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Author Jim Hinckley speaks with some Australian Route 66 enthusiasts on holiday courtesy of Route 66 Tours during their stop in Kingman. |
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Neung and Atsuyuki Katsuyama. |
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Jim Hinckley, Noble Zubaid, Joel Zubaid, and Scott Dunton, owner of Mr. D’z Route 66 Diner and Dunton Motors Dream Machines. |
These are the highs and lows of the past ten days. Sandwiched In between were some pretty interesting developments and a heaping portion of frustrations in the form of rescheduling a photo shoot for a magazine, another postponement on promised contributions to a project under development by Joe Sonderman, and a lack of work on a self publishing endeavor.
With support pledged to the Mohave County Fairgrounds, Joel and Noble are already proving to be valued community supporters. They are also quite passionate about seeing the Route 66 corridor, and the Kingman historic district flourish.
Now, enter Scott Dunton. The Dunton families business association with Route 66 dates to 1926.
N.R. Dunton operated a garage in Gold Road during this period, and established Cool Springs in 1926. His father, Roy, established Dunton Motors, now Dunton Motors Dream Machines next to Mr. D’z in 1946. As an historic foot note, this facility was an Edsel dealership in the late 1950’s.
The family purchased the Kimo Cafe that dates to 1939, and transformed it into Mr. D’z. Now you know who the “D” is.
Well, Scott is initiating a number of projects with a goal being the transformation of the Route 66 corridor. One of these was the clean up of the corner at Fourth Street and Andy Devine Avenue that has long been a blight on the city.
Over the years Scott and I have discussed the growing popularity of Route 66, and how communities harness the highways renaissance as a catalyst for development.
Well, Scott recently facilitated a meeting with myself, Joel, and Noble. The end result was a multifaceted partnership of sorts that includes limited subsidization of my current regional promotional activities.
In addition, I will have an office suite at Dream Machines to meet with folks and groups traveling the double six. This will provide me with a regular base of operations. Details on this will follow shortly but as your motoring west, or east. I hope you will stop by to say howdy and take a few photos of an ever changing menagerie of vintage automobiles.
So, it looks as though the course for the foreseeable future is being charted. As has been the case since at least 1966, it looks as though that course is linked to America’s most famous highway.