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Drive to Five Review: 2016 Acura ILX Tech Plus

Posted in Arizona, ILX, Road Trip, Vehicle Reviews on July 26, 2015 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend): 534,140

Odometer (2013 ILX): 135,215

Odometer (2016 ILX): 6,399

Trip Distance: 306 Miles

I’ve already had over 3 years of experience in road-testing Acura’s entry level model which debuted as a 2013 model in mid-2012. I can say with a certainty that over the last 135,000 miles, my ILX has been a real peach to own and maintain: Zero unscheduled maintenance, flawless performance and it still handles as nicely as the day I got it. But, as can be expected, inevitably automakers have to go back to the drawing board every few years and make updates to their vehicles to keep them at the forefront of technology and design trends.

Enter the newly-refreshed 2016 ILX to join the TLX and RLX sedans in the Acura sedan family. It was November 2014 when Acura first showed us the production-ready 2016 ILX at the Los Angeles International Auto Show which I attended with the Redline Reviews crew. Unveiled in stunning Catalina Blue in A-Spec trim, the ILX was a sight to behold.

Notable changes for the ’16 model year include both cosmetic and performance enhancements. Gone is the base model’s weak 150-horsepower motor, and now standard across all ILX models is the 2.4 liter, 201-horsepower 4-cylinder engine. It’s the same one that my ILX has, and which came standard on stick-shift-only models from 2013 through 2015.

The sad news is that the manual transmission, with its sheer perfection in its crispness and precision, is now eliminated as an option. For 2016, all ILX models will have an 8-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, carried over from the car’s larger TLX midsize sedan sibling, which I’ve already reviewed. I’m a die-hard 3-pedal manual guy, but that new automatic left me impressed. More on that later.

Before even seeing the refreshed ILX itself, it only takes one look at the key fob to know what great lengths Acura went to on improvements. Gone is the “chrome” plated unit that gets chipped and ugly within months of normal use. Now the fob is a hard black plastic that feels quality and looks like it will endure the test of time much better.

My test model was equipped with three different package options, including (but not limited to!) the following:

Premium Package:

Leather Sport Seats
XM Satellite Radio
Auto-Dimming Rearview Mirror
Blind Spot Information
Rear Cross-Traffic Monitor

Tech Package:

Navigation System with Voice Recognition
ELS 10-Speaker Sound System
GPS-Linked, Dual-Zone, Automatic Climate Control

AcuraWatch Plus Package:

Adaptive Cruise Control
Collision Mitigation Braking
Road Departure Warning
Lane Keeping Assist

All of the above brings the tally up to $33,820 including destination and handling.

Where to Today?

To put this new ILX to the test along with my “old” ILX, a few friends and I (okay, 16 of us!) headed for the hills of the Catalina Mountains north of Tucson, Arizona to a place where I’ve visited multiple times in the past – Mount Lemmon Scenic Byway.

In attendance were a wide variety of cars — ten of them, in fact: Two ILXs, a Mini Cooper, a GTO, a 370Z, a TL, an FR-S, an RS5, a 300ZX, and… a Corolla to round things out nicely! Brock’s orange Mini 6-speed was the cutest crowd pleaser of the bunch. Did you know it’s powered by only a 3-cylinder motor? If I’d taken my 1994 Acura Vigor on this drive, we would have had 3, 4, 5, 6, AND 8 cylinder motors all present on this 300-mile Saturday cruise.

No road trip is complete without proper fuel, and for some reason my friend Peter has a tradition of buying these orange-flavored Hostess Cup Cakes every time we take a drive together. He shared one with me. Thanks, P! Breakfast of champs.

Interior

Getting even more settled into the cabin with its “Graystone” colored leather appointments, I started to take note of the many things that were different from my personal car. Sun visors are made from the same fabric as the headliner, rather than from vinyl. There’s now a two-setting memory seat function with controls on the driver’s door panel.

The instrument cluster has a higher resolution display between the gauges and a lot more available information. The bezel around the cupholders on the center console are now a painted finish rather than chrome, keeping the reflective sunlight from beaming occasionally in the driver’s face as it sometimes does with my 2013 model. Even the seat belt buckles are a new design that’s easier to grab!

Love that rear camera which uses a much larger screen and with higher resolution than the one I’m used to looking at.

Overall fit & finish felt great, as is expected from a premium brand. I do wish the plastic lower part of the door panels was more resistant to scuffing, as my ILX at 3 years old is showing fairly significant wear there from getting in & out of the car.

Exterior

You’ve already seen those brilliant “Jewel Eye” headlamps which I adore, but the whole front & rear ends of the ILX have been reworked to give it a more aggressive performance vibe. The grille has been tweaked slightly and the ILX now has a new set of 17″ shoes. An optional “A-Spec” package offers 18″ wheels and fog lamps which further heighten the curb appeal.

My favorite thing about the outside of the car is the LED turn signals.

Driving Experience

Amenities and handsome looks aside, the driving experience is really of greater importance to me. Clearly the 201-horsepower, 2.4 liter 4-cylinder motor is a bulletproof powerplant, having logged well over 100,000 miles on mine without skipping a beat. Direct-injection is a new addition to that motor for 2016. For a lightweight car like the ILX, that kind of power is more than sufficient to get forward momentum at a brisk rate. I didn’t get the chance to have a flat-out drag race between my ILX and the 2016, but they feel right on par with one another in terms of acceleration.

Right off the bat, it’s easy to tell just how civilized the 2016 ILX has become compared to its predecessor. Where my ILX 6-speed revs at nearly 3,500 RPM at 80 miles per hour, the new ILX 8-speed only works the motor at a little over 2,000 RPM. This translates into a substantially quieter cabin thanks to diminished engine and exhaust noise. You can actually carry on a conversation in there!

Mount Lemmon was bustling with bicyclists and tourists as is typical on a Saturday, but the 26-mile stretch from Tanque Verde Road all the way to Summerhaven at 8,200 feet gave us dozens of curves to evaluate our diverse group of cars. When you’ve got a lineup of sports cars in your rearview mirror and you’re in the lead, you feel the pressure of setting a pace that’s fast enough to be fun but conservative enough to be safe. Both ILXs are well suited for canyon carving.

The 8-speed automatic transmission is a revolutionary dual-clutch unit, carried over from the Acura TLX model. Shifts are lightning fast and to be honest, I couldn’t believe that it got into 5th or 6th gear by the time it got to the end of my residential street! Eight gears sounds like a lot, but I was pleasantly surprised at how little “gear-hunting” the car had to do when commanded to accelerate. A drop of the throttle beckons near-instantaneous response from the powertrain as it downshifts.

The general consensus on the ILX was a hearty thumbs up in pretty much every regard. Donald, who owns a 2009 TSX, said the car felt more nimble than his car. Peter, who drives a 2004 TSX, said he was most impressed with the response from the transmission, especially in Sport mode. I have to agree with him. During descent from Summerhaven, the car would effectively hold its gear, avoiding the need to get on the brakes frequently. We stopped briefly during our descent to enjoy the view of Tucson from “Windy Point” rest area.

Safety Tech

The technology advancements in the new ILX are extensive, ranging from not only the “fun” stuff like the rocking, 10-speaker ELS stereo, to a full suite of safety features. The lane departure warning does a really nice job of accurately reading the road, the adaptive cruise control is a convenient way to “set it and forget it” with regard to speed maintenance, and there are six airbags in the cabin. All of Acura’s sedans are rated as top safety picks by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

Final Take

While the ILX didn’t have the bloodthirsty growl of Kyle’s 400-horsepower GTO or the on-rails handling of the FR-S, in my mind it hits a bullseye in purpose and function. It’s a comfortable cruiser on the highway – quieter, more refined, and better appointed than the prior iteration. Yet it still has a thirst for a twisty mountain road and feels right at home with its Michelins gripping a tight hairpin on a mountain pass like the Catalina Highway. For anyone in the market for a fun-to-drive sports sedan, I’d give this one a nod of approval.

