Posted in Hikes, ILX, Utah on May 4, 2014 by tysonhugie
Odometer (ILX): 78,139
Fill up your water bottles and grab your granola, because we’re heading for the hills. This morning, I ventured up the Logan Canyon Scenic Byway – also known as Highway 89 – in search of some of nature’s beauty. My companions for this trek were my mother, Tia, as well as two friends, Ryan and Tyler. Logan Canyon has always been one of my favorite places to drive. Its well-finished pavement, banked curves, and roadside scenery make it a popular highway for motorcyclists and sports car enthusiasts – that is, for the 7 or 8 months of the year when weather is prime.
For today’s taste of the outdoors, we drove several miles up the canyon and parked at the trailhead for the Wind Caves. This is a hike with moderate difficulty due to its steep grade, though it’s only about a mile and a half in one-way length. Right off the bat, I recognized that the elevation (5,100 feet at the base) played a role in my shortness of breath. I was grateful for the light breeze and the semi-overcast skies which shielded us from the sun. My mom was the clear front-runner of the group – she’d walked 10 miles just yesterday, so this was nothing for her.
It took us about an hour to make the 900-foot ascent to the limestone rock outcropping known as either Witch’s Castle or Wind Cave. There were a half dozen or so other people hanging out at the summit who we visited with. I was grateful for the chance to catch my breath and share a bite of Tyler’s energy bar (way to be prepared, Tyler!). Here I’m pictured with Tyler, Tia, and Ryan.
The descent seemed to go by in mere minutes. Before I knew it, we were back at the parking area. For our exit from the canyon on Highway 89, I took the wheel of Tyler’s 98,000-miles 1989 Honda Accord coupe. I’m always amazed at the condition of Tyler’s classic Hondas (he’s also proud owner of a 1990 Prelude Si 4WS). The Accord, for being 25 years old, drove as tightly as my ILX. The car was expertly engineered to provide optimal visibility. I loved driving with the pop-up headlights illuminated – it felt like a step back in time. Thanks, Tyler, for the honor!
Similarly, I owe Ryan a huge thanks for letting me drive his black Honda S2000 this morning. I wish I’d thought to get a picture. Its shifter was one of the most precise I’ve ever rowed.
I’ll be sharing more soon about the rest of this weekend’s fun, but hope you enjoy some pictures from Wind Caves.
Scoping out the map before starting up the mountain.
One-lane dirt trail – up & back. Easy peasy.
Mom takes the lead.
Tyler pointed across the canyon at the “Crimson Trail” that winds up the opposite side.
Taking a much-needed break.
View from atop the limestone wind caves.
And inside them.
Crawling around and exploring a little.
The view from inside the cave is spectacular.
Back at ground level, mom takes the wheel of the 6-speed ILX.
Probably rocking out to a good song, she gave us a thumbs up as we pulled alongside in Tyler’s Accord.
Driver switcheroo at “Ray Hugie Hydro Park.”
The park was named for a relative of mine who spent the better part of his lifetime working as City Engineer. For 44 years, Ray served the Logan community. The $15 million hydroelectric generation power plant near this park was one of the projects that he was instrumental in carrying out. Ray Hugie’s father and my great-great-grandfather were brothers.
Posted in Blog, ILX on April 30, 2014 by tysonhugie
Odometer (ILX): 76,439
For those of you who are always hungry for more car websites to digest, I’ll add another entree to the buffet. I met a Phoenix-based automotive journalist awhile back and he has featured my 2013 Acura ILX on his page, “RNR Automotive Blog.” Editor Ruben has a knack for details and I find his writing engaging and informative. Go take a look at his page!
Here’s the link to the article about the ILX specifically. Stay tuned because he’ll be doing a similar write-up on my Legend and on my NSX in the near future.
If you’re on Instagram, you can also follow “@rnrautoblog” for great shots of the latest cars Ruben is reviewing.
