Will Grant, today's guest, has mastered the art of living a rich balanced life filled with adventures that blur the line between past and present. His book The Last Ride of the Pony Express: My 2,000 Mile Horseback Journey Into The Old West is a masterfully written account of one of these epic adventures. The book blends a childhood passion for the romanticism of the Wild West, a fascination for people and their stories, work as a cowboy and horse trainer, and a career in journalism.

In our far ranging conversation we talked about his odyssey along the Pony Express Trail, the changing face of the American west, colorful characters, and a search for authentic history. And we also found time to discuss a horse race across Mongolia, and other adventures. Curious?

Next week on Coffee With Jim it’s a riveting story of 19th century crime, violence, the railroad, racial tension, and injustice in the Mojave Desert of San Bernardino County, California. Steve Reyes has a diverse background that includes work in law enforcement and with courts. That made him the perfect person for unraveling and telling this fascinating story in his book, Four Miles East of Bagdad. Join us for what promises to be an interesting conversation about a desert oais with a Route 66 connection.

Coffee With Jim is sponsored in part by listeners through Patreon. It is also sponsored by RouteTrip USA, Roadrunner Lodge Motel, Two Lane America, Deana Nelson State Farm Insurance, Gilligan's Route 66 Tours, Enchanted Trails Trading Post & RV Park, and Wagon Wheel Motel.

We had a bit of an audio issue and do apologize but if you have a fascination for aviation history, and are looking to add some zest to a Route 66 adventure, this program is for you!

Paul Gaines and Tim Gerlich are writing a new chapter in the long and colorful aviation history in Kingman, Arizona. The Aviation Heritage Center that they are creating will be an educational center that inspires and that connects future generations to the aviation, engineering, and innovation history of Kingman. Did you know that Charles Lindbergh and Amelia Earhart have a Kingman connection? Did you know that the Kingman Airport along Route 66 is chock full of tangible links to the WWII Kingman Army Airfield and is home to a delightful breakast or lunch stop cafe?

Jim Hinckley’s America is a shared adventure. So, invite your firends and lets share a high flying adventure with Tim and Paul. And next week on Coffee With Jim we visit with Will Grant who has mastered the art of living a life of adventure that blurs the line between past and present. His book The Last Ride of the Pony Express: My 2,000 Mile Horseback Journey Into The Old West is a masterfully written account of one of these epic adventures. First was a childhood passion for the romanticism of the Wild West. After college he worked as a cowboy and horse trainer. Then came a career in journalism, a horse race across Mongolia, and a prospecting adventure in Arizona. Curious?

Today's program is sponsored by viewer support through Patreon. It is also sponsored by Deana Nelson State Farm, Roadrunner Lodge Motel, Gilligan's Route 66 Tours, Wagon Wheel Motel, Enchanted Trails Trading Post & RV Park, Two Lane America, amd RouteTrip USA.

Katie Barthlow of the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona has an infectious enthusiasm for Route 66, for building a sense of community, and for inspiring young people to dare to dream big. Join us for a fun conversation that will inspire a road trip or two, encourage you to make a difference in your community, and provide insight into a new generation of passionate preservationists and Route 66 enthusiasts.

Jim Hinckley’s America is a shared adventure. Join the conversation and invite your friends!

Coffee with Jim is sponsored in part through Patreon. Our promotional partners include Roadrunner Lodge Motel, Gilligan's Route 66 Tours, Two Lane America, Wagon Wheel Motel, Deana Nelson State Farm Insurance, Enchanted Trails Trading Post & RV Park, and RouteTrip USA.

Pete Oprisko isn't old enough for a drivers license. But family vacation road trips and books have instilled in him an infectious curiosity as well as a passion for the American story, historic preservation, road trips, and legendary Route 66. So, if you are curious about how we ensure Route 66 and the great American road trip remain relevant in decades to come, and what will inspire a new generation to preserve Route 66 landmarks, today's program is for you.

Next week on Coffee With Jim it's a healthy dose of inspiration to embrace life through challenging adventures. Our guests is free lance journalist and adventurer Pam LeBlanc. An Austin-based freelance writer who specializes in stories about outdoor adventure and recreation, LeBlanc writes the weekly Fit City column. Her adventurers include a back to nature 5K, rappelling down a 38-story building, and an odyssey on the John Muir Trail in California. Invite your friends and join us for a lively conversation. www.pamleblancadventures.com

Today's program is sponsored in part by your support through Patreon. It is also sponsored by Enchanted Trails Trading Post & Rav Park, Gilligan's Route 66 Tours, Connie's Shoppe and Wagon Wheel Motel, Deana Nelson State Farm Insurance, Two Lane America, Roadrunner Lodge Motel and RouteTrip USA.

