RANDOM THOUGHTS FROM SOMEWHERE SOUTHWEST OF LARAMIE

I use the phrase "west of Laramie" in one form or another quite often. More than a few have asked where I get these things. Well, in this instance it is combination plagiarism and testimony to one of the greatest admen of all time, Ned Jordan. http://www.wcroberts.org/Paige_History/1923%20Jordan%20Playboy.htm
The next random thought of the day pertains to work and how much of our life we donate to it. More years ago than I care to remember, me and an old cow hand were stringing wire along a river bottom in south New Mexico. About half way into the project the old cow hand turned to me and said, "Working like this is a sure death but I reckon its a slower death than starvation." That, my friend, sums up work quite nicely.
One of the great questions that has been riding heavy on the mind as of late pertains to what to do when I grow up. I suppose a decision had best be made soon as fifty is fast fading from view in the rear view mirror and sixty is looming at the top of the hill.
At some point the hope is that we can find a small piece of land somewhere near Silver City in New Mexico when it comes time to be put out to pasture. This is hands down some of the finest country I have yet to see. http://www.silvercity.org/
As you may have noticed from this post I have been doing a bit of soul searching and a great deal of reminiscing lately. That in turn has led to thoughts about a golden time in my life. The pay was about $20 a week less than anemic but the most enjoyable time ever spent working was during my "John Wayne" period.
I am not a cowboy, that is something you are born to and that takes a life time to learn. Still, I sure enjoyed playing one and all that that entails - rodeo, long hours in the saddle, long hours in the truck, long hours in the sun, long hours in the rain, a loyal dog and clear mountain mornings surrounded by some of God's finest handiwork.
I suppose the only thing missing was the love of a good women. Well, there is an an old adage that good things come to those who wait. In my case the love of a good women was well worth the wait which has in turn led me to believe that somewhere down the road that 1931 Model A Ford truck awaits.
As I look back it seems like that chapter in my life was at least a hundred years and several lifetimes ago. That lifestyle is as far removed from the one I have today as the night life of San Francisco is from a Sunday morning in a Bisbee, Arizona, church.
A man has to play the hand he draws with a smile, not the one the other fellow has or the one he had last year. A life lived walking backwards is sure to end with a terrible tumble and one lived wishing for what you don't have is one filled with misery.
I am a blessed man and really have nothing to complain about. The health is still pretty good, the pantry is full, the family is healthy, the house is warm and filled with laughter and I have a loving beautiful wife to share my life with and to come home to. In a nut shell I suppose the only real regret carried is the wonder of what might have been if life were lived according to His plan instead of mine.

ROUTE 66 BACKROADS IN THE SPOTLIGHT

I receive a great deal of correspondence pertaining from would be authors regarding the promotion of books. Perhaps this will answer a few of those questions.
First, be as fortunate as I am to have a publicist like Maurrie Salenger working on your behalf. This is the latest update from the publisher on publicity Route 66 Backroads is receiving. A small part of the credit for this is mine but even here all I have really done is follow the trail blazed by Maurrie.
Two, see step one.

Route 66 Backroads: Your Guide to Scenic
Side Trips & Adventures from the Mother Road
Author: Jim Hinckley
Photographers: Kerrick James, Rick Bowers & Nora Bowers

ISBN-13: 978-0-7603-2817-0
Item #: 144231 AP
Retail: $24.99 US • $27.50 CAN • £15.99 UK
Pub Date: November 2008

Binding: Paperback
Dimensions: 8.5 x 11
Page Count: 208
Illustrations: 165 color & 35 b/w photos, 8 maps
Marketing Manager: Maurrie Salenger


Confirmed Media

Print/Online

Arizona Republic (Phoenix), December 21, 2008 (circ.: 480,585)
Chicago Tribune and www.chicagotribune.com, December 7, 2008 (circ.: 864,845)
Charlotte Observer, December 28,000 (circ.: 270,347)
“Famous Route 66 begins at Grant Park in Chicago and ends by the Pacific Ocean in Santa Monica, Calif. The road and this book recall a time before franchise restaurants and chain motels choked America's highways. The journey begins in Illinois, travels through Missouri and Kansas, continues through Oklahoma, crosses Texas, enters New Mexico, traverses Arizona before ending in California. In total, the guide consists of 50 driving tours, which include plenty of side trips off the Mother Road. What truly sets the book apart from similar titles, though, is the more than 200 color photographs by photographers Kerrick James, Rick Bowers and Nora Mays Bowers.”

