Rhys Martin is an author and photographer from Tulsa, Oklahoma. His love of travel was awakened in 2009 when he sold all of his possessions and left the country. For ten months, he lived out of a backpack and explored southeast Asia and Europe. When he returned home, it was with fresh eyes for his home state. As he drove the back roads of Oklahoma, Rhys discovered the significance of historic Route 66 to the greater American story. He has traveled all 2,448 miles of the Mother Road and continues to seek out the quiet Main Streets of the Midwest.
Rhys’s travel writing and photography has been featured in numerous local, regional, and national publications. He wrote the book Lost Restaurants of Tulsa, which features the stories of nearly 50 iconic eating establishments from the city’s past, and was a contributing author for Route 66: 100 Years which released this past November.
Rhys is the current President of the Oklahoma Route 66 Association and serves on multiple boards and commissions related to the Mother Road, including the Route 66 Road Ahead Partnership. Since 2024 he has also worked for the National Trust for Historic Preservation as their national Preserve Route 66 manager. He loves to connect with people and share his experiences.
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