In The Beginning
The Free Wheel is over and we had a marvelous time. All the communities we stayed with were terrific, and they provided us with on site food and refreshment, shuttle services, and great evening entertainment. The people all along the way were very friendly, helpful, and just great. Below is an overview of each day, and the corresponding pictures.
June 7: Day 1 Denison TX - Tishomingo OK 65.2 miles 14.5 avg.
Our day started at 5:30 am. by striking camp and preparing for the day. We got on the road at 6:30 and had a south wind about 5 to 10 mph and a temperature of 70 deg. The route was flat to rolling hills through very pretty surroundings. The last 12 miles were the most challenging as we came to a series of steep rolling hills that really slowed our pace.
Tent City
We arrived at camp around 11:30 and settled in for the day. Later a live band provided music for us, and a group of children preformed oldies music.
June 8: Day 2 Tishimingo - Coalgate 45.7 miles 14.4 avg.
Once again the day started at 5:30 am and we were on the road under cloudy skies with light rain. The temperature was pleasant and we had a light tailwind.
Mom Looks Fresh
June 9: Day 3 Coalgate - Wewoka 57 miles 14.6 avg.
This was a very hilly day and one I was glad to end. The City of Wewoka pulled all the stops to make us feel welcome, which was especially nice since they were recovering from a tornado that struck their community the day before our arrival.
I'm Tiered
In the evening, a storm came up and many tents were blown down including mine as usual. It didn't rain but we did see a terrific lightning show
June 10: Day 4 Wewoka - Bristow 56 miles 15.2 avg.
This was a great day. We had a strong tail wind that literally blew us down the road. It was a hilly route, but we didn't notice it much because of the beautiful scenery that was all around us.
From The Road
At 4:30 pm though, things got a little ugly with the occurrence of another storm and again many tents were blown down. The storm only lasted 30 min. so we went and took in the sights. It was nice to once again be close to a Wal-Mart so we could stock up on goodies again.
Bill's Back
Around midnight another storm came in and this one rained on us. Everyone had wet cloths and gear, but many smiles were seen the next day as we packed up our wet stuff to move on.
June 11: Day 5 Bristow - Hominy 60.5 miles 13.6 avg.
Today we had unending rolling hills, a detour, and a ruff road. The temperature was very nice and the sky cloudy. We had to cross a little tree covered single lane bridge that was really cool.
The Neat Bridge
The ruff road didn't allow for very fast descents, and the steep grades stopped us from going up hill very fast so this was a long day. We stopped for lunch at a little out of the way general store/video store/ restaurant that was really neat. Outside three little girls had many questions about why 1200 people would want to ride bicycles across Oklahoma. We played with their two wiener dogs, and a pet pig for awhile, and then reluctantly we remounted and headed down the road.
June 12: Day 6 Hominy - Dewey 46 miles 14.6 avg.
The terrain began to flatten out on this route and we saw some very nice sights. Rolling pastures and hills covered with trees. It was open range land and the cows seems interested in what we were doing but not enough to stop grazing.
Pastures
We toured the Tom Mix museum, and in the evening we were entertained by a band.
June 13: Day 7 Dewey - Coffeville KS 36.6 miles 14.5 avg.
The terrain was flat as we rolled along bringing the Freewheel to a close. The city of Coffeville had a band waiting for us with many other activities to entertain us. The food was good and the people genuinely friendly.
Just Me
The End
The Big Hug
Where do we go tomorrow?
A Nice Sundown
The Three Musketeers
Water Crossing
Look Out!!
(Click On Any Picture For The Large View)