RANDOM THOUGHTS

This photo of a 1932 Buick hood ornament from a press kit issued by General Motors to celebrate a centennial of Buick sparked a bit of off center thinking. Please be patient while I explain and you will see why it is best spare time is kept to a minimum in my world.
When the car attached to this hood ornament was built, this nation was nearing rock bottom in one of the worst economic debacles in history. Still, for those fortunate enough to have a job and enough money to afford a new car the year 1932 was truly the best of times.
In my humble opinion there was not an American automobile manufactured that year that wasn't a styling masterpiece. Even the lowly Chevrolet was fine art on wheels.
The flip side of the coin were those less fortunate, the folks immortalized in Grapes of Wrath, the book and movie. For these tragic figures this wasn't the best of times by a long stretch.
As we careen towards the precipice that is the Great Depression II, I am wondering if there will be another 1932, a year of unprecedented styling that shines brightly in a very bleak era?
Part two of this train of thought is a bit darker and has to do with the unfortunates, those left scrambling to survive. For the Joads the vehicle of escape was a beat down Hudson, a vehicle they could and did repair along the roadside. What vehicle will come to symbolize the new "Oakies"?

ANOTHER MIXED BAG

*click on photos to enlarge




Here is another mixed bag, an indication of just how fast things are moving in my world.
First, I would like to thank Sam Jackson and the fine folks at the Hudson-Essex-Terraplane Club for these fabulous photos. In addition to these images they also provided the majority of the illustrations for several articles on Hudson history that I penned for the latest issue of Cars & Parts magazine in celebration of the Hudson centennial.
http://www.carsandparts.com/
http://www.hudsonclub.org/
I have never owned a Hudson and have only been a passenger in a few vehicles built by this company. Still, its history and the vehicles it produced rate quite highly in my realm of interest.
If the opportunity presents itself this summer, and you have an interest in the legendary Hudson, I suggest plans be laid for a trip to Detroit. The centennial celebration promises to be an unforgettable adventure. http://www.hudsonclub.org/hetevent.htm
For those Hudson owners traveling as a group please let me know. The members of the Route 66 Association of Kingman would be pleased to meet you and welcome you to Kingman.
For a brief moment it looked as though the first mural project to be sponsored by the Route 66 Association of Kingman would spring to life on the barren, stark stucco wall like desert wildflowers during the first warm days of spring. The initial meetings between artist and building owner went well, the artist was excited about the idea and even funding looked as though it would be easy to obtain.
Strike one were issues with the artists work and possible copyright issues. Strike two and three came from the Hualapai tribal council as they would not condone a mural that reflected certain aspects of the tribes history. Well, on to plan "B".
This brings us to the sign project. There have been a number of promising steps in bringing this project to fruition but I am often frustrated by how slow the wheels turn with such things. Updates will follow.
One of the things to come from this endeavor is the discovery of a fascinating museum and offers of direction and technical assistance from the curator.
http://www.signmuseum.net/about.asp
Meanwhile, the day job at Martin Swanty Penske continues providing income though there has been a noticeable sea change in the way folks go about moving. The methodical patterns of the past are rapidly giving way to something akin to kicking over an ant hill.
Ghost Towns of Route 66 has cleared the first hurdle with the publisher. So, the hope is we will have final approval in the next month or so and get this project on the road (pardon the pun).
Route 66 Backroads is fast growing legs and may soon outrun my capabilities to keep up. By no stretch of the imagination am I complaining.
Everything I write is written with the hope that at some point my endeavors will allow me to make this the primary rather than the secondary job. I am also a realist and fully understand things like this take time so the first priority is to share my love for the road and old cars with others in the hopes the reader will be encouraged to see vintage cars and forgotten highways from a different perspective.

As much as I enjoy writing as a medium to introduce people to obscure historical footnotes, fascinating destinations, and overlooked historic figures there is a certain satisfaction that comes from seeing your work take you one step closer to fulfilling that dream. There is a warm, fuzzy feeling that comes from seeing that folks appreciate your creation.
So, you can imagine how this made me feel. I received this updated summary of press coverage for Route 66 Backroads this morning from Maurrie Salenger, marketing manager at MBI/Voyageuer Press and a true blessing.

One final note about Route 66 Backroads. Yes, I am really hoping the book sells and sells well. However, I wrote the book in the hopes it would encourage folks to seek out the road less traveled and rediscover the adventure that is the quintessential American road trip.
With that said I hope any one who buys a copy will stop by my office at 2610 E. Andy Devine in Kingman, Arizona, see my little shrine to Route 66 and the American love affair with the automobile and let me sign their book. I would like to add that even if you don't buy the book, I hope you will stop by and say howdy as you motor west, or east, on the legendary double six.


