Route 66 provides a healthy dose of inspiration when we slow the pace. With every mile traveled there is endless opportunity for a conversation that might transform your life.

Grab a cup of coffee and a slice of pie at a multigenerational family owned diner established by immigrants from Greece or Russia. Pull up a chair, bask in the neon glow and talk with the people that walked away from six figure jobs to restore a motel in Tucumcari and enrich their lives by meeting with folks chasing dreams. Spend a few minutes with people that were born long after Route 66 was decertified and that are taking leadership roles in promotion, and historic preservation.

The mere mention of this iconic highway conjures images of neon nights, tail fins, and a two lane highway bordered by stunning landscapes that stretches toward a stunning sunset. Route 66, however, is more than the quintesential American road trip.

Route 66: More Than A Road Trip

We live in an era of cold and sterile social media posts. Merchants of division, doom, and bad news stump for votes or to try and sell something. Generic chain restaurants and motels feel soulless.

There is a tangible sense of community along Route 66. That transforms this highway into America’s longest small town.

And that makes your road trip an immersion into the American experience. Grab a slice of pie in a one family owned cafe where family traditions are preserved in a blending of classic American fare and recipes from the founders homeland. Each delicious meal is seasoned in conversations with passionate fans of Route 66 from the four corners of the earth.

Road Trip Magic

There is magic in a Route 66 road trip. When you travel this iconic highway, and talk with people that exude an excitement for life, the spirit quickens. Everything seems brighter. You discover a world of opportunity.

Spend just five minutes talking with Blair and Blanca Schaffer. They are an Amarillo couple who purchased the ghost town of Jericho along Route 66 in the infamous Jericho Gap. Their enthusiasm is infectious as they share their discoveries about the towns history, and work to transform it into a destination. The Schaeffer’s were our guests on the March 16, 2025 episode of Coffee With Jim.

But Route 66 and bringing a ghost towns story to life is only part of the inspiration provided by this dynamic duo. They are also involved with The Panhandle Gives initiative.

A Healthy Dose of Inspiration

Most folks start the day with a handful of vitamins, possibly a blood pressure pill, or some medication. Then they set the tone for the day by doom scrolling or spending a few minutes with a merchant of doom on television.

That time could be used to listen to Leslie Eades Nomadic Homebody podcast. Start the day with a healthy dose of inspiration and watch everything change.

Set aside a few minutes of the morning for planning a Route 66 adventure. Carpe diem.

Route 66: Dare To Dream Big

A road trip, any road trip is an elixir. It is also the best way to discover and experience America.

But Route 66 is the road trip experience magnified. And a Route 66 road trip is an endless source of life changing inspiration.

Travel the road. Don’t focus on the destination. Instead take time to talk with the fellow traveler and business owner. That healthy dose of inspiration might be what you need to dare to dream big. Even better, that inspiration might be what you need to transform that dream into a reality.