Route 66 Magazine, Winter 2008-09 (circ.: 55,000)
“Route 66 Backroads takes us on some of those journeys and in the process makes us wish for more memory cards for the camera and more days to spend on the road…Jim Hinckley takes us to with his lively narrative that both informs and intrigues. Through excellent photography of Kerrick James, as well as Rick and Nora Bowers, the places come alive and entice you to visit. For many of us, Route 66 is the adventure, the moveable feast of cross-country journey, but close to the Road, there are places equally as interesting and exciting. Route 66 Backroads explores some of these places, and adds even more reasons for making that next Route 66 trip.”

http://www.preservationnation.org/magazine/2008/story-of-the-week/route-66-hipsters.html, December 19, 2008 (303,000 vpm)
“The 1990s saw a resurgence of interest in the road, says Jim Hinckley, co-author of "Route 66 Backroads." Because road trips on the interstate were, as Hinckley puts it, as exciting as ‘mashed potatoes on white paper plates,’ travelers started breaking up their trips by venturing down the old abandoned highway to explore its quirky motels, flashy neon signs, and kitchy shops.

‘The trickle of travelers in search of America as it was became a torrent,’ Hinckley says. ‘They began to rediscover the wondrous diversity only found on back roads and forgotten highways such as Route 66.’"

LA Times (circ.: 739,100) and http://travel.latimes.com, December 21, 2008 (vpm unknown)
“Sure, the interstate will get you there faster, but driving the Mother Road gets you closer to history. If you know someone who’s enchanted with the double six, “Route 66 Backroads,” by Jim Hinckley with photos by Kerrick James, Rick Bowers and Nora Mays Bowers, may be just the ticket (Voyageur Press, $24.99).
What’s different about this tome: It offers 50 side strips on the road from Chicago to L.A., detours that could bring you face to face with the neon/big fins/diners/motels feeling you’re looking for.
If only I hadn’t gotten rid of my ‘57 Chevy….”

http://www.byways.org, November 21, 2008 (vpm unknown)
Check out the Illinois chapter of the 208-page Route 66 Backroads book by Jim Hinckley published this month by Voyageur Press. The book’s subtitle, Your Guide to Scenic Side Trips & Adventures From the Mother Road, provides more detail on the publication, which is filled with colorful pictures.

MG Enthusiast (UK) January 2008. (11,800)
Reprint of press release with cover image

https://swiowanews2.com/ (vpm unknown)
“Is your family planning a little getaway for this holiday? If so, be sure to wrap up “Route 66 Backroads”, text by Jim Hinckley, photography by Kerrick James, Rick Bowers, and Nora Mays Bowers. Packed with loads of color pictures, this cool book will help your giftee get his (or her) kicks. Hint: give it to restless kids and make a game of matching pictures to real landmarks.”

Lonely Planet Magazine (UK), December 2008 (circ.: unknown) – Premier issue
“Only venturing away from the freeway will you find the undiscovered remnants of Route 66’s legendary history, according to author Jim Hinckley. This guide to the American Mother road is broken down into manageable detours…The guide’s photography highlights the variety of sights, from iconic Route 66 cafes and memorabilia, abandoned Texan towns to stunning waterfalls and desert landscape.”

