by jimhinckleysamerica | Apr 24, 2014 | Uncategorized
The twisted course we follow through life is filled with wrong turns, right turns, and “U” turns. As the years pass, and with just a bit of hindsight, sometimes it becomes obvious that what at the time seemed like a right turn was in actuality a wrong turn, the wrong turn turned out to be the right turn, and the “U” turn was the one needed to get back on course.
On occasion the right turn becomes a wrong turn if we stay the course to long. That is the dominating thought that sparked this philosophical train of thought.
Yesterday Bill Daughtrey announced that Friday would be his last day at the office. I wish the announcement was resultant of plans to take an early retirement but he is to young for that.
Bill will be sorely missed. He was more than a dependable hand and his departure means that for the most part, I am left without a morning burrito buddy and am now running what is essentially a one man railroad with only loyal Brittany to hold down the fort on Saturdays.
Meanwhile the captain at the helm with the chamber of commerce is about to change. This means another regroup is in order for the development of the Route 66 International Festival.
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Author Jim Hinckley signing books for fans of the
double six from Australia. |
Speaking of the festival, I am pleased to announce that there seems to be order taking shape in the chaos. On a serious note, I am not going to guarantee this festival will be better than the one in Joplin but you can bet the bottom dollar it will be memorable as well as historic.
Between now and the festival in mid August the schedule is thickly peppered with long days filled with a wide array of meetings and adventures. Again, it looks as though I will be able to stave off boredom for at least the first months of summer.
In the morning before opening the office I will speak to the local rotary club about utilizing the Route 66 renaissance as a catalyst for community development and revitalization. Next Tuesday morning we have an appointment for submission of passport applications, part two of an unprecedented Route 66 adventure looming on the horizon.
Next week there will be two meetings pertaining to the Route 66 festival development, organization, and change in leadership. To close things out there is the annual Route 66 Fun Run weekend which this year will include driving from Seligman to Kingman with Sam Murray of New Zealand, a long overdue visit with John and Judy Springs, dinner with friends Mike and Sharon Ward, as well as George and Bonnie Game of the Canadian Route 66 Association.
The tradition of meeting with Dale Butel’s Australian based Route 66 group, speaking about the history of Route 66 in western Arizona, and signing books during the fun run continues. Last year, as an added bonus, I also served as guide for Mark Fletcher who was filming a special Route 66 edition of Classic Restos, a syndicated Australian program.
Resultant of a non existent office staff, all of the travel plans, meetings, and engagements in May as well as June are now being rescheduled. This will challenge my skills as a juggler.
And so another day at the crossroads begins. Is it time for a “U” turn? Will a wrong turn out to be the right turn or will a right turn be the wrong turn?
by jimhinckleysamerica | Apr 21, 2014 | Uncategorized
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Author Jim Hinckley talking about Route 66 with
a New Zealand tour group at the Hackberry
General Store. |
THIS was a near perfect weekend. The only thing that might have made it better would have been if the thick clouds shrouding the crown of the Hualapai Mountains that provided visitors with quintessential Arizona backdrops for their photos had also dropped a bit of rain on the parched desert.
On Saturday, after a few hours at the office, we were privileged with an opportunity to visit with Wolfgang Werz of the German Route 66 Association and a tour he was leading, and to enjoy some barbecue and hang out with friends at the first edition of Chillin’ on Beale for 2014. Today it was a Route 66 cruise, time spent with my dearest friend, and meeting with a tour group from New Zealand in Hackberry.Counted among the many blessings in my life is the opportunity to see Route 66 through the eyes of our foreign visitors as a result of the books I write. After spending fifteen minutes telling the story of Hackberry, I answered questions and was fascinated by what these first time visitors will be taking home as memorable moments.The breadth and diversity of the nation was a list topper for the Kiwi travelers. The people met along the way and the generosity shown seemed to be a close second. The empty places also made a lasting impression. The cost of progress in disrupted lives made manifest in the quiet streets of Glenrio or Texola, the ruins of Two Guns, or the tumble down remains of John’s Modern Cabins was a subject of much discussion. As is often the case, the half hour allocated for the stop turned into one hour. Still, I heard no complaints from the visitors or the tour guide. The shade dappled tables at the Hackberry General Store were tailor made for our visit. A slight breeze and temperatures hovering at the eighty degree mark ensured I had a perfect stage.
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copyright 2014 Jim Hinckley’s
America |
More than three decades ago, after a hard days work at the Cedar Springs or X-Bar-One Ranch, I would often stop at this old store for some cold beer, a bag of Bull Durham, rolling papers, and a few snacks. At the time I was receiving my mail up the road at the post office-Union 76 station in Valentine.
