A virtual diner. An international network of cooperative partnerships. A thriving, vibrant community. All of these terms have been used in reviews to describe Jim Hinckley’s America.

Perhaps I should add another one. The land of missed opportunity.

In the past few months I have been interviewed by journalists from the Chicago Tribune, AP, several travel journals, and journalists from throughout the world. I have led walking tours in the historic heart of Kingman, Arizona to travel writers from at least six countries. And I have been the guest on a number of podcasts.

This takes me to the missed opportunites. On at least a half dozen occassions these journalists have asked why I am not a paid celebrity spokesperson, or why I haven’t pursued product placement opportunities. A few were surprised that a community hasn’t made me their mascot, the promotional face if you will.

That made me smile. And it set me to thinking about possible missed oppoerutnites. It was also another example of the split perspective that has haunted me for decades. Let me explain. But first I would like to share a bit of what we have been up to in 2025, how this sparked some of those questions, and give a peek at what we are planning in 2026.

Coffee With Jim 2025: Our Weekly Road-Trip Conversation

Our podcast, Coffee With Jim (hosted on Podbean, archived on iHeart, Spotify, and other platforms) has evolved into a virtual diner where folks gather for smile inducing, inspirational, road trip inspiring conversation. In 2025 our podcast was designated an official Route 66 Centennial Program.

A sincere thank-you to our guests in 2025, whose ideas, humor and insight have fueled our journey:

• Jonathan Bullington – Chicago Tribune journalist
• Rhys Martin – President, Oklahoma Route 66 Association
• Cheryl Eichar Jett – Author/historian
• John Paget – Documentary filmmaker
• Wayne Pickerill – Pink Elephant Antique Mall / Route 66 innovator
• Jenn Tramaglino – Kingman, AZ entrepreneur
• Carl Norloff – nostalgia driven entrepreneur
• Tosha O’Neill – Historic Electric Vehicle Foundation
• Joey Madia – Screenwriter, Cyrus Avery project
• Donald Gialanella – Sculptor & public-art advocate

Every one of them brought something new. They infused the podcast with diversity, inspiration, and thought provoking conversation. And they and the audience have got me to thinking that, perhaps, I should also be selling “I had coffee with Jim” coffee mugs. (Speaking of missed product placement opportunity …)

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The New Book: Route 66: 100 Years

I’m delighted to announce that my latest book, Route 66: 100 Years, was released this month.
This is not just another road-trip book, or splashy ode to the Mother Road. This is a centennial anthology. It is richly illustrated with historic images and new photos. And it begins with the highways prehistory (1830s) and closes with glimpses of this storied highways future.

The expert contributors to the book are good friends that are devoted to the Route 66 community. Together we reveal how the road shaped culture, economy, Americana and even tourism development. And we show how Route 66 evolved from highway for icon.

Here are a few details worth your road-map:

• Published by Motorbooks / Quarto.
• Coauthors are leading voices in the Route 66 community, including Cheryl Eichar Jett, Joe Sonderman, Dries Bessels, Rhys Martin and Gregory R.C. Hasman.
• Covers themes from neon signs to diners, from small-town revival to international fascination with the highway.
• Meant to be more than a coffee-table book, this is a time machine and time capsule. It is also a catalyst for planning your own adventure.

So if you’re plotting the next road trip adventure, have a fascination with Route 66, or simply want a book that brings history, humor and highway grit together add this to the library.

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2025 Network Growth: Website, Social Media & Beyond

We’ve been busy. We kicked off the year with a complete revamp of the Jim Hinckley’s America website. The redesign prioritises accessibility, community engagement and multi-platform connectivity.
Our social-media footprint is growing. We are sharing blog posts, podcast episodes, behind-the-scenes snaps and invitations to join the conversation.
The network is more than another “here’s a road trip story.” It’s a community, a network, and a shared adventure.

And yes, if you’re wondering: this is where the “product opportunity” joke turns semi-real. Will there eventually be Jim-Hinckley branded Americana gear? Maybe. Will I “troll” the communities needing a spokesperson (or a mug saying “Coffee With Jim”)? Possibly.

But above all I’m focused on practical tools. I want to help small towns harness heritage and cultural tourism. And I want to help travelers plan meaningful journeys.

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Community, Purpose & American Story

I believe the best road trips are the ones shared with friends. They’re about community. They’re about purpose. And they’re about America’s colorful, diverse, and inspiring story. And they are also about big cities and big names, diners, neon signs, gas stations, and ghost towns.

On Coffee With Jim and through our network, I’m trying to help folks ask:

• What stories is my community telling (or not telling)?
• How can heritage, tourism and storytelling become catalysts for development and renewal?
• How can a journey—whether physical or metaphorical—connect us all?

And if along the way I can help a local business, a historic district, or a non-profit tourism office get a little more traction, even better.

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What’s Next: Rolling Toward 2026

If you thought 2025 was good—wait till you see what we plan for 2026:

• New seasons of Coffee With Jim with even more fascinating guests and deeper conversations.
• Expanded YouTube programming (live chats, mentoring sessions about staying relevant in the digital age, tech for income streams post-retirement).
• Continued speaking engagements, tours and partnership development for communities and businesses.
• More book projects. (Yes—I’m beginning work on an early draft of a new book about the infancy of the American auto industry.)
• Media features including an approved series of articles about the evolution of Route 66 in Missouri is in the pipeline.
• And of course, addressing this nagging sense of missed opportunities. Maybe some “Coffee With Jim” swag (yes I said it). We also want to address another obsession, finding opportunities for you to join the community. That includes becoming a guest, becoming a sponsor and helping us tell America’s story.

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Thank You for Coming Along for the Ride

To all of you who listen, subscribe, comment, share our posts, join the podcast, buy the book, tell your community about us —thank you. This isn’t just our journey—it’s our shared adventure.
If you’re in a community seeking to magnify marketing, a business wanting some time in the spotlight, or a traveller dreaming of the next road trip, I invite you to be part of the Jim Hinckley’s America community.

Let’s keep the story relevant, the coffee hot, and the road open. Because when we tell the story of America’s past, we unleash a vision of where we’re going.

Now, about that split perspective comment. In my mind’s eye I am just Jim Hinckley, the aging redneck from the back country of Arizona. And yet people are posting selfies taken with my statue at Depot Plaza in Kingman. Then there are the increasing number of interviews.

So, how do wled the two perspectives? Damn good question, and I don’t have an answer.

Meanwhile we are not just sitting back basking in nostalgia.

See you on the road,
Jim Hinckley, storyteller