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Trip to San Diego, California in the ILX

Posted in California, ILX, Road Trip on February 17, 2013 by tysonhugie

Odometer (ILX): 28,229

I love southern California. From 2001-2003, I lived in north San Diego County. Over the last 10 years, I’ve traveled back frequently. This time, I decided to take my friend Jack along for the ride. Here’s what our route looked like:

Trip distance: 882 Miles
Observed fuel economy: 32.0 MPG
Other Acura ILXs seen on the road: 0

6:30 a.m. came bright and early on Saturday morning. I watched the sun rise in my sideview mirror as we made our way westbound on Interstate 10.

Treat stop in Tonopah, Arizona at 339th Avenue. Dawn in the desert is a beautiful time of day with its soft light.

Shortly after the crossing the California state line, we had to stop for a mandatory California Agriculture Station inspection. Though, it was hardly an “inspection,” since the representative merely waved me onward and we rolled past.

Jack’s favorite song came on my Sirius XM radio so we had to sing along. I think I had it stuck in my head for the entire rest of the day.

Once again I’ve maxed out the timer on my ILX’s information display in the gauge cluster.

This fuel stop at Chevron near Indio, California looked a bit like a Honda meet, with a silver Accord and an Acura RSX joining the party. Premium (91 octane) fuel ran $4.59 per gallon. I topped off the ILX’s 13-gallon tank and we were on our way.

Jack and I soon passed the San Gorgonio Pass Wind Farm, home to over 3,000 windmills. The blades on each one of these windmills are 116 feet long and when they’re spinning, they sweep an airspace of just under an acre!

From I-10, connected with US-60 west and then I-215 south, which turned into I-15 south. Soon we arrived at our first destination.

One of the towns that I lived in was Fallbrook, located in northern San Diego County. At the time, I was volunteering as a representative of my church and Fallbrook was my assigned area. The town’s claim to fame is that it is the “Avocado Capital of the World.” There’s an avocado festival held each year in the spring. Southern California is home to 59,000 acres of avocado groves, accounting for 95% of the United States’ avocado production. I’m getting hungry!

August 13, 2001

I was 19 years old and driving a church-issued Chevy Prism.

February 16, 2013

Age 31 and driving a 2013 Acura ILX.

Notice that the sign has changed slightly over the last decade. The font and image are different, the population has gone from 38,000 to 44,000 and somehow the city’s elevation has mysteriously “sunk” from 900 feet to 685 feet!

Highway 76 took us toward the Pacific Ocean. Soon we were breathing that fresh humid air and the water was in sight!

The “Strand” is a stretch of road that winds along the beach in Oceanside.

The ILX found its way to some convenient hourly parking while we wandered to lunch and soaked up some sunshine in 79 degrees.

This is the view on the Oceanside Pier. It was first built in 1888 (but has been rebuilt several times since then). It’s 1,954 feet long, making it the longest wooden pier on the west coast.

At the end of the pier is a restaurant called Ruby’s. I had a mushroom, Swiss, avocado burger and it was excellent! Here are a few other sights from around the area.

I paid a visit to a couple of great families in the area, including the Cordadas:

And the Linvilles, Veronica and Renzo. The picture I was holding here is a shot from 2001 when I used to visit them regularly.

These cookies are called “alfajores.” They’re Peruvian and have dulce de leche filling. Veronica knows how to spoil me!

Our next journey would take us through Escondido (Spanish for “hidden”) on California State Route 78, also known as the San Pasqual Rd. We climbed from Escondido’s 600-foot elevation through a series of tight, banked curves up the hillside. Soon we arrived on Main Street in Ramona, at 1,400 feet.

I lived in Ramona for about six months in late 2001. The below is a picture that was taken of me back then. While the town is only about an hour or less from downtown San Diego, it definitely feels quite remote and is a taste of the “countryside” for those in San Diego who wish to retreat from the hustle and bustle.

Ramona, interestingly enough, is referred to as the Valley of the Sun — as is my hometown, Phoenix, Arizona. Jack and I grabbed drinks at a gas station where the 78 highway arrives into town. We’d soon be traveling those remaining 23 miles (see the sign in the background) of country roads to Julian.

Heading eastbound from central Ramona.

We made a quick side-trip to see the home that I lived in during my time in Ramona. It was actually a converted horse stable – a two-room tiny dwelling. It didn’t have (or need) air conditioning but we used a space heater during winter months. Why I was standing on the rooftop when this was taken in 2001, I have no idea.

Yesterday, this was as close as we could get, due to a posted “No Trespassing” sign. The property may have changed owners.

The view, however, was every bit as great as I remembered it being.

We began to climb even further in elevation as we approached Julian. This tiny town owes its heritage to the mining industry and it experienced a gold rush after ore was discovered there in 1869.

Main Street in Julian was bustling with tourist activity. This guy was offering carriage rides with his miniature horse.

We parked and took a walk around.

Here’s a look at Main Street in Julian. This place is most famous for its apple pies. Still full from lunch at Ruby’s, we didn’t partake this time, but I’ve had the pies before and they’re amazing.

The town sits at over 4,200 feet – high enough that snow storms are common during the wintertime. Weather was amazing during our visit, but there were piles of melting snow scattered in various locations along Main Street.

I took a peek inside the Chamber of Commerce.

When I saw the below picture hanging inside a Julian coffee shop, it caught me by surprise. It’s a sketch of an old Ford pickup parked in front of a place called Shady Dell. Shady Dell is located in Bisbee, Arizona, 478 miles away from this location! I was just there a few weeks ago in the Legend.

LA Show Day 2 & Return Trip to AZ

Posted in California, Car Show, ILX, RLX on November 29, 2012 by tysonhugie

Odometer: 21,174

Los Angeles is notorious for its love of cars. Perhaps that’s why the city is home to the worst traffic in the country. But along with that congestion, the city’s residents also embrace automotive technology and there is no place where “car culture” thrives more than in southern California. Day 2 at the press days of the LA Auto Show was every bit as exciting as the first. Here’s how it played out.

