RANDOM THOUGHTS FROM SOMEWHERE SOUTHWEST OF LARAMIE

by jimhinckleysamerica | Jan 7, 2009 | ROUTE 66

I use the phrase “west of Laramie” in one form or another quite often. More than a few have asked where I get these things. Well, in this instance it is combination plagiarism and testimony to one of the greatest admen of all time, Ned Jordan. http://www.wcroberts.org/Paige_History/1923%20Jordan%20Playboy.htm
The next random thought of the day pertains to work and how much of our life we donate to it. More years ago than I care to remember, me and an old cow hand were stringing wire along a river bottom in south New Mexico. About half way into the project the old cow hand turned to me and said, “Working like this is a sure death but I reckon its a slower death than starvation.” That, my friend, sums up work quite nicely.
One of the great questions that has been riding heavy on the mind as of late pertains to what to do when I grow up. I suppose a decision had best be made soon as fifty is fast fading from view in the rear view mirror and sixty is looming at the top of the hill.
At some point the hope is that we can find a small piece of land somewhere near Silver City in New Mexico when it comes time to be put out to pasture. This is hands down some of the finest country I have yet to see. http://www.silvercity.org/
As you may have noticed from this post I have been doing a bit of soul searching and a great deal of reminiscing lately. That in turn has led to thoughts about a golden time in my life. The pay was about $20 a week less than anemic but the most enjoyable time ever spent working was during my “John Wayne” period.
I am not a cowboy, that is something you are born to and that takes a life time to learn. Still, I sure enjoyed playing one and all that that entails – rodeo, long hours in the saddle, long hours in the truck, long hours in the sun, long hours in the rain, a loyal dog and clear mountain mornings surrounded by some of God’s finest handiwork.
I suppose the only thing missing was the love of a good women. Well, there is an an old adage that good things come to those who wait. In my case the love of a good women was well worth the wait which has in turn led me to believe that somewhere down the road that 1931 Model A Ford truck awaits.
As I look back it seems like that chapter in my life was at least a hundred years and several lifetimes ago. That lifestyle is as far removed from the one I have today as the night life of San Francisco is from a Sunday morning in a Bisbee, Arizona, church.
A man has to play the hand he draws with a smile, not the one the other fellow has or the one he had last year. A life lived walking backwards is sure to end with a terrible tumble and one lived wishing for what you don’t have is one filled with misery.
I am a blessed man and really have nothing to complain about. The health is still pretty good, the pantry is full, the family is healthy, the house is warm and filled with laughter and I have a loving beautiful wife to share my life with and to come home to. In a nut shell I suppose the only real regret carried is the wonder of what might have been if life were lived according to His plan instead of mine.

ROUTE 66 BACKROADS IN THE SPOTLIGHT

by jimhinckleysamerica | Jan 7, 2009 | ROUTE 66

I receive a great deal of correspondence pertaining from would be authors regarding the promotion of books. Perhaps this will answer a few of those questions.
First, be as fortunate as I am to have a publicist like Maurrie Salenger working on your behalf. This is the latest update from the publisher on publicity Route 66 Backroads is receiving. A small part of the credit for this is mine but even here all I have really done is follow the trail blazed by Maurrie.
Two, see step one.

Route 66 Backroads: Your Guide to Scenic
Side Trips & Adventures from the Mother Road
Author: Jim Hinckley
Photographers: Kerrick James, Rick Bowers & Nora Bowers

ISBN-13: 978-0-7603-2817-0
Item #: 144231 AP
Retail: $24.99 US • $27.50 CAN • £15.99 UK
Pub Date: November 2008

Binding: Paperback
Dimensions: 8.5 x 11
Page Count: 208
Illustrations: 165 color & 35 b/w photos, 8 maps
Marketing Manager: Maurrie Salenger

Confirmed Media

Print/Online

Arizona Republic (Phoenix), December 21, 2008 (circ.: 480,585)
Chicago Tribune and http://www.chicagotribune.com, December 7, 2008 (circ.: 864,845)
Charlotte Observer, December 28,000 (circ.: 270,347)
“Famous Route 66 begins at Grant Park in Chicago and ends by the Pacific Ocean in Santa Monica, Calif. The road and this book recall a time before franchise restaurants and chain motels choked America’s highways. The journey begins in Illinois, travels through Missouri and Kansas, continues through Oklahoma, crosses Texas, enters New Mexico, traverses Arizona before ending in California. In total, the guide consists of 50 driving tours, which include plenty of side trips off the Mother Road. What truly sets the book apart from similar titles, though, is the more than 200 color photographs by photographers Kerrick James, Rick Bowers and Nora Mays Bowers.”

