live. work. dream.

From Kingman to Williams Arizona we followed one of the last remaining stretches of Historic Route 66. Stopped in the tourist trap town of Seligman only to discover the authentic looking 50’s style diner was closed. What the!?!? Oh well, no root beer float. And we didn’t feel like Chinese food so we snacked in the trailer.

Going on our way, we came across this dirt devil blowing along the hot and dusty Arizona countryside…

My sister sent me this link to the Yahoo News Interview with Hanson Hosein and Heather Hughes about Independent America – the documentary they created during a two-lane trek across the U.S. to identify communities where mom & pop stores are taking on Big Box America.

Just as we are in search of the ideal community to live and work, where mom and pop stores still outnumber big box strip malls, this husband and wife team of professional journalists made a vow to only frequent independent businesses – no Wal Mart, no Best Western. And just as we hope to stay off the interstate freeways as much as possible, they too were determined to stick to secondary routes.

This 80-minute documentary follows the filmmakers as they travel 13,000 miles through 32 states and interview the hardy souls who fight to remain independent in a land smothered with fast food chains and big box stores.

• View the Independent America movie trailer
• Purchase the Independent America DVD
• Read the Independent America blog

This story hits home as we sold our mom & pop graphics business and are now traveling the U.S. in search of the next big thing in a community that offers superior quality of life.