If you missed my previous post that covered the journey from Paris Springs to Joplin, Missouri -- check that out here. As I ate my breakfast and visited with my New Zealand traveling companions in Joplin, I noticed they were all wearing small red pins. At first I thought they were little guitars, but I … Continue reading Gilligan’s Spring Tour (II)
In late November, my friend Nic asked if I had been down to Oklahoma City to see the Railway Museum. I told him I hadn't, and that was as good an excuse as any to get out of town. I had been stuck in a loop of book-related activity and really needed a break. The … Continue reading America’s Corner
For nearly 70 years, the town of Wetumka, OK has held an annual festival called Sucker Day. It's an odd name for a celebration, and it has a colorful story. It inspired me to take a little trip to Hughes County and explore a little more of the Sooner State. Here's the story of Sucker … Continue reading Sucker Day
On the way home from Missouri this weekend, I stopped for lunch in Vinita, OK. Normally, I'd stop in at Clanton's...but today I opted for the Hi-Way Cafe just west of town. I'd heard good things and the timing was right. I'm very glad I did. I pulled in to the gravel lot to find … Continue reading The Hi-Way Cafe
This weekend, I drove out to Shamrock Texas for the International Route 66 Festival, "Texas Welcomes the World." I'll have a lot to say about my time here later, but today I want to share with you a little place just on the Okie side of the border in Texola. By the time the Post … Continue reading An Oasis in Texola
It's been a little over seven years since I received that terrible phone call, the one that signaled a new age of my life. It's a little surreal to look back at my world at the time of my father's sudden passing. I feel like I was just a kid then, even though I was … Continue reading The March of Time
During the research of my Lost Restaurants of Tulsa book, I came across a lot of information for long-time Tulsa restaurants that were still up and running. Since I couldn't sample the food at any of the restaurants I was writing about, I made a commitment to dine at the city's traditional diners that were … Continue reading Hello, Chicken Fry!
On the last weekend of April, I headed west to attend a few events as the Tulsa County Representative for the Oklahoma Route 66 Association. I had to be in Clinton on Saturday and Weatherford on Sunday, so I figured I'd stay overnight and do a little exploring. As luck would have it, my friend … Continue reading A Western Oklahoma Ramble
It's been a busy week on Route 66 in Tulsa and the surrounding area. I love a good road trip to someplace new, but there's a lot to be said for helping others enjoy the city and stretch of highway I am most familiar with. Tulsa has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to … Continue reading Preservation & Payne
It's not a shocking statement to say I spent a little time on Route 66 this weekend. What made this trip much different, though, is the fact that the time I spent cruising the Mother Road wasn't behind the wheel of my Mustang. I spent Saturday walking a stretch of Oklahoma 66 with approximately 50 … Continue reading A Teachable Moment
Rhys' Pieces 