After a drizzly 18-mile commute to the Los Angeles Convention Center in the ILX, we paid our $15 and stashed the car away in a parking deck.

First stop was the Honda booth, as big things were to be announced there. Staked out in our second-row seats for the 10:05 a.m. press conference, we waited.

The big news? This car. Honda’s Civic has been around since 1973. By 2012, the car had been through 8 different generations. But just one year after the new 2012 bodystyle, the Civic was redone yet again. Meet the 2013 Civic Si Sedan. New front and rear fascia, revised interior finishes, additional technology and safety features are among the changes that were made.

As Honda Senior Vice President John Mendel announced during the press conference, this new Civic is appropriate as 2013 marks the 40th year of its existence. Jeff Conrad, Acura VP, stopped by and we visited for a few minutes.

I also reconnected with John Watts. John’s the Sr. Manager of Digital Marketing at Acura who presented me with the key to to my new 2013 Acura ILX back in June. John and I talked about his recent travels to the Grand Canyon in his new Crystal Black Pearl RDX. John also told me that he’d visited the Skywalk. I’m jealous – I’ll be heading out that way soon, too, I hope. Any excuse for a road trip!

Here’s a shot of the 2013 Civic EX Sedan.

A few other sights from around the Honda booth and beyond. This fun little roadster is called the EV-Ster. It’s all electric.

And this was a nicely modified Honda Accord coupe put together by Honda Racing Development.

The Accord Hybrid will have industry-leading fuel economy. We learned during the Honda press conference that this car is capable of 49 mpg city and 47 mpg combined. Impressive!

A spy encounter. This is none other than Brenda Priddy, of Brenda Priddy & Co, specializing in automotive spy photography. She gave me a BP&Co wristband which I wore proudly!

I’m really digging this new Lincoln MK-Z. But would you believe that a car this large is only powered by a 2.0 liter 4-cylinder?

Here’s a new innovation that’s going to make its way to Acura as well. Capless fueling!

I’m not a Ford guy but I have to admit, there’s something hot about the latest iteration of the Fusion.

What’s not to love about a Porsche 911 Carrera S? Yum.

Finally, the Acura booth. Since Acura held its press conference yesterday, there was no longer a reason to keep several rows’ worth of plastic chairs in the space any longer. The full model line-up was brought in.

The beloved TSX Special Edition. This car is powered by the same 2.4 liter, 201-horsepower 4 cylinder that my ILX 6-speed is.

RDX, ILX, TSX

ILX and RLX: Entry level and flagship sedan. Two different sedans, same Acura philosophy — luxury at any price.

I love that Acura chose to present its models in a uniform color — elegant black. Nothing says “luxury car” like a spotless, gleaming black paint job.

These are some handsome looking back ends.

This ILX 2.0 with Technology package had only 4 miles on the odometer. I played around for a bit with the navigation interface.

Finally, it was time to make our way eastward and return to Phoenix. This was taken as we ramped up to Interstate 10 which would be our only freeway from that point forward. The LA-to-Phoenix drive is a piece of cake if you’re directionally challenged.

$3.99 / gal for some 91 octane at the Chevron in Palm Desert again.

Yeah, I relinquished the driver’s seat for a couple of hours! I don’t mind zoning out and reclining once in awhile.

This was a pretty clever way to communicate a safety message. Check out the yellow signs on the back doors of this 18-wheeler.

The California desert, after rising in elevation from the Indio area.

Once I got back into the driver’s seat, we realized just how handy the ILX’s dual climate zones are. I like it chilly, Branson likes it hot. We were both happy.

I can never resist a nice sunset photoshoot. These were taken just west of Blythe, California on a deserted offramp.

It’s good to be home! Back to work I go tomorrow. It was awesome to see the latest & greatest from Acura and from other vehicle manufacturers at this year’s LA Auto Show. I’m excited about automotive trends and more than anything else, I loved the chance to meet & greet some of the great folks BEHIND the cars that I so love. For some of us, cars (and Acuras specifically) are a huge part of our lives. My good friend John Bazay is an example of that.

John has already photoshopped his ideal Acura RLX. Check out this beauty sitting on Vossen wheels. The car’s not even on sale and yet people like John are already planning what they’ll do with it. That, my friends, is how to recognize a true enthusiast!

G’nite!

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ILX in LAX! Los Angeles Int’l Auto Show

Posted in California, Car Show, ILX, RLX, Road Trip on November 28, 2012 by tysonhugie

Odometer (ILX): 20,775

“Flagship.” It’s a term referring to a vehicle that embodies the ultimate expression of an automaker’s capability. In Acura’s case, it was a position that was held by the Legend for 10 years, from 1986 to 1995. Then came the RL in 1996, running 17 years and retiring as a 2012 model. The successor is now here, and it’s dressed to impress. The 2014 Acura RLX was unveiled today, and I was there when the sheet was pulled off the production model. I’ve been to lots of auto shows this year! It all started with Detroit in January. I also saw SEMA and Phoenix. The latest destination was to Los Angeles, California for this year’s Los Angeles Auto Show.

Just two days after having returned from my Thanksgiving trip to Utah, I saddled up once again in the ILX for a long road trip. This time, though, I had a copilot. My Acura Legend-owning friend Branson joined for the ride. Branson’s 1995 Legend LS coupe 6-speed is Cayman White Pearl and has only 143,000 miles it:

The drive from Phoenix to LA was around 400 miles. Piece of cake for the ILX. Branson’s a fun road-trip partner. Though his OCD tendencies make things interesting sometimes (he absolutely refuses to let me set the volume at level 13 or the temperature at 73!), we have a great time laughing our way to our destinations.

