Nerdy Burger Destination: Group Drive to Globe, Arizona & More Home Improvements
Odometer (NSX): 115,761
Trip Distance: 180 Miles
Talk about a one-stop-shop: At Nurdberger in Globe, Arizona, you can get your hands on burgers, coffee, sweets, and… nerds?
You read that right. This uniquely-themed hamburger joint prides itself in being nerdy. Its main lobby has arcade games, and the walls are covered in posters of comic book characters. Most importantly, the menu is nicely put together and I went with a “Power Nurd” 1/4 pound burger (or, berger) along with a side of onion rings with a diameter the size of pancakes.
Globe is a small mining town about an hour and half east of Phoenix that has about 7,000 residents. When my friend Kyle pitched the question about taking a weekend group drive, we had no problem rounding up 11 people in 8 different (and I do mean, very diverse) vehicles to spend the day on the road for a burger. Comprising the list of participating vehicles were:
- Acura NSX x 2
- Acura TSX
- Ford Mustang Saleen
- Hyundai Elantra
- Pontiac G8 GXP
- Porsche Cayman
- Toyota FJ Cruiser
The initial 35 or 40 minutes were on largely flat, straight terrain, but after we crossed through Superior and made our way upward through the Queen Creek Tunnel on US-60, things got a lot more interesting. It was here that I got to have some fun with the NSX.
At the same time, I enjoyed some of my recently downloaded road trip music from Tropical House Records (thanks, Conor!). It was therapeutic. This song was one of my faves. Picture me blasting that at max volume while rowing gears through the Superstition Mountains.
And I must say, Donald’s FJ, despite being unlike some of the other contenders, held its own in the twisties. Unfortunately, though, he said he burned through 7/8ths of a tank of gas on this trip. It’s okay – the burger and the experience were worth it.
Greg brought out his rare 1989 fox-body Mustang “SSC” — one of only 160 vehicles built by Saleen that year, and with only 13,000 miles on it. Speaking of rarity, Kyle’s immaculate 2009 G8 GXP 6-speed manual is a rarity in itself and put us all to shame with its impeccable tire shine. James’ Elantra Sport rolled 3,000 miles along the way. Everyone seemed to have a good time.
As someone who is 100% nerd, I can appreciate the allure of a place like Nurdberger and I was glad for an excuse to get some time on the open road and spend it with great people. Below are some photos and videos of the day’s excursion.
Pre-departure at Kyle’s
Woody and Jack in the 2004 TSX
NSX passing NSX
Woody and James
Following the TSX through Superior
Check out that Saleen!
Shots from Nurdberger
Headed back home
Just call me Al Borland. I’ve been busy upgrading my home with a few things in recent months, including a new garage floor and some driveway pavers. The latest addition to the property is an awning in the backyard that gives me 2 additional covered spots.
Before:
During:
After:
Nice to have some shade back there now!
Also got a cool new banner from a friend!
Hope the holiday weekend is going well for everyone.
drivetofive 
May 27, 2019 at 11:22 am
Hi Tyson, how are you doing so far? That’s cool that you went to out eat Nurdburger in Globe, Arizona. Is that your first time there? US 60 road trip looks beautiful view, I love it! Yes, I did watch both videos of driving on way to Globe and install new driveway awning in the backyard. The driveway awning looks perfect to keep your cars in the shade. I’m glad that you had a great time driving on the road trip last weekend. I hope you have a great day! 🙂
May 28, 2019 at 6:33 am
Hi Josh! Thanks for reading. I have been through Globe a few times but I keep discovering new cool things like this. One of these days I should actually spend an overnight there!
May 27, 2019 at 6:36 pm
Nurdgerger seems like a fun spot! As a child of the 80’s, I really appreciate the growth of retro arcades, and this one seems to fit right in. Great destination for a weekend drive!
The awning looks fantastic (although I think this definitely moves you closer to owning a dealership of classic Acuras – Hugie Acura, anyone?). Just out of curiosity – where is the oil leak coming from in the SLX’s motor?
Have a great week!
May 28, 2019 at 6:34 am
I’m really not sure where it’s leaking from, but it’s pretty aggressive! So I just make sure to keep the level topped off. I’ve only put about 350-400 miles on the vehicles in the 6 months I’ve owned it so it’s not a critical urgency to get that addressed right away. Plus I have another SLX in the pipeline… more to come! Hope you had a great holiday weekend Tim!
May 28, 2019 at 8:16 am
Awning looks great! Of course around here, people build them to protect cars from the snow and ice instead 😀
June 3, 2019 at 6:29 am
Haha, exactly. We shovel sunshine around here!
May 28, 2019 at 8:31 am
I always enjoyed the drive to Globe but never considered it a destination. Guess things have changed. May need to revisit…
Interesting collection of cars for this excursion. Add perfect weather and fun drive and I’d guess it was memorable.
Nice job on the awning BTW! All u need now is some roll-up shade screens, a couple ceiling fans and an evap cooler and you should make it through most of the summer.
June 3, 2019 at 6:30 am
Now you’re talking! I know, the west side especially could use a little bit more shade protection in the form of some roll-up screens. Maybe sometime in the next few weeks I can have you over for a consultative session.
June 3, 2019 at 2:29 am
The rear awning on your garage is the perfect solution. It’ll make it so much easier to wash cars out of direct sunlight, as well as providing a little bit of extra covered parking. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that you’ve got another SLX in the works, here’s hoping it all works out. I’ve just returned from a 1300km+ trip to pick up some license plate surrounds from a friend at a dealership for another car that I’ve purchased. It’s all about those period-correct details like the original dealership surrounds, haha!
June 3, 2019 at 6:31 am
Sounds like a worthwhile trip! Looking forward to seeing pics if you took any. I know, I’ve already used the awning shade area as a great spot to wash cars. Come over and join in the scrubbing!
June 6, 2019 at 9:09 am
I thought I commented on this, but I guess not! Looked like a fun and beautiful drive to Globe. That car port is perfection. I’m still waiting for the day when your fleet gets big enough to warrant another garage in the backyard. Haha!
June 6, 2019 at 9:36 am
Oh it’s only a matter of time! Haha