drivetofive

Odometer:  548,664

I made it home, sweet home!  While I’m unpacking the car, sorting through junk mail, and doing a load of laundry, I threw together some quick statistics on my 8-day trip from Phoenix to Atlanta and back.

I visited ten unique states.  My state crossings were in this order:

• New Mexico
• Texas
• Louisiana
• Mississippi
• Alabama
• Georgia
• Alabama
• Tennessee
• Arkansas
• Oklahoma
• Texas
• New Mexico
• Arizona

A few stats:

• Total trip distance in 8 days:  4,007 miles
• Total gallons of gas:  143.3
• Total spent on gas:  $360.39 ($40 of which was on a gift card to Love’s)
• Average miles per gallon:  27.9
  • Note that the window sticker for my car states EPA rating of 18 city / 26 hwy
• Quarts of 5W30 oil added:  1
• Quantity of power steering fluid added:  1 bottle

Detailed gas log below.  I always used the highest available Premium fuel – sometimes 93, and usually 91 octane.  The cheapest gas was in Jackson, Mississippi.

Here’s an 11-minute video capturing some of the highlights from this year’s event.

This morning’s early border crossing into my home state

Quick stop in Winslow, Arizona.  Have you ever heard the song “Take It Easy” by The Eagles?

I recommend listening to it here.  The song mentions “standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona.”

It was cool to drive past Twin Arrows, but I saw that the trading post is in pretty sad shape nowadays.

And finally, after fueling in Flagstaff, I made my way down Interstate 17 and home!

Almost forgot to show this awesome award for “Best Engine Bay.”  The printed material attached to the plaque is leather, almost exactly the same color as my interior.  Pretty awesome idea.

Thanks for coming along for the trip!

Odometer:  548,341

Trip Distance (Overall):  3,684 since last Tuesday

Siri has really failed me.  After two years, she still doesn’t know my car preferences?  For shame!

NALM 2016 is a wrap, but this trip isn’t.  I’m still a ways from home, and that means you still get to hear from me until the fat lady has sung, or rather, until the old Legend has arrived back at my driveway in Phoenix, Arizona.

On Sunday morning, it was a relaxed vibe at our host hotel in Oakwood.  People were partaking of the continental breakfast, loading up their cars, and saying their farewells.  It didn’t take me long to collect my belongings and get packed for the drive.  Meanwhile, my friend Chris had driven over from Athens (Georgia, not Greece) to say hello since he was in the area visiting his sister.

As the rains started coming down, I completed one last NALM tradition in the hotel parking lot:  Putting my graffiti’d message to Kevin inside the trunk of his 1994 Legend LS coupe.  This marks the 5th year in a row we’ve upheld this tradition and it will continue until I’ve run out of space, I guess.

… Or until all his silver Sharpies run out of ink.

That day’s drive took me across 5 state lines:  Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Oklahoma.  Each state has its own landscape, flavor, and style.  I had the opportunity northeast of Birmingham, Alabama to test out a really fresh piece of interstate called I-22, formerly known just as “Corridor X.”

See?

As of June of this year, the complete stretch of freeway is now in place for about 200 miles from Birmingham to the Tennessee state line just outside Memphis.  Unfortunately, I didn’t get that memo until I’d already taken Highway 78, a two-lane side road, for the 12 miles from I-20 to I-22.  Even the Apple Maps on my phone didn’t know that there was a better route because evidently it’s still too new.

Traffic came to a stop (light) after crossing into Tennessee, and I encountered several more stop lights in the final 6 or so miles on approach to Memphis.  Apparently the state of Tennessee still needs to complete its piece for the full freeway to reach the core of Memphis.  Speaking of Memphis, I can’t think of that word without saying “Memphis Raines.”  You remember him?  He was the character Nicholas Cage played in the movie “Gone in 60 Seconds.”

From there I hooked up with Interstate 40 which is taking me ALLLLL the way across the center part of the country. After bridging me across the Mississippi River, it took me through Little Rock, Arkansas.  I fueled up in Conway a little bit north of there before continuing on to my motel for the night in eastern Oklahoma – a small town called Sallisaw.

Sunday was consumed entirely by Interstate 40, but dotted with a few special attractions along the way.  The I-40 pathway was once that of historic Route 66, so many of the towns along the way have embraced their heritage as stops along the “Mother Road.”  I didn’t make any stops in Oklahoma until I had almost exited the state.  One such Route 66 town is called Elk City, and it’s home to the National Route 66 Museum.  I didn’t take the time to wander through but I did capture a few photos outside with the gigantic sign.

It wasn’t long until I crossed the Texas state line, and JUST across the Texas border lies one of my favorite roadside attractions:  A restored 1936 Conoco gas station that today houses a visitor center.   I’ve stopped here multiple times on my cross-country journeys, including 3 years ago in August 2013 (pulled from my Instagram):

And again today!  The place hasn’t changed much.  For that matter, neither has the car!