Route 66 Magazine, Winter 2008-09 (circ.: 55,000)
“Route 66 Backroads takes us on some of those journeys and in the process makes us wish for more memory cards for the camera and more days to spend on the road…Jim Hinckley takes us to with his lively narrative that both informs and intrigues. Through excellent photography of Kerrick James, as well as Rick and Nora Bowers, the places come alive and entice you to visit. For many of us, Route 66 is the adventure, the moveable feast of cross-country journey, but close to the Road, there are places equally as interesting and exciting. Route 66 Backroads explores some of these places, and adds even more reasons for making that next Route 66 trip.”

http://www.preservationnation.org/magazine/2008/story-of-the-week/route-66-hipsters.html, December 19, 2008 (303,000 vpm)
“The 1990s saw a resurgence of interest in the road, says Jim Hinckley, co-author of “Route 66 Backroads.” Because road trips on the interstate were, as Hinckley puts it, as exciting as ‘mashed potatoes on white paper plates,’ travelers started breaking up their trips by venturing down the old abandoned highway to explore its quirky motels, flashy neon signs, and kitchy shops.

‘The trickle of travelers in search of America as it was became a torrent,’ Hinckley says. ‘They began to rediscover the wondrous diversity only found on back roads and forgotten highways such as Route 66.’”

LA Times (circ.: 739,100) and http://travel.latimes.com, December 21, 2008 (vpm unknown)
“Sure, the interstate will get you there faster, but driving the Mother Road gets you closer to history. If you know someone who’s enchanted with the double six, “Route 66 Backroads,” by Jim Hinckley with photos by Kerrick James, Rick Bowers and Nora Mays Bowers, may be just the ticket (Voyageur Press, $24.99).
What’s different about this tome: It offers 50 side strips on the road from Chicago to L.A., detours that could bring you face to face with the neon/big fins/diners/motels feeling you’re looking for.
If only I hadn’t gotten rid of my ‘57 Chevy….”

http://www.byways.org, November 21, 2008 (vpm unknown)
Check out the Illinois chapter of the 208-page Route 66 Backroads book by Jim Hinckley published this month by Voyageur Press. The book’s subtitle, Your Guide to Scenic Side Trips & Adventures From the Mother Road, provides more detail on the publication, which is filled with colorful pictures.

MG Enthusiast (UK) January 2008. (11,800)
Reprint of press release with cover image

https://swiowanews2.com/ (vpm unknown)
“Is your family planning a little getaway for this holiday? If so, be sure to wrap up “Route 66 Backroads”, text by Jim Hinckley, photography by Kerrick James, Rick Bowers, and Nora Mays Bowers. Packed with loads of color pictures, this cool book will help your giftee get his (or her) kicks. Hint: give it to restless kids and make a game of matching pictures to real landmarks.”

Lonely Planet Magazine (UK), December 2008 (circ.: unknown) – Premier issue
“Only venturing away from the freeway will you find the undiscovered remnants of Route 66’s legendary history, according to author Jim Hinckley. This guide to the American Mother road is broken down into manageable detours…The guide’s photography highlights the variety of sights, from iconic Route 66 cafes and memorabilia, abandoned Texan towns to stunning waterfalls and desert landscape.”

Route66@yahoogroups.com, November 28, 2008
“I have a copy of Jim Hinckley’s new book and want to share with all of you
some facts and my thoughts on the book. Route 66 BACKROADS has over 200 photos, some new and a few old, all are worth the price of the book alone. Then add in some maps to show folks how easy it is to get to and from these sites from Route 66. Now the instructions, information and data that Jim has added in the text shows the reader just how thoroughly he has done his research. I plan on taking this book with me when traveling the road, just in case I find time to take somedetours. For you retailers, like Rich, that offer this book for sale, I feel it is going to make a GREAT addition to your inventory. For you fellow roadies this is just the kind of book you need to make you want to get back out on the road. I will be recommending this book to everyone that travels the road or just wants to add a wonderful book to their collection.

