Route 66 corridor signage in Illinois iillustrates the evolution of a highway known as the Main Street of America. ©Jim HInckley’s America
The Main Street of America. First coined to promote the National Old Trails Road, predecessor to Route 66 in the southwest, it was the visionaries that established the US Highway 66 Association in early 1927 that made it the cornerstone of a marketing campaign that still resonates today.
Route 66 in the era of renaissance is no mere highway. It is the very essence of the American experience.
But it is also a commodity. And it is also a catalyst for economic development as well as a unique opportunity to build a community that isn’t confined to a thin corrdior of asphalt that stretches across the heartland from Chicago to Santa Monica.
The Main Street of America
Even in the era of I Like Ike buttons, Edsels, and tail fins, Route 66 had an international nature. After all, it was the Main Street of America.
Jim, George, and Pete Kretsedemas opened the Falcon Restaurnt on Route 66 in Winslow, Arizona on July 9, 1955. They were Greek immigrants.
The Osterman brothers established a motel along Route 66 in Newberry Springs, Califonia. And in Arizona they established a gas station and garage in Peach Springs and in Kingman. They also operated the Dodge dealership and established KIngman Cafe, now Mr. D’z Route 66 Diner. They were immigrants from Sweden.
Even the ’57 Chevy that seems a fitting classic for a Route 66 cruise has an international orign. Louis Chevrolet was born in Switzerland.
Renaissance
Underlying the Route 66 renaissance are travelers from throughout the world that see a trip along this highway as the quintessential American experience. Then, as now, immigrants are also playing an important role in ensuring Route 66 businesses, now landmarks, survive into the centennial and beyond.
In Kingman, Arizona the El Trovatore Motel built before WWII was saved from the wreckers ball, and given a new lease on life, by an immigrant from Israel. The historic bank building in Elkhart, Illinois was transformed into the Wild Hare Cafe by a Dutch immigrant. One of the largest Czech cutlural events in the world outside the Czech Republic takes place in Yukon, Oklahoma.
A presentation before an interested crowd at the second European Route 66 Festival.
But the international contributions to Route 66 isn’t limited to the money spent by travelers or the restoration of properties. There are companies based in Europe, Australia and New Zealand that specialize in Route 66 tours.
And there are companies that are owned by passionate Route 66 enthusiasts that develop projects to enhnace the travelers experience. Every year they also spend weeks on the road building a network of cooperative partnerships, developing a deeper understanding of the needs in the Route 66 community, and contributing to restoration projects.
Myopia
But in the era of renaissance on the Main Street of America, some enthusiasts and business owners suffer from terminal myopia.They develop a narrow mindedness that makes it possible to look down a beer bottle with both eyes.
And so they overlook opportunities to highlight the unique nature of America that is made manifest in the Route 66 experience. Even worse, they become so obsessed with the idea that Route 66 is solely an American highway, they villify innovators, investors, and enthusiasts that happen to call someplace other than the United States home.
They create divisions. The same with people that place their self serving agenda over projects or initiatives that build a sense of community. Ironically, these are the folks that taint the Route 66 experience and discourage people from traveling Route 66 to discover the real America.
Jim Hinckley’s America
The cornerstone for Jim Hinckley’s America is a passion for sharing America’s story. This multifacted project is also an opportunity for me to use my God given talent for telling people where to go. And so much of my work centers on Route 66, the international Route 66 community, and the people that infuse this old highway with an infectious enthusiasm.
People have come to depend on me for honest recommendations about businesses, restaurants, side trips, and how to get the most from an adventure on Route 66, or the great American road trip. So, I take this responsibility seriously.. I stake my reputation on every recommendation.
And that is why I am careful about the sponsoring partners selected, businesses that we work with, and books I recommend. Likewise with the places that are linked to my name. These associates and recommendations reflect the international nature of Route 66 in the era of renaissance. They also share my old fashoned idea that a man’s word is his bond, and that a handshake can be as good as a contract.
My Partners
Touch Media, the company behind the Route 66 Navigation app and Mother Road Route 66 Passport, may be based in Bratislava, Slovakia but the owners are passionate about supporting the Route 66 community. This is made evident in the development of a Route 66 planning guide offered at no charge in eight languages. And it is made evident in the weeks that they spend on the road each year.
As they are located in Slovakia they are knowledgeable about what the European Route 66 traveler expects and needs. To ensure that they also meet the needs of the domestic traveler, they retain the services of American artists and consultants such as me. And as they share my business ethic, I have no qualms providing my services as a consultant.
I work with a number of companies that are based on foreign shores. Many of the owners I consider as friends. And we share a common passion for ensuring that the traveler experiences the real America on their road trip holiday. So, when I am asked for a tour company recommendation, with confidence I can point to Chicago based Two Lane America, Route 66 Germany, New Zealand based Gilligan’s Route 66 Tours, UK based RouteTrip USA or Australian based Route 66 Tours.
When I receive a note asking for motel recommendation, I can point to the Roadrunner Lodge Motel in Tucumcari. I can also suggest, with confidence, the Wagon Wheel Motel in Cuba, Missouri. And I can recommend the Cactus Inn Motel & RV Park in McLean, Texas.
The Centennial
The Route 66 centennial is fast approaching. Will it still be relevant at the time of its bicentennial? Fifty years from now, will Route 66 still be the Main Street of America? I ten years will this iconic old highway still provide an opportunity to experience the real America?
That all depends on how we treat self serving, myopic folks. If we look at these people, their initiatives, and their divisive rhetoric as speed bumps, the Route 66 community survives and thrives. However, if we magnify their divisive rhetoric, Route 66 simply becomes another old road.
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Thanks for having a dream and living it. My buddy in England testifies on the allure of R66 in his country. It is very alive and well. Some enterprising souls should build ev charging stations strategically along the route to cater to millennials and Europeans to revitalize the route.
Thank yoou, The EV charging network along Route 66 is developinig fast. I have friends as well as business associates that travel the route regularly in Tesla’s
Well done, Jim! Keep telling it.
Thank you!