I don't really like to fly. I'd much rather travel by car, but, that's not always practical. For example, the drive from Oklahoma to New Jersey takes 21 hours straight through. Flying gets you across the country in half-a-day. Since we were heading to the east coast to spend time with family, it was only … Continue reading Shore Bound
I was talking to a friend the other day and realized a great many folks that I know today don't know about the international trip that kick-started my love of writing and passion for photography. After another friend shared a recent Tulsa World article about a couple that did something similar, I thought it might … Continue reading Around the World in 311 Days
As I've traveled around the country (and the world) I've noticed a few recurring themes. Some of them are easy to spot, such as cafe wall decor with the same "down home" phrases or t-shirts with the same broken English phrase throughout Southeast Asia. Others take some time to recognize and appreciate, like The Three … Continue reading Three Sisters
When I have a road trip planned, it's easier to wake up early. Granted, I don't usually leave at 5:00 AM, but on Sunday that is what I did. I was attending a quarterly Oklahoma Route 66 Association meeting in Weatherford that afternoon and wanted to spend the morning exploring southwestern Oklahoma. Since that was … Continue reading Comanche Territory & Frontier Towns
I celebrated Independence Day near the banks of the Arkansas River in Tulsa. My perch was an exterior stairwell on the sixth floor of the Sophian Plaza, about a mile away from the city's largest nighttime fireworks display. Lately I've felt that I haven't had enough time in my days; it was nice to slow … Continue reading A Model Ford
In 2007, I was a technical support manager for Cingular Wireless, soon-to-be AT&T. I'd been with the company six years at that point and had been there for the transition from pagers to one-way-text capable phones to monophonic ringtones to basic internet access. I watched as Blackberry held on to the smartphone market against all … Continue reading iPhone – 10 Years Later
This is the final entry in my series about my time with Michael Wallis on the Midwest leg of his book tour for, "The Best Land Under Heaven: The Donner Party in the Age of Manifest Destiny". If you've missed any previous installment, here they are: Springfield MO & KC Kansas City KC to Columbia … Continue reading On the Road with Michael – Home Again
(other installments of this series here) Tuesday, the final full day of my journey with Michael Wallis. We got off to an early start since we had a drive to Illinois first thing. Before we even left St Louis, though, Michael had a live interview with the Sam Madonia morning radio show in Springfield. The … Continue reading On the Road with Michael – The Best Land Under Heaven
Our last day in St Louis served as a bridge between the Route 66 world that Michael Wallis is so associated with and the western history that serves as the backbone of his literary output. It included a literal bridge, too, as it happens. During the downtime I had on Sunday, I'd made a startling … Continue reading On the Road with Michael – St Louis III
(other installments of this series here) Sunday was another gloriously slow morning. I drank coffee & ate the last two donuts from the Donut Drive-In while I looked out my window at the flower bed. I checked the news, did a little writing, and generally lazed about until about 10:00. I was pleased to see … Continue reading On the Road with Michael – St Louis II