Here are the rest of my photos and a very short walkaround video!

402 combined horses at my command!

Graystone interior

Driveway duo

Sunset in Scottsdale, Arizona

Pre-roadtrip with staging at Chevron

Arrest-me-red Scion definitely was a crowd pleaser

Midpoint on the drive – Picacho Peak, at the Shell station

A few scenes from around Tucson

ILXs at a stoplight side-by-side

Brunch bunch at Viv’s Cafe off Catalina Highway in Tucson, Arizona

Kyle’s GTO getting ready to lead the pack upward from Windy Point rest area

Enjoying cooler temperatures at higher elevations north of Tucson

Matt’s 370Z NISMO getting surrounded by ILXs

Can I please have these LED taillights for my car? I wonder if they’re plug & play.

Rest area

Descending from Summerhaven

Photo-op!

Back to Tucson we go

Following Peter who was at the helm of the 6-speed 2013 ILX

Rounding up the gang for lunch post-drive

Still having fun with my “new” old Vigor, by the way! This week it got a valve adjustment, new distributor cap, and a full detail.

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Urban Exploration: Beeline Dragway Part 2 – Disappeared

Posted in Arizona, ILX on July 2, 2015 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend): 533,911

Odometer (ILX): 132,763

Thanks, mom, for always digging up the best pictures to post on Facebook. This gem from about 1995 was shared today. I’m at far right, breaking every fashion rule imaginable in those socks & sandles. And didn’t I look thrilled to be waiting for the parade?

Happy 4th of July weekend, and I hope you’re all as festive as my family was.

Someone named Damon in Ohio is giving me a run for my mileage. He posted on Wednesday to Acura’s Facebook page after hitting 500,000 miles in his 2002 Acura TL. That comes out to a little over 38,000 miles per year. Impressive. Apparently he drives 200 miles round-trip to his job. Keep the miles coming, Damon.

Just a quick post for today. Urban Exploration:

Urban exploration (often shortened as urbex or UE) is the exploration of man-made structures, usually abandoned ruins or not usually seen components of the man-made environment. Photography and historical interest/documentation are heavily featured in the hobby and, although it may sometimes involve trespassing onto private property, this is not always the case.

It was a little over a year ago (May 2014) when I let my curiosity get the best of me and finally went wandering around inside an abandoned automotive racetrack called Beeline Dragway that had been unused since about the late 1970’s. The dragstrip’s run in operation was short lived, at only a little over a decade.

There wasn’t much left to see when I stopped by 15 months ago except for a graffiti-ridden, concrete, 3-story tower which once housed the announcer and equipment. The quarter-mile asphalt lanes had long since been dug up:

Since I drive past that same location every weekday on my commute home via Highway 87, it dawned on me the other day that I couldn’t see the tower any longer.

“That’s odd,” I thought. Why would they decide to finally tear a building down that had already been abandoned for 4 decades? Was there some trouble going on in there perhaps? So, I pulled off the highway and started cruising around in search of any remains for the building. I found this particular concrete slab, but the location just didn’t feel right. I clearly remembered being further east than this.

Taking a step back. “Nope, this still doesn’t seem like where it was.”

So I went driving around on the dirt paths out there.

And a little more.

And, then I had an idea. Google Maps. If I pulled up the satellite view, it would probably have an older image that would still show where the concrete tower & staircase used to stand. BINGO. I zoomed in and saw the rectangular shape, and I drove my ILX over to park directly in front of where that building used to stand. I was the blue dot here.

These are the photos I took in that spot, where the building would have been in the background.

Nothing now remains aside from a few chunks of blacktop.

Another Phoenix landmark gone by the wayside, much like Bill Johnson’s Big Apple and Pinnacle Peak Patio.

EDIT: Thanks to loyal reader and local Phoenix resident Hy, I’ve been granted permission to post a few exclusive pics from the Beeline Dragway dating back to 1978. Hy attended the “Winter Nationals” event in February of that year and snapped these shots:

Special guest for the occasion was Billy Carter, brother of then-president Jimmy Carter. Here he is riding atop a 1978 Corvette.

Thank you very much for sharing these pictures!

Hope everyone has a safe & fun holiday weekend.

8 Comments »

Final Visit: Pinnacle Peak Patio Steakhouse in Scottsdale, Arizona

Posted in Arizona, Restaurants on June 26, 2015 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend Coupe): 533,806

Odometer (Legend Sedan): 146,900

Odometer (ILX): 132,419

Trip Distance: 42 Miles

I got my necktie chopped off last night at dinner. Ever heard of a restaurant that does such a thing?

I’m on a roll here with visiting the “endangered species” of local restaurants. Just a few weeks ago, my friends Kevin, James, Devan, and I visited historic Bill Johnson’s Big Apple in Phoenix the day before it closed for good after being in business for 59 years. This time, Kevin and James and I wanted to check out another long-lived Phoenix landmark on the brink of extinction: Pinnacle Peak Patio.

PPP opened in 1957 in what was then a very remote part of town far north of Scottsdale, Arizona. Back in those days, it was a rest stop and general store, mostly visited by people headed to the nearby lakes. Oddly enough, there are cows perched on roof, just like Bill Johnson’s had. The restaurant’s last day open will be this Sunday.

Even today, the location of the restaurant feels way out there. It’s a solid 20 miles from “downtown” Scottsdale and I can only imagine how much further it must have felt 58 years ago, before urban development encroached upon it. The homes in the surrounding area are high-dollar estates with names like DC Ranch and Troon, a luxurious master-planned golf community. That’s why Pinnacle Peak Patio is so refreshing — in a sea of hoity-toity high-class homes, it’s a place that embraces a kick-back attitude. Which is why, as you’ll understand, neckties are outlawed.

From the company’s website:

The “no necktie” tradition was started one night when a Phoenix executive came in for dinner. The original owner, wanting to keep the atmosphere in his restaurant casual, told the executive, “Either you take that tie off, or I’ll cut it off.” The executive did not take heed and was appalled when the owner pulled out a butcher knife and promptly cut off the offending cravat.

We headed out around 7:00 p.m. in the ILX and took Loop 101, then Pima Rd, and then eastward on Happy Valley Road (had to put a smile on our faces as we rounded the corner). It’s pretty easy to spot the location of Pinnacle Peak Patio at the intersection of Thompson Peak Rd & Alma School: It feels like you’re back in the wild west. Even the parking lot remains unpaved after all these years.

Right at the entrance to the swinging wooden doors, a hand-painted sign gives a warning: BEWARE: WEAR TIES AT YOUR OWN RISK. I wasn’t (that) afraid. We were seated right away by the hostess in a back room and started admiring some of the artifacts on the walls: Rodeo trophies from years gone by, sheriff badge collections in display cases, wall after wall covered with license plates, and oh — the severed ties: hundreds and hundreds of neckties of every size and color were stapled to the wooden rafters above us. Most of them had small yellow tags on them indicating the wearer and the date it was collected.

Our server, Tanner, recommended the “Wrangler” 10 oz. Top Sirloin for $17.95 and that’s the selection I went with. It was absolutely one of the juiciest steaks I’ve ever eaten. It came with homemade wheat bread, a side salad, and a baked potato which I paid a little extra for. Meal quality = top tier. Our meal was accompanied by a live musician in the other room, playing twangy honky-tonk country which was especially fitting for a venue of this type.

It wasn’t until we were almost ready to get our checks that I realized the waitstaff hadn’t seemed to take note that I was wearing a tie. Tanner came over to see how things were going and I replied, taking a tug at my collar and loosening the tie a notch, “It’s a little warm in here, to be honest.” “Ohhh!” he exclaimed, and he scampered off to get his pair of scissors. “I didn’t even realize you had that on!” So, in a ceremonial ritual as I’m sure has taken place thousands of times before, Tanner took the clippers to my silk blue tie and sliced it in two.

