ANOTHER MIXED BAG
*click on photos to enlarge
Here is another mixed bag, an indication of just how fast things are moving in my world.
First, I would like to thank Sam Jackson and the fine folks at the Hudson-Essex-Terraplane Club for these fabulous photos. In addition to these images they also provided the majority of the illustrations for several articles on Hudson history that I penned for the latest issue of Cars & Parts magazine in celebration of the Hudson centennial.
http://www.carsandparts.com/
http://www.hudsonclub.org/
I have never owned a Hudson and have only been a passenger in a few vehicles built by this company. Still, its history and the vehicles it produced rate quite highly in my realm of interest.
If the opportunity presents itself this summer, and you have an interest in the legendary Hudson, I suggest plans be laid for a trip to Detroit. The centennial celebration promises to be an unforgettable adventure. http://www.hudsonclub.org/hetevent.htm
For those Hudson owners traveling as a group please let me know. The members of the Route 66 Association of Kingman would be pleased to meet you and welcome you to Kingman.
For a brief moment it looked as though the first mural project to be sponsored by the Route 66 Association of Kingman would spring to life on the barren, stark stucco wall like desert wildflowers during the first warm days of spring. The initial meetings between artist and building owner went well, the artist was excited about the idea and even funding looked as though it would be easy to obtain.
Strike one were issues with the artists work and possible copyright issues. Strike two and three came from the Hualapai tribal council as they would not condone a mural that reflected certain aspects of the tribes history. Well, on to plan “B”.
This brings us to the sign project. There have been a number of promising steps in bringing this project to fruition but I am often frustrated by how slow the wheels turn with such things. Updates will follow.
One of the things to come from this endeavor is the discovery of a fascinating museum and offers of direction and technical assistance from the curator.
http://www.signmuseum.net/about.asp
Meanwhile, the day job at Martin Swanty Penske continues providing income though there has been a noticeable sea change in the way folks go about moving. The methodical patterns of the past are rapidly giving way to something akin to kicking over an ant hill.
Ghost Towns of Route 66 has cleared the first hurdle with the publisher. So, the hope is we will have final approval in the next month or so and get this project on the road (pardon the pun).
Route 66 Backroads is fast growing legs and may soon outrun my capabilities to keep up. By no stretch of the imagination am I complaining.
Everything I write is written with the hope that at some point my endeavors will allow me to make this the primary rather than the secondary job. I am also a realist and fully understand things like this take time so the first priority is to share my love for the road and old cars with others in the hopes the reader will be encouraged to see vintage cars and forgotten highways from a different perspective.
As much as I enjoy writing as a medium to introduce people to obscure historical footnotes, fascinating destinations, and overlooked historic figures there is a certain satisfaction that comes from seeing your work take you one step closer to fulfilling that dream. There is a warm, fuzzy feeling that comes from seeing that folks appreciate your creation.
So, you can imagine how this made me feel. I received this updated summary of press coverage for Route 66 Backroads this morning from Maurrie Salenger, marketing manager at MBI/Voyageuer Press and a true blessing.
One final note about Route 66 Backroads. Yes, I am really hoping the book sells and sells well. However, I wrote the book in the hopes it would encourage folks to seek out the road less traveled and rediscover the adventure that is the quintessential American road trip.
With that said I hope any one who buys a copy will stop by my office at 2610 E. Andy Devine in Kingman, Arizona, see my little shrine to Route 66 and the American love affair with the automobile and let me sign their book. I would like to add that even if you don’t buy the book, I hope you will stop by and say howdy as you motor west, or east, on the legendary double six.
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
Chard & Ilminster News (UK), January 20, 2009 (circ. unknown)
Somerset County Gazette (UK) January 21, 2009
“Its not just a very good travel guide, it also serves as a very attractive and interesting history book if you
want to learn a little about America. You really can get your kicks on (and off) Route 66.”
Lancashire Evening Post (UK) (circ.: 38,265 ) and http://www.lep.co.uk/, January 12, 2009
“But writer Hinckley, and three photographers, suggest here that the real American experience lies among the highways and byways just off the so-called Mother Road., or Main Street USA. In a lavishly-illustrated 200 pages, complete with helpful maps, they take the reader – and traveller – into places where momma still makes apple pie the American way and where new and unimagined delights await the determined explorer.”
http://rt66riders.org, January 9, 2008 (9,616,266 vpm)
“With the weather and the holidays curtailing motorcycle riding I thought you might want to curl up with Jim Hinckley’s paperback and read about Rt. 66, since it is the home of Jim and the Rt. 66 Riders.
Jim Hinckley’s passion for the open road has translated into regular contributions to a wide variety of periodicals, including Route 66, American Road, and others.”
Wanderlust (UK), February 1, 2009 (circ.: 37,500)
“Great Guides: For a more in-depth look at another classic route, Route 66 Backroads is perfect. Follow the iconic road across the USA, traversing prairies and vast plains en route.”
Janesville Gazette (Wisconsin), January 4, 2009 (circ.: 20,800)
Ventura County Sunday Star East County Edition, December 28, 2008 (circ.: 106,876)
Ventura County Sunday Star West County Edition, December 28, 2008 (circ.: 17,000)
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, 2008 (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)
Observer (Dunkirk, NY), December 19, 2008 (circ.: 11,400)
“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 in UK publications:
Mail on Sunday, (UK) 12/12/08 Circulation: 2, 211,029
Lancashire Evening Post (UK) 12/01/09 Circulation: 31,225
Auto Express, (UK), April 2009 Circulation: 77,587
Classic American, (UK), April 2009 Circulation: 25,000
Real Travel, (UK), February 2009 Circulation: 27,000
Lincolnshire Echo, (UK) 26/01/09 Circulation: 22,263
Scunthorpe Advertiser, (UK) 26/01/09 Circulation: 20.568
Grimsby Telegraph, (UK) 26/01/09 Circulation: 34,590
Hull Daily Mail, (UK) 26/01/09 Circulation: 59, 689
Sleaford Target, (UK) 26/01/09 Circulation: 17,268
Gainsborough Target, (UK) 26/01/09 Circulation: 13,775
Boston Target, (UK) 26/01/09 Circulation: 27,340
Beverley Advertiser, (UK) 26/01/09 Circulation: 19,962
Louth Target, (UK) 26/01/09 Circulation: 13,776
Greenock Telegraph, P. 31 (UK), 20/12/08 Circulation: 17,667
Mansfield & Ashfield Observer, (UK) February 2009 Circulation 58,599
Practical Classics, (UK) April 2009 Circulation: 59,011
Somerset County Gazette online, (UK) 27/01/09 Circulation: 29, 688
Wanderlust, p.124, Unattributed (UK), 01/02/2009 Circulation: 37,500
Triumph World, p.12, Unattributed (UK), 01/02/2009 Circulation: 26500
MG Enthusiast, p.16, Unattributed (UK), 01/01/2009 Circulation: 11800
Chard & Ilminster News (Web), Harris Dee, 22/01/2009
911 & Porsche World, Steve Bennett, (UK), February 2009 Circulation: 36,500
Route 66 Backroads was also mentioned in:
Kingman Daily Miner, January 4, 2009 (circ.: 9,000)
http://rt66riders.org, January 9, 2009 (9,616,200 vpm)
http://nature-outdoor.blogspot.com, January 22, 2009
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
RV Life, February 2009 (circ.: 55,000)Esquire Magazine, Publication date unknown (circ.: 726,300)