“It’s raining Dippin Dots!” exclaimed Roger as he tightened his hooded sweatshirt and squinted into the freezing wind gusts that were driving snow pellets toward us. As Roger and the other 5 of us carefully hiked our descent into a 700-foot-deep red rock canyon in a remote part of northeastern Arizona, we occasionally sought shelter from the elements by staying near the rock walls or underneath archways. We hadn’t anticipated those types of conditions when planning a late April hike in Arizona, but the experience was unforgettable. I wouldn’t change a thing.
For this weekend’s Drive to Five, come with me to a place that’s sacred to the Navajo Nation and is home to a rich history, dating back as far as 900 AD. It’s a place with some of the best-preserved ancient ruins in existence and contains scenery that matches the Grand Canyon in its awesomeness. I’m talking about Canyon de Chelly National Monument, an 83,000-acre site that’s visited by over 800,000 people each year. For this trip, I was accompanied by a few friends who, like me, have an appreciation for great road trips in great cars. We took three Acuras:
My 2013 ILX 2.4 6-speed @ 75,000 miles
Jason’s 2010 TL 6-speed @ 41,000 miles
Joe’s 1995 Legend coupe automatic @ 161,000 miles
Let’s make sure you know how to say “Chelly” before we get too far down the road. It’s pronounced “Shay.” Though, for reasons you’ll soon see, there were a few times during the trip when I started to wonder if Canyon de Chelly ought to be called “Canyon de Chilly.” Mother Nature dished us up a generous helping of ice-cold temps, but that didn’t keep us from braving the weather and feasting our eyes on some of the earth’s finest landscapes. Canyon de Chelly was set aside in 1931 as a unit of the National Park Service.
My friend Adam and I met up with Joe and his dad, Roger, on the northeast outskirts of the Phoenix area before beginning our ascent through the Tonto National Forest on Highway 87. As quickly as we started gaining elevation toward Payson’s 5,000 feet, we were thoroughly drenched with roads that were wet enough to cause hydro-planing. We made just 3 stops on the 5-hour drive to Chinle, Arizona which is a settlement at the mouth of the canyon. Upon arriving in Chinle, Jason and Jouhl from Las Cruces, NM arrived in Jason’s black TL and completed our trio of Acuras.
One of only two “sit-down” restaurants in the entire town of Chinle, The Junction, was a great place for us all to dry out and to plan the rest of our visit to the area. We dined on authentic Navajo tacos made from homemade frybread and beans. After a check-in at the Holiday Inn, we rolled our Acura caravan into the western entrance of the monument just a bit down the road. Jason and I swapped cars for a few of those miles — that TL’s 3.7 liter V6 is a torquey monster!).
Our first stop after checking in at the visitor center was the White House Ruins viewpoint. Adam took one look at the dark clouds approaching at rapid speed from the southwest. “That’s coming this direction,” he said. Despite his warning, we prepared ourselves for the canyon’s most well-known hike and set out on a descent into its depths. Not long into our hike, the Dippin Dots came down and the wind picked up speed. Adding to those challenges, the sandstone terrain was slippery when wet and our sneakers quickly became caked in several pounds of mud. At one point, I heard Jason lose his footing in the mud from behind me. He nearly tackled me to the ground as he struggled to regain his balance, but he and his Canon SLR camera survived without a scratch. We had a good laugh about it moments afterward.
Two sandstone tunnels and a couple of bridge crossings later, we had completed the 1.25-mile one-way hike to the ruins where Anasazi people once lived from 900 to 1200 AD. The last 800 years have taken their toll on the infrastructure, slowly eroding the once-elaborate buildings and returning them to the earth, but we still got a great look at what’s left of them. A Navajo woman and her daughter were sitting near the ruins with a table where they displayed pottery and other wares for sale. We saw only one other group of hikers. I loved the canyon’s feeling of serenity and seclusion.
Our return hike was accompanied by another flurry of snowflakes, but we made it to the summit and Roger said, “According to my Fitbit, we just hiked 79 flights of stairs.” We happily took refuge in our leather-lined Acuras with heated seats and fast-acting climate control systems. Aside from a few photo-ops at other viewpoints along the two-lane canyon road, we had a much-needed low-key evening in Chinle.
