When in the south, one of the cuisines that comes to mind is Barbecue. Perhaps this place is a winner.
Welcome to Swadley's BBQ, a regional chain of barbecue offerings within greater Oklahoma City, along with a couple of locations to the north and south. Swadley's is a family-owned business that first began from the popularity of a Texas general store owner back in the 1930's and 40's. Since then, four generations of the family have been smoking meats and offering home cooking to the people of Oklahoma. In addition to the restaurants, Swadley's is also committed to their disaster relief efforts, as the wild weather of Oklahoma takes its toll on the area.
One visit has been had to Swadley's at the Midwest City location, on a weeknight near closing time with the trailer in tow. We were able to get our rig into their easy-off easy-on location, but would not recommend trying to do this during peak times, as the parking lot is moderately sized but maneuverable. Both the outside and the inside seemed like a cookie cutter of a popular southern-style steakhouse, but there is more to a restaurant than what the eye shows you.
Swadley's offers an array of different products that would make any barbecue lover know that they are at home. If you're not quite sure what you want to try from their menu, get a sampler of their several meats at a reasonable price for what they offer. As they do smoke their meats fresh daily, they will run out of product closer to the end of the day, but is a sign that they value quality over quantity. Professional critics have come to notice this as well, as barbecue awards and other accolades were won by Swadley's in 2020.
So the next time your Internal Compass takes you to or through Oklahoma City, make a stop at Swadley's, as they will positively satisfy any barbecue craving.
It started as a free water stop during a long road trip. Here's the beef. A brain, a heart, a home, and courage meet here.
Welcome to Liberal, Kansas, where despite the political premonitions of many travelers out there, this destination has no relation whatsoever. Liberal is tucked in the southwestern part of the Sunflower State at the junction of US routes 54, 83, and 270, just on the border with Oklahoma. A small city of approximately 20,000, Liberal has historically been, and still is today, an oasis among the vast surrounding prairies. First founded by a generous settler who "liberally" offered water at no cost to travelers, the city became a center for farmers and ranchers. Although many ghosted towns surround the area, meat packing remains one of the top industries in Liberal, as evidenced by the large National Beef Packing plant on the way out of town.
One of the top attraction points to draw people to Liberal, Kansas, is the replica of Dorothy's House, as made famous by the L. Frank Baum book series, and later feature film, "The Wizard of Oz". Visitors are able to tour inside Dorothy's house to catch a glimpse of life in Kansas around the turn of the 20th century. A young lady, costumed to represent Dorothy Gale from the feature film, explains the house and all the general tasks of "her family" to the visitors before taking them through a short skit portraying the famous story and showing a collection of book and film-related memorabilia. The museum at Dorothy's House also houses the free Coronado museum, which takes visitors through the history of the Liberal area around the time of both its discovery and founding, including Native settlements, city planning, and the surrounding ghost towns.
Dorothy's House isn't the only thing to experience while in Liberal. The local Chamber of Commerce takes great pride in helping people experience the entirety of the town, going so far as to create a scavanger hunt by strategically placing "Dorothy" statues all about the city. One of these locations is the Mid-America Air Museum, a collection of various military aircraft throughout history. Other points highlighted include Light Park, which includes a small water amusement center, the Pancake House after which one of the major route's street names is given, and the old Train Station. Although passengers are no longer served in Liberal, the railroad remains in integral part of the city, especially freight servicing the area.
Next time your Internal Compass takes you toward Western Kansas, make a stop in Liberal, and you may just realize: "There's no place like home."
Trip thirteen found us at Arkalon Park in southwestern Kansas. Although owned by the city of Liberal, this park is situated on what was once the now-ghost town of Arkalon. Although there are still some dirt roads around to show what once was, the building material has since been recycled. While in transit to the next location, a two-night stay was had.
Grounds: The park is a few miles east of Liberal on US Highway 54. It's clearly marked from the highway, but will take a little bit of dirt road driving along with paved roads while crossing railroad tracks and a couple cattle guards. Freight trains do run nearby along a rail bridge. The city of Liberal is a good re-supply point. Be aware the park is seasonal, and only open from April to mid-October. In addition, the gates are locked between 10PM and 7AM.
Sites: Arkalon is a small city park with about 15 RV and 30 tent sites, along with day use. These may be reserved online, or paid with the camp host upon entering. The RV sites are electric and water only, with a single dump station available at the campground entrance. Tent sites are dry. RV sites are level concrete pads and a mix of pull-thru and back-in. There is a 14-day limit to stay, and the check-out time is a fairly late 4PM. Both 30 and 50 amp electric is offered, but there is an extra charge to use 50 amp.
Staff: There is a single camp host on site that has morning and evening hours, along with on-call. They are very friendly and accommodating for extenuating circumstances.
Amenities: Arkalon's amenities are minimal but available. There is a fishing pond for catch-and-release only, along with a sizable playground for the children. A couple of walking trails adorn the grounds. There is a bathhouse with metal toilets and push-button cold showers. Several pavilions, both near the playground and campsites, have picnic tables, fire pits, and grills. There are also several dumpsters around the grounds and, should the need arise, tornado shelters.
Atmosphere: Our visit to the park was around the beginning of the season, so it was fairly quiet with only a couple of campers, both tent and RV, around us. There are no quiet hours so a few events around the fire happened after the gates were closed, but otherwise uneventful. There was a children's event happening during the daytime and evening; they were quite respectful of the other campers.
Overall, Arkalon Park receives a 9 out a possible 10 rating. The price is one of the best for what is offered, and the city noticeably takes great pride in maintaining not only this park, but the entire city itself. This may not exactly be the best longer-term "destination", but if your Internal Compass takes you towards southwestern Kansas, make a few day stop in Liberal and Arkalon Park.
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