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A Survival Guide For The Modern Era

There is an old adage that the two certainties in life are

death and taxes. There are, however, two more adages that you can bank on. One, times change, whether we like it or not. Two, it is up to you to create the survival guide for the modern era and to keep it updated. In short, adapt and learn to adapt or face the consequences. You can bet money that the best blacksmith in town had fallen on hard times by 1915 if he hadn’t added automobile repair to the services offered.

Fred Harvey Company Touring Coach 1918
By 1918 the Fred Harvey had adapted to changing times by adding touring coaches as a means to ensure hotel properties remained profitable. Courtesy Mohave Museum of History & Arts.

The Fred Harvey Company pioneered development of hotel and restaurant chains. They didn’t, however, rest on their laurels after dominating the railroad hotel business in the southwest. They developed tours, added buses, and began marketing to tourists traveling by automobile.

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As an author I have, with a degree of success, made the transition from typewriter and carbon paper to word processor. Marketing, a crucial skill for the writer that is going to transition from hobbyist, is another matter. There are indications that I have been somewhat successful in regards to shameless self promotion. As an example, yesterday I learned that Route 66: America’s Longest Small Town is going into a second printing even though the book was released this past April.

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SHAMELESS SELF PROMOTION, GOLDEN OPPORTUNITIES, AND SHARING THE WEALTH

Before you ask, I haven’t won the lottery. An uncle did pass away last year

but he wan’t wealthy, and he didn’t include me in his will. As to treasure, last month I found a 1939 dime in my change, and acquired a promotional brochure for Dinosaur Caverns (now Grand Canyon Caverns). So, you may ask, how do I intend to share the wealth? What, exactly, are the golden opportunities alluded to? To explain that, I will need to start with a bit of shameless self promotion.

First, I am taking to the road again. On July 22, I will be signing books and the new DVD at Autobooks-Aerobooks, 2900 Magnolia Boulevard in Burbank, California. There are other tentative appearances in southern California that bracket the one in Burbank but these are awaiting confirmation. I will provide dates, times, and locations as soon as possible. Also, please feel free to contact me to schedule an appearance; a book signing, a presentation, or both. For the 2017 season I have created a presentation entitled Kingman, Arizona: 120 Years of Tourism. 

The presentation may seem a bit narrow in scope. However, as it includes tales of Louis Chevrolet, Buster Keaton, and Clark Gable, political intrigue that resulted in the rerouting of a highway, and the arrest of a celebrity for indecent exposure, I am confident that you will find it interesting.

One more. In April, two new books with Jim Hinckley in the byline were released. To be a bit more specific, it was one new book, Route 66: America’s Longest Small Town, and an expanded version second edition, Ghost Towns of the West. In September, 100 Things To Do On Route 66 Before You Die is scheduled for release. At the end of May, the first DVD in a new video series, Jim Hinckley’s America: A Trek Along Route 66 was released. Signed copies of books are available through this blog, and the DVD, with autograph and Kingman, Arizona souvenir, is available through Promote Kingman. When inquiring about book orders include zip code, totals and payment options will be included in the response.  Continue reading SHAMELESS SELF PROMOTION, GOLDEN OPPORTUNITIES, AND SHARING THE WEALTH

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The Thirty Hour Workday, Mayhem, and the 6th Earl of Cottenham

I have always had respect for people who can focus on a project

with such intensity that nothing distracts them from the task at hand. Obviously this trait is a prerequisite for people who work as bomb disposal specialist or as a sniper. I have never had interest in pursuing either career but the quest for a level of mental discipline that allows me to finish projects without enduring thirty hour work days resultant of succumbing to distraction is ongoing. This is not to say that my pursuit of the red ball is abandoned when I see a green ball, or that the smell of fresh baked pie will always lure me from the office to the kitchen if a deadline is looming.

Scheduling and allocation of time is definitely an Achilles heel. In this I am not alone but that provides little solace when my most recent language skills test indicates a 21% proficiency in German, a 1% increase over last summer, and the venerable old Dodge (aka Barney the Wonder Truck) is still sitting in the drive awaiting repair, just as it was last Christmas.

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The Speed Bump Theory Applied To Community Development

Every community is plagued by self serving factions, apathy, naysayers, and

people who simply never learned to play well with others. In communities where these people dominate government or the tourism office or media or civic organizations, opportunities are missed, long term sustainable progress is stifled, and vision for the future is conceived through extensive study of the rear view mirror. Spend an hour or two in a town, city, or village where these type of folks run the show, listen to the locals in the restaurants or taverns, check out the historic business district, cruise a few neighborhoods, peruse online reviews of businesses and there is a very good chance you won’t make a return visit.

 

So, exactly, how is a community transformed from a haven for the apathetic and people obsessed with protecting their fiefdom into a vibrant place where people want to visit, to open businesses, to raise families, and to retire? Let me introduce you to the speed bump theory of community development. Continue reading The Speed Bump Theory Applied To Community Development

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Walkabouts, Aussies, Kiwis, An SOS From Rhys Martin, and Assorted Adventures

As you may guess from the title for today’s post, it has been a

very, very interesting week. It has also been a somber week, an inspiring week, a fun filled week, a busy week, an exhausting week, a frustrating week, a laughter filled week, and an exciting week. In short, it was situation normal in my world. These are a few of the high, and low points.

Flooding in Missouri and parts of Illinois devastated lives as well as communities. Along the Route 66 corridor Devils Elbow, a revered destination for legions of enthusiasts was particularly hard hit. Jax Welborn did a fantastic job of providing regular updates about the flooding through Facebook but her photos of the devastation were heartbreaking. The inspiration came from the response, offers of assistance, and the generosity of the international Route 66 community, including donations made by the Dutch and German Route 66 associations.

The Devils Elbow Inn, a revered landmark, before the devastating flood of 2017.

Meanwhile, here in Arizona, on Wednesday evening my dearest friend and I had the privilege of enjoying fresh made ginger ale at Black Bridge Brewery (a highly recommended stop for the Route 66 traveler), and lively conversation with George and Bonnie Game of the Canadian Route 66 Association. We joined them again for a “roadie” dinner on Saturday at Calico’s, and then on Monday, it was a lunch at Rutherford’s Route 66 Diner with George, Bonnie, and Penny Black, another friend who is in the process of moving from California to Illinois.  Continue reading Walkabouts, Aussies, Kiwis, An SOS From Rhys Martin, and Assorted Adventures