Route66@yahoogroups.com, November 28, 2008
“I have a copy of Jim Hinckley's new book and want to share with all of you
some facts and my thoughts on the book. Route 66 BACKROADS has over 200 photos, some new and a few old, all are worth the price of the book alone. Then add in some maps to show folks how easy it is to get to and from these sites from Route 66. Now the instructions, information and data that Jim has added in the text shows the reader just how thoroughly he has done his research. I plan on taking this book with me when traveling the road, just in case I find time to take somedetours. For you retailers, like Rich, that offer this book for sale, I feel it is going to make a GREAT addition to your inventory. For you fellow roadies this is just the kind of book you need to make you want to get back out on the road. I will be recommending this book to everyone that travels the road or just wants to add a wonderful book to their collection.

I have one question for Jim Hinckley, who by the way I know and he is a good
friend. WHEN IS YOUR NEXT BOOK COMING OUT?”

http://windycityroadwarrior.com/, November 25, 2008 (vpm unknown)
“I have been enjoying in the last few days a beautiful book named Route 66 Backroads: Your Guide to Scenic Side Trips & Adventures from the Mother Road. It was written by Jim Hinckley and features photography by Kerrick James, Rick Bowers, and Nora Mays Bowers. The title is somewhat misleading, but not in a bad way. Before looking through the book, I had assumed that it would highlight 66 sites and other places of interest nearby. While sites such as these are covered, the scenic side trips take you far away from the Mother Road, showing many of the other interesting areas within the eight Route 66 states… The photography throughout the book is stunning, and the narrative compelling. I give the book my highest praise: it makes me want to jump in the car and take a road trip!”

www.route66news.com, November 12, 2008 (vpm unkown)
“Jim Hinckley’s gorgeous new book, “Route 66 Backroads” (Voyageur, 208 pages, $24.99), is a guide to more than 40 side trips that use historic Route 66 as a jumping-off point….It should be noted that Hinckley gets equal billing with photographers Kerrick James, Rick Bowers and Nora Mays Bowers. This is appropriate, because “Route 66 Backroads” is the best-looking road book since Michael Wallis and Michael S. Williamson’s “The Lincoln Highway.” The volume is loaded with stunning images, especially the Arizona chapter with its photographs of the Grand Canyon, a rainbow in the Painted Desert, Wukoki Ruin in the Wupatki National Monument, and Havasu Falls….Because of the book’s format, Hinckley’s text may seem lean at times. But one gets the sense he doesn’t want to reveal too much — those side trips should be more fully discovered by the readers themselves…Also, it’s wise that Hinckley gets out of the way of the book’s photography. An well-framed image will do as much to sell an unfamiliar destination as anything. Recommended (especially for wanderlust roadies).”

Jackson Citizen Patriot, November 2008 (circ.: 35,980)
“Jackson native presents a new twist on Route 66.”

http://route66chronicles.blogspot.com, September 29, 2008 “As the release date for the highly anticipated Route 66 Backroads fast approaches it seemed a good idea to provide a sneak peak, a preview of forthcoming attractions if you will. Courtesy of Voyageur Press here is the introduction to the Route 66 guide with a twist.”

Kingman Daily Miner October 17, 2008 (circ.: 8,900)
“Discover a 66 you thought you knew ~ In 1950, a billboard on the border of Arizona and New Mexico proclaimed the wonders awaiting discovery along Route 66 on the journey west. It also teased the traveler with hints of the many attractions found just north or south of that highway. The book is available at local bookstores or online.”

http://www.postcardsfromtheroad.net/afton.shtml
“I received a copy of Jim Hinckley's book today. I haven't been able to spend much time on it yet, but it certainly looks like a beautifully photographed, informational, and interesting book. I can't wait to sit down and read every page.”

Ironworks, November 2008 (circ.: 53,150)
Listed in IW Reference Shelf: “Find hidden gems along the way, Chicago to LA.”