Not much thought was given to the store, or the road out front being anything special. In my world dusty relics and time capsules were as much a part of life as horses, flies, vast Arizona wilderness landscapes, sweat stained hats, or the battered old ’42 Chevy truck that provided me with transportation.
With completion of I-40, and the bypass of Route 66, the store died quickly. Revival commenced with the arrival of an eccentric hippie who presented the impression that time had stopped shortly after the music at Woodstock.
I am a fairly tolerant sort of fellow but Bob Waldmire was a different sort of animal, not the type of person seen in my social circle of cowboys, wranglers, cat skinners, truck drivers, and general redneck hard cases. Still, Bob was special, a man who truly did march to the beat of a different drummer.
I am quite glad that I had the opportunity to develop a friendship of sorts. His departure left the future of the hackberry Store in doubt, but not for long.
The Pritchard family has transformed the old store into a near perfect snap shot of the era of Route 66 renaissance. Vintage junk and cold soda pop hearkens to my early memories of the store, and countless others like it all along the highway decades ago.
However, as with most places along the double six today, there is a thin veneer of Disneyland as well. If done right this too enhances the sense of experiencing life on Route 66 during the highway’s “glory days.” Here it is done right.
Evidence of that is found in the throngs of people who stop, which gives the added impression that Route 66 was never bypassed. Perhaps the only real difference is that those who stop today are more likely to speak with an Australian or New Zealand accent, or talk German, Italian, French, or a dozen other languages.
In forlorn old Hackberry, as well as Amboy, Truxton, Afton, Cuba, Litchfield, and dozens of other towns between Chicago and Santa Monica, Route 66 truly is the crossroads of the past and future. It is also America’s longest attraction.
by jimhinckleysamerica | Apr 20, 2014 | Uncategorized
Here in sunny Arizona, under clear skies of blue, it is a delightful Easter morning. There is a light breeze scented with the smell of sage and rosemary from the front yard, and the songbirds are providing a most enjoyable chorus.
Sadly, in the modern America obsessed with political correctness, the Easter holiday has become a point of contention rather than a time for reflection. In our homestead we are not big fans of the modern Americanized version of church even though I have been privileged with an opportunity to stand behind a pulpit or two. That, however, doesn’t mean the symbolism and message underlying the Easter tradition isn’t important to us.
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| The post office in Hackberry, Arizona |
So, as a result the days varied activities will be wrapped in meditation, contemplation, and reflection. Of course, it will also include a bit of adventure in the desert along the old double six, and meeting with a tour group from New Zealand somewhere near Hackberry, and simply enjoying the company of my dearest friend.
As we closed out the week with good friends, good food, and vintage cars under a desert sky at Chillin’ on Beale last night, and a luncheon visit with Wolfgang Werz who was leading a tour from Germany, I should be ready to face a few days of challenges and a grueling schedule with at least a hint of a smile.
It kicks off bright and early on Monday as I learned late last week that I will be short handed at the office for at least four days. That will double the work load, never an enviable prospect.
On Monday evening there is an organization meeting for the Route 66 International Festival. Updates will be provided by Tuesday or Wednesday.
On Wednesday the schedule calls for a full day at the office and meeting with another tour from Germany. Then on Friday morning before work I am to address a local civic group about Route 66 as a catalyst for community redevelopment.
Plans are to close it out by channeling anxiety and frustrations into a bit of destruction in the form of bathroom remodeling. That should give me something to look forward to.
by jimhinckleysamerica | Apr 19, 2014 | Uncategorized
Another week has been transformed into history with astounding speed. In light of the wide array of activities on the calendar, I have little doubt that the weekend will be joining it just as quickly.
On the “to do” list this weekend is providing Dave and Kathy Alexander some photographs from Texas for the Jim Hinckley’s America gallery on the Legends of America website. This is the official source for ordering prints of our photographic work in a variety of sizes. A slide show is available here – http://photos.legendsofamerica.com/jimhinckleysamerica/slideshowThe Legends of America website is an interesting blend of museum, archive, and grandma’s attic. Your challenge for the weekend, try limiting time spent exploring the site to a half hour.
My original plan was to begin demolition slash renovation of the front bathroom this weekend but that has been postponed for at least a week. Instead there is the first edition of Chillin’ on Beale (would you like to join us?) in the Kingman historic district one block north of Andy Devine Avenue (Route 66) this evening (an opportunity to visit with friends that have been in hibernation), enjoy a bit of good food at Redneck’s Southern Barbecue, and a lunch visit with Wolfgang and Anja of the German Route 66 Association.
Searching for things will also consume a bit of time this weekend. I need to tie my butt to the chair and dedicate a few hours to perusing newspaper archives in search of information for the current book project about the evolution of the American taxi industry.
