Wheeler Dealers Camping Club holds last get-together of 2021

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Wheeler Dealers members who attended the November campout gather for the traditional group picture at Big Hill Lake. SUBMITTED.

Story by Kathy Tippin.

The first weekend of November was the final campout for 2021 for the Wheeler Dealers Camping Club held at Big Hill Lake near Cherryvale, KS. It began as a cool weekend, but warmed with beautiful sunny days.

Several rigs arrived earlier in the week with members relaxing during the cool evenings in front of the fireplace in the pavilion in the middle of the group campsite and enjoying meals together as they prepared for the others to arrive.  The rest of the members arrived Thursday and Friday.

Thursday some members took their electric bikes to a trail near Humboldt, KS and completed a 14- mile round-trip ride with a few stops up and back. Others went in to Parsons, KS for lunch at Kitchen Pass Restaurant in the heart of downtown enjoying salads, burgers, and wraps followed by shopping in the historic downtown at a local boutique and Hallmark shop.  

Friday afternoon some members enjoyed a game of Mexican Train. That day the rest of the rigs arrived and Friday night the group enjoyed the enormous buffet at Just Us in Cherryvale. So many salads, entrees, vegetables and desserts that no one could eat all of them. That evening some of the group played Mexican Train.

Saturday morning members gathered to work on the campout craft, a Christmas plaque. That evening campout hosts treated the group to a supper of grilled cheese sandwiches and soup. Potato, chicken noodle and taco homemade soups were served with members’ choice of several different cheeses and meats grilled by the men on their blackstones. Saturday evening the Mexican Train game continued with other members playing.

Sunday, the final day of the campout, members enjoyed breakfast cooked by the men on their grills including sausage, bacon, fried potatoes and pancakes. Ellen Cobb provided special embroidered chef’s aprons for the men. This was followed by the business meeting and discussion of the December Christmas Party to be hosted by Gary and Nancy Shepard at the McCord Senior Citizens Center. Members were reminded to wear an ugly Christmas sweater and bring an item they bought for their camper, but don’t use, for a white elephant. At the party officers for 2022 will be elected and 2022 campouts scheduled.

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 about upcoming campouts should contact Lowry, president, at 580-304-5445 in Ponca City or Clarence, vice-president, at 405-612-7781 in Bartlesville.