Today, Joe and his dad departed for Flagstaff in the early morning hours, while Adam, Jason, Jouhl and I went back for a peek at the North Rim of the canyon. The views were stunning, just as I knew they’d be. Soon it was time to part ways and return to our respective homes. Adam and I made just one stop on our 300-mile trip back to Scottsdale. Thanks to now-sunny weather, the drive was enjoyable and passed by quickly. I hope you enjoy the photos and video!
Adam and Tyson en route.
After meeting up with Joe. By the time we got to Payson, we both said, “What’s up with this weather?”
Pouring rain as seen from the hotel lobby in Chinle, Arizona.
First stop: Food, of course.
Authentic Navajo Taco on frybread. It tasted amazing.
Jason and Jouhl showed up to join the party.
Checking at the Canyon de Chelly Visitor Center, we were warned about “Hazardous Weather.” But that didn’t stop us.
Lining up for a beauty shot at the White House Ruins trailhead.
The view as we began the descent on our hike.
Winding our way down the 700-foot drop-off via switchbacks and tunnels that hugged the side of the mountain.
Passing through one of the tunnels.
And coming out the other end.
Roger, Joe, Jouhl, Jason making their way down the trail.
We saw patches of blue sky. It looks a lot warmer than it really was!
Muddy shoes and chilly winds, but 360-degree scenery made up for all that.
Crossing a bridge.
Group photo at the White House Ruins: Roger, Joe, Jouhl, Jason, Adam, Tyson
A Navajo woman and her daughter selling jewelry and pottery. Notice: They do take Visa and Mastercard!
Back at the trailhead for some photos with the Acuras and their owners.
Let’s get a move on!
Next viewpoint.
Here’s what the view from that sheer cliff looked like. The vertical lines along the canyon walls are called “desert varnish.”
Adam, Joe, Roger, Tyson, Jouhl, Jason
Last viewpoint for the day: Tsegi Overlook
Sunday morning: The clouds had parted but the cold temps remained.
Back into the monument for a few more viewpoints.
This Navajo vendor displayed her jewelry on the hood of her Ford Taurus and secured it with cords and rocks to keep the wind from carrying it away.
Mummy Cave Overlook.
Antelope House Overlook
Side note: Did you know that the Navajo tribe taxes virtually everything? Our meal last night had “Tribal Tax” tacked on.
And the fuel pump at Chevron had a “Navajo Nation Fuel Excise Tax.” Interesting.
The return drive to the Phoenix area looked a whole lot different than the rain-soaked outbound trip.
“Clunk.. clunk.. roll.. clunk…” That’s what I heard loudly from the roof of my car when I pulled out of the Chevron gas station in Hurricane, Utah this morning.
I turned to my passenger, Justin, with a look of “What the heck was that?” and then realized what had happened just in time to look in my sideview mirror and watch a pickup truck towing a 5th wheel trailer obliterate a glass bottle on the road into smithereens with its tires. I am a total airhead. I had inadvertently left an unopened bottled juice beverage sitting on the roof of the ILX and driven away.
Aside from that disappointing little mishap, it was a seamless weekend of family and friends in the scenic southwestern corner of Utah. And the ILX, as always, flawlessly transported me and my friend nearly 900 miles in comfort. Among the weekend’s activities: a visit to the grandparents, a car show, my niece’s 3rd birthday party, some hiking, and an Easter egg hunt. It’s a miracle we were able to squeeze so much into just a couple of days.
For the drive up from Phoenix, Justin and I had a silver Acura caravan with a 2005 TL and the 2013 ILX. A friend needed the TL transported from Arizona to Utah so we were happy to oblige.
Some traffic delays that were caused by construction on on Interstate 15 north of Las Vegas put us about 45 minutes behind schedule, but we made it safe and sound to St. George on Friday evening.
On Saturday, we went to the 29th annual Hurricane Easter Car Show. I’ve been attending this annually since 2004, usually entering the Legend but occasionally displaying other cars like my Prelude 4WS, and the NSX. Here are the pictures from last year. Hurricane is a small town of 14,000 people, yet the car show every Easter weekend attracts from 8,000 to 10,000 spectators.
