Coffee With Jim

The best way to discover America is wth a road trip. And the best road trip is on Route 66. Two days or two weeks, a Route 66 adventure is almost magical.  In this episode author Jim Hinckley of Jim Hinckley's America talks about a recent road trip, shares a few tips, and gives a few recommendations for motels, restaurants and attractions. Road trip inspiration, telling people where to go, and sha...

The Fourth of July is a holiday that allows the nation to consider our past without being stuck there. And it is an opportunity to look forward without forgetting where it came from. Yes, it is fireworks, family, friends, music and barbecues. And yes, it is a time for reflection. Our nation's founders did not leave us with a finished product when they signed the Declaration of Independence or repl...

Burbank, California is a rare urban gem. It retains a mid century California vibe and a sense of identity even though it is surrounded by the largest megalopolis in the country. On today's episode Jim Hinckley shares tips for exploring the area, and takes the listener to 1950s time capsule diners and restaurants. And he also has found a delightful neon lit mid 1950s motel that is centrally located...

Celebrating the American story is more than fireworks and festivals. The nation’s 250th anniversary is a time for reflecting on legacy, what it means to be an an American and the future.  For President Gerald Ford the bicentennial was an unprecendented opportunity to heal and unite the country after the tumultuous years of Vietnam, the Watergate scandal and President Nixon’s unprecedented abuse of...

Not many people know that the cornerstone for the American auto industry, and the U.S. highway system, is the bicycle. And not many people know that Henry Ford played a role in the establishment of Cadillac, that a tsunami of manure was resolved with electric buses, or that David Buick made his firt fortune with plumbing innovation.  So, that is where this book would begin, the origins of the auto...

Dawn of a new era on Main Street. A renaissance movement is transforming towns large and small as grassroots initiatives restore vibrancy to historic business districts. Kingman, Arizona, my adopted hometown is an example of how a community can be transformed into a destination for visitors as well as for people looking for a place to open a business, to raise a family or to retire.  Innovative pr...

That didn't work. We were enjoying a delightful and inspiring conversation with Matt Wagner and Leslie Anne Eades that are working with Patrick O Connor and Margaret McMullan on a documentary about Joe Barr's attempt to set a non-stop cycling world record on Route 66. A brief internet outage brought the program to an abrupt end at the 29 minute mark.  It was sort of like planning the ultimate road...

Life after sixty slows down but the world seems to be moving faster. In this shared adventure author Jim Hinckley shares a milestone, and provides a darkly comedic update on his ongoing battle with tech.  In this new series from Jim Hinckley's America, Jim will be sharing surprising chapters in the American story, and his thoughts about life lived in the shadow of turning seventy. It's a another s...

It's the dawn of a new era at Jim Hinckley's America and we wanted to share some exciting, and a few darkly comedic, updates. On today's program: We confirm that Jim Hinckley and Jim Hinckley's America is still going strong -  Provide an update about Coffee With Jim, our weekly podcast -  Invite you to check out a few new additions to the Jim Hinckley's America network -  Spark a bit of excitment...

On today’s episode of Coffee With Jim we visit with Professor Peter Dedek, author and professor of public history at Texas State University. Peter has a delightful new book, Hip To The Trip , Route 66 centennial edition that provides some interesting perspective on this storied old highway. Aside from a thorough dive into the history of the road and the evoution of its culture, this fully revised...

Today's program was a double header with one common theme, Route 66 centennial celebrations. First was our conversation with Rhys Martin, president of the Oklahoma Route 66 Association and director of the National Trust’s Preserve Route 66 Initiative. We started with a discussion about restaurants and revitalization initiatives in Tulsa, and the upcoming Main Street of America Route 66  Centennial...

I have been eagerly awaiting an opportunity to visit with David Schwartz of David Schwartz Photography - www.picsonroute66.com. His work to document America’s two lane highways with photographic artistry has inspired countless road trips. But it is his focus on iconic Route 66 that has made him a legend. Attesting to his dedication to the craft and his artistic skills, David recently announced, ”I...

On this episode of Coffee With Jim, if the soft vibrant glow and entrancing hum of neon is an inspiration for your road trips, today’s conversation with Todd Matuszewicz is not one that you will want to miss. Our hour together went by far to quickly as we discussed the history of neon signs, neon sign preservation, how the Route 66 centennial has contributed to the renaissance of neon signage, and...

On today’s program we are serving up a heaping helping of road trip inspiration and innovative ideas about historic preservation, cultural and heritage tourism, related economic development, and the Route 66 centennial. Today’s guest is Ken Busby, Executive Director & CEO, Route 66 Alliance and Contributing Editor of Route 66 Sentinel magazine . We will be discussing the AAA Route 66 Road Fest...

Take the excitement of the Route 66 centennial, add a vintage 1973 Chrysler New Yorker, a passion for road trips, and a desire to honor the memory of an old friend, Hans Granberg, a Finnish Chrysler enthusiast. This is the perfect recipe for an epic once in a life time adventure. The trip hasn't even started and the adventure already added some zest to today's lively wide ranging conversation with...

It’s a riveting story of 19th century crime, violence, the railroad, racial tension, and injustice in the Mojave Desert of San Bernardino County, California. Steve Reyes has a diverse background that includes work in law enforcement and with courts. That made him the perfect person for unraveling and telling this fascinating story in his book, Four Miles East of Bagdad. Aside from a lively convers...

Source: https://www.podbean.com/eau/pb-jfwgn-1a6f9dc Will Grant, today's guest, has mastered the art of living a rich balanced life filled with adventures that blur the line between past and present. His book The Last Ride of the Pony Express: My 2,000 Mile Horseback Journey Into The Old West is a masterfully written account of one of these epic adventures. The book blends a childhood passion for...

Will Grant, today's guest, has mastered the art of living a rich balanced life filled with adventures that blur the line between past and present. His book The Last Ride of the Pony Express: My 2,000 Mile Horseback Journey Into The Old West is a masterfully written account of one of these epic adventures. The book blends a childhood passion for the romanticism of the Wild West, a fascination for p...

We had a bit of an audio issue and do apologize but if you have a fascination for aviation history, and are looking to add some zest to a Route 66 adventure, this program is for you! Paul Gaines and Tim Gerlich are writing a new chapter in the long and colorful aviation history in Kingman, Arizona. The Aviation Heritage Center that they are creating will be an educational center that inspires and...

Source: https://www.podbean.com/eau/pb-3kvfd-1a5c1a8 Katie Barthlow of the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona has an infectious enthusiasm for Route 66, for building a sense of community, and for inspiring young people to dare to dream big. Join us for a fun conversation that will inspire a road trip or two, encourage you to make a difference in your community, and provide insight into a new...