Shortly after noon today, I was walking through the cold in west Tulsa. I'd stopped at Howard Park on Southwest Boulevard, a place I've driven by dozens of times but had never stopped. It was empty on this blustery winter afternoon and the overcast sky made the empty tree branches look even more desolate. Traffic zipped by on … Continue reading Monuments to Tulsa Transportation
Last week, in addition to my meandering drive through eastern and central Oklahoma, I made a little jaunt into Osage County. If you've followed my travels for a while, you know how much I love it up there. Both sides of my family hail from within the Osage Nation. For the first time in a … Continue reading The Mercantile
I've been on vacation for nearly two weeks. It's been a busy time: Thanksgiving, Indie Emporium, family stuff, house work. I hadn't been able to break free for a day and explore (as I am wont to do) until today. I woke early, grabbed a cup of coffee, and left Tulsa without much of a … Continue reading Restless Wandering
If you missed my earlier post about our adventure on the Moki Dugway in southern Utah, check it out here. It was crazy! After weaving up the side of of Cedar Mesa, we went out of our way to avoid going back down that narrow stretch of road. After weaving through Utah and the edge … Continue reading Through the Sunshine State & Home
The day after our visit to the Grand Canyon, we headed east. Our drive took us through a scenic stretch of Old Route 66 through the Kaibab National Forest. The scent of pine was heavy in the air and we had the lanes to ourselves. It was a very peaceful drive. There's a small section … Continue reading Monumental Vista
Finally, the day had arrived. The centerpiece destination of our week-long anniversary road trip was at hand! Furthermore, it would be a day completely without time in the car. Instead, we took some older transportation from the town of Williams: a train! The Grand Canyon Railway was originally part of the ATSF rail line. When the first … Continue reading A Grand Adventure
In my previous post, I mentioned that our travels that day included one more stop but didn't mention where we stopped or why. I felt it would be appropriate to give this stop a post of its own so that I could adequately explain why this stop was so important to me. I struggled with … Continue reading The Guardian of Route 66
When we left Tucumcari New Mexico on October 9th, Samantha was stoked. After a restful night at the Blue Swallow, we would be spending the day crossing New Mexico and venturing into Arizona. One of her most anticipated sights on our journey was the Painted Desert, which was on the day's itinerary. After a lovely … Continue reading Ditat Deus
On Wednesday, I left the house at seven in the morning. Not for work, as usual...but for a day of tracking. My friend Nic picked me up and we headed southeast. We weren't tracking a storm, or the historic journey of an Oklahoma settler, or a pack of wild animals...we were tracking a beast that's been … Continue reading Chasing Steam
“One cannot be pessimistic about the West. This is the native home of hope. When it fully learns that cooperation, not rugged individualism, is the quality that most characterizes and preserves it, then it will have achieved itself and outlived its origins. Then it has a chance to create a society to match its scenery.” … Continue reading Tucumcari Tonite
Rhys' Pieces 