I have one question for Jim Hinckley, who by the way I know and he is a good
friend. WHEN IS YOUR NEXT BOOK COMING OUT?”

http://windycityroadwarrior.com/, November 25, 2008 (vpm unknown)
“I have been enjoying in the last few days a beautiful book named Route 66 Backroads: Your Guide to Scenic Side Trips & Adventures from the Mother Road. It was written by Jim Hinckley and features photography by Kerrick James, Rick Bowers, and Nora Mays Bowers. The title is somewhat misleading, but not in a bad way. Before looking through the book, I had assumed that it would highlight 66 sites and other places of interest nearby. While sites such as these are covered, the scenic side trips take you far away from the Mother Road, showing many of the other interesting areas within the eight Route 66 states… The photography throughout the book is stunning, and the narrative compelling. I give the book my highest praise: it makes me want to jump in the car and take a road trip!”

www.route66news.com, November 12, 2008 (vpm unkown)
“Jim Hinckley’s gorgeous new book, “Route 66 Backroads” (Voyageur, 208 pages, $24.99), is a guide to more than 40 side trips that use historic Route 66 as a jumping-off point….It should be noted that Hinckley gets equal billing with photographers Kerrick James, Rick Bowers and Nora Mays Bowers. This is appropriate, because “Route 66 Backroads” is the best-looking road book since Michael Wallis and Michael S. Williamson’s “The Lincoln Highway.” The volume is loaded with stunning images, especially the Arizona chapter with its photographs of the Grand Canyon, a rainbow in the Painted Desert, Wukoki Ruin in the Wupatki National Monument, and Havasu Falls….Because of the book’s format, Hinckley’s text may seem lean at times. But one gets the sense he doesn’t want to reveal too much — those side trips should be more fully discovered by the readers themselves…Also, it’s wise that Hinckley gets out of the way of the book’s photography. An well-framed image will do as much to sell an unfamiliar destination as anything. Recommended (especially for wanderlust roadies).”

Jackson Citizen Patriot, November 2008 (circ.: 35,980)
“Jackson native presents a new twist on Route 66.”

http://route66chronicles.blogspot.com, September 29, 2008 “As the release date for the highly anticipated Route 66 Backroads fast approaches it seemed a good idea to provide a sneak peak, a preview of forthcoming attractions if you will. Courtesy of Voyageur Press here is the introduction to the Route 66 guide with a twist.”

Kingman Daily Miner October 17, 2008 (circ.: 8,900)
“Discover a 66 you thought you knew ~ In 1950, a billboard on the border of Arizona and New Mexico proclaimed the wonders awaiting discovery along Route 66 on the journey west. It also teased the traveler with hints of the many attractions found just north or south of that highway. The book is available at local bookstores or online.”

http://www.postcardsfromtheroad.net/afton.shtml
“I received a copy of Jim Hinckley’s book today. I haven’t been able to spend much time on it yet, but it certainly looks like a beautifully photographed, informational, and interesting book. I can’t wait to sit down and read every page.”

Ironworks, November 2008 (circ.: 53,150)
Listed in IW Reference Shelf: “Find hidden gems along the way, Chicago to LA.”

Route 66 Backroads was also mentioned in:
Mohave Memories, January 2009 (circ.: unknown)
www.route66news.com, December 18, 2008 (vpm unknown)
Pontiac Daily Leader, November 19, 2008 (circ.: 4,170)
Chamber Reports (Kingman, AZ), October 2008 (circ.: unknown)
Broadcast

AM Arizona – KAZ-TV, November 3, 2008, Author on air interview
KAZM Radio, Sedona, AZ

Book Signings

11/22 Autobooks, Burbank, CA
12/13 Hastings Books and Music, Kingman, AZ
1/10 Mohave Museum of History and Arts
1/17 Hastings Books & Music Flagstaff, AZ
1/31 Hastings Books & Music, Havasu City, AZ
5/2 Route 66 Fun Run

Pending Media

Print
Real Travel (UK) February 2009 (circ.: 27,000)
RV Life, February 2009 (circ.: 55,000)
Esquire Magazine, Publication date unknown (circ.: 726,300)