After enjoying a relaxing week at Lake Eufaula, we headed west again towards Oklahoma City. We searched for what appeared to be a good campground near Oklahoma City and settled on the nearby State Park along the banks of Lake Thunderbird in nearby Norman, home of the Oklahoma Sooners. Norman is only a few miles south of Oklahoma City itself, and Lake Thunderbird is a beautiful lake so it was perfect. We booked for a week which would give us time to explore this area.
The road to Lake Thunderbird is not heavily traveled and passes some beautiful countryside. Straight and narrow...
Approaching the State Park boundary, we get our first glimpse of Lake Thunderbird.
We set up camp with the lake at the back of the coach. We considered pulling straight in but the utilities would have been on the wrong side so I put out our chairs and enjoyed the view.
Lake Thunderbird is actually a reservoir that supplies drinking water to Oklahoma City and many smaller cities nearby. It was formed with the creation of the Norman Dam. Construction of the dam began in 1962 and was completed in 1965. The lake holds approximately 171,000 acre feet of water.
Our site was multi-leveled with two picnic tables, one on the site and the other lower on a plateau overlooking the lake.
Country Singer Toby Keith wrote a song, "Kissin' in the Rain" about Lake Thunderbird in 2010. It's on his "Bullets in the Gun" album.
These are just another couple views out the back side of our campsite.
A full moon rising over Lake Thunderbird...taken from the back o our coach.
This is a view of the City of Norman, approaching the University of Oklahoma on the right.
The University of Oklahoma is located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it had existed
in Oklahoma Territory near the Indian Territory for 17 years before the two
became the state of Oklahoma.
The school has an enrollment of over 30,000 students and a faculty of over 5,000. It is ranked first in the nation in producing National Merit Scholars and is among the top ten nationally in producing Rhodes Scholars.
The University of Oklahoma, well known for its athletic programs, has won 7 NCAA Division 1National Football Championships. Its baseball team has won 2 NCAA national championships and the women's softball team won the national championship in 2000 and 2013.
The Seed Sower symbol, found on the seal of the university, refers to the first OU
President, David Ross Boyd. The Seed Sower symbolizes not only the
seeds of knowledge and opportunity, but also the seeds of history and
tradition.
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