This year, my brother Bentley entered his 1968 Chevy Nova SS in the “Muscle Car” category. The Nova turned plenty of heads with its metallic red paint and new deep-dish wheels. Not to mention the goodies under the hood: This Nova is powered by a 525+ horsepower Chevrolet LS3 motor — essentially a Corvette powerplant that’s been upgraded for additional power output. The factory 5-speed transmission has been swapped for a 6-speed. It’s no wonder the car ended up taking home a first place trophy in its category. I’ve yet to take the Nova for a spin, but I surely will soon.
We rendezvoused with some friends for an afternoon of hiking some of southern Utah’s famous red rocks and closed out the evening with some birthday celebrations for my niece Vivienne. By Sunday morning, the Easter Bunny had deposited several dozen plastic eggs throughout the yard so we watched the kids fill up their baskets with newfound treasures. Each of the eggs also had a 50 cent piece inside. I should have pocketed a few myself – that’s gas money!
Justin and I worked our way home to Phoenix via the remote backroads of northern Arizona, including my favorite: Highway 89A. This two-laner climbs from 2,000 feet at the desert floor in Fredonia to nearly 8,000 feet at Jacob Lake via curvy mountain grades. I watched the exterior temperature readout in the ILX dip from 75 degrees to 64 degrees as we neared a road at the summit that takes off toward the north rim of the Grand Canyon.
The ILX is well suited to such mountain passes, especially with its sharply tuned 6-speed manual transmission. Descending to the valley floor once more, the Vermillion Cliffs shone brightly ahead of us in vivid red. We saw very little other traffic. We made a stop at the 1928 “Navajo Bridge” which straddles a canyon some 600 feet above the Colorado River.
After one final stop in Flagstaff for a bite to eat, we continued home to the Valley of the Sun. Here are a few of the pictures from the weekend that I hope you’ll enjoy!
Following the ’05 TL on Highway 93 north of Kingman, Arizona
Just before Hoover Dam — this hitchhiker had a ways to go!
The ‘red’ traffic area shown here from the map on my phone was probably 15 miles in length. It was tedious stop-and-go on Interstate 15 northbound as we headed toward Mesquite, Nevada.
“This traffic jam brought to you by Ray Bans.” Justin let me borrow these shades. I lost mine but have another set on order.
You know you’re driving slowly when your GPS unit asks if you’d like to switch to “Pedestrian Usage Mode.”
Nevertheless, we made it, and Saturday was a beautiful day in southern Utah.
Jeremy took the wheel of the ILX for a few of our visits. “Close your eyes and see if you can tell when I’m shifting,” he said. He thinks, mistakenly, that he can shift a manual transmission smoother than I can.
We’re really not as cool as we pretend to be.
Back patio conversation with the grandparents. These folks are my most loyal readers, and I thank them for their support!
Looping around a giant guitar on Tabernacle Street in historic downtown St. George.
And now, a few photos from the Hurricane Easter Car Show.
Justin, Tyson, Jeremy with the 1968 Nova SS.
Too much power under that hood.
Notice that even the gauges have been updated. The factory bench seat has been replaced with supportive, sporty buckets. And my, does that paint glisten.
Next up, we headed to the “Red Hill” of St. George to hike around.
St. George is home to Dixie State University and proudly displays a “D” on the hillside.
Shane, Tyson, Jeremy
My dad happened to be wearing a commemorative 500,000 mile T-shirt at the pool later that day. These were designed and screen printed by a close friend and fellow Acura enthusiast, Dave, prior to my 500k milestone two years ago.
B-day bash for 3-year-old Vivienne.
Easter egg hunt on Sunday morning
Here’s Beckam
And this is Viv. Aren’t they the best?
On the road again, and turning 75,000 miles in the ILX.
Here’s the exact location where it happened, eastbound on Hwy 89A nearing the Vermillion Cliffs.
I couldn’t help but pull over for a few photo-ops in this amazing terrain.