Fueling up in Tonopah, Arizona just west of the Phoenix area on Interstate 10. Branson also picked up some Powerball tickets here. With $500M up for grabs, who wouldn’t want a shot at that?

Typical gorgeous Arizona sunset. For a change of pace, I took the passenger seat and had Branson pilot us westward.

Too much sugar in my system. Thanks Twizzlers Nibs.

And some rockin’ tunes to provide a soundtrack for our drive.

Fuel stop in Indio, California at Chevron.

Finally arriving in the LA area around 9:00 p.m. local time, we crossed underneath the LAX airport runway on Sepulveda Rd and got to our hotel called “Custom Hotel” on Lincoln Boulevard. The ILX got valet parked for its first time since I’ve had it! This is a valet-only hotel (and parking is $20 a night! Ouch!).

The rooms are cool, though – some 1960’s decor in here including a multi-colored strobe light in the windows. Flashy.

This morning – first things first! After a 30 minute drive to the Los Angeles Convention Center in downtown LA on Figueroa Street, Branson and I got our media credentials.

The Acura booth was the first destination – of course. We were greeted with some impressive design in the booth itself, and the new tagline for the RLX flagship which we’d soon see unveiled: “Synergy of Man and Machine.”

Someone left the headlights on when they installed that car cover!

Some may recognize this car. The Acura NSX concept vehicle. I’ll take it!

Branson and I are soaking in all the shiny scenery.

Soon it was time for the big reveal. Here’s a video of the first few minutes of the (total 20-minute) presentation after the cover was pulled off the RLX and it spun around before our eyes on the giant turntable.

Having owned a Honda Prelude 4WS (Four-Wheel-Steering) in the past, one of the features I was most interested in learning about on the RLX is called PAWS (Precision All Wheel Steering).

Here’s a little excerpt from today’s press release discussing the innovative technology:

Precision All-Wheel Steer™ (P-AWS) is the world’s first technology to feature independent and continuous control of the left and right rear-wheel steering (toe) angles to achieve new levels of handling agility, high- and low-speed maneuverability, and confident handling control for a two-wheel-drive luxury sedan.

Sounds pretty sweet to me! But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Check out this long list of features!

Jewel-Eye LED headlights (an Acura first) LED lamps enhance the RLX’s modern and distinctive appearance while providing outstanding light distribution and improved down-the-road illumination.
Acura Navigation System with Voice Recognition™ offers a wide range of search options including local search functionality and AcuraLink Real-Time Traffic™ for both highways and surface streets.
Agile Handling Assist (an Acura first) uses active braking to help the driver smoothly and easily trace the desired line through a curve with smaller steering inputs.
Electric Parking Brake (an Acura first) provides one-touch parking brake activation.
Automatic Brake Hold (an Acura first) maintains the vehicle’s position when the driving or parking brake are released until the throttle is depressed.
Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) with Low-Speed Follow (an Acura first), allows the RLX to independently maintain a set following distance in low-speed traffic situations, including stop and go traffic, and to initiate vehicle braking when necessary.
Forward Collision Warning (FCW) uses a camera mounted in the upper portion of the windshield to detect vehicles ahead of the RLX and audibly and visually alert the driver when it determines a frontal collision with a detected vehicle is possible.
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) uses the same windshield-mounted camera to detect lane markings on the road and alerts the driver if the vehicle is wandering from a detected lane.
Front seatbelt e-pretensioners use electronic control to reduce belt tension under normal driving conditions, while also enabling automatic belt tensioning in hard cornering maneuvers or in the event of a collision.
Multi-angle rearview camera with dynamic guidelines uses guidelines that reflect steering wheel inputs on the display to aid in backup maneuvers.
Capless fueling (an Acura first) eliminates the fuel cap and improves ease of fueling.

Some more pictures below captured the crowd’s excitement after Jeff Conrad’s remarks. He invited the press to come forward and join him in getting a closer look at the car.

The first of several (to me) “celebrity” encounters. This is Scott who is an integral part of Acura’s social media program.

Acura Vice President Jeff Conrad – someone who’s diligently followed my Legend / ILX adventures since we first met at the Drive to Five event a year ago.

And Sage Marie – Acura Sr. Manager of Public Relations – AND the lucky individual who will get to drive the race-tuned 2013 Acura ILXs at the 25 Hours of Thunderhill endurance race event soon. This guy’s got some driving skills!

Finally this guy – a true Acura pioneer. Kurt Antonius retired not long ago, but his history with the brand dates back to before it even existed. Kurt is one of the key individuals who built Acura into what it is today from its early beginnings in 1986. He told me about how Acura was originally code named “Channel 2” before it even had a real name. It was great to visit with him again.

Checking out the technology in the RLX interior. Even the glove compartment is electronic push-button activated!

Lunch at Rivera just a couple blocks away with some of my friends from the Social Media team.

And walking back to the Los Angeles Convention Center in overcast but comfortable weather.

As much as I would’ve loved to spend all day in the Acura booth (in fact, given the option I would’ve loved to put up a camping tent and live there), I did wander around the show. Here are a couple of other cars that caught my eye. This was the Infiniti “LE” concept vehicle. It’s 100% zero emissions.

This gorgeous ride is the Lexus LF-LC. That color is just stunning – the photo does it no justice!

This was the Audi booth. The big news there is that Audi is rolling out 3 “TDI” (diesel) models – including the A6, the A7, the A8 and the Q5. Clean diesel is becoming a huge piece of the market for Audi. The president of the company reported during the press conference that 33% of the A3’s sold currently are diesel powertrains.

Exhausted and ready to roll out for the night!

It was fitting that this song – “California Love” – by Tupac, came on the XM 90’s on 9 station. Love rocking out to this! By the way, I also figured out how to change the color of my display screen on the dash of the ILX. The “default” color was blue, but I felt like red fit better with the red gauges and sporty demeanor.

