturday night. We decided to make Chicken and steak fajitas. I’ve never had fajitas cooked over an open flame, but YUM! I plan on sharing our recipes we did shortly (partially so we always remember them!!)

We all were watching the weather forecast and there was a 40% chance of rain on Saturday night. Karen’s parents tent leaks a little so we helped tarp their tent.

We had lots and lots of strong winds on Saturday night. There were even a few times we all thought the tent might blow away. A little rain hit around 3 or so in the morning but just enough to settle the dust.

Sunday morning Jill made pancakes and bacon for breakfast. Because of the impending weather that was supposed to move in, they allowed camp to be torn down earlier than normal. Normal is not before 11 or noon, people were tearing down around 8am on Sunday.

At one point we noticed the buffalo moving through camp so I took off to get their picture. Most people don’t know that buffalo are not domesticated animals and so nothing stops them. If they feel like you are endangering them, they’ll attack you. We had buffalo once upon a time so I knew that. I kept a good distance and things between the buffalo and Tbug and me. While I was trying to get their picture though, some lady yelled at me because I guess she thought I was going to get closer than I was.

And that was our experience of pre-1840. I’ve always loved history and really wished there was something called a time machine so you could go back in time and see how it really was. While this is just what we think, it was the closest I’ll probably ever get. Plus I’m not sure I could do without indoor plumbing….

All these photos were shot in color but I made them black and white, because hello, pre-1840’s ;). I do have them all in color too though. I’ll share the museum in color (I didn’t make it black and white).