Route 66 Backroads was also mentioned in:
Mohave Memories, January 2009 (circ.: unknown)
www.route66news.com, December 18, 2008 (vpm unknown)
Pontiac Daily Leader, November 19, 2008 (circ.: 4,170)
Chamber Reports (Kingman, AZ), October 2008 (circ.: unknown)
Broadcast

AM Arizona - KAZ-TV, November 3, 2008, Author on air interview
KAZM Radio, Sedona, AZ


Book Signings

11/22 Autobooks, Burbank, CA
12/13 Hastings Books and Music, Kingman, AZ
1/10 Mohave Museum of History and Arts
1/17 Hastings Books & Music Flagstaff, AZ
1/31 Hastings Books & Music, Havasu City, AZ
5/2 Route 66 Fun Run


Pending Media

Print
Real Travel (UK) February 2009 (circ.: 27,000)
RV Life, February 2009 (circ.: 55,000)
Esquire Magazine, Publication date unknown (circ.: 726,300)

ANOTHER DAY ON PLANET EARTH

Well, it would seem the book signing at Hastings Books, Music, & Videos scheduled for the 17th of January has been postponed. Apparently the store management has decided not to operate as an open air market after the roof collapsed due to excessive snow.
Not to be deterred by this minor setback and with visions of the Pine Country Restaurant dancing in our head we decided to pursue plan "B". http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguide-20148929R-pine_country_restaurant-i So, arrangement has been made with Barnes & Nobles in Flagstaff for them to order extra copies of Backroads of Arizona, Route 66 Backroads, and The Big Book of Car Culture and I will sign those in inventory on our trip to Flagstaff.
Hopefully, we will be able to visit some old friends and sign books at their stores along the way.
http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/10122
http://www.route66giftshop.com/angel.html
The good book says to rejoice in all things. Well, in this instance the change in schedule allows more time for enjoying the trip. It also provides more time to photograph Peach Springs for a feature that will appear in the spring issue of Route 66 magazine. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peach_Springs,_Arizona
http://www.route66magazine.com/
As an unofficial reporter for Dries Bressel with the Dutch Route 66 Association it will also provide time to get some fresh material for them as well. http://www.rte66.nl/index.php/het-laatste-nieuws
On the home front the pesky bug picked up just before the first of the year is hanging on for dear life. This has put a kink in my bicycle ride to work.
In spite of the3 flu bug my wife and I have been taking advantage of sunny days to explore the mountain trails around Ft. Beale and Beale Springs. I have always enjoyed this area and the views are nothing short of stunning. I am really glad the city of Kingman had the foresight to set aside this land as a buffer to development. http://www.ghosttowns.com/states/az/campbealesprings.html
For the next installment of The Independent Thinker, my monthly column for Cars & Parts magazine, I chose to focus on the early pre GM exploits of William Durant. His story presents an excellent study in the importance of not becoming to myopic about the short term benefits of wealth or how fleeting such an acquisition is. http://www.carsandparts.com/
Meanwhile at the office, the real job, its business as usual. It is almost as though someone kicked over an ant den with people moving everywhere. On more than one occasion I am left with the impression there is little forethought or planning behind the move, just mere reaction to circumstances.
I am eagerly hoping and am laying plans for a Route 66 cruise next year. In addition to sharing the wonders of the road with my wife, many of which would be new to her, and promoting my book I hope to meet some of the fine folks along the highway met through correspondence and shared interest. Topping that list would be the proprietor of Afton Station. http://www.aftonstation66.com/afton.shtml
I would really like to meet as many folks as possible along the way. For those who sell books and such along the route perhaps I can stop, share a cup of Joe, and sign a few for you. And if you don't sell books I am still up for a good cup of coffee.

WHERE THE PAST AND PRESENT MEET

* click on photo to enlarge

When my wife suggested a drive to some of our old stomping grounds to kick off the New Year it seemed a perfect idea. The original game plan was to spend New Years Day taking care of loose ends such as repairing a shelf at my mothers house and then set aside Sunday afternoon for the adventure.