Acura was ranked #1 by ALG, an industry benchmark for vehicle values, in a study recently. Acuras are known for holding their value long-term. Great to see the brand getting the recognition it deserves! Makes me proud to drive an Acura.

Tomorrow we’ll see a bunch of booths in the show that we didn’t get a chance to see today — including the Honda press conference at around 10:00 a.m. I’m hoping to score a front row seat for that one like I did today for the Acura presentation. Plus, they’ll be clearing out the chairs in the Acura booth and bringing in some of the company’s other models for us to get up close and personal with. More pics to come — thanks for checking in!

11 Comments »

San Francisco, California

Posted in California, ILX, Road Trip on August 12, 2012 by tysonhugie

Odometer (ILX): 11,286

It’s been two months to the day since I got my ILX with just 16 miles on it. It was time yet again to stretch the car’s legs and today’s return trip from the Bay Area was about 800 miles one-way. It took almost exactly 12 hours.

Tracking back to earlier in the trip:

Saturday morning, I headed northbound on I-5 from Sylmar through what is known as the Tejon Pass, climbing to over 4,000 feet in elevation and then dropping sharply at a 6% descent grade to a small town at the base called Grapevine. The 1955 Charlie Ryan song “Hot Rod Lincoln” has a reference to a kid racing a souped up Lincoln against a Cadillac on this grade. The road has since been widened and straightened to make it less dangerous than it once was. The ILX mastered the hill in 6th gear without even needing to downshift.

Back on level ground, the sun started peeking over the horizon and I set my sights on San Francisco.

That long downhill grade did wonders for my average fuel economy. I reached an all-time high of 33.6 mpg.

Ouch! Just when it seems like fuel prices are getting to be more reasonable, I paid this for 91 octane in Firebaugh.

After a visit to a friend in Brentwood and lunch in Walnut Creek, I paid a visit to an Acura dealership that has a special place in my heart: Acura of Pleasanton. My 1994 Legend that now has over 515,000 miles on it was purchased brand new from this very location in September 1994 when it had 288 miles on it. The dealership is conveniently located off Interstate 580 so I swung by to grab a quick picture.

Here’s where I started wishing I would’ve parked inland and ridden the $5 mass-transit “BART” system into downtown SF: 16 lanes wide; total gridlock for 30 minutes waiting to get to the tollbooths. Two lanes were moving at a decent pace, and of course they were the Fast Pass lanes which I wasn’t eligible for. The toll is $6 from 5-10 a.m. and 3-7 p.m. on weekdays, $4 all other weekday times, and $5 on weekends.

Finally, some fresh (and I do mean fresh! 66 degrees!) air as I cross the Bay Bridge. The bridge itself dates back to 1936 and is 23,000 feet long. Other fun trivia (thanks to the Bay Bridge History site):

The bridge carries 102 million cars per year
The cost of the original bridge was $77 million in 1936
When it was built, the Bay Bridge was the longest in the world

Before meeting up with friends, there was something I just HAD to do first. One of my favorite movies is the 1993 Robin Williams movie “Mrs. Doubtfire.” This film was set in San Francisco, and I learned thanks to some investigative googling that the home used in the movie is in fact easy to find. This became my second “movie crusade” in the ILX, since last month I drove to the Napoleon Dynamite house in southern Idaho.

Here we are: 2640 Steiner Street. It’s been 19 years since the movie was filmed and the home looks exactly the same as it did back then.

(Small) screen shot from the movie:

Star-studded steps!

In typical San Fran style, the roads are steep. Don’t forget the emergency brake here!

Here’s a screen shot from the movie.

And now with my ILX in the same place.

The home is at the corner of Steiner & Broadway streets.

Back the car into the driveway? Sure, don’t mind if I do! (Just long enough for a photo-op, of course).

Some other fascinating info about this home in this article.

San Francisco has an elaborate system of cable cars and zero emission buses.

The biggest challenge with getting around this area: Finding a parking space! I drove around for about 30 minutes before I found a location remotely close to where I would be spending the night. Take a look across the street from where I finally ended up parking the ILX. These cars are bumper to bumper! It’s no wonder why most of the vehicles in downtown have battered bumpers and dented quarter panels.

My accommodations for the night on Duboce Street.

And reunited with a couple of old friends at Dolores Park for a great sunset overlooking the city as the cloud cover rolled in, followed by a night out on the town.

This morning’s departure:

First up, I found out from some quick mapping that I was only 2.3 miles away from the famous “crookedest street in America,” Lombard Street which I drove in my Legend in 2010. Here’s what the street looks like from a higher perspective/aerial view.

Since it was only about 7:00 in the morning on a Sunday, traffic was light and I was able to take my time creeping eastbound down the 8 switchbacks in the ILX and take a few pictures.

There was even a nice bystander near the bottom of the hill who snapped a picture for me!

Starting my long drive home now – what this picture truly fails to capture is the angle of the road! Steep! This is where the ILX “hill start” assist feature on the manual transmission comes in very handy. When starting off with the clutch depressed, the car actually holds itself in place until you get going. Fancy shmancy.

Much of today’s drive was on Interstate 5 in central California. It’s flat farmland as far as the eye can see. 70 mph speed limits.

Los Angeles was about another 6 hours from San Fran, and Phoenix another 6 from Los Angeles.

Once I rose out of the LA metro area, I saw the one of my favorite signs– “other Desert Cities” — on I-10 westbound.

Palm Springs, California. Home of the San Gorgonio Pass Wind Farm. There are 3,218 windmills out there.

Just after Indio, the temperature crept to a toasty 117 degrees and I began my descent to the desert plateau via I-10.

If only the temp would’ve cooperated and been 111 degrees for my 11,111th mile.