It’s too bad that places like PPP are a dying breed these days. I really enjoyed the vibe of eating at a non-chain place that teleports you away from the hustle and bustle of 2015 and feels more like 1985. The last thing you see as you depart the restaurant is the phrase “Y’all come back now, ya hear?” painted on the backside of courtyard entrance sign. Well, Pinnacle Peak Patio, unfortunately I won’t be going back. You won’t be there.

Thanks for joining on this Thursday night adventure!

And thanks to Kevin and James for being good sports and giving this place a whirl with me.

Happy Valley Road eastbound

Entering the restaurant courtyard from the parking lot

Checking in at the front desk. There’s a gift shop area and a mechanical riding horse for kids.

If you’re local to Phoenix and you get this message in the next 48 hours before it shuts down permanently, go check this place out!

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Weekend Cruise: Round Valley, Arizona in the White Mountains

Posted in Arizona, ILX, Road Trip on June 15, 2015 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend): 533,734

Odometer (ILX): 130,675

Trip Distance: 462 Miles

Annnnnd the Phoenix oven is now fully pre-heated! Just looking at the 10-day forecast makes me break a sweat.

There’s only one logical solution: Get out of town. And that’s exactly what I did this past weekend, along with 3 other friends. The destination of choice this time was the White Mountains, a range in eastern Arizona near the border with New Mexico. While Phoenix sits at a little over 1,000 feet in elevation, the town to which we’d be heading, Eagar, has an elevation of nearly 7,000 feet. And along with that added height comes a 10-day forecast that’s a lot less intimidating (think: High temps in the 80’s).

From my place on Saturday morning, three of us including James from Six Speed Blog headed out on US Highway 60 through the “East Valley” part of the Phoenix area. We made a fuel stop at the Chevron on Idaho Road and then continued eastward to the small mining town of Superior where we met up with Jason of Driven for Drives who had come out from Las Cruces, New Mexico to join for the drive. At this point, our caravan of 3 cars now consisted of the following:

2016 Mazda 6 Grand Touring: 2.5 liter 4-cylinder, 184 horsepower; 6-speed automatic
2004 Mazda 6: 3.0 liter V6, 220 horsepower; 5-speed manual
2013 Acura ILX: 2.4 liter 4-cylinder, 201 horsepower; 6-speed manual

After grabbing a Red Bull and Moon Pie at the Chevron gas station in Globe, we played musical cars and I got to pilot Jason’s 2004 Mazda 6 for the next stretch. For being 11 years old and having 164,000 miles on the clock, the 5-speed Mazda was a solid ride. Jason recently upgraded to an all-leather interior. Bradley and I couldn’t figure out how to pair his audio system to our iPhones, but it didn’t matter because Jason had Linkin Park in the 6-disc changer to keep us company.

We pit stopped at the base of the Salt River Canyon which I’ve blogged about a number of times before. (Acura TLX Review, Christmas Day trip to name a couple). From the river level, there are two massive bridges passing overhead. We climbed back up to the parking lot (got my cardio in for the day) and did another car swap. This time, I got to take control of the Mazda 6. Ringing in at a pricetag in the low $30’s, I must say the new 6 offers great bang for the buck.

The styling is attractive from any angle. Projector headlamps and foglamps offer supreme nighttime visibility. The leather stitched pieces on the dashboard exude a premium feel. And the car comes up with a head-up display – all of which are class-leading amenities for a vehicle in this segment. From a performance perspective, the 2.5 liter needed to be coaxed a bit on the grades, and the transmission seemed slow to shift when prompted, even with the paddle shifters. Even so, the car scoots – and even with a 36-horsepower deficit compared to its older sibling, we found out that acceleration time is pretty on par: Mazda is delivering V6 power with 4-cylinder fuel economy.

We had lunch in Show Low at Licano’s and then headed out toward the small towns of Pinetop & Lakeside. There’s a special place I needed to see at the intersection of Highways 260 & 73: Hon-Dah casino. Oh yes – of course we stopped in to check the place out. Jason tried his had at the 25 cent slot machines and scored a $15 gain after James had lost $20 in a matter if minutes. Ha! I don’t know why it’s called the Hon-Dah casino but maybe the folks on the White Mountain Indian Reservation are Honda fans.

A jog southward on Highway 273 took us past the Sunrise Ski Resort (which had closed for the day just minutes prior, or we probably would have taken a chair lift ride to the summit) and then through some scenic, rolling, grassy hills. It took about 20 minutes until we met the intersection with Highway 261 near Crescent Lake. There was so little traffic out there. I made the comment at one point, “If I worked in car advertising and ever needed to shut down a road for filming, this would be the one.” Highway 261 was full of all the right curves in all the right places. I captured 9 minutes of GoPro footage where you can see just how isolated, yet fun, this road can be.

Want to drive that 9-minute distance with me in only 34 seconds? Here you go.

Eagar and its neighboring town, Springerville, comprise what the locals refer to as “Round Valley.” The population of the two cities combined is fewer than 7,000 people and there are only two stoplights. It’s a neat town and the people are friendly. When we told the front desk agent at Best Western that we wanted to go see a movie, she said, “Make sure you see Gloria. She’s the owner and she’ll take good care of you.” Now that’s hometown hospitality!

We did decide to catch a new release at an old theater. The El Rio theater, formerly known as the Apache theater, opened in 1915. Even after 100 years, the place was well-kept and had a great vibe to it! Last year, the theater was converted from 35mm film to digital projection after the community raised enough money to keep the theater in business. Movie tickets were $6 concessions were dirt cheap too! $5 for a soda and a large popcorn. I could get used to prices like that. Oh, and the movie? Jurassic World. Highly recommended.

I had a great time enjoying a drive in the hills with a few friends and hope you did too. Here are a few pics.

Fueling up in Globe with the two Sixes and the ILX

Entering Salt River Canyon on eastbound US 60

View of the Salt River from underneath the US 60 bridges

Quick group shot – Bradley, Tyson, Jason, James

Shark fins. Watch out. (Jaws Theme)

Highway 260 leading eastward

Anybody want some “Hon-Dah” brand fuel? Just $3.05 for premium!

Photo spot at intersections of Highways 273 and 261 near Crescent Lake

Picture perfect day

Just for kicks, a senior portrait on this log fence with Bradley

Informational stone in front of the historic El Rio theater in Eagar

Old picture of the El Rio theater, then called the Apache theater

Seating inside the theater

Dinner after the flick

Oddly enough, we saw a 1985 Ford Tempo in the parking lot of our hotel with a Deer Lodge, Montana sticker on it. I was just in Deer Lodge a week ago!

Sunday morning: Checking out an abandoned 4-bay car wash facility.

“I wonder how many swirls this thing has caused” – Jason

Vacuum cleaners probably haven’t been turned on since 2010, which was the most recent inspection date on a sticker I found.

Lined up in the wash bays.

The Mazdas going head to head for a picture.

Side note:

Last Friday, June 12th was the 3-year anniversary of my ILX ownership. The car had 16 miles on it when I took delivery in June 2012.

I caught a few pictures in central Phoenix last week just for fun.

It’s been a fun ride! Time has surely flown by.

Have a great week!

10 Comments »

Grand Canyon 26-Mile Hike: South Rim to North Rim in One Day

Posted in Arizona, Hikes, ILX, National Parks, Road Trip on June 2, 2015 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend): 533,657

Odometer (ILX): 127,082

Trip Distance (Car): 476 Miles

Trip Distance (Hike): 26 Miles

Last week, I was reviewing a GMC Canyon. This week, I’m reviewing another Canyon. The Grand Canyon.

While most of the canyon’s 5 million visitors per year are content to stand at the edge and admire its grandeur from afar, others are not happy until they get down and dirty while trudging across 20+ miles of it. My mom is one of those people, and I let her talk me (and a few friends) into joining her for this crazy adventure inside one of the “7 natural wonders of the world” last Friday. And 4 days later, my legs still scream at me for putting them through it.

