Take one high school built in 1929. Transform it into a 30,000 square foot antique shopping mall. Add the ambition and imagination of Tonia and Wayne Pickerill. The result is one of the quirkiest family fun stops on Route 66, The Pink Elephant Antique Mall in Livingston Illinois. An ecclectic collection of historic fiberglass giants, the Mother Road Fudge Factory and Candy Shop and The Twistee Treats Diner provide a glimpse at what makes this a destination for kids of all ages.

And then there are the festivals that celebrate UFO's, Bigfoot, and Route 66. Curious? Today's conversation with Wayne Pickerill will surely inspire a road rip or two. Come along for the ride. After all, it's a shared adventure!

Next week on Coffee With Jim we will be visiting with Rhys Martin, President of the Oklahoma Route 66 Association and manager of the Preserve Route 66 Initiative at the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Martin's infectious enthusiasm will have you looking at Route 66 and your community in a whole new way. Invite your friends! 

Navajo code talkers. Route 66 as the quintessential American road trip. Small town America and big cities. The international fascination with Route 66, that highways future, and the endangered small business.

Our conversation with Jonathan Bullington, a Chicago Tribune senior reporter, on this episode of Coffee With Jim, the weekly podcast from Jim Hinckley's America, provides a different perspective on the Route 66 experience. Bullington recently wrote the first articles in a series about his odyssey along Route 66, and the people met along the way.  

Jonathan Bullington is no stanger to the sharing of adventures, to finding people with fascinating stories, or to providing inspiration through the telling of a good story. He previously worked at The Times-Picayune in New Orleans and at The Courier Journal in Louisville where he was part of a team that won the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for breaking news. Those experiences provided him with an ability to find stories often overlooked during his first Route 66 odyssey. 

Today's program is sponsored in part by supporters of Jim Hinckley's America through Patreon. It is also sponsored by the Cactus Inn Motel, McLean, Texas, RouteTrip USA, iconic Wagon Wheel Motel, Roadrunner Lodge Motel in Tucumcari, Gilligan's Route 66 Tours, Enchanted Trails Trading Post and RV Park in Albuquerque, Deana Nelson - State Farm Insurance Agent, and Two Lane America. 

Except for the savvy Route 66 (or Jefferson Highway) traveler, Joplin, Missouri may not be the first place that comes to mind when you think of destination cities. But as we learned in this conversation with Patrick Tuttle, director of the Joplin Convention and Visitors Bureau, that is about to change. Just check out the Visit Joplin tourism website and discover why this charming old mining town is perfect for a memory making weekend. Add the diverse array of attractions in the area, and you have a vacation holiday destination. How's that for road trip inspiration!

But our wide ranging conversation was more than a focus on Joplin. We discussed fostering development of a sense of community, building a network of cooperative partnerships, the allure of Route 66, the Route 66 centennial, murals and public art, the power of team work, tourism and economic development, and the future of Route 66.

Take a listen. Chime in. What are your thoughts about Joplin, Route 66, road trips, and building a sense of community? 

Today's program is sponsored in part by the iconic Wagon Wheel Motel in Cuba, Missouri. In 2026, the year of the Route 66 centennial, this venerable old gem turns ninety!

It is also sponsored by the Roadrunner Lodge Motel in Tucumcari, the Enchanted Trails Trading Post & RV Park in Albuquerque, Gilligan's Route 66 Tours, Cactus Inn Motel in McLean, Texas, Route Trip USA, Two Lane America, and support of Jim Hinckley's America on Patreon. A special shoutout to our newest advertising partner - Deana M Nelson Insurance Agency Inc., State Farm Insurance, Kingman, Arizona 

Public art does more than add a splash of color. It is a catalyst for building a sense of community. And as acclaimed Missouri based mural artist Ray Harvey of Ray Harvey Art noted during this mornings conversation, it can also be used to transform a community into a destination. Harvey detailed the transformation of Concordia into the official Patriotic Mural City of Missouri as an example. 

There is always a healthy dose of inspiration in any visit with Ray. On today's program I am sure he inspired a road trip or two. And I would be willing to bet that after listening to our discussion, a community organizer is looking at a blank wall in a whole new way. 

Jim Hinckley's America is a shared adventure. Come along for the ride!

