Wheeler Dealers Camping Club members July campout with an All American Theme of Red, White and Blue was held at Sarge Creek campground at Kaw Lake, just east of Ponca City, OK. Sixteen rigs were represented including guests Ryan and Meredith Shepard and their children Thea and Coy from Stillwater. Another guest was Elin Vasquez, granddaughter of Mike and Helen McHale, Bartlesville. Hosts for the campout were the Blakeburn’s, Bottger’s, and Tippin’s from Ponca City and the Metevia’s from Norman. Randi Olsen, Bartlesville provided flags for each campsite and encouraged members to save the flags for the November campout around Veterans Day.

Some members arrived as early as Tuesday after the Fourth of July with many others arriving that Wednesday and Thursday. Lowry and Rebecca Blakeburn helped members prepare hobo dinners Thursday evening. The Bottgers and Tippins provided the aluminum foil and hamburger patties with assorted additional toppings and side dishes provided by other members. Members placed their hamburger patty in the foil and topped with various sides including cheese, mushrooms, onions, green peppers, etc. They were then placed on hot coals until done. Various salads and desserts completed the meal including pie iron pies led by Cecil and Linda Sparks.

Friday members visited and greeted those arriving. Members spent the day setting up rigs, visiting, and playing various games including Ladder Toss, Cornhole, Jenga, and Mexican Train. Friday evening dinner was a hamburger/hot dog cookout complimented by salads and desserts provided by members.

Saturday morning Donna Metevia and Rebecca Blakeburn led members in the creation of a Fourth of July style craft decorating a glass jar and completing it with their choice of an electric or citronella candle. Plans had been for a ride in Charley and Vie Bottger’s pontoon boat on Kaw Lake, but the weather caused cancellation of those plans. Instead members drove to the Pioneer Cove Marina in Kaw City where they ate lunch on the patio prepared by new marina owners Marla and Troy Trecek from the marina grill. Saturday evening the group caravanned to Mandy’s Restaurant in Shidler for their Saturday evening rib eye steak dinner special.

Sunday morning Wheeler Dealers concluded the campout with the traditional pot luck breakfast and business meeting led by Lowry Blakeburn, president.

Remaining campouts scheduled for the year include:

August – Outdoors Meet and Eat at Osage Hills State Park hosted by Mike and Helen McHale and Bob and Marilee Nunnalee.

September – Melvern Lake, KS hosted by Cecil and Linda Sparks and Stan and Linda Long. Activities include a tour of the Kansas State Capitol in Topeka.

October – Canton Lake, OK hosted by Charley and Vie Bottger.

November – Big Hill Lake, Cherryvale, KS hosted by Cecil and Linda Sparks, Clarence and Karla Hill, and Lee and Ellen Cobb.

December – Christmas Party at the McCord Senior Center hosted by Gary and Nancy Shepard.

Wheeler Dealers monthly campouts are held weekends from March to November with only lunch or breakfast gathering in February and August and a special Christmas Party in December. Members can make their own reservations at many of the Corps lakes through recreation. gov, the Corps of Engineers reservation service.

Current members are from Bartlesville, Nowata, Norman, Owasso, Ponca City, Sand Springs, and Tulsa. However, anyone is invited to join.

Persons interested in joining or knowing more should contact Lowry, president, at 580-304-5445 in Ponca City or Clarence, vice-president, at 405-612-7781 in Bartlesville.