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

Chard & Ilminster News (UK), January 20, 2009 (circ. unknown)
Somerset County Gazette (UK) January 21, 2009
“Its not just a very good travel guide, it also serves as a very attractive and interesting history book if you
want to learn a little about America. You really can get your kicks on (and off) Route 66.”

Lancashire Evening Post (UK) (circ.: 38,265 ) and http://www.lep.co.uk/, January 12, 2009
“But writer Hinckley, and three photographers, suggest here that the real American experience lies among the highways and byways just off the so-called Mother Road., or Main Street USA. In a lavishly-illustrated 200 pages, complete with helpful maps, they take the reader – and traveller – into places where momma still makes apple pie the American way and where new and unimagined delights await the determined explorer.”

http://rt66riders.org, January 9, 2008 (9,616,266 vpm)
“With the weather and the holidays curtailing motorcycle riding I thought you might want to curl up with Jim Hinckley’s paperback and read about Rt. 66, since it is the home of Jim and the Rt. 66 Riders.
Jim Hinckley’s passion for the open road has translated into regular contributions to a wide variety of periodicals, including Route 66, American Road, and others.”

Wanderlust (UK), February 1, 2009 (circ.: 37,500)
“Great Guides: For a more in-depth look at another classic route, Route 66 Backroads is perfect. Follow the iconic road across the USA, traversing prairies and vast plains en route.”

Janesville Gazette (Wisconsin), January 4, 2009 (circ.: 20,800)
Ventura County Sunday Star East County Edition, December 28, 2008 (circ.: 106,876)
Ventura County Sunday Star West County Edition, December 28, 2008 (circ.: 17,000)
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, 2008 (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)
Observer (Dunkirk, NY), December 19, 2008 (circ.: 11,400)
“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 in UK publications:
Mail on Sunday, (UK) 12/12/08 Circulation: 2, 211,029
Lancashire Evening Post (UK) 12/01/09 Circulation: 31,225
Auto Express, (UK), April 2009 Circulation: 77,587
Classic American, (UK), April 2009 Circulation: 25,000
Real Travel, (UK), February 2009 Circulation: 27,000
Lincolnshire Echo, (UK) 26/01/09 Circulation: 22,263
Scunthorpe Advertiser, (UK) 26/01/09 Circulation: 20.568
Grimsby Telegraph, (UK) 26/01/09 Circulation: 34,590
Hull Daily Mail, (UK) 26/01/09 Circulation: 59, 689
Sleaford Target, (UK) 26/01/09 Circulation: 17,268
Gainsborough Target, (UK) 26/01/09 Circulation: 13,775
Boston Target, (UK) 26/01/09 Circulation: 27,340
Beverley Advertiser, (UK) 26/01/09 Circulation: 19,962
Louth Target, (UK) 26/01/09 Circulation: 13,776
Greenock Telegraph, P. 31 (UK), 20/12/08 Circulation: 17,667
Mansfield & Ashfield Observer, (UK) February 2009 Circulation 58,599
Practical Classics, (UK) April 2009 Circulation: 59,011
Somerset County Gazette online, (UK) 27/01/09 Circulation: 29, 688
Wanderlust, p.124, Unattributed (UK), 01/02/2009 Circulation: 37,500
Triumph World, p.12, Unattributed (UK), 01/02/2009 Circulation: 26500
MG Enthusiast, p.16, Unattributed (UK), 01/01/2009 Circulation: 11800
Chard & Ilminster News (Web), Harris Dee, 22/01/2009
911 & Porsche World, Steve Bennett, (UK), February 2009 Circulation: 36,500

Route 66 Backroads was also mentioned in:
Kingman Daily Miner, January 4, 2009 (circ.: 9,000)
http://rt66riders.org, January 9, 2009 (9,616,200 vpm)
http://nature-outdoor.blogspot.com, January 22, 2009
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
RV Life, February 2009 (circ.: 55,000)Esquire Magazine, Publication date unknown (circ.: 726,300)

THE OTHER ROUTE 66

Even the aficionado of Route 66 that has never motored west is familiar with the path of that highway in western Arizona, over the Black Mountains in a series of hair raising twists and turns and through Oatman with its friendly burros obstructing traffic. However, what many fans of the highway don't realize is that there is another Route 66 in western Arizona.

