drivetofive

Odometer:  481,466

Yesterday afternoon I was cruising along southbound Interstate 5 in southern California enjoying oceanside views and within a few days, I’ll be just as close to the ocean on the complete opposite side of the country.  The trusty old Legend once again endured a trip across the barren desert of western Arizona to sunny SoCal.  I picked up my roommate Rustin at a hotel he’d been staying at in Newport Beach, but not without first fighting some of Los Angeles’ classic gridlock.  It’s always amazing how a six or seven lane freeway can be stop and go on a weekend for no apparent reason.  That’s what I encountered on the 91 and 55.  Things finally opened up a bit along the 5.  There’s the Pacific to the right.

From Newport, it was southbound to America’s Finest City (and my favorite, if you haven’t noticed, to visit): San Diego.  It was a great night of cooler temps and some quality time with friends.  I’m loving my new Garmin Nuvi and I’m not quite sure how I ever lived without it.  The trip meter was reset upon departure from southern California this morning and now reads 460 miles.  I consider my trip to the east coast as already begun.  Tonight is just a pit stop at home before a quick shift at work tomorrow and a departure in the afternoon.

My already-bullseyed windshield sustained a crack at some point today on Interstate 10 eastbound that seems to be spreading pretty quickly.  Before I know it, my line of sight may be obstructed.  I’ll wait until after this trip to have a new windshield put in.  At least for right now the crack is hidden behind the rearview mirror.

First fuel stop – Beaumont, CA.  $4.05 for 91 octane.

I consider the car ready to go – it’s myself that I’m most worried about preparing.  It’s been a long time since I had to pack 10 days worth of apparel for a trip.  Along with the standard items that always roll around in my trunk (extra gallon of Honda-spec “Type 2” coolant, spare quart of oil) I’ll be taking not one but TWO full size spare tires.  The Michelins on the coupe now have probably already seen 50-55,000 miles of use.  They’re great tires and have plenty of tread left, but for peace of mind I’ll pack the spares.  Of all the mechanical parts on the car I’d be most worried about my original clutch having another 5,000 left in it.  Nice thing is – this trip is a TON of freeway driving.  I probably caused more wear & tear on the clutch in yesterday’s LA traffic than I will between here and the east coast.

I’ll make every effort to post nightly updates as to my whereabouts and happenings.  Here’s a last shot of the coupe with its twin brother as I get started loading up.

Bon voyage!

This entry was posted on July 18, 2011 at 12:22 am and is filed under California, Legend, NALM, Road Trip. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.