That Art Deco architecture gets me every time.  It’s a scene straight out of the Pixar movie “Cars.”  By the time I arrived in Amarillo, I’d worked up an appetite so it was time to track down some food.  I already knew where I wanted to go, because it’s a tradition.  Soncy Road on the west side of town is home to one of the last-surviving Fazoli’s Italian restaurants in the southwest.  For some reason, all Fazoli’s locations in Arizona and in Utah have closed their doors, but this one still remains.  I had to make mom jealous by sending her some pics.  The breadsticks are unlimited!

Mom speaks the language of acronyms.  Her “TDF” there stands for “To Die For.”  I fueled up in Tucumcari, New Mexico and again on the western outskirts of Albuquerque before deciding exactly where I wanted to target my destination for the night.  That destination ended up being Gallup – a teeny town just east of the Arizona state line.

Like so many other towns in the region, Gallup exudes a Route 66 vibe and I intentionally got off Interstate 40 a solid 8 miles before my motel exit, just so I could drive along the old road and see some of the architecture.  Many of the places are run down, shuttered, and in stages of ruin, but a few hearty businesses have withstood the test of time and continue somehow to stay open.  Like the Desert Skies Motel:

And with that, I’m going to get some shuteye and prepare for my final stretch into home tomorrow.

Thanks for coming along, and enjoy a few more photos just for fun.

Downtown Atlanta in the rain

Driver’s Log.  Should I pick one of these up?

Trying out this brand new interstate.

Spell it with me now.  M-I-S-S-I-S-S-I-P-P-I.  It’s just so fun.

My drive took me straight into central Memphis

And then across the Mississippi River into Arkansas!

Evening arrival in Sallisaw, Oklahoma.

The front desk attendant handed me my room’s TV remote after checking in.  I guess they can’t trust guests enough to leave them in the rooms?

Westbound on I-40 on Sunday morning

The tree-lined interstate gave way to grassland.

I get the feeling a few people have wiped out on this 50-mph curve on I-40 in Oklahoma City.  Those signs are a bit obnoxious!  But they got the message across!

I had the chance to use up my $40 Love’s gas station gift card.  Thanks again, Kevin!

Arriving in Elk City, home of the….

… National Route 66 Museum!

On into Texas (again)!

And into New Mexico!

Painted sky as I closed in my nightly destination

Hotel El Rancho in historic downtown Gallup.  Intentionally staying true to its Route 66 look & feel

View from my room tonight

Check you later!

Odometer:  546,604

Trip Distance (Day):  670

Trip Distance (Overall):  1,947

Let the games begin!  It “feels” like 7:00 p.m. to me, but locally it’s already 10:00 and time to wind it down for the night.  One challenge with driving west-to-east, cross-country, is that dealing with all those time-zone losses.  I’ve arrived at my destination in Oakwood, northeast of Atlanta.

For a few frustrating minutes – or probably closer to 45 – I fought heavy traffic northbound on Interstate 85 from metro ATL and that caused me to be late for this evening’s pizza party here at the Best Western Plus Hotel.  No matter, I still enjoyed a few slices and it was great to be reunited with old friends and make a few new ones.  This is now the 12th time I’ve attended the National Acura Legend Meet.  And it’s my car’s 11th.  The only one it missed was 2012 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin when I drove the then-brand-new ILX.

This morning started out bright and early in western Louisiana.  The humidity was high as I departed Motel 6 off Interstate 10 and started my eastward journey into the sunrise for the day.  The nice thing about today’s drive was that the states went by much more quickly.  In a matter of hours I’d crossed multiple borders off my list.

Checkpoint!

Checkpoint!

Lunch (though my internal time clock told me it was breakfast) was at Starbucks in Jackson, Mississippi and I later had a bite at Burger King in Birmingham, Alabama.  The miles flew by and I encountered miraculously few slow-downs on the interstate.

Tonight, I was greeted by the “Ground Team” planning committee members who are putting the event on.  Alan Jackson pulled out his informational poster boards and filled the room of 25 or so people in on the game plan for our upcoming couple of days.  Tomorrow begins bright and early with an 8:00 departure for our “dyno” event where a few members will have their cars tested to evaluate horsepower and torque performance ratings.  A few of us made our way to the parking lot and carried on some Legend chat.

Eric threw me the keys to his 1993 L sedan which coincidentally used to be mine!  It’s amazing to see the car here, but now in restored form.  Pics of that tomorrow.  I also took my friend Marc’s 1994 GS sedan for a quick spin.  Both Eric and Marc are based in New Jersey but this year’s event has brought folks from all across the country – including one guy named Leon who drove from Los Angeles and thus has me beat for the long-haul award!