“The Grand Canyon fills me with awe. It is beyond comparison—beyond description; absolutely unparalleled throughout the wide world… Let this great wonder of nature remain as it now is. Do nothing to mar its grandeur, sublimity and loveliness. You cannot improve on it. But what you can do is to keep it for your children, your children’s children, and all who come after you, as the one great sight which every American should see.”
Sixteen years later in 1919, the Grand Canyon was officially named as a national park. I echo President Roosevelt’s sentiments and encourage any of you who’ve not yet seen the Grand Canyon to plan a trip there soon.
A little background on today’s destination: The “Skywalk” attraction didn’t come around until about 7 years ago. It’s a horseshoe-shaped glass platform 70 feet in length that extends from the canyon wall. Anyone who’s afraid of heights should steer clear, but for me it posed a unique opportunity and I was thrilled to finally get the chance to experience it. The $31 million structure is said to be able to withstand a magnitude 8 earthquake and is engineered to hold the weight of 822 people @ 200 pounds each. Max capacity is set at 120 people, though.
(photo credit – Hualapai Indian Reservation)
From our hotel in Kingman, Brad and I headed out in the ILX on an overcast Sunday morning and drove up US Highway 93 to the eastbound turnoff toward to the Skywalk, taking us through the trailer town of Dolan Springs. The attraction is located on the Hualapai Indian Reservation, and thus a part of our entry fee went toward a surcharge for entering the Indian land. Guess they’ve gotta make that $31M back somehow! The last 9 miles of our drive on Diamond Bar Road were graded dirt/gravel, but that didn’t deter us. You’ve all seen me off-road the ILX before.
The ILX felt right at home in the desert environment.
The Skywalk experience far exceeded expectations for me. After parking the car, we checked in and picked up a map of the area. Included in the fare was a full meal as well as a shuttle ride to 3 different destinations and thousands of photo opportunities. The first was called Hualapai Ranch. It was an attempt at re-creating an old Western town, complete with a saloon and some stables. We had our lunches there, and the portions & quality were great. I went with the baked chicken.
The second stop, Eagle Point, was where action revved up. The tour bus stopped and Brad and I raced off among a stampede of foreign-language-speaking tourists. The canyon in all its splendor was there for the viewing. It was unnerving to stand at the cliff’s edge and be buffeted by strong wind gusts. We were ushered through a metal detector and got busted for attempting to take our cell phones onto the Skywalk – d’oh! You see, no “personal effects” whatsoever are allowed. No cameras and no phones. Into a locker those items went. We put disposable booties over our tennis shoes and took a step outside on the 4-pane glass with our eyes affixed on the canyon floor some 4,000 feet beneath us. It was unreal.
There were actually gaps between the panes in the glass floor wide enough to stick a finger through. I knelt down to show that to Brad and to poke my finger through the opening, and the lady standing next to me nearly passed out while watching me. She was clutching onto the hand railing so hard her knuckles were white. Ha! An employed photographer was on-site to take our pictures – for a fee, of course.
The final stop of the Skywalk shuttle bus was to Guano Point, so named for a mining operation that took place there in the 1930’s where bat guano (dung) was extracted from the area. The view surrounded us as we made our way to the end of the point. Brad and I met people from all over the world as we offered to take pictures for others.
Fulfilled in our mission, we headed back toward the Phoenix area via Stockton Hill Road to Kingman. A Las Vegas tour bus stirred up a huge cloud of dust ahead of me on the 9-mile dirt road that surely left my ILX needing its nostrils (air filter) needing to be cleaned or replaced once more, but it was well worth it. Drive to Five attraction rating: 5 stars.
Here are a few of the pics from our trip, as well as a very short video.
Pierce Ferry Road, eastbound from US 93.
About 21 miles from the West Rim, we confronted this sign.
Made it! Parking lot was paved despite the road being unpaved.
Lunch at Hualapai Ranch, after being greeted by these two cowboys.
Not bad!
The gift shop also had homemade fudge. We tried a few samples. Okay, a bunch of samples.
Eagle Point – a windy day but with great visibility.
Magnificent views all around.
Skywalk pictured here at left. Future plans for the area are a high-end restaurant, a museum, and other amenities.
The Skywalk gets two thumbs up from Brad. Check out those stylish booties.