I last blogged about the Grand Canyon in April 2014 when my friend Brad and I road-tripped to the Skywalk, a glass platform suspended from the canyon walls at the West Rim on the Hualapai Indian Reservation. But the 1,900-squre-mile national park is vastly different to look at from any of the many different angles, and there are several different hiking paths that lead down into it for those who dare.

Painfully Awesome

My friend Dave was telling me the other day about a bike ride he’d taken that had been especially difficult. He called it “painfully awesome.” That sums up in two words exactly how I’d describe Friday’s 14-hour hike. It was the most physically challenging thing I have ever done. Joined by 5 ambitious friends as well as my mom & stepdad, we set our sights on a “rim-to-rim” excursion. In other words, we would start on the south side of the canyon, hike down into into its depths at the Colorado River, then eventually make our way up the north side. For many months we prepared ourselves physically and mentally for the task, but the actual experience was exponentially more than I was ready for.

On Thursday afternoon, I picked up Kyle, Bryce, and Justin in the ILX for our departure from the Phoenix area. It took us about four hours to arrive at the Maswick Lodge along the South Rim. Highway 64 is a very quiet place at night. It’s a two-laner that climbs through the pine forests west of Flagstaff with little traffic, and no significant services or amenities aside from an occasional lonely gas station. By about 10:00 p.m. we met up with my mom, stepdad, and two other friends and settled in for a somewhat sleepless night.

It’s Go Time

In the blink of an eye it was time for a 4:00 a.m. wake-up call. Right off the bat, anxiety ran high because we were rushed to get to the train station for a 5:00 a.m. shuttle bus. We had to make last-minute decisions on what to throw into our packs, how much water to take, and what to wear. (Some of our gear would be staying in my car rather than making the trip across the canyon on our backs.) The bus took us to the South Kaibab trailhead (elevation 7,260 feet) about 15 minutes away and we hopped out. The sight of the canyon at daybreak is something unreal. Temperatures were cool but not uncomfortable. And then began our short-lived tradition of taking a group “selfie” at one-mile intervals throughout the course of the hike. I say short-lived, because by about halfway through the day we cared very little about group pics; we were focused instead on sheer survival.

With energy in abundance we made our way down the rocky but well-marked trail toward the base of the canyon. “We’re going down there?” I thought to myself as I looked in the distance at the vast expanse of rugged terrain. The trail required a good deal of focus for proper footing, but every once in awhile we had to look up from the ground below and admire the scenery around us. “OOOH AHH POINT,” one of the first signed viewpoints we came across, was aptly named. We zig-zagged our way down thousands of feet in elevation. Right away I discovered an issue with my Camelbak backpack when it started soaking my back and shorts. Somehow I hadn’t sealed it tightly enough and it was leaking like crazy. Eventually I dumped the water out of it and resorted to just using 3 refillable bottles.

Besides having plenty of water, we were adequately prepared with other forms of nutrition. Rustin and Wade had packed what appeared to be an entire deli counter. Sliced lunch meats, prosciutto cheese, fresh strawberries and other delicacies were offered up when we made our first rest stop. Thanks to the downhill grade, our pace was quick at a little over 2 miles per hour. A short tunnel and pedestrian bridge across the Colorado River (which had a milky green look to it at the time) awaited us when we finally got to the bottom of the canyon.

Phantom Pit Stop

By now we were starting to wonder when we’d make it to Phantom Ranch at 2,460 feet. Notably the most “developed” of any place we’d be seeing throughout the course of the day, the lodge there has been a waypoint for Grand Canyon travelers since it was constructed in 1922. It was about 7.4 miles into our hike, and as we got closer, I could only think about one thing: LEMONADE. Inside the lodge, they sell cups of ice cold lemonade for $3.00 each. I chugged one so quickly it gave me a headache. Outside, there was a fresh water spigot for refilling water packs. The 8 of us sat around a picnic table under a shade tree and laid out some food items to refill our stomachs. Rustin pulled out a travel size bottle of Hidden Valley Ranch dressing and we all gave him a look of: “You packed that down here?”

The sound of Bright Angel Creek running nearby was therapeutic in itself. Todd took the opportunity to soak his legs in the chilly water. The rest of us just enjoyed the chance to rest at the picnic area. After so much downhill, for some reason when standing still, my legs felt wobbly. I knew already that for every one step downhill we’d taken, we’d be taking closer to two uphill. And that I dreaded.

Ribbon Falls

The trail ran parallel to the river for many more miles. It was about this time – probably 10:30 or 11 in the morning – when the heat started cranking up. Even though I’d lathered up in SPF50 and I was wearing a baseball cap and sunglasses, I could feel the sun cooking the back of my neck. At times we had to walk single file and at other times we stood two abreast and held conversations. Several times there were bridge crossings where the trail changed sides in relation to the river. The steady uphill grade started getting the best of me and I now started drinking more water than ever before. I could now see why on average 250 people per year are rescued from the canyon. Dehydration is a very real concern.

My mom had learned of a detour that was an absolute must-see called Ribbon Falls. I don’t think any of us were too keen on adding distance to our already-long hike, but multiple sources had recommended we make time for it. So, when we saw a crudely-carved wooden sign pointing us in its direction, we rallied our energy as best we could and headed toward Ribbon to check it out. We had to cross a stream and hike up some boulders to get there, but in about 20 minutes we came upon the most beautiful oasis I’ve ever seen. Misty water came down upon us from dozens of feet above where it spilled through an opening in the red sandstone. Justin quickly scampered up as high as he could go on the waterfall itself, but all I could think about was ripping my shoes and socks off to dip my feet in the water.

I could have sat at Ribbon Falls for the rest of the day, but sadly we knew we had another 12 or 13 (all uphill) miles to hike before dusk.

Cottonwood Campground

Todd had a great idea for a way to beat the heat when we got a couple of miles into our hike again. We took our shirts off and soaked them in the creek. The feeling of putting on a soaking wet T-shirt or tank top is unbelievably refreshing when you’re sweaty and gross – especially if there’s a slight wind to exaggerate the temporary chill factor. There are, occasionally, water spigots available every few miles on the trail from Phantom Ranch to the North Rim. Hikers have to be careful and plan ahead, though, because it’s possible sometimes for the water to be out of service. We lucked out and everything was in operation during our hike.

The next stop had probably a dozen or so campsites in it. We again took refuge in a spot of shade and refueled our bodies with food & drink. I took the opportunity to dump a grape flavored 5 Hour Energy shot into my water bottle in hopes that the caffeine would give me a kick for the next little while. My legs, feet, and back were screaming at me. By now, our tradition of taking a group photo at every mile marker had long been thrown out the window. Sometimes there was a lot of space between each of us, as each hiker settled into his or her own pace.

The Ascent

It was upon leaving Cottonwood that I really started questioning my ability to go the rest of the way. I knew from reviewing my mom’s pre-printed trail notes that our location at Cottonwood was still 6.8 miles from the finish line on the North Kaibab Trail. But it wasn’t that distance that scared me. It was this:

Cottonwood Campground: 4,080 feet
North Kaibab Trailhead: 8,241 feet

Okay. So, I’m no rocket scientist but that’s 4,161 feet. Vertically. In other words, after having already hiked about 18 miles, we still had almost 7 to go and we would essentially be climbing 78% of a vertical mile. Straight up in the air. My life flashed before my eyes. Would I send everyone onward without me and potentially stay the night in the canyon? Was I going to be one of “those people” who had to get helicopter air lifted out of the canyon on the news? I couldn’t let myself think about failure. I just had to keep taking it one step at a time.

And that’s where I found myself setting my own pace. Kyle, Bryce, and Justin had gone on ahead. I was kind of in the middle of the pack. I set my iPhone (in airplane mode all day to conserve battery since cell service is non-existent of course) on shuffle and let it play music from inside my pocket. That helped steer my mind clear from the task at hand. I passed a couple who was walking the opposite direction. They could tell that I was “spent” physically by the way that I braced myself with a tree while standing to catch my breath. “There’s a water stop about a mile and a half up, right after a tunnel,” the man told me. I thanked him. But I’m pretty sure he lied to me.

