In the summer of 2018, I was put in touch with a man named Robert Brooks. Robert is a successful spinal surgeon in the Tulsa area...but I didn't need surgery. I did have a great desire to speak with him about history. Robert had a connection to an eastern landmark on Tulsa Route 66 that … Continue reading The Brookshire Motel
In August of 2016, I wrote a blog post that would have a greater impact on my life than I could ever have imagined. Two months after that visit to the Charcoal Oven in Oklahoma City, I received a call from a publishing company in Chicago; they'd come across what I'd written. A short time … Continue reading A Successful Launch
I haven't taken as many road trips in 2018 as I have in years past - there's been so much going on around here it's been tough to get away. Thankfully, though, I've been able to check a few things out here locally that I would've missed out on otherwise - one of which took … Continue reading CAF AirPower History Tour
I came across an old Tulsa World article in the archives at the library recently. It was written a few months after Route 66 was federally de-certified and I found it quite interesting. I have transcribed it below (exactly as written) with the photos from the article. I'll chime in a bit at the end. … Continue reading Along Route 66
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!
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
I'm entering the final weeks of writing and editing for my Lost Tulsa Restaurants book -- it's exciting and a little nerve wracking! But it feels good. I am really happy with what I have and am eager to hear what the publisher thinks. I'm not sure how long the turnaround time is between submission … Continue reading When Pizza Was New
This morning, Samantha and I went out to the Holland Hall Book Fair. We attend annually, not only to bolster our own library but to gather a collection of children's books for the Tulsa World Book Drive. It was pouring down rain, but the place was packed. I quickly tired of the crowd and retreated … Continue reading Tulsa: Oil Capital of the World
As much as I like to take a road trip to a new location, it's also nice when the scenery comes to ME. I took the day off today not so I could turn miles on an Oklahoma back-road or experience roadside nirvana in an old diner; I took the day off so I could … Continue reading A Veteran Affair
While researching my upcoming book about Lost Tulsa Restaurants, I came across a decades-old article about a Tulsa burger institution that is still going strong in the 21st century. It's one of my all-time favorite local burger joints, Claud's. I got a kick out of it and thought you all might enjoy it, too! Claud's … Continue reading Throwback Article – Claud’s Hamburgers
Rhys' Pieces 