Not nearly as scenic or intact this portion of the road dating to 1953 has almost entirely vanished under the asphalt of I40. Still, if you know where to look there are miles of vintage asphalt to be followed across the desert and over rolling hills in a stomach turning series of climbs and dips.

The most tangible links to this forgotten chapter in Route 66 history are found in the dusty wide spot in the road that is Yucca, Arizona.

Signs that once glowed bright under the starlit desert skies now cast long shadows over empty fields littered with broken glass and brown tumble weeds fill the parking spaces at the ruins of a forlorn cafe. Barely discernible foundations peek from under wind blown sands.

Even recent attempts to breath life into Yucca such as a housing development to the east of town have done little to erase the sense that here the glory days are long past.

After a busy morning at the office, the drive to Lake Havasu City, and a several hour book signing we decided to forgo the drive back through Oatman even though the weather was picture perfect with temperatures hovering around seventy degrees. Instead we thought we would see how much of the post 1953 alignment of Route 66 was still drivable.

Much to my surprise from the junction of I40 and highway 95 east to Yucca we found many miles of asphalt in good condition. Often these sections were interspersed with good gravel roads where I40 negated further driving on Route 66.

Little has really changed in Yucca since my last stop. The proving grounds opened by Ford in the mid 1950s at the site of an axillary field built during World War II as part of the Kingman Army Airfield complex is now a Chrysler proving ground.

The Honolulu Club is still going strong. The original was along Route 66 in Oatman. A fire and the bypass of the highway prompted the owner to relocate operations to Yucca in about 1954.

If vestiges of the towns association with Route 66 are few in number the links to its territorial history are even fewer. As I understand it only a couple of houses remain from the pre 1920 era of the town.

In a 1914 guide book to the western United States the path of the National Old Trails Highway is shown as going through Oatman and over the Black Mountains, essentially the same as that of Route 66 after 1926. However, it also shows a secondary route that follows the 1883 alignment of the railroad closely for those wishing to avoid the steep grades on the main highway.

The only indication of services available along this route, between the Colorado River and Kingman is at Yucca. In an odd series of events the establishment of Route 66 through Oatman in 1926 effectively destroyed many businesses in Yucca but the realignment of the highway through Yucca in 1953 initiated a renaissance of sorts.

The official date for establishment of Yucca is 1905, the year the post office was established. A rough camp that met needs of railroad workers, miners, and hardy ranchers existed here for at least a decade before that.

The town never really amounted to much in the grand scheme of things. The Borriana Mines to the south fueled a small boom of sorts during the 1920s and again in the 1950s.

The establishment of the auxiliary airfield in the 1940s kept the town from blowing away. With the transformation of the airfield into a proving ground for Ford's new Thunderbird it even garnered honorable mention internationally.

The realignment of Route 66 in 1953 gave it the biggest boost. For a brief moment during the 1960s, about the time Robert McCulloch was creating a desert wonderland with the relocation of the London Bridge and the establishment of a town now known as Lake Havasu City, it looked as though Yucca's golden years were about to begin.

As it turned out this was just a modern version of the old land scam deal that had been played in the 19Th century with mining claims. The only remnant from that expansive boondoggle is the landmark Dinesphere, now a residence, west of Yucca.

There isn't really much to see here but for those insistent on experiencing all of Route 66 the next time you find yourself in western Arizona don't forget to seek out the other Route 66.

ANOTHER SHRINE FOR ROUTE 66

*click on photo to enlarge

Okay, I haven't really played with the new camera in an indoor setting but here are a couple quick shots of my lair, my home away from home, my shrine to America's love affair with the automobile and Route 66.

Renting cars and Penske trucks is the primary purpose for my office. However, as my office fronts on Route 66 and is in an historic building (formerly a part of the Hobbs Truck Stop complex) I feel there is an obligation to preserve a part of that history.

My long term plan is make this more than just a rental office. I would like to transform it into a complete, all encompassing Route 66 information center.

So, if you have a business or museum on Route 66 and want to help in this transformation please send me post cards, brochures or promotional material you have for your establishment and I will make sure they are prominently displayed. If your a traveler on the old double 66 stop by, say hello, and browse through my miniature shrine to Route 66 and all things automotive.

The address is 2610 E. Andy Devine Ave (Route 66) in Kingman, Arizona.

As added incentive if you purchased one of my books from a Route 66 based museum or gift shop, and have the receipt, I will gladly sign the book as well as provide you with a small gift bag. What a deal!