Turn off the A/C? When it’s 117 degrees? No, thanks! The ILX handled the grade just fine.

Last stop of the day was at the Bouse Rest Stop, about 30 miles east of Quartzsite, Arizona.

Understandably, I needed to stretch my legs a little after having been in the car for over 10 hours at this point, so I read the Rest Area Guide.

Among the list of prohibited activities: Vandalism. Except, whoever developed this sign misspelled “vandalism” with an E.

Isn’t it ironic that someone took the liberty of vandalizing the word vandalism to correct the error?

Things that make you go, “Hmmm….”

And with that, I’m home sweet home and ready to relax.

It seems that every time I take this car on trip, I learn something new about it. Here are a couple things I picked up on this time:

The turn signal indicator flashes at exactly the same speed as artist Juice Newton’s 1981 song (hey, it’s the same age as me!) “Queen of Hearts.” Test it out sometime! Great song.
The trip meters (of which there are two: A and B) max out at 9,999.9 miles. Since I never reset my meter “A,” it turned over to 0000.0 on me this trip.

Thanks for coming along with me to San Fran!

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Sylmar, California – First 10,000 Miles Completed

Posted in California, ILX, Milestones, Road Trip on August 10, 2012 by tysonhugie

Odometer (ILX): 10,105

Whoever wrote that song, “Oceanfront Property In Arizona” needs to look at a map! No water in sight. I’ve had enough of Phoenix’s blistering heat so it’s time to high-tail it to some REAL ocean air of Cali-for-nye-aye. I’m just north of Los Angeles tonight off Interstate 5 in Sylmar, but tomorrow I’ll continue my journey northbound to sunny San Francisco. Here’s what today’s trip looked like after departing from work:

Ten thousand miles have come and gone since June 12, 2012 (less than two months ago!) when I took the key to my 2013 Acura ILX from John Watts representing Acura’s Digital Marketing team. It’s been a great ride so far.

The occasion happened on Interstate 10 westbound in Banning, California.

Ever seen pictures on the news of those crazy dust storms we get in the desert? I drove through a mild one this afternoon. Visibility here was actually pretty good.

It wasn’t until I got OUT of the dust cloud (below picture) that I realized just how bad the air had been in there.

*cough, cough*

Pit stop for a taste of the old west: Desert Center, California.

The drive from Phoenix to Los Angeles is brutal, traversing several hundred miles of scorching 110-degree desert wasteland.

The town of Desert Center (though its current 204 residents hardly comprise a crowd!) got its start in the 1920’s as a small repair garage. Following is an excerpt from Wiki:

A Model T truck was modified to serve as a tow car. Gasoline was pumped by hand from a 55 gallon drum. Lydia served food and refreshments to thirsty and weary travelers. In spite of the remote location 50 miles (80 km) in any direction from anything, the Ragsdales prospered. Ragsdale named his outpost ‘Desert Center’. In 1921, it was announced that the sand road running through Desert Center would be relocated about 5 miles (8.0 km) north, straightened, paved, and named US Route 60, a modern “high-speed” highway. Ragsdale abandoned “old Desert Center” and built a poured-concrete café in the adobe style with an attached gasoline station and a huge service garage. Across the road, a series of wooden structures were built, including a market (which at one time was the largest Coleman camping equipment dealer in the country), and a post office. He also built several cabins for travelers, and a large “plunge” (swimming pool) next to the café where travelers could escape the desert heat.

The cafe, as it turns out, is still standing but no longer open:

These old gas pumps are remarkably well preserved for their age! For those wondering: fuel price here is 39 cents a gallon.

A few other sights to see in this barren land.

And resuming my journey westbound, the sunset was spectacular as it always seems to be in the desert.

I’m still getting some great average MPG’s in this thing!

My first 10,000 miles in the ILX have been rewarding and fun. The car has plenty of comfort, power, and technology to offer a traveler who’s looking to go the distance. Tomorrow the adventure will continue to San Francisco.

Friday Flashback:

I was last in SF this past December 2011 for a concert, but the last time my Legend saw San Fran was in June 2010 when I traveled out there for a Legend meet. My car had about 428,000 miles on it at the time.

Great people – Legend forum members.

My good friend Sergio takes a look at the coupe. He also took it for a spin at the time.

Bay Bridge in the morning fog.

I of course had to drive the car down the “crookedest” street in America, Lombard Street. This 1/4-mile long, one-way stretch of road has 8 tight switchbacks. I would’ve loved to skateboard down this thing. Probably would’ve crashed and burned after the first hairpin.

Good memories.

Side note on the ILX in parting:

Now that the 2013 ILX has been on sale for a couple of months, more and more automotive journalists are publishing their reviews of the car. Here’s one critique by Brian Cooley of C Net that popped up this week – a good amount of praise, especially for the tech features and drivetrain. The ILX that Brian is driving is a twin to mine, outfitted with the 2.4 liter and 6-speed manual and finished in Silver Moon Metallic paint.

Sneak peak of what’s up tomorrow:

Next update will be after the SF trip is over! Until next week sometime…

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Hollywood California – Metric Listening Event

Posted in California, Concerts, ILX, Road Trip on June 22, 2012 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend): 514,210

Odometer (ILX): 2,423

Ten miles in ten days. I think that’s the fewest miles my 1994 Legend has ever traveled during that length of time. I pulled the car out of hibernation on Wednesday night just to see how it felt to get behind the wheel of my tried and true wheels after spending a week in the new 2013 Acura ILX.

The Legend fired up eagerly on the first try after having sat for 7 days. Pulling out of the neighborhood, I couldn’t get over how “loose” the car felt! The steering had so much play, the shifter felt a little sloppy, the overall driver position felt so awkward! A few minutes later I felt at home again behind the wheel, but that initial unfamiliarity convinced me just how easy it is to forget the feel and behavior of an car after spending just a few days away from it.