A hallmark of the Coffee With Jim program is wide ranging conversation with fascinating and inspiring people. Today we took that to a whole new level! The discussion ran the gamut from penguins in Antarctica and hiking the John Muir Trail to exploring the Big Bend country of Texas, remaining relevant and engaged as we age, and running a naked 5k. And Pam LeBlanc with an infectious enthusiasm was fascinating as well as inspiring.

If you enjoy stories about people that chase, and then live, the dream, this program is for you. And if you want encouragement to live life to its fullest, this program is also for you. And if you want more fascinating stories, adventures lived vicariously, and inspiration to embrace life, check out Pam LebBlanc's Adventures website.

Today's prqgram is made possible in part through your support on Patreon. It is also sponsored by the Enchanted Trails Trading Post & RV Park, Two Lane America, RouteTrip USA, Roadrunner Lodge Motel, Gilligan's Route 66 Tours, and the iconic Wagon Wheel Motel in Cuba, Missouri.

Next week on Coffee With Jim - Katie Barthlow of the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona has an infectious enthusiasm for Route 66, and for inspiring young people to dare to dream. Join us for a fun conversation that will inspire a road trip or two, encourage you to make a difference in your community, and leave you with thoughts about what it means to embrace life at any age. Jim Hinckley’s America is a shared adventure. Join the conversation and invite your friends!

Tom Saluzzo, today’s guest, is a man on a mission. His vision of a museum that preserves artifacs from WWI to the Vietnam War will soon be a reality. But what makes this museum unique is the focus that is being placed on the exhibits and educational programs that tells the stories of men and women who served.

Tom's road to pawnshop manager and museum organizer has been a long and twisted one. Along the way there was a stint as an aircraft mechanic, pilot, farmer, and large animal veterinarian assistant. Now he is well on his way to making the Museum of The Great Wars in Kingman, Arizona, a destination in a town with a rich aviation history that includes the WWII Kingman Army Airfield. This episode of Coffee With Jim is about chasing dreams, how a passion for the sharing of America's amazing story can inspire a new generation, and living life to its fullest.

Today's episode is made possible through your support on Patreon. It is also sponsored by the Enchanted Trails Trading Post & RV Park, Gilligan's Route 66 Tours, Two Lane America, Connie's Shop and Wagon Wheel Motel, RouteTrip USA, and Deana Nelson State farm Insurance.

Next week on Coffee With Jim - How do we ensure Route 66 and the great American road trip remain relevant in 2030? What inspires the next generation to preserve Route 66? Will a generation raised with tablets, smart phones, and video games be passionate about road trip adventures? I am asked those questions often. Today we get answers, insight and inspiration as our guest is Pete, an amazing young man that is passionate about the American experience that is a Route 66 adventure. Join the conversation. Invite your friends!

Our visit with Mayor Janet Jernigan in Needles, California will surely inspire a road trip or two! A discussion about the upcoming Route 66 Info fair at the historic El Garces Harvey House Hotel scheduled for February 14, 2026 kicked things off. Then we talked about upcoming events including the annual rodeo, new motels in Needles, restaurants, and the town's surprising connection with some Hollywood classics. And we discussed why this often overlooked community on the banks of the Colorado River should be considered as a destination for a great road trip or for opening a business on Route 66.

Give a listen and then share your memories of a visit to Needles.

Today's program is sponsored in part by listeners support through Patreon. It is also sponsored by the Roadrunner Lodge Motel, Connie's Shoppe and Wagon Wheel Motel, RouteTrip USA, Enchanted Trails Trading Post & RV Park, Deana Nelson State Farm Insurance, Gilligan's Route 66 Tours, and Two Lane America.

The Route 66 centennial as a catalyst for historic preservation. Building a sense of community and community purpose through historic preservation. The importance of and challenges associated with preserving mid century homes and commercial architecture. The dollars and cents of historic preservation. Our discussion on this episode of Coffee With Jim with Mary-Frances O'Dea, a writer, editor, historic preservation consultant, and the founder of Mid-Century Style magazine, was wide ranging and thought provoking.

This episode may be over but the conversation continues. Did our conversation lead to thoughts about historic preservation in the town that you call home? We would like to hear from you about endangered mid century properties, preservation projects that transformed your community, outside of the box thinking that transformed an historic district, or your thoughts about the importance of historic preservation. Jim Hinckley's America is a shared adventure! So, let's share the adventure that is preserving the past for the future.

Jim Hinckley's America, and Coffee With Jim, is made possible through Patreon. It is also made possible with support from our promotional partners including Two Lane America, Enchanted Trails Trading Post & RV Park, Connie's Shop and Wagon Wheel Motel, Gilligan's Route 66 Tours, Deana Nelson State Farm Insurance, RouteTrip USA, and Roadrunner Lodge Motel.