Coffee With Jim

jimhinckley

The weekly podcast from Jim Hinckley's America, an official Route 66 centennial program. Sharing America’s story. Inspiring road trips by telling people wher...

  1. APR 26

    Route 66 Centennial Celebrations

    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 Caravan, organized by the Route 66 Road Ahead Partnership. And then we talked about the AAA Route 66 Road Fest as well as the 37th annual Route 66 Fun Run organized by the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona, an epic Route 66 centennial celebration. Our conversation was chock full of road trip inspiration, and a healthy dose of Rhy’s infectious enthusiasm for all things Route 66. Our conversation will inspire thoughts of road trips, building a sense of community, and historic district revitalization.  Next we talked with Jessica May about the upcoming Route 66 Fun Run and progress made by the Historic Electric Vehicle Foundation on development of the wrold's first electric vehicle museum in Kingman, Arizona. Linking the two topics was a discussion about EV evolution and development, new tech, and road trips in a Tesla.  On May 3, we continue our discussion about Route 66 as our guest will be 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. Jim Hinckley’s America is a shared adventure. Join us for a road trip inspiring conversation that will provide you with a different persepctive on the most famous highway in America. Invite your friends! Coffee With Jim is made possible through the support of listeners on Patreon. It is also sponsored by Enchanted Trails Trading Post & RV Park, Deana Nelson State Farm Insurance, Two Lane America, Roadrunner Lodge Motel, Mr. D'z Route 66 Diner Gift Shop, Wagon Wheel Motel, and RouteTrip USA.

    58 min
  2. APR 19

    Route 66 Centennial Milestone

    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, ”In recognition of this sustained work, several of my Route 66 images were selected for the official U.S. Postal Service Route 66 Centennial Stamp Collection.” If you are a road trip enthusiast, are getting excited about Route 66 centennial milestones, or are a passionate photographer this program is for you! Next week on Coffee With Jim, we will be visiting with Rhys Martin, president of the Oklahoma Route 66 Association and director of the National Trust’s Preserve Route 66 Initiative. This conversation will be akin to kicking off the day with a double shot of espresso. Rhy’s infectious enthusiasm will inspire thoughts of road trips, building a sense of community, and historic district revitalization. Share the adventure, join the conversation, and invite your friends. Coffee With Jim is made possible through the listeners support on Patreon. It is also sponsored in part by Enchanted Trails Trading Post & RV Park, Two Lane America, Roadrunner Lodge Motel, Gilligan's Route 66 Tours, Deana Nelson State Farm Insurance, Mr. D'z Route 66 Diner Gift Shop, Wagon Wheel Motel, and RouteTrip USA.

    1h 4m
  3. APR 12

    Neon Nights

    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 an ambitious initiative to relight the night in Colorado with neon. We even squeezed in a mention of the upcoming Hotel Beale scaffold neon sign relighting on May 2 in Kingman, Arizona and the recent relighting of the towering Chrysler Plymouth neon tower in Bristow, Oklahoma. And we found a few ways to inspire a road trip or two by discussing neon lit treasures such as the century old Grand Central Market along Route 66 in the historic heart of Los Angeles.  On the April 19, 2026, epsiode of Coffee With Jim, I have been eagerly awaiting an opportunity to visit with David Schwartz of David Schwartz Photography. His work to document the roadside on America’s two lane highways with photographic artistry has inspired countless road trips. David recently announce, ”In recognition of this sustained work, several of my Route 66 images were selected for the official U.S. Postal Service Route 66 Centennial Stamp Collection.” If you are a road trip enthusiast or passionate photographer this program is for you! Coffee With Jim is listener supported through Patreon. It is also sponsored in part by Deana Nelson State Farm Insurance - Two Lane America - Roadrunner Lodge Motel - Wagon Wheel Motel - Enchanted Trails Trading Post & RV Park - Gilligan's Route 66 Tours - Mr. D'z Route 66 Diner Gift Shop - RouteTrip USA.

    1h 8m
  4. APR 5

    Route 66 Centennial: An American Story

    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 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and innovative programs and initiatives that are revitalizing the Route 66 corridor in that city.  Do you have plans for celebrating America's 250th anniversary on the Main Street of America? Is your community tapping into historic preservation, heritage and cultural tourism, and road trips as a catalyst for economic development?  Next week on 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. We will be talking about the history of neon signs, neon sign preservation, and an ambitious initiative to relight the night in Colorado with neon. Big changes are coming to Coffee With Jim in May. Details were shared on the Jim Hinckley's America website.  You asked and we listened! Coffee With Jim mugs now available on the Kingman Tours website gift shop.  Coffee With Jim is made possible by listeners through Patreon. It is also sponsored by Deana Nelson State Farm Insurance - Two Lane America - Roadrunner Lodge Motel - RouteTrip USA - Enchanted Trails Trading Post & RV - Wagon Wheel Motel - Gilligan's Route 66 Tours - Mr. D'z Route 66 Diner Gift Shop

    58 min
  5. MAR 29

    Journey Through Time, March 29, 2026

    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 Markku Jaakkola and Jacob Gilbert.  The duo will be taking to the road in August with plans to experience Route 66 as well as meet the people that infuse a road trip on this storied highway with infectious magic. And they are hoping that their trip will inspire other vintage car owners to discover America with a road trip or two, and to join them for a few miles as they motor west toward California.  You can learn more about the work to make the car road ready, the Route 66 road trip planning, and then the adventure at the Detroit's Unforgotten Wheels website.  Next week on Coffee With Jim 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. We will be discussing the AAA Route 66 Road Fest in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and innovative programs and initiatives that are revitalizing the Route 66 corridor in that city. Invite your friends and join the conversation. Today's program is sponsored in part by Roadrunner Lodge Motel, Two Lane America, Deana Nelson State Farm Insurance, Wagon Wheel Motel, Enchanted Trails Trading Post & RV Park, Gilligan's Route 66 Tours, and RouteTrip USA. It is also listener supported through Patreon.

    59 min
  6. MAR 15

    Coffee With Jim, March 15, 2026

    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 the romanticism of the Wild West, a fascination for people and their stories, work as a cowboy and horse trainer, and a career in journalism. In our far ranging conversation we talked about his odyssey along the Pony Express Trail, the changing face of the American west, colorful characters, and a search for authentic history. And we also found time to discuss a horse race across Mongolia, and other adventures. Curious? Next week on Coffee With Jim 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. Join us for what promises to be an interesting conversation about a desert oais with a Route 66 connection. Coffee With Jim is sponsored in part by listeners through Patreon. It is also sponsored by RouteTrip USA, Roadrunner Lodge Motel, Two Lane America, Deana Nelson State Farm Insurance, Gilligan's Route 66 Tours, Enchanted Trails Trading Post & RV Park, and Wagon Wheel Motel.

    1h 6m

About

The weekly podcast from Jim Hinckley's America, an official Route 66 centennial program. Sharing America’s story. Inspiring road trips by telling people wher...

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