As it is a holiday weekend, I will keep things short today. Still, I am quite sure you might find a few of the topics presented for discussion of interest.

We will start with a Route 66 update. Sam Frisher, the owner of the historic El Trovatore Motel in Kingman, is moving closer to the launch of a tour company that will specialize in Route 66 related day trips centered on Kingman.
The first promotional trip to Seligman, with stops at the Grand Canyon Caverns and the Hackberry General Store, along Route 66 is being scheduled for the 15th of this month. Seating is limited and invitations are being sent to local journalists as well as business and civic leaders.
If your interested in this tour, would like to schedule a tour for your group, or would like to make a reservation for a tour to Seligman, or forthcoming tours under development, contact Sam at the El Trovatore Motel. The primary tour package will include a room at the historic motel as well as breakfast at the Hot Rod Cafe. Here is a link for the motel website with contact information. 
The rapidly changing schedule for our pending road trip east on Route 66 in October is making the anticipation almost unbearable. Of course the center piece of the grand adventure will be Cuba Fest in Cuba, Missouri where John and Judy Springs of 66 The Mother Road will announce the winners of the Big Palooza Contest (register today, winner need not be present to win) and where we will unveil the Route 66 Encyclopedia.
We will also be making informal stops to sign books at Mr. C’s in Lebanon, Henry’s Rabbit Ranch, and the National Route 66 Museum in Elk City, Oklahoma. On the afternoon of the 14th we will be the featured guests for a meet and greet at Bob Lile’s new gallery on 6th Street (Route 66) in Amarillo.
Now, something a bit more personal. Family reunions and similar clan activities were never a part of my youth. In part this was resultant of how scattered the family was, especially on dad’s side. Another reason was the almost ridiculous longevity of his side of the family that resulted in some very odd family dynamics.
Case in point, my grandfather, Frederick P. Hinckley, who passed away shortly before I was born. He was born in 1866, my father in 1928.
Over the years I have collected bits of family history here and there, a venture that may have been the catalyst for my fascination with history. As there were so many gaping holes in the Hinckley family saga curiosity fueled these bouts of research.
I can date the launch of this voyage of discovery to the year 1971 when my grandmother passed away and we began cleaning out the attic of the house at 612 Hinckley Boulevard in Summit Township, Michigan. Being an inquisitive child I had asked questions before this date (when was this picture of Henry Ford and grandfather on the front porch taken?) but seldom received answers as the past was the past in my family.
As the years passed I pieced together an incomplete but fascinating history of my grandfather – a machinist at David Buick’s shop in Jackson, a prolific inventor, businessman, investor, property developer – but always seemed to come up with three questions for every answer.
He was involved with an amusement park at Vandercook Lake, had various unknown business interests in California and Florida during the teens and twenties but preferred to drive rather than take the train, and worked on special projects for Henry Ford at the machine shop and mill on the hand dug mill race at Vandercook Lake. How is this related to Route 66 you may ask?
Well, now I have learned that he was also running for county road superintendent in the early 1920s, and had been involved with a wide array of road improvement and development projects during the teens. His endeavors were not limited to Michigan.
So, as he was involved with the good roads movement and as he often drove to California, my guess would be he utilized what is now US 12 to Chicago, and then the National Old Trails Highway, later Route 66. Adding weight to this was the recent discovery of garage and repair receipts, 1919 and 1920, from Los Angeles and Tulsa.
Here is a bit of the dry bones. If anyone has information to fill a few holes in the story, please let me know.

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