This was my favorite perspective – just sitting down and looking through the glass.
Our photographer encouraged us to take this one.
More admiring the views from Eagle Point.
Warning sign from the mining equipment at Guano Point.
Back on the road again, stirring up a cloud of dust. I had to laugh at the people who were taking their convertible Mustangs on the road with the tops down. Hope they hit the car wash before returning those rentals.
Quick roadside photo op on the unpaved portion of Diamond Bar Road.
Who needs asphalt anyway?
Brad and I pit stopped for a few minutes to admire the Joshua Tree forest.
The colors of the desert were so vivid.
Dirty dirty.
Finally back at the house, and taking the old NSX out for a bite to eat. Nice GQ pose, Brad. Hey, follow this guy under “@bm89” on Instagram. He’s meant to be famous!
🙂
Love this sexy ride.
Hope you enjoyed the trip!
Sometime this weekend I get to install a $120 replacement foglamp assembly and a burned out bulb on the ILX. My driver’s side foglight bulb lasted 71,400 miles before burning out, and the passenger side has had a crack in it for several thousand miles. Time to get that front end fixed back up.
How would you like to walk out on a glass platform and look at the ground nearly 4,000 feet below? Would that give you a little bit of vertigo? (photo credit: Hualapai Indian Reservation)
This weekend’s adventure was a visit to a hole in the ground that’s neither the deepest nor the widest in the world, but is nevertheless famous due to its size and colorful landscape: The Grand Canyon. My friend Brad flew in from New York to enjoy the view at one of the seven natural wonders of the world.
Despite the fact that I live in the Grand Canyon state, I sure haven’t spent much time there lately. I’ve only been a few times that I recall. One was was eight years ago, in March 2006 when my Legend had 211,000 miles on it.
Keen Acura fans’ eyeballs will notice those 2004-2006 Acura TL 17″ wheels I was sporting at the time.
Another trip to the Grand Canyon was a railroad trip to the south rim in May 2011. To a lot of people (both Arizonans and otherwise), the G.C. is a “see it once, never go back” type destination. What they don’t realize is that the canyon offers a vastly different perspective depending on each of the various viewpoints available.
After enjoying brunch on Saturday morning in Tempe, Brad and I quickly hiked to the summit of Arizona State University’s “A” Mountain. A gigantic yellow A, there since 1955, proudly communicates Tempe’s school spirit.
Later that afternoon, we headed northbound on Interstate 17 in the ILX toward Flagstaff, Arizona. Along with the elevation gain from 1,100 feet to 7,000 feet, the temperature dipped accordingly. 87 degrees became 67 degrees by the time we arrived at historic San Francisco Street in Flagstaff.
We wandered around for a few minutes and stumbled across the community’s oldest pizza place – Alpine Pizzeria which first opened 41 years ago. Dessert was served up at the Galaxy Diner, a Route 66 relic that I visited on my Twin Arrows drive back in September 2012. The hot fudge sundae was every bit as tasty as I remembered it being. After indulging, we hit the road once more and tuned in to XM channel 74 – we’d had enough pop music for the day. Instead, our playlist was opera. Brad’s a big-time opera fan and a frequent flyer of the Metropolitan Opera in New York. I’m making an effort to diversify my musical interests, so I enjoyed a sampling of some of his favorite pieces.
It took us about two hours of driving westbound on I-40 across the pitch black night to arrive at our nightly destination in Kingman, exhausted but satisfied from a successful day. The next morning, we would be wowed by one of Mother Nature’s most amazing features in scenic panorama view.
For that, check in tomorrow. It’ll be worth your while.
Here are a few pictures from Saturday’s fun.
Brunch at NCOUNTER in Tempe. I recommend the “loaded” omelet.
The 1918 Hayden flour Mill has served as an area landmark for nearly a century. Tempe’s main street is named “Mill Avenue” for it.
Admiring the view of Tempe from the hike on “A” Mountain.
At the summit – only around 1,400 feet but it was a stair-stepping experience and still left me a bit winded!
Flagstaff, Arizona. Home of the Northern Arizona University Lumberjacks.