That was probably the longest mile and a half of my life. I kept looking for a tunnel that never came. Endless log stairs, rocks to climb over, and switchbacks. I’d round a corner and they just kept coming. “Really?!” was the thought that kept crossing my mind. I’d walk for a couple minutes, then have to catch my breath and keep my heart from coming out of my chest. When I finally saw that tunnel after an eternity of hiking, it almost seemed like a mirage. I went through, plopped down on a rock, and just sat there without moving a muscle for at least a few minutes. The sun had started its descent into the horizon already so I knew daylight was on the way out.

The fat chipmunks at that small rest area kept me company (and ate some of the peanuts in my trail mix) for about 15 minutes until my mom and Todd arrived, and then Rustin and Wade were just a few minutes behind them. We talked for a bit and then decided it was best to press on as daylight would soon be closing out.

Final Stretch

The last 1.7 miles of the hike happened at a snail’s pace. Every so often I would look behind/below me at the huge canyon and get a little dizzy thinking I had just come up from there. At one point I got insanely hungry and dug into a Nature’s Valley granola bar. I didn’t care that it had become nothing more than a packet full of crumbs at that point. I inhaled it, and I downed two more bottles of water that I’d filled up at the rest stop. Keep in mind, I hadn’t used the bathroom since Cottonwood. All that water was flowing right through me as sweat.

I knew I was getting close when I started hearing the sound of automobile traffic overhead. The trail conditions got notably better, and I passed a man sitting along the side of the trail who was waiting for some family members. “You’ve only got 100 yards to go,” he told me. Music to my ears. I made it. And it was the biggest rush of relief that I had ever felt.

Aftermath

It’s miraculous that the 8 of us everyday people made it through such a physically taxing event. We took one last group photo from the bed of Todd’s pickup truck which was parked there at the North Rim. After showering up, we made it to our 9:00 p.m. dinner reservation at the historic North Rim Lodge. I glanced around the table and the look of exhaustion was pretty common. We slept like rocks at our rented log cabin.

On Saturday morning, Justin, Bryce, Kyle, and I got on a 7:00 shuttle van that drove us 4.5 hours back to where my ILX was parked at the South Rim. Each time we stumbled out of the packed van at a rest area, my legs reminded me that they weren’t happy with what I’d put them through the day prior. It was great to get back to the car and settle in for the rest of the trip home. Here’s a picture from when we exited the park on Saturday morning.

We dined at a neat little Italian restaurant in historic Williams off Interstate 40 before heading back to the Phoenix area.

Thanks for being a part of this memorable adventure! The rest of the pictures and a short video follow:

Rest stop near Camp Verde, Arizona on I-17 headed north toward the Grand Canyon

Setting out on our hike

Still wearing a smile, just a few miles into the hike.

One of the group pictures we took for the first 1/2 of the hike

Switchbacks leading down to the floor of the canyon

Another group pic

Rustin and Wade taking a snack break

A few of the scenic views that surrounded us

Wade and Rustin had a lot of energy still at about 6 miles into the hike.

Group shot whilst crossing the bridge

Tunnel crossing – Todd pictured here

View of the bridge

Back on the trail we went

Refreshing lemonade at Phantom Ranch

Speaking of Ranch, here’s the man who packed a bottle of it!

Luckily for us, the pipes were working.

Mama Tia filling up on water before heading out again

Taking a break in the shade along the trail (Bryce, Tia, Kyle)

One of many river crossings

Arrival at Ribbon Falls

Rustin savoring every drop of his Diet Dr. Pepper which he’d lugged into the canyon

On the trail again, just can’t wait to get on the trail again.

A few pictures from the upward climb. You can see the trail about halfway up the hillside.

And another shot of the trail looking back down.

North Rim Lodge as seen on Saturday morning, the day after our hike

Our shuttle van for the 4.5-hour trip from North Rim to South Rim

Arrival back at the ILX which had been parked at Maswick Lodge

Lunch spot in historic Williams, Arizona

Finally, a shout-out to one of my most loyal readers, Conor, who sent me a Hot Wheels NSX to match the real deal!

Thanks buddy!

28 Comments »

Memorial Day Drive to Punkin Center, Arizona

Posted in Arizona, ILX, Road Trip on May 30, 2015 by tysonhugie

Odometer (ILX): 126,950

Trip Distance: 218 Miles

Greetings! How’d everyone spend last weekend’s holiday?

My buddy Lance visited from Dallas for a few days and it seemed only fitting that I treat him to a good old-fashioned Arizona road trip. I rounded up a few other guys and we hit the highway at 10:00 a.m. on Monday morning in my 2013 Acura ILX and in James’ 2011 Kia Forte 5-door SX. After a quick fuel stop at Chevron on Highway 87, we continued northbound to the exit for a teeny town called Gisela. I’d visited the area two years ago but wanted to introduce my 4 friends to the sweet 5-mile road leading there.

The other place I’d wanted to check out was a town off Highway 188 on the way to Roosevelt Lake called “Punkin Center.” Now, there’s absolutely nothing to see or do in Punkin Center. Well, I guess there’s a thrift shop, a little bar & grill, a quaint lodge, and a few locals who looked at us like the foreigners we were when we rolled into town. After staging the Forte & the ILX for a picture in front of the signature Punkin Center sign, a couple of rough looking guys rolling by in a Dodge pickup truck rolled down their window. “You guys gonna drag race?” the driver asked James. James told him that we were. Ha!

The lodge at Punkin dates back to 1912 and is available for $235 for a one-week stay. I might have to plan a longer trip out. From there it was time to head out and grab a bite to eat. I’d found a decent looking place about 30 miles down Highway 188 called Boston’s Lake House Grill. We dined on a cheese crisp with green chile and then some greasy hamburgers. Even better than the food was the audio soundtrack. When Paula Abdul’s 1988 classic “Straight Up” came on the surround sound, our entire table lit up in karaoke unison. The forest service guy with the big mustache in the corner booth may have given us a dirty look at around that time.

After din, we did a car & driver switcheroo – I took the Kia this time – and we completed our loop via US Highway 60 on through Miami, Superior, and into Apache Junction at the east end of the Phoenix metro area. I found the Forte to be quite the impressive little ride. James’ car has only 49,000 miles on it and looks/smells new. The seats were my favorite feature. I haven’t had a car with cloth seats since my 1989 Prelude when I was 17! I forgot how comfortable they are!

Thanks to the guys for joining us, and to the rest of you for tuning in electronically.

Ready for roll-out!

Kevin, Peter, Tyson in the ILX

Taking a break in Gisela

James and Lance discovered they had matching fluorescent yellow shoelaces

Next stop: Punkin Center

Few pics in Punkin Center. It’s like Halloween every day!

Even on a holiday weekend, not much happening here!

Couldn’t resist a couple pictures at the (orange) entrance sign to town

Having way too much fun

View of Roosevelt Lake from Highway 188

Lunch menu at Boston’s Lake House Grill

ILX looking all photogenic on Highway 60 just east of Superio

Peter taking a picture. And people taking a picture of me, taking a picture of Peter, taking a picture.

Goofy kids.

Jump! In the style of those old Toyota commercials (“I love what you do for me!”).

In-car karaoke, courtesy of Lance, Peter, and Tyson.

Next up: Ever wanted an inside look at the Grand Canyon? I’m about to take you from the South Rim, deep down to its base at the Colorado River, and up the north side… via 26-mile hike. My legs are burning from yesterday’s trek but the story was worth it.

Stay tuned.

