America’s longest small town, Route 66. That is an apt descriptor for legendary U.S. 66 as we draw closer to the celebration of the highways centennial in 2026. But so are some of the other monikers and labels bestowed on this storied highway over the years.

The Main Street of Route 66. The Mother Road. The road of dreams. The Will Rogers Highway. And on July 16, 1932, an advertisement published in the Saturday Evening Post by the U.S. Highway 66 Association promoted U.S. 66 as “Great Diagonal Highway.” This groundbreaking promotional campaign invited Americans to follow Route 66 to the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

America’s Longest Small Town

Route 66 in the 21st century is not just America’s longest small town or its most famous highway. It is a microcosm of the American experience. And as acclaimed author Michael Wallis described it, it is truly a linear community.

Illustrating this was the recent 10th anniversary celebration at the Roadrunner Lodge Motel in Tucumcari, New Mexico, subject of an interview on Coffee With Jim, the podcast from Jim Hinckley’s America.

This once derelict property is now an award winning destination for legions of Route 66 enthusiasts and road weary travelers. To help the owner, David Brenner, celebrate the historic motels transformation, people from as far away as Illinois and Floriida attended the anniversary events.

An International Community

But the linear community that is Route 66 isn’t limited to the highway corridor betwen Chicago and Santa Monica, California. In Prague, Czechia, Route 66 enthusiasts from throughout the world will be gathering to celebrate the road, its history, its culture, and its future at the end of August.

Rhys Martin, president of the Oklahoma Route 66 Association, and his charming wife Samantha, will be in attendance. And representatives from that states governor’s and tourism office will also be there. Members of the Dutch and German Route 66 Associations will be attending, and so will people from Illinois.

Marian Pavel of Bratislava, Slovakia based Touch Media will be there to introduce propsective Route 66 travelers to the next generation Route 66 Navigation app. And he will also be providing a glimpse of the centennial with a preview of a special edition Route 66 Mother Road Route 66 Passport.

Meanwhile, In Jim Hinckley’s America ….

Meanwhile, in Jim HInckley’s America, I am doing what I do best. Sharing America’s story. Inspiring road trips by telling people where to go. And trying to live up to my reputation as America’s storyteller.

As we draw closer to the highways centennial in 2026, I am spending more time fielding requests for interviews. This short interview on Main Street Living was a bit rushed as a scheduled guest had cancelled at the last minute, and I agreed to be a quick fill in as a favor to an associate. So I wasn’t at my best. And as I was in the midst of the traditional office clean out and clean up after a major project, I had to hurry and make judicious use of whiteboards.

The Route 66 anthology is complete, with the exception of the tedious and frustrating final edit. So, my attention is focusing on the development of programs and the fall tour schedule. To date the Rendevous at Goffs, California, and the Miles of Possibility Conference in Edwardsville, Illinois is confirmed. And I am in discussion about a program and book signing in St. Louis at the Missouri History Museum in Forest Park.

This was mentioned in a previous post but I am quite excited to be working with Tailsman Magic Marketing in Kingman on development of the next phase of the Kingman tours project. The website fills a large void in area tourism and marketing.

But the most pressing project is taking the podcast Coffee With Jim to the next level. Stay tuned. Meanwhile, join us on Podbean at 7:00 Arizona time on Sunday mornings for the livestream edition.