Coffee with Jim and a few friends. A virtual diner where folks gather on Sunday morning to swap road trip stories and meet fascinating people. In a nutshell, that describes Coffee With Jim, the weekly podcast from Jim Hinckley’s America that morphed into a twice a week program.

From its inception the podcast was never meant to be a “Jim” show. I wanted the focus to be on the people, road trips, and the American story. The April 26, 2026 episode makes for a perfect example.

We kicked off the program with a discussion about Route 66 centennial celebrations. Our guest was Rhys Martin, president of the Oklahoma Route 66 Association and director of the National Trust’s Preserve Route 66 Initiative. Our conversation was chock full of road trip inspiration, and a healthy dose of Rhy’s infectious enthusiasm for all things Route 66.

In the second half of the program we talked with Jessica May about Route 66 Fun Run and progress made by the Historic Electric Vehicle Foundation on development of the world’s’s first electric vehicle museum in Kingman, Arizona.

Changing Times

We launched Coffee With Jim on Podbean. The cost fit our budget. And it seemed the easiest platform to use for tech challenged folks like me.

As a live stream program we hit more than a few snags. But since it was audio only, me as well as the guests avoided the stress of gettinig all gussied up for the program.

A few months ago Podbean tossed a curve ball and discontinued the live stream option. That turned into quite a speed bump as well as a learning curve.

Coffee With Jim

Our solution was far from ideal but it works. And in the long run this period of trials and tribulations might turn out to be a blessing.

Our old programs are still available on our Podbean landing page, Spotify and other platforms. The new programs are recorded and then shared on various platforms. These, however, are just me sharing chapters in America’s fascinating story.

Did you know that the annual Miles of Possibility Route 66 Conference is rooted in Route 66 history? On April 27, 1931 the U.S. Highway 66 Association held a similar convention in Elk City, Oklahoma. And in 1932 that organization held the convention in Kingman, Arizona.

Coffee With Jim And Few Friends

The live stream program was moved to the Jim Hinckley’s America YouTube channel. For the guest it is still simple audio via a phone call. And for me, well, it’s show and tell time!

For me Coffee has been a delight, even with the technical frustrations. It has provided countless opportuny for conversations with a diverse array of fascinating and inspirational people. And for the audience, based on comments received, the programs have inspired road trips and historic district revitalization projects, and provided a marketing boost for event organizers as well as authors.

An excellent example whould be the program of August 16, 2026. Our guest today was David Farmer, author of the new book, Jack Rittenhouse: A Western Literary Life published by University of New Mexico Press. Farmer, like Rittenhouse, has lived a literary life filled with diverse adventures. This allowed for a diverse and wide ranging conversation.

Friends and Friends Yet Made

I have made a few friends along the way. And that has me excited about what the future holds. There are so many stories to be shared!

Todd Matuszewicz had a most interesting and inspiring tale to share. Our hour together went by far to quickly as we discussed the history of neon signs, neon sign preservation, how the Route 66 centennial has contributed to the renaissance of neon signage, and an ambitious initiative to relight the night in Colorado with neon.

On the inaugural episode of Coffee With Jim on the YouTube channel we visited with the creator of the Annie Mouse series, author and educator Anne M. Slanina. This delightful series is designed for parents to share with their children road trips where they can discover America.

Coming Soon

We have lots of exciting and fascinating programs on the schedule for the Podbean platform as well as our YouTube channel.

Our scheduled guest for the October 4th program is Casey Claypool, director of the Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway. Vickie Ashcraft of the New Mexico Route 66 Alliance, and owner of the Enchanted Trails Trading Post and RV Park, is another upcming guest.

And as inspiring road trips, telling people where to go, and sharing America’s story is what we do, some amazing stories are also waiting to be shared. Did you know that Chevrolet started as an import? Did you know that there was an automobile company that manufactured a gasoline electric hybrid in 1916? And we are eager to share the story of a counterfeiter that produced thousands of nickels and the western frontier outlaw that became a movie star and was killed robbing a bank.

It Is A Shared Adventure

Jim Hinckley’s America is a shared adventure. So, invite your friends. Become a follower and subscriber. We are on Facebook, Instagram, Substack, and YouTube.

And on Sunday morning, grab a cup of coffee, pull up a chair, and join the conversation. Have some coffee with Jim and a few friends.