Coffee With Jim

Good Morning From Jim Hinckley's America

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 about this new chapter in the Jim Hinckley's America story -  * Invite you to share the adventure as we tell America's story and inspire a road trip or two -

Hip To The Trip: A Route 66 Tale

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 [https://www.unmpress.com/9780826369437/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 update of the classic first edition highlights how the renaissance has reshped Route 66. Jim Hinckley’s America [https://jimhinckleysamerica.com/] is a shared adventure. But like a good book, when one chapter ends another begins. The live stream Coffee With Jim podast on Podbean is coming to an end. In mid May the live stream option will no longer be available. Stay tuned for details but at this time it looks like we will be moving the program to our Substack hub or YouTube channel.

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 [https://www.route66caravan.com/]Route 66  [https://www.route66caravan.com/]Centennial Caravan [https://www.route66caravan.com/], 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 [https://jimhinckleysamerica.com/] 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.

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.

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.