Remember when you changed the oil, set new points, and adjusted the timing as well as the carburetor before a big trip? And for good measure you packed the wheel bearings and greased the chassis. Yes, I am that old. I even traveled, and drove, Route 66 before it was replaced by the interstate highway.

As much of my work centers on Route 66, and as my entire life is linked to this storied old road, my sunrise walkabouts have become a stroll down Memory Lane in recent weeks. I suppose that this should be expected when you get within spittin’ distance of age 70.

But for me it is current affairs more than age that triggers this meditation on the past. To be more specific, it is the daily battle with tech that has me focused on the rear view mirror. Linked with this is the feeling that I walked in at the middle of a French movie dubbed in Russian with Japanese subtitltes every time I watch the news.

Telling People Where to go

Since at least 1990 a valiant effort to adapt to changing times has been made. I launched my career as a writer sitting at the kitchen table with a 1940s Underwood typewriter. With the acquisition of a Gateway computer and a dial up modem for internet access I stepped into a new world.

Fast forward to fall 2026. The quest to become a writer when I grow up continues even though 23 books have been published to date. My efforts to grow up haven’t been quite as successful.

The Jim HInckley’s America network built on a God given gift for telling people where to go, and a passion for encouraging people to discover America with road trips has turned into a community of like minded folks. With a modicum of success I have kept pace with changing times.

Treading Water

We figured out to build a website, but have yet to master the nuances of SEO content. After a bunch of trial and error we figured out how to create a podcast. And we have made a valiant effort to develop a social media network.

Without warning Facebook locked the Jim Hinckley’s America page. It took two years to fix that. Then Podbean discontinued the livestream podcast option. It was a hit but we figured out to pivot.

But things like the recent implementation of a fee based post with clicks program on Facebook makes me feel as though I have just been treading water. And it has led to spending more time on Memory Lane.

How can we keep Jim Hinckley’s America going and growing if we back off on social media? Is there a way to create a hybrid of past, present and future marketing initiatives?

Remember When …

Remember when newsletters were a thing and then Mail Chimp made them digital? Substack seems to provide a verison of this. So, we are giving that a try and using it to revive the Decade With Jim series.

With a community of 15,000 followers on Facebook, that is not something I want to quit outright. But it looks like it might be time to shift focus and resources.

The Jim Hinckley’s America network consists of Facebook, website, YouTube, Substack, Podbean, Instagram, and Patreon. So, what are we missing? Any ideas or thoughts?