The sponsors of Coffee With Jim mirror our commitment to fostering development of a sense of community, to sharing America's story, and to inspiring road trips. Sponsors include the Roadrunner Lodge Motel, RouteTrip USA, Cactus Inn Motel, Gilligan's Route 66 Tours, Enchanted Trails Trading Post & RV Park in Albuquerque, Two Lane America, and the iconic Wagon Wheel Motel in Cuba, Missouri. It is also made possible through the generous contributions through Patreon. 

A special shout out to our newest sponsor, hometown hero Deana Nelson, of Deana Nelson State Farm Insurance Agency, for all your insurance needs in Kingman, Arizona and northwestern Arizona.  

This morning we served up a double dose of inspiration and a healthy heapin' of thought provoking ideas provided by our guest Anthony Arno of the Route 66 podcast and innovative Route 66 scholarship initiative. Today's program was a deep dive into the changing nature of education, projects that instill a passion for learning, and ideas on how to share the American story by getting students excitied about road trips and Route 66. 

Take a listen, and share your thoughts and ideas in the comment section. 

Next week on Coffee With Jim, the weekly podcast from Jim Hinckley's America, we will visit with acclaimed Missouri based mural artist Ray Harvey to talk about public art along Route 66, and how public art fuels development of a sense of community. Invite your friends, pour a cup of coffee, pull up a chair, and join us. After all, Jim Hinckley's America is a shared adventure. 

Coffee With Jim is sponsored in part by patrons through Patreon. It is also sponsored by the one of a kind Roadrunner Lodge in Tucumcari, New Mexico, Two Lane America - We're making the Great American Road Trip easier than ever... - the iconic Wagon Wheel Motel in Cuba, Missouri, the oldest continuously operated motel on Route 66, Gilligan's Route 66 Tours - experts in delivering world-class, self-drive tours of this journey into America’s heart and soul - Enchanted Trails Trading Post & RV Park in Albuquerque - For a quality RV experience the trail leads here - the 1950s gem that is the Cactus Inn Motel in McLean, Texas, and RouteTrip USA - North America Road Trip Holidays by the experts who have actually been there.

Jenn Tramaglino has come full circle. And she has had her share of adventures from Amsterdam to Las Vegas and Burning Man. Now she has returned to her roots in Kingman, Arizona. And with Kingman Rental Bikes she is adding her infectious enthusiasm to the renaissance that is transforming the historic heart of this desert crossroads on Route 66.

In our wide ranging conversation we talked about the long and winding road that led Jenn to open a gift shop, rental bike store, and bicycle museum on Route 66 in a renovated 1930s service station. And we talked about the power of grassroot initiatives and cooperative partnerships, historic district transformation, bicycle history and trivia, and why Kingman is fast becoming a destination city. 

Next week on Coffee With Jim, the podcast from Jim Hinckley's America, our guest is Anthony Arno of Route 66 Podcast that has launched an innovative Route 66 scholarship program. As a college student Arno bicycled across America as a college student while drawing attention towards the plight of cancer patients.  After college he worked as a social worker with disabled adults.  He began his teaching career in Brooklyn and has received numerous awards and grants, participated in NASA’s Space Camp, and visited Japan as a Fulbright Memorial Fund recipient in 2003.

Coffee With Jim is sponsored in part by Two Lane America, the time capsule Roadrunner Lodge Motel in Tucucmari, RouteTrip USA, bespoke road trip specialists for adventures in the US and Canada, the iconic Wagon Wheel Motel in Cuba, Missouri, Gilligan's Route 66 Tours, Enchanted Trails Trading Post and RV Park in Albuquerque, and Cactus Inn Motel in McLean, Texas. It is also sponsored by patrons on Patreon. 

Cafes new and old (Lewis Cafe 1938 and Sweeetie Pies Amish Bakery & Cafe 2025), the Route 66 centennial (and bicentennial), vagabond life, fund raising challenges faced by non profits, social media pros and cons, the appeal of roadside kitsch, historic preservation challenges, inspiring a new generation to discover the magic of the great American road trip, the charm of Cuba (Missouri), and the appeal of Albuquerque. On today's episode our visit with Elizabeth Olwig of the Route 66 Association of Missouri, with encouragement from the audience, was a wide ranging conversation that was road trip inspiring and thought provoking. 