The Legend coupe is no dog – its 230 horsepower V6 in its time put it at the front of its class. The car is heavy, though, tipping the scales at over 3,500 pounds. During my drive, it felt a little “tired,” and justifiably so. The ILX, by contrast has 201 hp and weighs just under 3,000 pounds. Steering is precise, handling is tight, and the 2.4 liter 4 cylinder begs for any chance to rev past 4,000 RPM.

The time of day was right so I snapped these pictures. Nice thing about having the Legend sit in the garage is that it stays clean!

Road trip #2 was a slam dunk and a jolly good time; my new ILX just made the 900-mile round trip from Phoenix, Arizona to Hollywood, California yesterday. Acura has partnered with music group Metric for some “listening events” across the country that bring music fans and cars together as part of the all-new 2013 model’s launch. I was lucky enough to be on the guest list for last night’s event. A similar event was held in New York. I set out from work in Phoenix around noon for a trek across desolate Interstate 10 westbound toward Los Angeles.

Started off with a milestone.

One of my “standard” pit stops on this drive is at the AZ/CA state line at a one-stoplight town called Quartzsite.

I’ve jokingly shared before that I aspire someday to live in the “TYSON” RV Park in this town:

I fueled up and paused for a moment at an abandoned service station right on the main business loop through town. The pumps here at “Camel Stop Auto Repair” have probably been dry for years. Pretty amazing that they’re even still standing, and it might be the first time they’ve had a model year 2013 vehicle sitting next to them!

I’ve taken particular interest to old service stations and would love to restore one someday. My grandfather Hansen owned the first station in his hometown in Logan, Utah nearly a century ago. I’ve shared pictures of it before here.

One of the highlights of my drive was definitely digging out some old CD’s from my high school days in the late 90’s. I uncovered my old CD storage cases in a closet a few days ago and decided to ditch the iPod and go ‘old school’ with my music for this trip. I rocked out at max volume to Creed, Blink 182, and 311 — some of my favorite tunes from back in the day. Interesting note, though. The ILX does have a factory iPod integration system, and when plugged in displays the “A” caliper on the screen.

First time my car’s been to California, so I had to document the state line. This makes 4 states the ILX has now visited including last week’s trip through Arizona, Nevada, and Utah.

Pasadena on I-210 westbound

Before heading to the concert venue in Hollywood at Avalon, I picked up my friend Tommy in Simi Valley who’s as crazy about Honda as I am. I met Tommy many years ago through the Acura Legend forums.

It wouldn’t be LA if we hadn’t hit at least a LITTLE bit of traffic. In this case, southbound Highland Rd in Hollywood was an absolute parking lot for about 30 minutes.

Finally, at Avalon after grabbing a bite to eat with our friends Lauren & Aniela. Lauren (pictured) is going to be the proud owner soon of a 2013 Acura RDX in the same color as my ILX – “Silver Moon.” I smell a photoshoot in the making.

The event at Avalon was a red carpet affair — something that Acura does well as I experienced in last year’s Drive to Five celebration.

I was able to meet & greet with some of the folks from Honda & Acura as well as the band members! I spoke with guitarist Jimmy Shaw about the group’s upcoming concert in Berlin and other summer travel plans:

This wasn’t a concert, but more of a chance to just listen to some of Metric’s music being played and as get up close and personal with the ILX. Two models were displayed, one with neons and projectioned “holograms” on the windows that displayed video scenes.

Pictured here with me and Tommy are Rick Tablan and his wife.

Rick is with Acura advertising and along with his team, developed the clever new split-screen Acura ILX commercials like this one:

Cars and music turned out to be a great combo for our evening and again I thank Acura for the invitation!

I was ambitious about pulling an all-night drive and returning all the way to Phoenix after the Metric event but only made it as far as Blythe, California (near the CA/AZ state line) before I needed to get a motel at 3 a.m. to keep from fighting off the sleep any longer. Miraculously, I was able to wake up by 8 get to work this morning by 10:30 in Scottsdale. Whether or not I was productive there is another matter entirely!

Driving impressions? I’m getting more used to this car. I’m learning how to push its buttons – literally. I’m getting the perfect feel for how to maximize the engine’s power, how to row through the gears smoothly, and how to predict the car’s behavior under most types of driving situations. A few more observations:

This car is fun to launch to speed on a freeway onramp. Still can’t get over the amount of grip it has around corners, too. Body stays flat with little or no roll.
I like the leather steering wheel thickness
External thermometer is handy. Never had one of these before. I watched the temp go from 111 in PHX to 104 in Palm Springs to 85 in Riverside and 75 in LA as I got closer to the coast.
I took advantage of the cool temperatures last night to open the moonroof and was happy to note that even without a wind deflector like the one I have on my Legend, the cabin is relatively quiet at speed with the roof open.
HID projector headlights have a really nice crisp cutoff line
Observed average fuel economy over the car’s nearly 2,500 miles is 30.6 MPG which is great considering the car’s had a city/highway mix (though primarily highway). The EPA ratings on the window sticker are 22/31. I’ve used only 91 octane fuel, and I prefer Chevron.
Speaking of fuel, this thing could use a slightly bigger tank. It holds 13.2 gallons. My Legend had an 18 gallon tank and quite a bit longer range. Today I was down to only 37 miles remaining range according to the information screen, yet when I fueled up it took only 10.3 gallons. I thought I would’ve had 90 miles range left since my overall average MPGs are 30+, but I’ve never been the best at math!
I’ve yet to see another ILX on the road. Exclusivity – yes! Though I’m looking forward to seeing (and meeting) more fellow ILX owners soon.

A few have asked for interior pictures of my ILX so this is a good time to post those from last week after I first got the car home. I selected the Ebony interior which has accent charcoal colored trim.

