Lost highways, good friends, and Route 66. On my New Year’s Eve walkabout I gave a bit of thought to a suitable theme for 2023, and what should be the last journal entry of the year. All that came to mind was thoughts of the lost highway adventures and Route 66 road trips shared with good friends.

Lost Highways

Lost highways figure prominently in the story of 2023. We wrapped up the year by launching a new video series, In Search of Lost Highways, for the YouTube channel. And we kicked it off with a trip to Needles, California via the pre 1952 alignment of Route 66.

From its inception lost highways have been a big part of Jim Hinckley’s America. And an argument could easily be made that lost highways are a part of my story since at least 1959. Much of my youth was spent on road trips, and my pa wasn’t big on asking for directions.

Jim Hinckley’s America

Jim Hinckley’s America was launched with a few simple goals in mind. Sell more books. Share America’s story. Inspire road trips by telling people where to go. At that point in time the renaissance was in an embryonic state, and so Route 66 was considered a lost highway.

But I have always been a fan of lost highways and dusty backroads. So, my fascination for these old roads was also woven into the adventures that I shared through Jim Hinckley’s America. And as road trips figure prominently in the Jim Hinckley story it will come as no surprise to learn that much of the autobiography, a project started in 2023, centers on tales of road trips.

Telling Tall Tales

That was only one of the writing projects that launched in 2023. I have accepted a contract to provide materials for a Route 66 centennial adult coloring book. And I am working with an august group of accomplished authors and good friends on a Route 66 centennial anthology.

Cheryl Eichar Jett will write the chapeter about the evolutionof Route 66 in Illinois. Joe Sonderman will handle chapters on Missouri and Kansas. Rhys Martin, president of the Oklahoma Route 66 Association will write the chapter on that state. Greg Hasman, an accomplished journalist and photographer will write the chapters on Texas and New Mexico. And Dries Bessels, a founding member of the Dutch Route 66 Association, will write about the highways renaissance.

My contributions will be a bit of photography and some sidebars. And I will write the chapters on Arizona and California. I will also write the opening chapter that chronicles the pre-history of the U.S. highway system, the years between 1880 and 1926.

There was one more writing project in 2023. That was writing the second edition of 100 Things To Do On Route 66 Before You Die. That book should be available by late spring, just in time for road trip season.

Road Trip

The first road trip of 2023 was a short drive to Needles, California for the annual Route 66 Info Fair. It was a celebration of lost highways, old friends, and Route 66. It was an opportunity to stroll down Memory Lane with good friends, make a few new ones, and to inspire a road trip or two.

Trip number two was for a program in Apache Junction about Route 66 in Arizona. Much to my surprise the 650 seat auditorium was almost at capacity. That was my largest audience to date.

Trip number three was a bit of a challenge, a drive to Vail, Colorado in the winter. But the big challenge was leaving my dearest friend for nearly a week. The reward was an incredible conference, and an opportunity to experience Monument Valley with a dusting of snow.

Beating My Gums For Fun and Profit

Aside from the program in Apache Junction, there were two very memorable opportunities to beat my gums for fun and profit in 2023. One was at the annual Miles of Possibility Conference in Normal, Illinois where I was a keynote speaker.

This conference is unique. It is a mix of fun, and ample opportunity to meet with old friends. But the focal point is the business of Route 66, networking, and the building of cooperative partnerships. Since 2015, with the exception of 2020, the conference is the anchor for our annual fall Route 66 tour.

The conference in Vail was definitely a highlight of the year. Inclusion in the event was humbling, to say the very least. I had been asked to speak about the evolution of Jim HInckley from itinerant ranch hand along the Mexican border to internationally acclaimed author with a statue staning along Route 66 in Kingman.

The conference included a diverse array of informative presentations, and an opportunity for one on one conversation over dinner. As participants included the founder of a pioneering aerospace company, a pilot for the Blue Angels, an acclaimed paleontologist and a zoo keepr there was ample opportunity for the development of interesting networking opportunities.

Lost Highways, Good Friends and Route 66

The theme of lost highways, good friends and Route 66 will continue in 2024. Over the course of the New Year’s weekend I shot the video for the next installment of the In Search of Lost Highways series.

We had a video call with friends from Germany. They will be visiting in May, and the plan is to introduce them to Hualapai Mountain Park.

I have accepted an invitation to be a keynote speaker at the 2024 Miles of Possibility Conference. And I am discussions about an appearance at the Route 66 Road Fest in Tulsa, Oklahoma this coming summer. So, that is at least two trips along Route 66.

And after a series of meetings with Marian Pavel of Touch Media, developer of the innovative Route 66 Navigation app, I will be working on improvements for this and to develop a Route 66 centennial passport.

So, here we go. A new year filled with new opportunities, new adventures shared with friends, and exciting new projects.