4 Comments »

Drive to Five Review: 2015 GMC Canyon & 2015 Toyota Tacoma – Tackling Schnebly Hill

Posted in Arizona, Road Trip, Vehicle Reviews on May 27, 2015 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend): 533,651

Odometer (ILX): 126,281

Trip Distance: 269 Miles

As if I didn’t get enough dirt caked in my nostrils the last time I left the pavement (see the blog write-up from March when my friends and I took an Acura MDX off-road), we were determined yet again to explore the great outdoors in the interest of real-world automotive evaluation. This time, instead of crossover SUVs, we took a pair of pickup trucks.

The GMC was finished in Bronze Alloy Metallic, with specs as follows:

2.5 liter Ecotec Inline-4 Engine
6-speed Manual Transmission
$24,915 As-Tested

The Tacoma came in “Inferno” exterior color, with these features:

4.0 liter V6 Engine (236 hp)
5-speed Automatic Transmission
$39,579 As-Tested

Now, certainly this isn’t a “fair fight.” The Tacoma costs 58% more than the Canyon and it’s a good deal more capable in an all-terrain situation. Our intent was not to put these pickups head-to-head, but rather to review them independently of one another and bring up the merits and criticisms of each. The icing on the cake was getting to explore one of Arizona’s many gorgeous regions, that of Sedona.

Contender Details

About that Tacoma: TRD stands for Toyota Racing Development – the company’s performance line (or “in-house tuning shop” as they call it). The division dates back to the 1990s when it was first created with a focus on performance parts for racing applications (NASCAR, Baja racing, and the like). (EDIT: A savvy reader has corrected me – the TRD concept dates all the way back to 1957 and the American division was founded in 1979). Today, TRD goodies have trickled down to the everyday passenger cars & trucks available at your nearest dealership. The TRD Pro package brings in a few special things including upgraded wheels, Bilstein shocks, different front grille / badging / shift knob / floor mats.

Since our test Tacoma was a 2015 model year, it represented the last of its generation. For 2016, the model has been completely redesigned. I already got a closer look at the new 3rd generation Tacoma at the Detroit Auto Show earlier this year, but it hasn’t yet gone on sale (estimated deliveries starting in 3rd quarter of this year).

The GMC Canyon and its twin, the Chevrolet Colorado, debuted in 2004 as replacements for the GMC Sonoma and Chevrolet S-10 midsize pickup trucks. The Color-anyan twins are now in their second generation, having gone on sale in 2014 as 2015 model year trucks after a reveal at last year’s Detroit Auto Show. The Canyon comes in three trim levels and is styled similarly to its larger GMC Sierra full-size pickup truck sibling. Our tester was the base model with 4-cylinder motor the manual transmission.

About the Road

Schnebly Hill Road is only about 13 miles long, but due to the rugged and challenging terrain it can take up to 45 minutes to traverse. It drops over 2,000 feet in elevation from its start at Exit 320 on Interstate 17 to where it arrives in the beautiful red rock landscape of Sedona. We were well-equipped for virtually any type of terrain, since both trucks have long-since been proven as capable rigs. Just in case the terrain got a little too tough, James took along a 30-foot-long tow strap. Suffice it to say, at the end of our drive, his first words were, “Dammit, I didn’t get to use the tow strap.” That means both these trucks showed their skill and reigned victorious.

Aside from those 13 rocky miles, we did get another 256 miles behind the wheel of these trucks – on pavement. Our paved route took us on a variety of road conditions, from 75 mph two-lane freeway to 35 mph in-town driving, to a few curvy twists, turns, and roundabouts in the towns of Sedona and nearby Oak Creek. So this evaluation reflects the real world driving experiences of both on- and off-road nature.

Who’s Going?

For this drive, we had just four participants: myself, James, Chris, and Mike. Each is a certified ‘car nut’ and highly qualified to criticize or compliment anything on 4 wheels. We ended up having a blast in the process. After putting the trucks through their paces on a variety of terrains, we dined in style on the outdoor patio at the Javelina Cantina in artsy Sedona. That chicken chimi was one of the best I’ve had. But, this isn’t a food review, so let’s get to the “real” meat & potatoes of why you’re here.

GMC Canyon Review

The Canyon needed to rev out to crest the elevation change on I-17 between New River and Flagstaff, because it only had 200 horses at its disposal. Still, both Chris and I commented at how smooth the gearbox was and how refined the ride was for a $24k base model pickup. There are certainly no frills – the sideview mirrors are completely manual in nature, there’s no sunglass holder… but all the critical pieces are there. The seats were comfy and the ride quiet. I had to take a conference call about NSXPO for about 30 minutes while Chris drove. I had no problem with background noise despite the fact that we were cruising between 75 and 80 mph for most of the time.

As we exited the pavement at Schnebly Hill Road, I got a little nervous for a few reasons. 1) There were clouds in the sky and I knew if we got into a muddy situation, 2WD wasn’t going to do us much good. 2) The plastic front air dam on the Canyon is so low to the ground it makes clearance a concern. And 3) We passed at least three bold “in-your-face” signs explicitly warning us about the rough nature of the 12 miles of road ahead. Was the Canyon up to the task? Without a doubt. Twice, we had obstacles present themselves that required someone to be outside the vehicle guiding the driver. But both times, we made it through with nary a scuff. The biggest challenge – and one that I actually turned the keys over to James for – was when a large set of rocks blocked the road and it was inevitable that low air dam would make contact no matter how we traversed them. With a look of determination like I’ve never seen before, James threw the truck into first gear, gritted his teeth, and powered through. I felt like giving him a round of applause.

The Canyon is a perfect all-around pickup truck. It’s composed and comfortable enough to use as a daily driver without that whole “it rides like a truck” driving dynamic. The stick shift makes it engaging to tool around in. Visibility was good. It was easy to park. And while the cabin was tight – especially the rear seats – the use of space is thoughtful and there was never a moment of discomfort for us in the front.

The Canyon is a winner. I’d drive one.

Toyota Tacoma Review

This truck is so “in your face.” There’s a TRD emblem slapped on just about every panel. Combined with the highly visible front skid plate, Inferno red color, and aftermarket-looking wheels, it’s a truck that looks like it has a point to prove… even when it’s standing still.

Here’s the weird thing about my take on the Tacoma: Even with all that 4×4 garb, I found it more behaved ON pavement than it is OFF. Let me elaborate. At 75 miles her hour, I found it more comfortable than anticipated. The V6 revs effortlessly. The ride is nice, and high level of visibility gives a great sense of confidence. Off road, it’s almost like the suspension has been too stiffened. The truck would probably have handled better with some sandbags in the bed to add a little weight – we felt like the tail end wanted to dance around too much. A little disconcerting to me was how much the steering wheel jerked around while on the rough stuff. It seemed to require a high level of constant re-centering – more so than the Canyon did.

Criticisms aside, the Tacoma TRD Pro succeeds effortlessly at what its engineers designed it to do. It took one look at the biggest road obstacles we encountered and laughed out loud. I remember driving behind it at one point and thinking to myself, “There’s no way he’s going to straddle that rock and not hit it.” And, without a flinch, the truck made it. That high ground clearance was truly a blessing. The Tacoma was extremely sure-footed. Where the Canyon spun its wheels a couple of times on sand-covered rocks, the meaty BF Goodrich tires on the Tacoma gripped like a pair of steel pliers. Look at how the Tacoma’s color make it almost camouflaged in the desert!

Just because I was IN a Tacoma for a good chunk of the day, I started noticing just how many of them there are on the road. Toyota has hit a home run with this truck, and it’s no wonder the platform has been changed so little since its debut in 2004. Resale values are sky high even on well-used models. I remember looking for a used one for my dad and being amazed at what people were asking. So that’s good news for anyone looking for a great return on investment. Bottom line on this one is: It feels like a fun “last hurrah” for the outgoing body style. Toyota has thrown everything except the kitchen sink at it, reflected in the $40k pricetag. Personally, I’d encourage potential buyers to hold off on pulling the trigger until the new 2016 model has hit the streets. It’ll probably be worth the wait.

Thanks for joining for the drive! The rest of the pictures and a short video are below.

