Driving through the Wichita Mountains at night is nothing short of terrifying. Wild buffalo, longhorn bulls, and deer roam the refuge, strolling across the road at their leisure. However, the Wichita’s during the day are much less foreboding, and offer an amazing view (in Okie standards). Finding a camping spot at night is not the easiest task, but we managed to find a nice, peaceful place next to a troop of screaming boy scouts. Luckily, they passed out around 9:00. The rest of our night was spent roasting hotdogs and s’mores, modest luxuries that our backcountry excursions have restricted.

Hiking in the refuge provided scenic views, and of course people drinking alcohol. We came across a strange couple sitting down and drinking vodka about halfway up the trail. There is truly nothing like starting the morning with some vodka in the Wichita Mountains! Once we reached the peak of Elk Mountain, the scenery was outstanding. The top of the mountain is scattered with enormous granite boulders, and we could see across Oklahoma for miles. I felt like a little kid hopping across boulders, climbing, and exploring everything there was to see. Nothing can quite bring you back to childhood like nature.

If you go to the Wichita Mountains, then you must pay a visit to Meers. Meers is a scanty little town that consists of one establishment, also called Meers. In this unique restaurant you will find the one and only Meersburger. This heavenly treat will delight your taste buds like never before. The patty is longhorn meat, and it comes in a 9” pie tray. Our time spent at Meers was a blur of chewing and ecstasy. We feasted on a meersburger, fried pickles, French fries, and cherry cobbler with homemade ice cream. I’ve never been so full in my life, but damn, was it good. As I hobbled back to the car, I realized that our journey was over, once again. It’s funny, but Meers is a lot like life.