The first road trip I took that was focused specifically on Route 66 was July 5th, 2013. It was a Friday; I had the day off from work and decided to take the short drive from Tulsa to Miami, OK to see the Coleman Theater and take 66 back home. I had absolutely no idea … Continue reading An Ending in the Land of Lincoln
I never feel like I have enough time when I'm visiting somewhere, even if I've been there dozens of times. I definitely felt that way in Chicago, especially considering it was Samantha's first time. Alas, the drive home would take a lot of time and I didn't fancy driving all 11 hours straight home in a … Continue reading Through the Prairie State (Saturday, Part II)
Saturday morning was very relaxing. After waking up without an alarm (still early, but, out of pure excitement instead of necessity) Sam and I both took our time getting ready for the day. My buddy Scott (our host) lives in the suburb of Oak Park; his neighborhood is full of old trees and well-kept homes. The … Continue reading Breakdown in the City of Broad Shoulders (Saturday, Part I)
I didn't plan on going anywhere last Tuesday. It was my day off and after having worked the weekend I was eager to sleep in. Monday night, I got home around 11:30 PM (man this new shift is still an adjustment) and crawled into bed with no thought towards the next day's agenda. I simply … Continue reading A Kansan Detour
Alternate title: "There and Back Again: A Route 66 tale by Rhys Martin". After a week of driving Route 66, I spent the majority of Sunday taking the concrete super-slab that is I-40 all the way back to California. I was on the road for twelve hours total, which included two breakfasts, some time on the … Continue reading The Beginning is the End
After six days on the road, I'd seen a lot of fantastic things. I also had a lot of conversations with folks. I love to drive, and Route 66 is a passion of mine, so it's a fulfilling and enjoyable experience all around. That being said, it was nice to stay in the same place for … Continue reading Holbrook Day
Sleep was fitful on Thursday night. I kept waking up, walking over to my phone to check the time (no outlet next to the bed) only to see it had been an hour, maybe an hour and a half, since I'd last performed the same ritual. Finally, at 4:55 AM (five minutes before my alarm) … Continue reading The Route 66 Relics Tour
Waking up with the sun isn’t that difficult when you have a full day of exploration planned. What IS difficult, for me anyway, is ensuring that I balance my time adequately between wants and needs. As I wrote about a few days ago, I can sometimes get carried away and take way more time than … Continue reading A Dash of Enchantment
I was startled awake Tuesday morning by a strange sound. As I stirred from a deep sleep, my brain tried to assign a source to this sound. At first, it sounded like the crackling of wood burning...which was slightly alarming. Then, I thought it was someone knocking on the bedroom door. As the last bit of fog … Continue reading Eastward Ho!
I get antsy before a big trip. What if I have a lousy time? What if I don't get any good pictures? What if I don't get to meet any new people? As with several areas in my life, I tend to go to worst-case-scenario in my brain before anything actually happens. One of the things … Continue reading The End is the Beginning
Rhys' Pieces 