What a trip! This past weekend, I drove to central Missouri to take part in the second 'Save the Gasconade Bridge' rally near Lebanon. The gaggle of roadies that descended on the Ozarks from across the country also celebrated the 70th Anniversary of the Munger Moss Motel / 45th Anniversary of ownership by Bob and … Continue reading Ozark Stonework & Forgotten Places
Thursday was my 35th birthday. Over the last few years, I've developed a tradition of taking a road trip on my birthday. Last year I drove up Route 66 to see Afton Station for the first time. The year before that was also spent on 66; I ate at Clanton's Cafe in Vinita for the first time. … Continue reading A Day in the Osage
On the morning of March 20th, I woke early. I often do when I'm traveling, especially when it's just me. I get so excited experience new places that sleeping in becomes virtually impossible. I had stayed overnight in Amarillo and planned to drive up to the Oklahoma panhandle, a part of the state that I'd … Continue reading The Oklahoma Panhandle
Last Thursday, Sam flew to New York to spend a few days with her family. Although I couldn't join her, I was super happy for her. She hadn't been up for a few years and, although her family was at the wedding, it wasn't quite the same as being home. She would also get plenty of … Continue reading From OK to TX on Old 66
Last weekend, I didn't have any road trip plans. I spent all day Saturday cleaning out the garage & organizing it so I could get the Mustang inside, in preparation for the inevitable Oklahoma storm season. Sunday was planned as a day of rest. As the morning wore on, I noticed the following week's forecast called … Continue reading Discovery in Familiar Places
After a cold (but lovely) weekend in Kansas City, I was very happy to see temperatures in Oklahoma reach the 70s last week. Although I had spent a lot of time on the road, I was eager to set out again on my day off this past Thursday. As usual, I had a few locations marked on … Continue reading February Bridgehunting
After a lovely road trip through Kansas and a most impressive meal in downtown Kansas City, our rest on Friday night was welcome. Our bed at the B&B was quite comfortable; had I not set an alarm, I'm certain we wouldn't have made it up in time for 9:00 AM breakfast. Thankfully, we got ourselves … Continue reading Kansas City Weekend – Part II
I'm a bit of a sap. There's not much I enjoy more than surprising Samantha with some kind of romantic gesture. Since 2016 marked our first Valentine's Day as a married couple, I wanted it to be something special. A few weeks ago, I started looking at potential weekend getaways...and quickly discovered that I had … Continue reading Kansas City Weekend – Part I
Last weekend, an unexpected late night at the hospital threw off my whole weekend. Although the weather was beautiful, I stayed around the house the whole time. (I'm fine, better safe than sorry.) I had planned to take a trip with Sam this weekend instead, touring down through southeast Oklahoma and the western part of Arkansas. That didn't … Continue reading Brunch & an Afternoon Drive
Yesterday afternoon, I received news that my dear friend and local Route 66 icon Laurel Kane passed away. It was unexpected; though she had struggled with some health issues for a while, none of them had been urgent. Alas, here we are, a little over a day into a world without her infectious laughter and keen wit, heard … Continue reading Farewell to Laurel
Rhys' Pieces 