Camelback Hike in Phoenix & the 1990 Integra
Odometer (Legend): 528,685
Odometer (ILX): 67,484
Weather in Phoenix broke some records this weekend (87 degrees!), so my friends and I took the opportunity to get outdoors and enjoy some sunshine. Camelback Mountain Desert Preserve was established in 1968 by then-president Lyndon Johnson and has become a popular area for hiking recreation.
Along with 4 friends including my friend Conor who’d flown in from New York for the weekend, I hiked the Cholla Canyon trail. It’s only about 1.5 miles long each way, but the elevation gain is 1,200 feet and in some areas it requires getting on hands & knees to scale the faces of rocks. The view from the top was worth it. Here I’m pictured with Brad, Matthew, Conor, and Justin.
Heading to the trailhead with Brad, Conor, and Justin
I think we had to park as far away from the trailhead as the length of the hike itself. Very busy day!
Trailhead arrival
The summit is 2,704 feet in elevation. On a clear day, expansive views can be enjoyed a full 360 degrees.
Afterward, we bought out the lemonade stand at the base of the hill. I hadn’t packed any water – big mistake!
Brad’s 2013 Audi RS5 looked right at home in the driveway. I want it!
Later in the weekend, I drove Conor out to Gilbert, Arizona in the 1994 Legend coupe. He’d never seen a Mormon temple before so we checked out the brand new one that was just completed there. It’s the 142nd temple in operation for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The temple sits on 21 acres southeast of Phoenix and 83,000 square feet of floor area. It’s open to the public for tours until the March 2nd dedication date. I took a tour of the building a couple of weeks ago and was very impressed with the craftsmanship and architecture.
Thought I’d add a little throwback segment today since I scanned some old pictures this week. I’ve shared before that my first Acura love was a car that my mom bought when I was 14 years old. It was a Rio Red 1990 Acura Integra GS Sedan with an automatic transmission. That car was a huge upgrade from some of my mom’s previous rides, including a Pontiac Grand Prix and a Jeep Cherokee. I loved how sporty it was.
Here’s a photo taken on November 9, 1996 at a family dinner outing. We parked next to my uncle Dande’s Bahama Gold Metallic 1988 Acura Legend L Sedan 5-speed that I later owned. Acura parking only! I was already addicted even back then.
Here are a couple of photos that were taken after a detail in St. George, Utah.
I kind of wish we still had that Integra! Though, the Acura ILX today carries on the Integra’s DNA as the brand’s stylish entry level compact sedan.
That old Integra provided reliable service until we upgraded to a 1993 Legend L Sedan in June of the following year. Meanwhile, we enjoyed that sporty little ride.
Hope everyone had a great weekend!
drivetofive 
February 16, 2014 at 4:32 pm
Tyson- love the integra pics. Super reliable and super fun! Mine is sitting under cover at the moment with all this snowy weather out this way, but looking forward to getting it again soon
February 16, 2014 at 4:41 pm
Haha, need to get that GSR out soon! Yeah I bet your Integra provides a whole different driving experience than ours did, but they’re really fun cars no matter what. Just wish they were easier to find in stock/clean condition. I’d love to grab a 90-93 sometime and play around with it.
February 16, 2014 at 4:54 pm
Yeah they are great cars and the gsr is special for sure
February 17, 2014 at 12:07 pm
Was the 1990 Integra the first year of that body style? I had the 1987 four door Integra RS. I believe it was produced from 1986 to 1989. I loved that car. It was my first Acura.
February 17, 2014 at 2:43 pm
Carlos, you are correct. The G1 Integra was produced from 1986 to 1989 in 3-door and 5-door versions. It was a great little car. Gotta love those pop-up headlights. I think a lot of us got our Acura start with Integras. Did you have that right up until the time when you picked up your white TSX?
February 17, 2014 at 3:13 pm
Tyson, I drove a 1990 Honda Accord between the Integra and the TSX. But when I got the TSX, I still had the Integra in the yard. I could not drive it because of a blown head gasket but I could just not get rid of it and it sat in the yard. I stopped driving it at 200,000 miles. My goal for the TSX is 250,000 miles. Maybe I should promote a DriveTO2.5 blog (with your permission of course)? 🙂
February 17, 2014 at 8:52 pm
hahah Well I feel bad for asking this question,but I just have to… If for some strange reason you HAD to get rid of 1 of your 4 Acuras, which one would you get rid of, and why? Tough decision? haha.
February 18, 2014 at 6:00 am
Farid, it’s a valid question for sure! And I’ve certainly had to think about that before given my parking limitations. I’d sell the 1992 NSX first. Reason being – I drive it very little, I could sell it right now for more than I paid for it, and it’s the least practical of all the cars. But please don’t force me to do that 🙂