Decade with Jim is relaunching in 2026! We enjoy sharing adventurers and inspiring road trips where folks discover the colorful, diverse, and fascinating American story. That was the incentive for the Decade With Jim series on Instagram. We were about three years into our daily posts that were also shared to the Jim Hinckley’s America Facebook page. Adventures were inspired, and fans were telling us where to go. It was becoming quite the road trip enthusiast community. And that is when I ran head first into a brick wall.

Our Facebook page was locked. No reason given. No warning. And no way to resolve the problem, even when we enlisted a professional marketing company that specialized in development of social media campaigns. And then without warning or reason given, several years later, we were granted access to our Facebook network.

Several weeks ago we decided that the dawn of a new year would be an ideal time for the relaunch of Decade With Jim. Since pulling the plug on the project lots of fans and followers asked us to bring it back. So, today we kicked it off with a post to our Instagram account, YouTube channel, and Jim Hinckley’s America Facebook page.

Dawn of A New Era

For me new Years resolutions and such have never been of interest. But 2026 is unique. We will be celebrating the Route 66 centennial as well as the 250th anniversary of the United States. And at Jim Hinckley’s America we have plans for this year, and for the next nine. It will be a decade of Jim.

We will be sharing the adventure. And we will be sharing America’s story as well as inspiring a road trip or two. The plan is for a daily post or reel. But as that is a promise we can’t keep, we won’t make it. But we will get at least three or four posts up a week.

We started with a reel posted this morning. It is a teaser about WWII relics hiding in plain sight along Route 66 near Kingman, Arizona.

Coffee With Jim

There is a silver lining in every disaster. Being locked out of Facebook that at the time was our promotional cornerstone was a serious blow. Our weekly Facebook live programs were starting to really gain traction. Often the live audience numbered more than 1,000 people, and in a month 20,000 views or more was common.

As I learned long ago, sucking dirt in the arena after a hard fall isn’t an option. So, we turned to the development of an audio podcast and Coffee With Jim is the result. It took a bit of time as there was quite a learning curve, and I had to figure out how to sell it, but this past October we had 20,000 downloads. And we also received designation as an offical Route 66 centennial program.

We are kicking off 2026 in a very big way. The scheduled program guests in January include Steve of the popular Sidetrack Adventures YouTube channel. Also on the schedule is award winning photographer and illustrator J C Amberlyn, and author Roger Naylor to discuss his new book, Arizona Route 66 Road Trip.

And then on the first of January, in limited partnership with Talisman Magic Marketing, developer of the Kingman Tours project for Kingman Main Street, an official Coffee With Jim coffee mug was added to the websites gift shop.

YouTube

The Jim HInckley’s America YouTube channel has been a hit and miss affair. There are a multitude of reasons for this and I have lots of excuses. But excuses aren’t justification.

So, we will be focusing heavily on development of the channel as a part of the decade with Jim endeavor. First are the sharing of the Instagram reels as they are the easiest and fastest way for us to share the adventures.

I will be dedicating some time to learn more about the creation of full length videos. We did a few of these including the tour of the long shuttered Hotel Beale and some in the In Search of Lost Highways series. But I wasn’t satisfied with the quality.

While I work on that we will continue shring reels on a regular basis. As envisioned we will get three or four out a week.

Deacde With Jim, Year One

All of these endeavors are projects that will be developed over time. Meanwhile we making 2026 a banner year for the sharing of America’s story and inspiring road trips by telling people where to go. After all, Jim Hinckley’s America is a shared adventure.

Several programs are scheduled for February and March. Arrangements for another half dozen in 2026 are being negotiated.

And we will be sharing stories about Route 66 for Two Lane America, Gilligan’s Route 66 Tours, RouteTrip USA, and Route 66 Tours groups. As it is the Route 66 centennial, telling stories to travelers will keep me busy this year.

Also on the table is work with organizations such as the New Mexico Route 66 Alliance and the city of Needles, California. Speaking of Needles, the Route 66 Info Fair is scheduled for February 14. I hope to see you there.

Using rack cards, visitors guides and other materials I will be helping staff answer questions and plan Route 66 trips. I will also be signing copies of my latest bookRoute 66: 100 Years, and sharing the story of Route 66 in the southwest and Mojave Desert.

Share The Adventure

From its inception Jim Hinckley’s America was envisioned as a shared adventure. It is a community of folks passionate about road trips and the American story.

So, welcome aboard. Join the adventure by becoming a subscriber and follower of the different facets of our network. Get a peek behind the curtain and help support our educational programs through Patreon. Share your adventures and help us tell people where to go.

This decade with Jim will be quite an adventure!