Author: rhysfunk

Rhys Martin was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1981. In 2009, he sold everything he owned and left the country, living out of a backpack for ten months. He discovered a passion for photography while traveling throughout Southeast Asia and Europe. After returning home, he looked at his home town and Oklahoma heritage with fresh eyes. When he began to explore his home state, Rhys turned his attention to historic Route 66. As he became familiar with the iconic highway, he began to truly appreciate Oklahoma’s place along the Mother Road. He has traveled all 2,400 miles of Route 66, from Chicago to Los Angeles. He has also driven many miles on rural Oklahoma highways to explore the fading Main Streets of our small towns. Rhys has a desire to find and share the unique qualities of the Sooner State with the rest of the world. Cloudless Lens Photography has been featured in several publications including This Land, Route 66 Magazine, Nimrod Journal, Inbound Asia Magazine, The Oklahoman, and the Tulsa World. In 2018 he published his first book, Lost Restaurants of Tulsa. Rhys loves to connect with people and share his experiences; ask him about enjoyable day trips from Tulsa, locations along Route 66, and good diners or burger joints along the way.

The Cars Story and Route 66

The vast majority of travelers that spend time on Historic Route 66 are familiar with the 2006 Disney/Pixar film Cars. The animated movie tells the story of Lightning McQueen, a race car that finds himself stuck in the small western Route 66 town of Radiator Springs. The town is the home of many colorful characters … Continue reading The Cars Story and Route 66 →

Tulsa’s Experience: The Influenza of 1918

A few days ago, Tulsa's city council passed an ordinance that requires masks to be work at all times in public to help curb the spread of COVID-19. As is the case everywhere in this country right now, it was met with a mixture of support and anger. I've wondered how Tulsa dealt with the … Continue reading Tulsa’s Experience: The Influenza of 1918 →

Remembering Lory Martin

We had Mom's services today in Barnsdall, Oklahoma. It's the town where she grew up and a place that she dearly loved. About 30 of us gathered together under a small awning at the new cemetery. That's a real small-town direction, isn't it? "It's not at the OLD cemetery, it's at the NEW cemetery!" Most … Continue reading Remembering Lory Martin →

A Worthwhile Journey

At the beginning of 2020, the first half of my year had several excursions on the books. I was going to Springfield, Missouri for a Route 66 conference in March, we were taking Mom to Disney World in April (her first time back since 1998), and I planned to finally see Wyoming as part of … Continue reading A Worthwhile Journey →

Comfort Foods

I miss a lot of things in the COVID-19 World. I miss seeing my friends, I miss taking road trips, I miss eating out. One of the things I miss most, at least the way it used to be, is grocery shopping. For most of my adult life, it's been an almost spiritual experience. I … Continue reading Comfort Foods →

Animal Crossing

On March 20, 2020 I made an impulse purchase. It had been eight days since Mom's unexpected passing. My brother and I had decided to postpone the services due to COVID-19. Her ashes had just been placed on the fireplace, next to her Dad's mandolin and her Mom's tambourine, where they still wait for interment. … Continue reading Animal Crossing →

Dearly Departed

This is an emotional, personal post. I'm not sure when I'll return to my travelogues, especially considering current events. Just a heads up! On Thursday, March 12th, I learned that my sweet mother passed away. It still doesn't feel real; the news was completely unexpected. We have had to postpone her services due to a … Continue reading Dearly Departed →

The Story of Thrifty

The eastern portions of 11th Street in Tulsa (also known as Route 66) resemble more of a rural highway than a city road. Homes and empty fields make up most of the landscape with an occasional church or small business hanging on to life. Near 133rd East Avenue, a sign on the south side of … Continue reading The Story of Thrifty →

Mountains, Dwellings, and Gardens

Note: I meant to post this in October, but I accidentally left it in Draft status. Oops! Anyway, here's the second part of our trip to Colorado. The first part is here. Manitou Springs is just as beautiful in the morning as it is at dusk. Instead of neon lights, it's the sunlight on the … Continue reading Mountains, Dwellings, and Gardens →

The Waldmire U-Haul

Originally posted to the Oklahoma Route 66 Association blog on 11/7/19 When it was announced this summer that the contents of Afton Station were going to be auctioned off, I was tremendously sad. Afton Station had been a great asset to Route 66, not just in northeast Oklahoma but throughout all 2400+ miles. It wasn't … Continue reading The Waldmire U-Haul →