Love these sport pedals! And after last weekend’s desert adventures, it’s now easy for me to see why the all-weather accessory floor mats are so handy, too.

Back-up camera

Accessory illuminated door sills

The ILX and Legend will both relax this weekend as I catch a redeye flight this evening to Philadelphia and then a rental car to Atlantic City, New Jersey. For the next two days I’ll be attending the Orion Music & More festival, headlined by Metallica, with a couple of friends. Thirty bands will be performing, a number of which are pretty heavy in nature. I’m taking ear plugs just in case!

Tune in next week for a trip report and some more Acura good times.

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Long Beach

Posted in California, Legend, Road Trip on May 23, 2012 by tysonhugie

Odometer: 513,434

Time to escape the heat! The old trusty Legend took me and a friend (Brock, who my readers may remember from a previous post) to the southern California coast over the weekend. This was a 391-mile each-way trip through the barren deserts of western Arizona. Smooth sailing all the way! It took us roughly 6 hours travel time each direction. When Brock wasn’t passed out sleeping in a fully reclined passenger seat, he had DJ responsibilities and we rocked out to some catchy tunes like Metallica since I’m gearing up to see them in concert next month.

En route via Interstate 10 westbound, Saturday morning. Whole lotta nothin’ out there. This is the type of roadway where you can basically set your cruise control at 78 mph, zone out for a couple hours, and not miss much!

Met with our friends Brett and Jeremy near the Long Beach Marina once we arrived. 72 degree weather! Most perfect.

Sunset from Seal Beach on Saturday night – spectacular.

And a similar sunset, on Sunday night back in Tempe, Arizona during the solar eclipse (which my phone obviously failed to capture clearly).

The coupe got an oil change today courtesy of Acura North Scottsdale during my lunch hour at work. Summer and the rest of the Service team took good care of me and of my car.

Do you think it was adequately noted on the work order that I requested “no wash”? I’ve always preferred handling that on my own!

ILX Update: As many know, I’ve been actively involved with Acura in the launch of the all-new 2013 sedan called the ILX. As of today, the car is officially on sale! Starting at $25,900 and a lot of bang for the buck. There’s also a new post in the ILX Experience tab of the Acura Facebook page, under “Tyson’s Blog.” You can read all about my experience at the National Press Launch event here in Scottsdale that was held in March for the 2013 RDX and ILX models. Check it out!

During my visit to Acura North Scottsdale today, I learned that they had just one ILX on the premises – and it wasn’t even yet ready for showing to customers. Crystal Black Pearl, tan interior, 2.0 liter automatic with the Technology package! The odometer showed only 4 miles when my service advisor let me fire it up. Still had the plastic on the interior & over the 17″ wheels.

Exciting to see the ILX finally up for sale!

As a continuation of some of the other stories I’ve shared in recent weeks, here’s Marc’s Honda story. I met my friend Marc from New Jersey via the Acura Legend forums several years ago. I was even privileged to stay at his beautiful home in November 2008 when I road-tripped out there from Arizona for a Legend meet. Pictured left to right: Ken, Tyson, Marc

Well, Marc has a pretty extensive story of Honda ownership.

Here’s his account, in his own words:

Here is my rundown of the main Honda products I have had which does not include the many 90-93 Accords I had bought and fixed and sold.

1987 Acura Integra 5 speed- First Honda product I bought. Fun car to drive! Bought it in 1993 I believe
1990 Honda Accord EX coupe- purchased for my wife in 1994 with about 30k miles on it and kept for about 6 years and sold with 150k.
Liked the 1990 Accord so much that in 1995 I traded in my Integra when a 1993 Accord SE coupe in Acadia Blue caught my eye on a Honda dealer’s lot. It had about 30k miles on it and I kept it until 2008 with 106k miles. Pampered it and never drove it in snow and hardly in the rain.

Some daily drivers along the way:

1993 Acura Vigor 5 speed- Owned that for about 1 year
1993 Accord EX sedan- owned about 1 year
1998 Acura 2.5TL- Bought with approx 230k miles and drove it for about 1 year
1992 Honda Accord EX sedan 5 speed
1992 Acura Legend LS sedan- owned for about 1.5 years
2002 TL type S. Bought at 1 yr old in 2003 and kept for about 3 years.

Also along the way found the following for relatives:

1992 Acura Vigor- brother
1997 Acura 2.5TL for parents in mint cond with 36k miles
2002 Acura RL for parents
1993 Accord EX wagon for Inlaws, 1993 Accord EX coupe for Inlaws, 1992 Accord EX wagon, and most recently a ’99 Acura TL

Currently:

After years of casually looking for a mint example:

1994 Acura Legend LS pearl white coupe bought in Jan 2007 and transported back from AZ with 53k miles. Currently has 60k miles
1995 Acura Legend LS black coupe 6MT- bought in March 2008 locally from orig owner with just under 30k miles. Currently has 36k miles
1999 Acura TL with 173k miles as DD

Here are some pictures of Marc’s immaculate LS coupe Legends.

How many 17 year old cars do you know of that have only 36,000 miles on them? Here’s one!

Keep the Acura enthusiasm stoked, Marc!

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Hollywood, California

Posted in California, Legend, Milestones, Road Trip on November 4, 2011 by tysonhugie

Odometer: 499,964

It’s “500k Eve” – as I settle in for the night in Hollywood on the verge of a very big mileage accomplishment for my old Acura. The car sailed along Interstate 10 westbound from Phoenix just as smoothly as it has probably 50 times before. This stretch of road is a familiar one for the old Legend. We did sit through about 45 minutes of construction delays near Palm Springs.

I’ll do my best to bring you some of the day’s festivities via photograph and video after the big occasion.

See everyone tomorrow!