Northbound I-17 with some fairly heavy holiday weekend traffic

Passing the Tacoma in the Canyon

Here, knowing that the dirt road is not suitable to most passenger cars, travelers are given alternate route options to Sedona

Last shot of the trucks before we got them dirty

Chris showing how tight the rear seats in the Canyon are. Great for kids, though!

Couple pictures from Schnebly, an awesome viewpoint about 6 miles into the dirt road portion

Tyson and Chris

Canyon in the canyon

Mike and Tyson in the bed of the Tacoma

James, Chris, and Mike, enjoying a few minutes of fresh air before getting back into the pickups

Javelina Cantina in Sedona

I couldn’t not post a picture of the best chicken chimichanga I’ve had in months!

Quick last plug for a friend. Looking for an IMMACULATE and rare Acura Legend? Here you go:

http://stgeorge.craigslist.org/cto/5041571656.html

12 Comments »

“Bill Johnson’s Big Apple” Restaurant – Final Visit

Posted in Arizona, Restaurants on May 25, 2015 by tysonhugie

Busy holiday weekend, travels underway, and you’ll read more about them soon!

But here’s a quick story about a short breakfast meet-up on Saturday morning that might be of interest.

It’s the end of an era: This little neon sign in the front window of a landmark Phoenix restaurant has been turned off for the last time as of yesterday. After 59 years, one of the only remaining “original” businesses from historic Van Buren Street has shuttered its windows and will be paved over to make way for a parking lot for the nearby community college.

You may recall my restaurant write-up about Bill Johnson’s from last year. At that time, I noticed just how quiet the place was, customer-wise. It’s no wonder that with decreased traffic and increased expenses, general manager Randi Beswick said they just couldn’t hang on any longer. It’s sad that the dining tastes of Phoenix residents have shifted away from such a historic and unique place.

Since the final closure date was announced last week, people started coming out in droves to support the restaurant. Upwards of 3,000 visitors per day were willing to wait up to 2 hours for a table so they could enjoy some of Bill Johnson’s BBQ for the last time before the restaurant closed on Sunday. Here were some of the headlines in the news:

The Bill Johnson’s sign has been impossible to miss for nearly 6 decades on the south side of Van Buren at 38th Street.

The building itself embraces the Wild West theme with its cows perched at each end of the rooftop.

On Saturday morning bright and early, I met up with 3 friends to sample the breakfast fare. The restaurant had opened at 6:00 a.m. and I arrived around 6:15. I was able to get seated right away, but there was a steady stream of incoming customers and it wasn’t long until they started having to wait to be seated. Devan, Kevin, and James joined me. Our waittress, Bonnie, told us that she’d worked an 18-hour day the day prior.

This is a letter posted at the entrance to the restaurant.

Menu. I went with the Bill’s Breakfast Omelette.

It didn’t look like much but it was tasty as can be, and it came with a side of wheat toast.

Afterward, it seemed only fitting that we grab a picture of Devan’s silver Acura TL and my Acura ILX with the sign out front.

Thanks for coming along to enjoy some tasty grub with us.

5 Comments »

Road Trip to Lake Havasu City, Arizona: Driving the London Bridge

Posted in Arizona, ILX, Road Trip on May 11, 2015 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend): 533,499

Odometer (ILX): 125,027

Trip Distance: 412 Miles

Before we get started with today’s drive, I need to get a nursery rhyme stuck in your head:

London Bridge is falling down,

Falling down, falling down.

London Bridge is falling down,

My fair lady.

There now. Let’s get in the car and check out a fun Saturday road trip destination about 3.5 hours west of Phoenix.

In 1958, there was not much to see in the Mojave Desert at the Arizona-California state line. From a barren wasteland, a man named Robert P. McCulloch had a vision: He wanted to build a city. He purchased 3,300 acres of land on the east side of Lake Havasu on the Colorado River and planned it out for 4 years. Later, he picked up another 13,000 acres. Lake Havasu City was established in 1963, incorporated in 1978, and continued to develop in the ensuing decades. Today, LHC is home to about 52,000 people. It’s a popular destination for spring breakers, water recreationalists (I just made that word up), and snowbirds who escape the winters up north and park their fifth-wheel trailers for a few months in Arizona every year.

One of the city’s biggest attractions is a 930-foot-long stone & concrete bridge that was once a critical piece of infrastructure way across the Atlantic, in England. From 1831 until 1967, this bridge spanned the River Thames in London. But Robert McCulloch wanted so badly to bring a “centerpiece” to his newly-founded community that he purchased the entire bridge from the city of London and had it transported, piece by piece (they were numbered to keep them in order), to western Arizona. It took three years to re-build the bridge in its new location, and it opened for traffic in 1971. It connects a small island in the Colorado River with the rest of Lake Havasu City. The area surrounding the bridge is understandably themed as that of an English village.

James from Six Speed Blog and I headed out in our luxo-rides around 9:30 in the morning. This week, his test car was a 2015 Mercedes-Benz C400 sedan. I took my tried & true 2013 Acura ILX. Most of our drive was on hum-drum Interstate 10 which is always plagued with way too many 18-wheelers clogging up the fast lane, but a couple hours into it, we entered the back roads and things got a lot more interesting.

For about the next 90 minutes, Highway 95 ran parallel to the bright turquoise Colorado River. There were homes lining the river for most of the way, and we spotted a few boaters out enjoying the beautiful Saturday weather. It wasn’t long until we closed in on Lake Havasu City.

The name of the road which passes over London Bridge is (not surprisingly) McCulloch Drive, named for the man who purchased & reconstructed the bridge back in the 1960s. The first thing James and I wanted to do when we arrived in town was get some lunch, so I picked a top-rated (well, 4.3 out of 5-star) spot for us to check out, called Barley Bros. From our booth, we had a sweet view of the bridge outside. I went with a chicken club sandwich and James went for a “lobster burger,” but the thing we both raved the most about was the garlic cheese bread we got as an appetizer. The bread was so soft it almost melted in your mouth!

There are shops, food trucks, and other vendors along the water underneath the bridge, so we hiked down a couple flights of stairs and wandered around a little to check out the area. James spotted a jet ski rental place so we decided to try something spontaneous and check out the pricing. Champion Rentals offered pontoon boots and watercraft for rental by the hour. Jet skiing is something I hadn’t done for probably a decade and a half, but back in the day, my family spent a ton of time at the lake. Here’s a picture of me in summer 1997 at Lake Powell in southeastern Utah.

And another shot of me (left) and my dad (right) following the boat.

James had a little experience with personal watercraft too, and we both kind of wanted to have some fun. For $75 each, we plunked down our credit cards and booked ourselves on a couple of black & white Yamaha WaveRunners. I was surprised at how “little” training the owner gave – basically a few instructions on operation of the machines and a how-to on buckling the life vests, and we were off!

It took us 10 minutes to idle our way out of the “No Wake Zone” in Thompson Bay but immediately afterward we hit the throttles and had a drag race. My WaveRunner somehow was a good deal quicker than James’ so I left him in my dust. Or, in my wake, rather. We had a lot of fun tooling around and got plenty wet in our everyday apparel – including shoes & socks which ended up being squishy and wet.

After our hour of fun, we turned our watercraft back in and went back to the cars. We fueled up at a station called “Terrible’s” (not sure why anyone would name a business such a thing) and started our return drive to the Phoenix area. This time, I took the extremely posh Benz. Coming from a high-revving 4 cylinder to the Mercedes 3.0 V6, I was immediately blown away at just how refined the car felt at 70 miles per hour. It effortlessly floated along with zero wind noise.

At one point I needed to pass two slow-moving semi trucks on Highway 95 and I discovered just how quickly the car can scoot! Its 329 horses are readily available to gallop. The head-up display made a handy way to tell current speed and direction at all times without taking eyes off the road. I had to chuckle when James pulled up behind me at a stop light and his iPhone bluetooth paired with the Mercedes’ radio and started playing his music. As soon as I pulled away at the green light, the music cut back out again.

