I’m still here! While my attention has been pulled a lot of directions in recent weeks, I owe it to the few loyal readers of the blog to chime in from time to time. At least I haven’t forgotten my WordPress login credentials yet.
I just got home a few minutes ago from picking up my latest project car from the repair shop – for the second time – after a blower motor replacement in the climate control system. Isn’t it funny how a single replacement item can exceed what you paid for an entire car? Yep, just happened. I have to keep reminding myself how much I enjoy this hobby.
The guest book had been relatively quiet for the entire summer until just a couple of weeks ago, when I hosted a get-together with some ‘car friends’ locally, and my brother breezed through town. He was en route to Texas so he stopped in for an evening meal at Taco Guild in central Phoenix.
My own travels have dialed back considerably, but that also means I’ve had more of a chance to explore my surroundings locally. I’ll show you a few of the places I’ve checked out in recent weeks.
The first is the Wigwam Resort in Litchfield Park, Arizona. It’s only about 25 miles from my place, but it offered a nice “staycation” destination for an over-nighter. Room rates for locals are only in the low $100’s. The resort itself dates back to 1929 and has 331 rooms, 2 restaurants, 3 pools, and a 26,000-square-foot spa. A friend and I stayed over on a Friday night and enjoyed pretending like we were somewhere far from home.
Another place I checked out was right by my house. For years I’ve driven past this little deli called “CHEESE N’ STUFF” at the intersection of Central Avenue & Camelback Road in Phoenix. With a name like that, I couldn’t say no. The interior is totally frozen in time – almost as if the clock stopped in about 1975. Decor consists of wood paneling, family photos (the place is family-run, after all), and a general store-style shelf setup. Some of the signs on the wall looked like they had been printed in Print Shop in 1987, adding to the nostalgia.
I can’t remember what this was called but it was literally just 7 types of cheeses, no meat at all. And I was shocked at how tasty it was.
Here’s a fun one. The below photo has a sort of Chinese character look archway to it, but it’s actually designed to resemble an abstract picket fence with the letters M M M. That stands for Miracle Mile McDowell: a stretch of road that was once a bustling corridor of culture and business in the 1950s. Later, a new freeway system made the road obsolete, the pavement was widened to remove roadside parking, and businesses started to dry up.
The arch itself was installed in 1991 in an attempt to create a feeling of togetherness between the sides of the road that were now so far from one another. And since then, there have been many initiatives to revitalize McDowell but for now, the buildings mostly stand empty.
The last place I’ll introduce you to is G. R. Herberger Park, located near 56th Street & Indian School road in Phoenix. It’s best known as being the location of “Arizona Falls.”
Waterfalls, in Phoenix? How? Well, this is part of the Salt River Project: A series of canals and waterways that bring much needed water to Phoenix and have done so for over 100 years. This particular location is the site of a 20-foot drop in the canal.
It was once a place for picnics and recreation, but later was forgotten and closed off for many years. In 2003, the location was restored and saw construction of a hydroelectric power plant and some exhibits.
I’ve had a chance to connect with some awesome folks in recent weeks, including this meet-up in Tempe with Kai and Hy in their exceptionally clean Honda Accords. I was the odd man out in the NSX.
I also hosted the aforementioned Acura Legend meet-up at my house a couple of weeks ago. In all, we had eight Legends in attendance.
My friend and fellow journalist Jeff Koch put together a great article on Hemmings that you might get a kick out of. The link is below. And based on the nearly 50 comments that it garnered, maybe there are a few people who actually “get” my weird obsession.
You may or may not be following the latest news with regard to the launch of the second-generation Acura TLX, but I am. The 2021 models went on sale on Monday 9/28. I’m planning on scooping one up next spring. Looks good, right?
If you have a few minutes to kill and you’re addicted to online auctions like Bring a Trailer and Cars & Bids like I am, you might want to look at this new site called AutoHunter. I’m one of the auction writers who have been working on getting things off the ground. I already wrote for ClassicCars.com (the parent site) prior, so this was a logical move.
Do you all remember the Mulberry Red 1990 Accord EX I sold over a year and a half ago? It traded hands just a couple of weeks ago to a friend of mine named Brent who lives in Michigan. He has a great collection. He sent me this photo of the Accord alongside his 1990 Legend and 1990 Prelude. Talk about an epic throwback trio.
And closing things out, if you want to hear / see more about how I’m dumping money and time into my latest project car, here are videos 2 through 6 in the 1996 2.5TL series. It’s actually been a lot of fun. I drove the car to Payson, Arizona and back over the weekend and it’s a solid cruiser even at 262,000 miles.
Video 2
Video 3
Video 4
Video 5
Video 6
Bonus content: video I put together of some upgrades to a family member’s NSX.
NSX Video
Hope that keeps you busy for a little bit. And, I hope you’re all well! Leave me a comment and say hello.
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