Shared Adventures begin here
INspiring road trips by telling people where to go. Sharing America’s story. It’s what we do.
Welcome to Jim Hinckley’s America –
The great American road trip. Route 66. Ghost towns and big cities. A search for roadside diners that still serve fresh apple pie. Fascinating people. Inspirational people. Natural wonders and historic sites.
Jim Hinckley’s America is built on a sixty year association with Route 66, two lane highways, and colorful characters.
That allows to me to provide a unique perspective when sharing travel tips, historical insights, and inspiring stories. And it ensures that we will fuel your wanderlust and help you plan your next memory making great American adventure.
Don’t miss out on the latest updates, travel tips, and exclusive content. Subscribe and join our community of road trip enthusiasts and history buffs. Let’s explore America’s remarkable story together, one mile at a time.
Jim Hinckley’s America is your passport to great American road trip adventures.
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A New — Old — Idea
A new-old-idea keeps popping into my thoughts. Like a Model T Ford pushed into a back corner of the barn for decades, there are project ideas that are shelved until there is more time to transform them into a reality. The seeds of this project were sown about sixty years ago, and started to sprout
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Vagabonds and tin can tourists
Vagabonds and tin can tourists are an integral part of the great American road trip story. And so they are featured prominently this week in Jim Hinckley’s America. Introduction Few stories capture the essence of the great American road trip like those early “Vagabond” camping adventures of Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, Harvey Firestone, and their
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Coffee With Jim, November 16, 2025
https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-9hxha-19c3fa5 Our guest on today’s episode our guest is Dal Smilie, Tin Can Tourists ambassador at large and co host of Tin Can Tourist Route 66 Centennial Caravan. We talked about the history of Tin Can Tourists, Curtis Wright and Airstream trailers, the Route 66 centennial, Studebaker trucks and the history of Studebaker in this
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Mid-Century Magic
Mid-century magic is found in homes and on the road. There is a sense of nostalgia that takes hold when you let the imagination drift back to the 1950s. Towering tail fins, chrome gleaming in the sun, neon signs humming at motels, and space age styled appliances with smooth curves and pastel finishes. That mid-century
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Coffee With Jim, November 9, 2025
https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-ny3vr-19b9bc2 Needles, California Mayor Janet Jernigan joined us this morning to discuss community revitalization, the Route 66 centennial, cultural and heritage tourism, and the importance of building cooperative partnerships. We also discussed the upcoming Route 66 Info Fair scheduled for Saturday, February 14, 2026. With presentations, authors, a car show, live music, El Garces tours
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A Route 66 Centennial Kickoff
A Route 66 centennial kickoff event is scheduled for Saturday, February 14, 2026 in Needles, California. If you are passionate about Route 66, are a fan of road trips, or just enjoy a good old-fashioned adventure, set this date aside and start making plans. And as the Route 66 Info Fair is also a celebration
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intersection of Trails, Rails & route 66
Long before anyone drove a horseless carriage across the high desert, the Mojave Indians (also spelled Mohave) and neighbouring tribes traversed a network of trails across the desert. These paths linked desert oasis and villages on the Colorado River and the Pacific coast. In the mid 19th century the Mojave Road (also called Old Government…
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Coffee With Jim, November 2, 2025
https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-rfrvz-19af76a On today’s program it’s a wide ranging conversation with Laura Misajet, Director of Museum Operations & Public Outreach at Mojave Desert Heritage and Cultural Association in Goffs, California. The link between a 19th century camel caravan and Route 66. Edsel Ford’s epic odyssey in the summer of 1915. The story of a pre Columbian
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A Journey Through Time
A journey through time. Blurring the line between past, present, and future. A dynamic blending of colorful public art, architectural treasures bathed in a soft neon glow, and a few links to Hollywood’s golden age. It’s Kingman Tours, a template for fostering development of a sense of community and using cultural/heritage tourism as a catalyst
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A Once in a Lifetime Road Trip Invitation
A once in a lifetime road trip invitation from Jim Hinckley’s America. Join us and legions of passionate road trip enthusiasts as we celebrate the Route 66 centennial in 2026. Need ideas, tips, or a bit of inspiration? Read on! The Jim Hinckley’s America network is built on a passion for sharing the American story,
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Coffee With Jim, October 26, 2025
https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-7vezq-19a4604 It’s fittingly promoted as a dessert museum, an interesting blend of old fashioned ice parlor and local hangout, and a huge collection of Superman memorabilia. But this is not the only thing that makes Supertam On 66 in Carterville, Missouri popular with locals, and a destination for the Route 66 enthusiast. There is also
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