So, what are your thoughts about the Route 66 centennial, and the future of the great American road trip? 

Today's program was made possible in part by the patrons that support us through Patreon. It was also sponsored by our partners including Roadrunner Lodge Motel in Tucumcari, RouteTrip USA, the iconic Wagon Wheel Motel, Two Lane America, Cactus Inn Motel in McLean, Texas, Gilligan's Route 66 Tours, and the delightful Enchanted Trails Trading Post and RV Park in Albuquerque. 

Viva Las Vegas! You won't find Elvis impersonators, white tigers, and glittering casinos in the original Las Vegas. But you will find a very special version of small town America peppered with one of a kind diners and cafes, and nearly 1,000 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places.

You will also find the last drive in theater in New Mexico. Hot springs. A tale of political eccentricity. A connection to Theodore Roosevelt, the Rough Riders, Edsel Ford, Emily Post, and Doc Holiday. There is even a renovated Harvey House hotel and an 1882 hotel on the historic Santa Fe Trail. 

On today's episode of Coffee With Jim, with Kathleen Hendrickson as our guide to another shared adventure, we discover what makes the original Las Vegas a destination for Route 66 travelers, for movie buffs, for fans of western history, and for folks who prefer authenticity over glitz. 

Today's program is sponsored in part by patrons on the Jim Hinckley's America Patreon page. It is also sponsored by Two Lane America, the Roadrunner Lodge Motel in Tucumcari, RouteTrip USA, Enchanted Trails Trading Post and RV Park in Albuquerque, Gilligan's Route 66 Tours, the iconic Wagon Wheel Motel in Cuba, Missouri, and the Cactus Inn Motel in McLean, Texas. 

If you are a fan of classic and vintage cars, automobile restoration, and love to hear about their history, this program is for you! Our guest today is Richard Lentinello, the former editor-in-chief of nine car magazines, including Hemmings Motor News, that recently launched Crankshaft, a quarterly publication, in August 2020. And in February 2023, he was appointed to the Board of Directors of the Antique Automobile Club of America. When not writing about or photoraphing cars, he restores tham and serves as a judge at prestigious events such as Amelia Island.

Starting with Issue #9, Crankshaft has been transformed into a 224-page softcover book without any advertising. Well researched stories about a 1944 Volkswagen, 1965 Plymouth Barracuda, 1935 Ford, 1958 Austin Healey, 1966 Honda, 1921 Marmon, and 1967 Gilbern, enhanced with archival photos and photographs by acclaimed photographers, aptly illusttrate why this is being recognized as the premier publication for the classic car hobby.  

Today's program is sponsored in part by patrons that support us through Patreon. It is also sponsored by the iconic Wagon Wheel Motel in Cuba, Missouri, Roadrunner Lodge Motel in Tucumcari, Two Lane America, RouteTrip USA, Cactus Inn Motel in McLean, Texas, Gilligan's Route 66 Tours, and Enchanted Trails Trading Post and RV Park in Albuquerque. 

Love them or hate them the electric vehicle is here to stay. And they have a history that is rather surprising. Did you know that the first pedestrian killed by an automobile in the US was struck by an electric taxi cab - in 1899? Did you know that the first car built by Ferdinand Porsche was electric? And that was in 1898! Did you know that in 1916 a company manufactured a gasoline/electric hybrid? 

But today's program is not just about the past. It's about the future of the EV and related infrastructure, and everything in between. Our guest on this episode was Tosha O'Neill of the Historic Electric Vehicle Foundation - www.hevf.org - that is developing the world's first EV museum and education center in Kingman, Arizona. 

With plans to showcase the first exhibits in 2026, just in time for the Route 66 centennial, the museum will provide a glimpse of the future on this storied old highway. 

Put aside pre-conceived thoughts and ideas, take a listen, and be prepared for a surprise or two! 

Today's program is sponsored in part by supporters through Patreon. It is also sponsored by RouteTrip USA, the iconic Wagon Wheel Motel, a Route 66 treasure in Cuba, Missouri, Two Lane America, Cactus Inn Motel in McLean, Texas, Roadrunner Lodge Motel in Tucumcari, the Enchanted Trails Trading Post and RV Park in Albuquerque, and Gilligan's Route 66 Tours. 

It's another shared adventure from Jim Hinckley's America!