I was really glad to discover a storm was scheduled to move in to the area over the weekend. That meant I would not have to wait for the weekend to enjoy three of my favorite things; the stunning solitude of the desert and a pleasant drive through some of the most beautiful country on earth with my dearest friend.

So, I spent the morning repairing a shelf, stocking up moms kitchen for the week, and topping of the fluids, including the gas tank, in old Barney. This left the gorgeous sunny afternoon for us.

I have always enjoyed the drive north from Kingman along old Stockton Hill Road. The landscapes are quintessentially western - sweeping desert plains studded with dark stone outcroppings bordered by towering snow covered peaks, colorful rock bluffs, and a dry lake bed on the far horizon.

The name sake for the road was the mining town of Stockton Hill, now long vanished, that nestled on the steep flank of the Cerbat Mountains. This is not the only historic gem hidden among these rocky hills and there is even an authenticated story of a stage hold up at the station near the C.O.D. mine and missing loot. http://www.ghosttowns.com/states/az/stockton.html

When my wife and I were dating some 27 years ago Stockton Hill Road from a point just north of Northern Avenue to the Dolan Springs/Meadview road was a graded gravel track that turned to pudding when it rained. With Kingman spreading across the wide Hualapai Valley and up the lower slopes of the Cerbat and Hualapai Mountains the county recently paved the road in its entirety.

McMansions and ranches for Rexall rangers are springing up all along the road and in the surrounding hills so we really didn't have high hopes of finding one of our old hang outs unmolested. This, however, was a day of blessings.

This jumbled pile of stone on the stark desert plain was as we remembered. The old stock tank was dry, the views were stunning and the pristine solitude as a cold drink of water on a blistering July day.

When we were dating money was a very scarce commodity. My "home" was a caretakers small, one room cabin in the shadow of the Cerbat Mountains. Water was hauled, heat for warmth or cooking came from the wood I split, and when the sun went down the lamps were lit. For the average visitor only my old truck parked outside broke the illusion this wasn't the 1880s.

From day one, though at the time I thought it was luck, the good Lord has blessed me with dear Judy to share life with. Money has never been a priority and it is the simple things that she enjoys most.

When we were dating this often meant drives in the desert, long walks, picnic lunches or a dinner cooked over a wood fire and enjoyed in the glow of a kerosene lamp. One place we really enjoyed was this little island of stone in the desert where curious vestiges of the ancient people who once called this desert valley home abound.

Perhaps that was one reason my wife's suggestion seemed such a perfect way to start a New Year, a little of the old with a little of the new.

It was truly a delightful afternoon. Friendship and sunshine, the desert and ice cold spearmint tea, my smiling wife at the wheel of old Barney with the sun dancing in her hair as a halo and the residual effects of a flu bug fast fading.

What a wonderful way to start a New Year! I am truly a blessed man.

NEW DISCOVERIES

Stories of vintage cars in barns are a lot like those told by fisherman. With each telling the find becomes more amazing and more likely than not, the stories are founded on a grain of truth. On very rare occasions a find is so incredible it will suffice to fuel the imaginations of generations of story tellers.
An excellent case in point is this story out of England. http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090101/ts_afp/britainautoauctionoffbeat_090101195011
Usually barn finds as they relate to automobiles are little different from other things left in barns by fellow stable mates such as cows or horses. Years of neglect have transformed a once stately automobile into little more that a pile of scrap that resembles an automobile.
Those that do survive are often the more mundane vehicles, those that were mere reliable transportation for the average Joe in their day. http://www.californiaclassix.com/archive/40_Barn-Dodge_c154.html
In any instance an automobile that has survived into the modern era intact after decades of hibernation is a true time capsule. They are rare, tangible links to an earlier time.
On a different note here is another one for the "And Now For Something Different File." I am not a big fan of street rods as a customized vehicle looses that time capsule vehicle I so enjoy. Still, this is truly amazing. http://forums.finalgear.com/general-automotive/7-liter-twin-turbo-1939-international-truck-32207