Much more to come!

Departing Shreveport

Quick stop in Monroe, Louisiana

Crossing the mighty Mississippi River

93 octane is tasty stuff.  $2.18 is what I paid.

Chubby cheeks.  This is a town in Mississippi.

Saw this on multiple vehicles in Alabama.  Must be what they use on recently-sold cars for registration!

Closing in on my destination!

Northbound I-85 in ATL

NALM attendee map.  The one in Arizona is me!  A couple of the Californians didn’t make it, one flew in, and one drove.

Rich’s car, twin to mine but a year newer and an automatic.

Check back tomorrow when the real fun gets started out here!  Thanks for following along!

Odometer:  545,934

Trip Distance (Leg):  1,277

Trip Distance (Overall):  1,277

Welcome aboard!

It’s that blessed time of year once again when a few dozen crazed Legend fans rendezvous for a multi-day event.  This year, the event’s 12th, will be hosted in Oakwood, Georgia – just a bit north of Atlanta.  My one-way drive will end up being about 1,900 miles, making this quite a bit further than I had to go last year when the event was in Houston.  Here’s to hoping things move toward the west coast for 2017.  Maybe I should host NALM in Phoenix?

The last couple of days I’ve been pounding the pavement of I-10 and I-20 through Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas.  Let me rephrase that last one.  Teeeeeexxxxxxaaaaaaaasssssss.  The state is just gigantic.  Today I drove from sun-up to sundown and never left the state.  In fact, I drove another 2 hours eastbound in the dark until I finally reached the Louisiana state line after having spent some 800 miles working my way from one end of the Lone Star State to the other.  I’m exhausted.  And maybe my tried & true Legend steed is as well.

Jason of Driven for Drives was kind enough to roll out some red carpet for me during my stay in Las Cruces, New Mexico.  The drive to his place from central Phoenix ended up taking me about 6 hours.  I was able to pry my way out of the office (not an easy task when you’ve only had the job a week!) about a half hour early and hit the highway.  After a night’s rest, I continued on through El Paso (fought about 1/2 hour worth of rush-hour there) and then it was the open road ahead.  “Wide Open Spaces,” as the Dixie Chicks would call it.

I reach a point in my long-distance drives where I fall into a meditative state and time flies by.  I’m skipping through a few dozen songs on the iPod, perusing my road atlas, and the next thing I know I’ve gone 100 miles.  Luckily most of the speed limits out in rural Texas are 80 miles per hour, but that doesn’t help in cases (like today’s) where I frequently hit construction zones and sudden rain downpours and had to clamp down on the brakes.

This was my dialogue with the service station attendant at Cowpoke’s Convenience Store in Cisco, Texas:

• Guy:  What kind of car is that?
• Me:  It’s just an old Acura, a Legend.
• Guy:  Oh, I saw when you pulled up, the front end looked like an old Skyline.
• Me:  Haha, nah.  Nothing fancy.  Just cruising across the country to Atlanta.
• Guy:  Atlanta?  But you’ve only made it to Cisco, Texas.
• Me (walking out the door with my newly purchased beef jerky):  Well, at least I’m halfway!

And with that, I was off.  Cisco was a pretty neat little down, actually.  It’s known for being a historical spot in the story of Hilton hotels.  Hilton’s founder, Conrad Hilton, bought a building there in 1919 and it became his first hotel.  Back in those days, they would rent out the rooms in 8-hour time intervals!  Today, that original building houses the Cisco Chamber of Commerce.  I stopped by for a few photos in the rain and checked it out.

In Dallas – the Metroplex – I met up with my friend Scott for a short visit.  He clued me in a pretty cool truck stop just a ways up the road on I-20 called Buc-Ees.  Sure enough, it was worth checking out.  Have you ever been to a gas station that had 38 pumps?  Thirty-eight.  I think that’s what heaven must look like.  No waiting, anywhere.  Just pumps for days.  I didn’t take the time to check out Buc-Ees in much detail, but I liked what I saw.

So that brings us to Louisiana, and just a few states to go until my arrival tomorrow night at the meeting point.  Here’s to a good night’s rest, and thanks for coming along on the journey!

Took this before leaving. These are some leaks from the Legend.  I checked oil 4 times so far on the trip and haven’t had to add any.  I know there is some power steering fluid leakage and I did add some of that.

Departing the “Land of Enchantment”

And arriving Texas there you have to “drive friendly.”

This is the worst breakfast.  But it was also the best.  Cinnabon + choc milk.

Lots of 5-4 going on here.

Seeing signs for Shreveport

Meeting up w/ Scott

A visit to Buc-Ees off I-20

And finally, arriving Shreveport!