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Beach Bummin’

Posted in California, Legend, Road Trip on August 28, 2011 by tysonhugie

Odometer: 491,774

This weekend’s trip was yet another PHX-LAX adventure and a nice reprieve from the temps pushing 120 degrees in Arizona. Having the ocean within a short 6-hour drive is just too appealing this time of year!

In Quartzsite, Arizona – just inside the western border of the state – I made a pit stop at what may very well be my future home: the Tyson Mobile Home & RV Park. It’s named after a wash that runs through the area. Quartzsite doesn’t have much else to offer except that it’s the gateway from Interstate 10 to Highway 95 north to Lake Havasu.

I’ve passed this California welcome sign a hundred times or more but never stopped for a picture until now. Just prior to this is a mandatory checkpoint where all motorists entering the state must stop. It’s called an agriculture inspection, and it’s administered by the California Department of Food & Agriculture. To this day I’ve never been delayed for longer than a couple of seconds before being waved onward by the inspectors. They’ve also never asked if I have any agriculture on board. Seems kind of like a pointless effort?

I was welcomed to Beach Boulevard in Huntington Beach by a pair of Acuras on either side of me. I felt right at home! Unfortunately, neither driver acknowledged my thumbs-up when I rolled up next to them.

After a stop at the beach to visit with a couple of friends who were there, I met up with my buddy Brett on his lunch break. He drives an insanely clean Canterbury Green Legend sedan. This guy’s shine puts even a new car’s paint to shame.

See Exhibit “A”! Hi, Brett!

Finally, I battled traffic on the 405 northbound to meet up with my friends Matt and Kennie in Venice. What was supposed to be a 40-minute drive ended up closer to two hours! How the California freeways can be so backed up a Saturday afternoon for no apparent reason is beyond me. I got a thorough leg workout running the clutch in stop-and-go. We took a short jaunt up Pacific Coast Highway to Will Rogers State Beach just north of Santa Monica. The sunset was at its peak when I arrived so I snagged a couple of pictures.

This morning’s return trip to Phoenix was uneventful to say the least. There is so little activity going on in the desert on these barren stretches of Interstate 10 that even the sign approaching Indio just says “Other Desert Cities.” From here on out, it’s a chance to zone out at 75-80 mph for 4 hours until approaching the Phoenix area. Thank goodness for ice cold A/C because it was smokin’ hot out there today.

Things are looking good for the next 8,226 miles! Next scheduled maintenance will be an oil change at around 493,300. Keep on truckin’.

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Los Angeles, California

Posted in California, Legend, Road Trip on August 13, 2011 by tysonhugie

Odometer: 489,175

An early morning departure for Southern California was the beginning to an action-packed Friday full of Acura adventures. I had the opportunity this afternoon to attend an exclusive event at Honda/Acura headquarters in Torrance commemorating the Acura brand’s 25’s anniversary celebration this year. Along with the invitation came the opportunity to preview and test drive each model in the current fleet.

My car-nut friend Matt handled navigation duties from the shotgun seat while we found our way to Honda America’s corporate office this morning. Some very loud Metallica music and a pit-stop for caffeine assistance at Starbucks in Indio, California helped us overcome the lack of sleep and 5:30 a.m. departure. I missed the photo-op for the 489,000 milestone somewhere on the 91 freeway. We arrived at our destination a few minutes ahead of schedule and I was thrilled to have a few minutes to stretch my legs.

Acura really rolled out the red carpet for a handful of us today. I had the distinct honor of meeting folks from various other online blogs, including socalautoblog.com, the Acurazine folks, Cars Direct, Temple of VTEC, and others. We received a feast for both our tastebuds (free lunch!) and our eyes while we watched some of this year’s promo spots for the refreshed model lineup and learned about some of the impressive heritage that Acura has developed over the years. The next part of our visit was a special visit to the Honda Collection – a warehouse full of mint condition and usually low-mileage examples of some of Honda & Acuras models from over the years. I was a kid in a candy store.

Finally, I got to drive some of today’s Acura models. Having driven an Acura flagship model as my daily driver for the last 8+ years, my first pick for my test lap was the 2011 RL. I wore a huge grin I’m sure as I took my lap around the block in this fine car. It probably helped that, unlike in Phoenix, I was able to roll all four windows down and drive with the moonroof open without running the risk of heat stroke! The SH-AWD was a nice treat and handling was predictable and responsive. The technology has sure come a long way, too.

Among my other test drive “victims” were the TSX 6-speed, TL SH-AWD, and ZDX. A fine lineup of automobiles and I’d be proud to own any one of them. A few pictures to go along with today’s write-up:

Dave who leads the Acura Auto Show team gives us some history on the brand.

Here we are with Dave and Brad. I’ve known Brad for quite some time now and it was great to reconnect with him on this visit. He’s the man when it comes to knowing the ins & outs of the Honda Collection.

Here’s a glimpse at the car that started it all: The 1986 Legend.

I had to take special note of the 1991 Acura Legend coupe in the collection.

Check out the odometer on this one. 300 miles. Pretty safe to say this Legend coupe has had a life very different than mine!

What’s not to love about a pair of minty red NSXs? The New Formula Red 2004 behind Dave has only 78 miles on the odometer.

Some of the other attendees – soaking it all in just like we were.

Sport mode!! Yes, please. The ZDX was a real treat to drive and got a lot of looks from people on the road. I especially enjoyed the cooled seats.

A chance to interact with Aniela who coordinated our visit, as well as Gary and Shannon from Acura Public Relations (and others who I didn’t catch for a photo-op). Great folks!

Unfortunately, I didn’t get a picture of the Acura test fleet that we drove today. I must have been too busy (and too excited) driving the cars to take a moment and photo document them. Also, unlike on most trips, I ended up with zero pictures of the road warrior Legend, except for the glimpse you see behind Matt’s shoulder in the above picture as it sat outside conversing with its 2011 counterparts.

Huge thanks to our great hosts at Acura for a memorable afternoon.

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