Our virtual diner has moved. That marks a new era for Coffee With Jim, our weekly podcast.

Aside from a more interactive program and a new location, nothing else has changed. Stories will still be shared, road trips will be inspired, and America’s amazing story will be brought to life. This program will still be a place where people gather to enjoy coffee with virtual friends and talk about road trips.

For more than two years, Coffee With Jim on Podbean has been a familiar gathering place for folks that wanted to hear from historians, storytellers, preservationists, and authors. Every Sunday morning folks joined us to enjoy a lively, fast paced conversation served with equal parts humor, inspiration, and great stories.

I enjoyed hosting the live stream program and introducing some of the most fascinating people to listeners. Having a live audience to join the conversations about old highways, hidden history, colorful personalities, and the small-town magic that makes America worth exploring gave the program the feel of a virtual diner. And comments from folks that listened to archived programs on Spotify and other platforms kept the conversation going.

But times change.

The next chapter of Coffee With Jim is here

It is the dawn of a new era for Coffee With Jim. Live stream programs will now be hosted on the official Jim Hinckley’s America YouTube channel rather than Podbean. Meanwhile, weekly short prerecorded programs about events, road trip tips, and updates will be posted on the Coffee With Jim landing page on Podbean.

There is a learning curve to all of this but it will open the door to a richer, more interactive experience. And with that we can build an even larger community built around shared passions. The show and tell component will add a new element to our passion for encouraging people to discover America through the road trip.

As with the program on Podbean the guests will join in audio only format. But soon we will be able to offer them the option of showing their smiling face. Our virtual diner is being transformed.

A Virtual Diner Built Around Storytelling, Friendship, and the Open Road

From the beginning, Coffee With Jim was never thought of as just a podcast. The entire multifaceted Jim Hinckley’s America network was developed as a shared adventure

It was a published review that labled the podcast a virtual diner. That was rather fitting. Our conversations with guests provided listeners with tales of Route 66 revival projects, road trips, and automotive history as well as travel tips and historic district revitalization initiatives.

Entrepreneurship, tourism development, classic roadside businesses, cybersecurity for small businesses, preservation efforts, or the remarkable people preserving America’s heritage one community at a time were often woven into a single program. Judging by the programs growing popularity, it was what people wanted and needed.

The roster of guests in the past 18 months embodied our spirit of curiosity and community. It mirrored our passion for road trips, and shared adventures.

A Shared Adventure

• Rhys Martin — author, photographer, and president of the Oklahoma Route 66 Association was our guest on several occassions. We discussed preservation initiatives, the Route 66 centennial, road trips, buildin a sense of community, and Rhys provided insight into the continuing renaissance of Route 66.
• Liz Vincent — as the tourism director in Pontiac, Illinois, Liz provided unique insight about how communities can embrace heritage tourism and transform history into economic opportunity.
• Austin Coop — road trip enthusiast, Route 66 advocate, and founder of Two Lane America, joined us to discuss Route 66 centennial preparations, Southwestern adventures, the changing face of tourism, and the importance of road trips.
• Vickie Ashcraft — owner of Enchanted Trails Trading Post & RV Park, founding member of the New Mexico Route 66 Alliance, and passionae Route 66 ambassador shared stories from her decades of advocacy, the magic of Route 66, and the evolving roadside culture.
• Gary Sosniecki — an author from Lebanon, Missouri brought fascinating stories of Missouri Route 66 history to life.
• Wade Bray — organizer of the AAA Route 66 Road Fest in Tulsa joined us to talk about the Route 66 centennial and importance of community engagement in historic preservation.
• Jim Featherstone — sharing practical, often eye-opening conversations about internet security and helping small businesses navigate an increasingly digital world.

A Look Back

The Podbean era also featured conversations with acclaimed documentary producer John Paget, as well as pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Jonathan Bullington, and automotive and publishing voices such as Richard Lentinello of Crankshaft magazine. Every week we were joined by preservationists, tourism leaders, and community advocates.

The common theme was that stories matter, especially when they help us better understand America and one another. An example was he program with Steve Reyes, author of Four Miles East of Bagdad. In the book Reyes detailed an 1896 murder case in the Mojave Desert’s railroad camp of Bagdad. This was a story of racial prejudice, a wrongful murder conviction, and the grim realities of life in remote desert railroad settlements.

On another episode Jeffrey Schmidt, author of Here Today was the guest. Aside from his book about Oklahoma ghost towns, we discussed the boom and bust cycle of frontier era towns, and stories of fascinating people that once called these places home.

We even experimented. An entire program about the AAA Route 66 Road Fest and the adventure that is the great American road trip was created with virtual hosts using NotebookLM. That program was created to give listeners a possible glimspe of the future. Reactions based on comments were fascinating. They served as the theme for an entire program.

Every town has a story, every road leads somewhere unexpected, and every traveler benefits from hearing the stories of people who care deeply about preserving community, history, and authentic experiences. These threads were woven into every program.

Why the Move to YouTube?

Sometimes we encounter detours, even when the destination stays the same.

The transition of live stream programming to the Jim Hinckley’s America YouTube channel creates an opportunity to make Coffee With Jim more engaging and more visual. The two tiered program schedule will magnify our vision for building a growing community. We will be able to better serve people passionate about road trips as well as Americana, Route 66, and the people who keep these stories alive.

The YouTube channel is an expanding archive of storytelling and shared adventure. Archived episodes of Coffee With Jim will be enhanced with videos about road trips, historic explorations, and fascinating roadside destinations.

Our mission remains the same. It is simple. Tell America’s diverse and amazing story. Inspire road trips by telling people where to go.

More Than a Podcast: A Shared Adventure

Coffee With Jim remains as just one facet of our network. But the move to YouTube, and creation of a central hub on SubStack, is a manifestation of our passion for building a community of like minded enthusiasts.

Over the years Jim Hinckley’s America has grown into a diverse network with one theme. It includes more than 20 published books. That is in addition to the podcasts, video storytelling, social media network, and speaking engagements.

Jim Hinckley’s America is a vibrant community centered on discovery, history, humor, and inspiration. Through the website, YouTube programming, podcast archives, presentations, and social media channels, the mission remains steadfast.

We want to make history relevant. And we want to make history fascinating, fun, and inspirational. That is key to helping folks rediscover the joy of discovering America through road trips.

This community is made up of people who understand that road trips are never really about the miles. They’re about the people we meet along the way. It is the stories we gather, and the quiet realization that America still has an endless supply of surprises tucked between the interstate exits.

An Invitation to Pull Up a Chair

If you’ve joined us before on Podbean, thank you for being part of this grand adventure.

If you’re new to Jim Hinckley’s America, welcome.

Pour yourself a cup of coffee. Invite a friend. Subscribe to the Jim Hinckley’s America YouTube channel, explore the podcast archives on Podbean. Share your stories. Join a growing community of folks passionate about discovering America through the road trip.

Because the stories are still out there. The roads are still calling.

And around here, there’s always room for one more chair at the table.