Our first full day at Disney was glorious. Although Magic Kingdom was the park I was least excited about (being full of kids rides and all) it ended up being the biggest surprise. I rode more rides and enjoyed myself more at Magic Kingdom and I did in any of the other parks. The excitement I … Continue reading Disneymoon – Part Two
I've never been one to indulge in the kinds of activities that people normally associate with stereotypical Single American Male. By that, I mean that the activities of a typical bachelor party were not appealing to me. Strip clubs, copious amounts of hard liquor, and other debauchery are not in my wheelhouse. When it came time … Continue reading Bachelor Party on the Route
Thursday night after work, Samantha and I loaded up her Nissan and headed north. Our final destination was the city of Chicago to attend a wedding on Friday; since the drive would take about eleven hours, we both agreed that driving part way the day before was a GREAT idea. As we drove I-44 from Tulsa, … Continue reading The Road to Chicago
This weekend was the fifth annual Birthplace of Route 66 Festival in Springfield, Missouri. A lot of my roadie friends were driving hundreds (or thousands!) of miles to attend, so I felt I could at least drive 180 miles from Tulsa. In fact, I hadn't spent much time in Springfield since my Route 66 passion surfaced; … Continue reading 2015 Birthplace of Route 66 Festival
As if taking a trip to Oklahoma City last Thursday wasn't enough, Sunday brought another whole day in the car. This time I went a bit farther south. My goal was to find a new desk for the office, as mine is not much more than a plank of wood with four legs. I needed … Continue reading Day Trip to Dallas
Some weeks ago, a friend of mine sent me a message letting me know that historian and author Michael Wallis, arguably most known for his 1990 book about Route 66, would be speaking in Oklahoma City on July 30th. That book is widely recognized as a major contributor to the current revitalization of the Mother Road. … Continue reading Meeting a Legend
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
Wednesday morning, my alarm went off at 5:30 AM. Now, some of you may think I'm completely bonkers for setting an alarm when I'm on vacation. Heck, with my new work schedule, I don't set an alarm on a regular basis at all anymore. However, I had two good reasons. One: since I ran out … Continue reading Through Old Arizona
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!
On May 16th, I was halfway between Tulsa and Oklahoma City when the Mustang had a massive coolant system failure. After several hours of unproductive roadside assistance, I was towed back to Tulsa and out of commission for nearly a week thanks to a busted water pump and thermostat housing. Couple that event with the … Continue reading War Eagle & Crystal Bridges
Rhys' Pieces 