A Route 66 celebration is in full swing all along this storied old highway and at Jim Hinckley’s America. And that party is just getting started!
If you are pasionate about the adventure that is the great American road trip, and your pulse quickens as a classic diner with neon sign comes into view, make plans for an epic odyssey or two in 2026. The 250th anniversary of the United States celebrations on the Main Street of America will blend with events that commemorate 100 years of memory making road trips on Route 66.
Meanwhile, at Jim Hinckley’s America. we will doing what we do best. Inspiring road trips. Telling people where to go. Sharing America’s story. And on our weekly podcast, Coffee With JIm, we make it an interactive adventure.
A Route 66 Celebration with Roger Naylor
On the January 18, 2026, episode of Coffee With Jim, with Roger Naylor as our guest we celebrated Route 66 and shared chapters in America’s amazing story. It was truly a pleasure and honor to spend 45 minutes with Roger. He is an Arizona treasure.
Roger has an infectious passion for Arizona hiking trails, historic sites, the state’s two lane highways, and for legendary Route 66. He has shared that through hundreds of feature articles, 10 books, and coutless speaking engagements.
His latest book, Arizona Route 66 Road Trip, is a heartfelt invitation to experience the Mother Road the way it was meant to be enjoyed, at a wander’s pace. It comes highly recommended as a planning guide, and as a travel companion. Between the covers Naylor highlights over 110 restaurants, 90 activities and historic stops, and 40 motels and inns.
Meet Mr. Naylor
What makes Roger’s storytelling about this highway so irresistible is his rich sense of place and deep love for the communities that keep Route 66 alive. He doesn’t just describe spots on a map. He brings them to life by blending personality, personal experience, history, and culture.
His work about Route 66 and Arizona has appeared in the Arizona Republic, The Guardian, USA Today, Arizona Highways, and many other publications. He has also provided features for the official Arizona State Visitor Guide, as well as visitor guides for Sedona, Scottsdale and Yuma. In 2018, Naylor was inducted into the Arizona Tourism Hall of Fame. Then in 2019 he wrote for the prestigious Grand Canyon National Park Centennial Magazine. As an example of his diverse talents, he is also the narrator for the Verde Canyon Railroad excursion train.
This episode of Coffee With Jim was chock full of road trip inspiration for 2026’s centennial celebrations. It was a shining example of why the podcast has been described as a virtual diner where friends gather on Sunday morning. And it was an example of why the podcast was designated an official Route 66 centennial program.
Coming Up: January 25th – Mid-Century Magic with Mary-Frances O’Dea
Next week on Coffee With Jim, we detour from highways to architectural design and preservation. Our guest for the January 25 episode is Mary-Frances O’Dea, editor and founder of Mid-Century Style magazine.
O’Dea wears a lot of hats. She’s a web architect, devoted mom, creative artisan, and champion of mid-century preservation and retro lifestyle culture.
What started as a house renovation blog blossomed into a vibrant digital magazine celebrating the charm of mid-century design. From classic 1950s ranch homes to roadside motels and vintage signage that define the mid-20th-century American experience, this is a portal into an era that has yet to fully capture the imagination of the preservationist.
Through Mid-Century Style magazine and its companion project Retro Roadtrip, she spotlights the places, styles, and stories that make mid-century travel and architecture endlessly captivating. This makes her work a perfect fit with Jim Hinckley’s America.
A Partnership of Like Minded Folks
So, it should come as no surprise that we have entered a limited partnership of like minded folks. I will be providing feature articles about historic preservation linked to the Route 66 centennial. An embed player for archived episodes of Coffee With Jim will be added to her website. A similar arrangement has been made with The Bee and Kingman Tours in our ongoing efforts to share adventures and inspire road trips.
As our guest on the January 25 episode, Mary-Frances will discuss how mid-century aesthetics intersect with the great American road trip. So, we will be talking about the quirky motels of Route 66 and 1950s era architectural time capsules along that highway.
But Coffee With Jim is know for its free range conversations. So, I am confident that we will find lots to talk about! But this is an interactive shared adventure. So, we invite you to come along for the ride. Invite your friends.
Why These Episodes Matter
Both Roger Naylor and Mary-Frances O’Dea remind us of a simple truth. The best road trips are those shared with friends. They also remind us that the best journeys connect us to places, to the culture, and to a shared history.
Coffee With Jim is conversations with people that make travel meaningful. Whether you’re chasing neon signs on Route 66 or discovering the sleek lines of the Gold Dome in Oklahoma City, these conversations blend practical travel savvy with inspiring storytelling.
So grab your official Coffee With Jim Mug from the Kingman Tours website gift shop. Settle in, and join the conversation. Let Coffee With Jim be the inspiration for your next great American road trip.
Each episode is packed with tips you can use, history worth remembering, and ideas that might just change the way you see America’s highways forever. And we can promise a smile or two in every episode.
Want more inspiration? Become a follower of the Jim Hinckley’s America Faebook page and website. Subscribe to the Coffee With Jim podcast. Join us on our YouTube channel. Share the adventure. Become a part of a community passionate about road trips, and the American story.
Thank you. Shared adventures are the best adventures.