For the return trip, we opted for a little different routing. Instead of taking Highway 95 down through Quartzsite and getting on Interstate 10 from there, we headed southeast on Highway 72 through some rinky-dink towns like Hope and Salome. There really wasn’t much to see, but the seclusion and feeling of remoteness made it fun and the road had a bunch of whoop-de-doos. One 30-mile stretch between Salome and I-10 had at least 40 or 50 warnings painted on the pavement in giant block letters: “WATCH FOR CATTLE.” Since it’s open range out there, I’m guessing they have a high incidence rate of car-to-cow contact. I didn’t see a single cow in the whole stretch, however. We did make a quick stop at a teeny chapel. This one was just a tad larger than the one I saw in Yuma back in September.

The day concluded with a memorable 125,000-mile milestone in the ILX. Next month, on June 12, I’ll celebrate my 3-year anniversary with that car. Hard to believe how quickly the years (and miles) have flown. Thanks for being a part of today’s drive and I look forward to having you along for many more in the future. Below are the rest of the pictures and a short video.

Exiting Interstate 10 and heading north on Highway 95

Hey! I think I found out where I need to build a home!

Arrow-straight Highway 95 heading north toward Parker, Arizona from Quartzsite

In Parker, a junction with Highway 62 which leads toward California

Onward toward LHC

Getting closer!

Welcome to Lake Havasu City! “Play Like You Mean It.” Ha! It’s no wonder Havasu is such a hot-spot for spring-breakers.

The ILX with the London Bridge in the background

Driving across the London Bridge. I wonder if even those light fixtures are original?

Peeking out toward the mighty Colorado River.

Lake Havasu City is a true oasis. It’s nothing but barren Mojave Desert in every direction.

A good look at the bridge from the south side.

We saw this guy doing acrobatic tricks on some crazy looking “water jet shoes” of some sort.

James cruising along on his WaveRunner

Getting a little wet in the middle of the lake

Pre-departure fuel stop.

“Suds your Duds” Laundromat near Bouse, Arizona.

Couple hours from home.

Picture from inside the tiny chapel on Salome Road

We did sign the guest register!

Car swap again off Interstate 10

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Sunday Group Drive: Long Loop to Lynx Lake, Arizona

Posted in Arizona, ILX, Milestones, Road Trip, Vehicle Reviews on April 27, 2015 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend): 533,182

Odometer (ILX): 123,824

Trip Distance: 243 Miles

“My Bugles spilled all over!”

That was James’ flustered exclamation immediately upon exiting his Ultrasonic Blue Mica Lexus NX200t on a pullout of Highway 89 on Sunday morning. This particular road is unlike most of our state highways for a few reasons: It delivers seemingly endless twists and turns, the corners are banked, and the pavement conditions are as smooth as can be. For any car enthusiast, all those factors can only mean one thing: Wheeeeee!

So, as James took the corners aggressively in his “cute-ute” SUV to keep up with me in the ILX and Peter in his 3-series station wagon, his open bag of Bugles chips that was sitting on the floor repeatedly got rolled over by a rogue water bottle. And James, hands white-knuckling the wheel at 10:00 and 2:00 positions, was powerless to stop it from scattering crumbs all over the place in the process.

It was all worth it, and this Sunday drive did not disappoint. This was a small group with 3 unique luxury cars:

2002 BMW 325iT (Peter) – $36,250 as tested
- 5-speed manual
- Sport, Premium, and Cold Weather packages
- 2.5 liter Inline-6
- 189 horsepower
- 190,155 miles
2013 Acura ILX (Tyson) – $31,980 as tested
- 6-speed manual
- 2.4 liter 4-cylinder
- 201 horsepower
- 123,824 miles
2015 Lexus NX200t (James) – $43,398 as tested
- 6-speed automatic
- F SPORT and Navigation packages
- 2.0 liter 4-cylinder
- 235 horsepower
- 2,901 miles

From our home base in Scottsdale, we made our way northbound (Loop 101 -> Interstate 17 -> Highway 74 -> Highway 60) and our first stop was for fuel and snacks at the Mobil gas station in Wickenburg. That’s where James got ahold of those Bugles which later became the strewn-about crumbs in his back seat.

Peter’s 5-speed 3-series took the lead with Jack playing the role as copilot. As soon as traffic and road conditions permitted, the white station wagon quickly left me in its dust. Thanks to its custom upgraded H&R Sport suspension and 18″ low-profile tires, the BMW was well-suited for the twists & turns of Highway 89. The ILX, too, seemed to be right at home in that environment. Jack drove it for a stretch and commented on how superior Honda’s stick-shifts are. (A shame, since as of the 2016 model year, Acura has nixed the option). Between Wickenburg and Prescott, the highway ascended about 3,300 feet in elevation; rowing between 3rd and 4th gears it was fun to hold the motor in the higher RPM range and make use of VTEC technology.

Prescott welcomed us with light rains, refreshing pine-scented air, and cool mountain temperatures. There was only thing one left to make it a perfect road trip: tasty food. And for that, we went to the Lone Spur Cafe on Gurney Street in historic downtown Prescott.

Since it would be on our way home anyway, we decided to hit up Lynx Lake for a few pictures. I last visited both Lynx and Watson lakes in the Prescott area in February in the ILX. When we turned off Highway 69 at Walker Road, I noticed that there were even a few snowflakes on the roadside as we headed toward the south shore of Lynx. We were glad to have sweatshirts. I know all my readers up north are rolling their eyes at how we Arizonans crank our seat heaters to “HI” when the temperature dips below about 70 degrees.

James let me take the wheel of the Lexus for the drive home from there.

Coming from a lower-slung sporty sedan, I expected the NX to be a little less agile around the corners due to its higher center of gravity. What I instead discovered was that the NX “thinks” it’s a car, and behaves accordingly. If I had closed my eyes while driving (not recommended!), I could have easily mistaken the ride & feel for a sedan, and that is impressive considering the vehicle’s heft and profile.

Lexus tries hard to put all the controls at optimal locations. I noticed that the cruise control stalk (tucked away behind the lower right side of the steering wheel) is the same one that my mom’s 2003 Lexus GS430 had. Hey, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix/change it! The rest of the cabin is a nice place to spend time. I liked the red stitching on the dashboard (part of the F SPORT package) and the abundance of soft-touch materials surrounding the driver.

Among other adds for F SPORT are the sport-tuned suspension (which we definitely put to work), perforated leather-trimmed steering wheel, cornering front fog & driving lamps, special door scuff plates, and active sound control (“ASC”). That feature is a bit of an oddity: It’s a dial mounted to the dashboard below the steering wheel that controls the level/intensity of engine sound coming into the cabin. Oddly enough, the NX even has a G-meter. Those are all nice efforts to make the vehicle fun and sporty, but something tells me its primary buyers are folks who probably aren’t going to care. I picture the NX spending more time fighting for parking spaces at the mall than doing any kind of technical driving. I have to wonder how the NX would fare on an extreme road like Bloody Basin.

All-in, I enjoyed driving the NX200t more than I thought I would. At 80 mph on the freeway, there was almost undetectable wind noise. We streamed Bluetooth audio from James’ iPhone and the 8-speaker audio system rocks out (thanks for reminding me that Bloodhound Gang exists!). We got dumped on by a cloudburst coming down a curvy section of Interstate 17 between Sunset Point and Black Canyon City. Even though the NX was wearing summer tires, traction was grippy and confidence-inspiring. The windshield wipers (front and rear) did a great job of sweeping away the rains and I must say I really enjoyed the higher ride height of a crossover and the visibility it gave to what was going on around me.

Many thanks to James, Peter, and Jack for coming along and to the folks at Toyota/Lexus for giving James access to that sweet NX so it could join us for the drive. That about wraps it up for this weekend’s adventure. Thanks as always for coming along! Photo gallery below.

Westbound on Highway 74, following the Lexus