And now for a change in direction –
I was half way through today’s posting early this morning when the schedule was tossed from the window. As this happens with a certain degree of regularity in my life it is now considered normal.
First was an eagerly anticipated call from Pat Foster, an acclaimed automotive journalist who is the guru for post war independent automobile manufacturer information and the undisputed repository for all things AMC related. As the current book project includes documenting a bit of history about taxi cabs built by Packard, Nash, AMC, Studebaker, and even Hudson, this was an exciting conversation. Of course, any conversation with Pat is interesting.
In taking his call I noticed two text messages from last evening. My fill in at the office on Saturday’s was down with the flu. Needless to say this changed a few of the mornings plans.
Then I received a phone call from Roger Allison who is on the road leading the inaugural Route 66 adventure for Gilligan’s Wild West Tours, a New Zealand based company. As there have been a few glitches, Roger and I have had numerous phone conversations this past few days.
This mornings glitch took the form of Roger being at the El Rancho Motel in Gallup and feeling as though he was coming down with the flu. I share this with you today to illustrate a point about the unique nature of the Route 66 community.
A New Mexico motel owner and I have been following this tour as it has tremendous potential for the road, and we share a vested concern that the people who travel iconic Route 66 need to have a memorable as well as enjoyable experience. When learning that Roger was feeling under the weather, this motel owner offered to drive to Gallup, and assist with the tour across Arizona. That, my friends, is what makes Route 66 a truly unique experience.
With that said, if I am gone to make hay while the sun is shining…
by jimhinckleysamerica | Apr 16, 2014 | Uncategorized
As questions about the Route 66 International Festival scheduled for August 14th through 17th dominate my inbox, lets start with a few updates. Last evening the Kingman Area Chamber of Commerce hosted an organizational meeting and things are starting to really take shape.
The historic district will be the primary focal point for the event. Even though there is a wide array of parking facilities in the area, and plans include providing maps in the program guides, access to the area is rather constricted even without street closures and a major event.
So, to facilitate traffic flow and to ensure visitors can enjoy events in the historic district as well as other activities such as the film festival with a minimum amount of frustration, KART (the city bus service) is working with the chamber of commerce to develop a special festival route. A key component will be providing service from centralized parking areas such as the Mohave County Fairgrounds.
A rough outline for activity locations has been set but as development evolves, I am quite sure there will be adjustments. In essence there will be two groups of activities separated by about four blocks. Linking them will be various displays.
At the west end anchored by the Powerhouse Visitor Center, site for the historic electric vehicle exhibition, Metcalf Park and Locomotive Park will serve as the venue for vendors and the stage for the musical entertainment. At the other end, roughly between Fourth and Sixth Street on Andy Devine Avenue the railroad depot will have a special exhibit including a few displays pertaining to area railroad history and extensive model railroading exhibits, TNT Automotive will host a VW “bug fest” as well as Bob Waldmire exhibition, and there will be related vendors and a Redneck’s Southern Barbecue catering truck.
One block up, on Beale Street, there will be the artists, authors including Bob “Boze” Bell, Michael Wallis, Joe Sonderman, and other acclaimed authors), collectors, and Route 66 association exhibition. There will also be expanded activities at the Cellar Door, Black Bridge Brewery, and restaurants.
There will be two evenings (Friday and Saturday) for special editions of the low key Chillin’ on Beale. There will also be special exhibits on Beale Street.
Next, the film festival. Rob Chilcoate is ramrodding this aspect of the festival and he is doing a masterful job. This link is for a story that provides a few details which appeared recently in the Kingman Daily Miner.
At this time I do not have any additional details pertaining to the awards banquet that will be hosted by the Route 66 Alliance. I can, however, tell you that there will be one, and that details will be made available soon.
A very exciting component for this years festival will be a Route 66 conference that includes representatives from various state associations, people associated with property and infrastructure preservation, and various Route 66 “celebrities” talking about ways to ensure the roads relevance for future generations. There will also be number of speakers form the electric vehicle community, a primary key to moving Route 66 into the future.
For general information about the festival the Kingman Area Chamber of Commerce is the primary contact. The phone number is (928)753-6253.
The chamber of commerce in Holbrook is developing a companion event for the weekend before the festival in Kingman. I will be talking with Kathleen Smith in Holbrook next week and should be able to provide information afterwards.
In the southwest, before either event takes place the focus will be on Kingman during the first weekend in May for the annual Route 66 Fun Run, and on Tucumcari for the Rockabilly on the Route festival in June. Both events will capture the very essence of the Route 66 experience and, if possible, should be included in the development of a travel calendar.
As always, if I may be of assistance in regard to the planning of a Route 66 adventure, to planning participation in the festival, or to answer related questions, just drop me a note.