So, Brad accidentally dumped an entire shaker of peppers onto his slice of cheese pizza at Alpine. And then he STILL ATE IT.
Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church on Cherry Street – love the architecture here.
Galaxy Diner, a great spot for food since the 1950’s.
Our waittress’ response when I ordered a hot fudge sundae: “We’re out of ice cream.” My disappointment reached epic levels. She must’ve seen it in my face, because soon she cracked a grin and said she was kidding. Sundaes for all!
Giving this XM channel a whirl for a change. I didn’t even know it existed. Look at me being all cultured.
Come back tomorrow! The fun’s just getting started.
Anyone hungry? I know where you can find a donut that’s 32 feet in diameter.
This weekend, I hit the highway and headed to the Golden State. It only takes me about 6 hours to get from my house to Los Angeles. Unfortunately, sometimes it can then take 6 hours to get from the suburbs of LA into LA, but that’s another story altogether. Gotta love southern California traffic sometimes. It was a great couple days of fun in the sun for me and for a few friends. My friend Jeff was visiting from Calgary, Alberta so we had coordinated the weekend around his visit.
My Acura ILX knows Interstate 10 well, having traversed that road just a couple of weeks ago for the visit to Palm Springs, California. I threw the gear selector into 6th and sailed off at 3,200 RPM with a full tank of gas. My only two stops on the drive out were in Quartzsite, Arizona (for string cheese and a Muscle Milk – some of my preferred road trip snacks), and Palm Desert, California (for a 91-octane gas stop at Chevron and a bite to eat at Burger King). One thing I noticed as I descended toward sea level was the tangible power gain from the ILX 2.4 liter. Its 201 horses seem to breathe a little easier at that elevation.
I’ll highlight just a few of the memorable activities from the weekend. I’m a huge Back to the Future fan, having seen each of the 3 movies in the series probably a dozen or more times. Next year on October 21, 2015, I better be doing something exciting because that’s the date that Marty McFly traveled to when he departed from 1985. I recently learned of the real-world locations of some of the movie’s scenes. One of them was the McFly house in Pacoima, California not far from Interstate 5, pictured here in a screen capture as part of “Lyon Estates.”
Determined to scout this out, I headed up I-405 first thing on Saturday morning to cross that off my list. Traffic, thankfully, was flowing smoothly throughout the day – I must’ve gotten lucky. The early morning ‘marine layer’ had yet to burn off so it looked a bit overcast, but temperatures were in the mid-60’s and it was a perfect morning to do a little sightseeing. Finding the McFly home was a piece of cake since I had the address in-hand. As I rounded the corner onto Roslyndale Avenue, the street immediately looked familiar to me. It didn’t look like anyone was home, so I pulled the ILX into the driveway for 30 seconds and snapped a photo.
Here’s the movie screenshot and my own version below it.
Mission: Accomplished. Next up, I headed southbound on I-5 and made a special visit in Orange County about 60 miles later. My friend Mark in Laguna Hills had invited me over to pick up a few Acura goodies he wanted to part with. He hooked me up with an OEM car cover for the 91-95 Legend coupe, a 1991 Legend sedan promotional brochure, and an Acura banner. Score!
Back in the saddle I went, ricocheting northbound on I-5 again. (I probably drove 150 miles without even leaving the Los Angeles Metro area that morning.) I met up for lunch with my friend and colleague Vince who works in Acura Public Relations. I’ve interacted with him on the ALV program and most recently at the Detroit Auto Show. It was great to catch up with him. Our lunch locale of choice was a cozy retro diner in Culver City called Dinah’s. I do highly recommend the mushroom burger & sweet potato fries!
The ocean beckoned, so for the rest of my day I joined up with Jeff and others for an afternoon at Manhattan Beach. While parking was a bit of a challenge (and it doesn’t help that I won’t settle for just any parking space), I got settled in and tried my hand at a couple games of beach volleyball. We all enjoyed a beautiful sunset from the pier later that evening.
This morning, my friends and I had breakfast at 26 Beach in Venice, known for its varieties of French toast. After that, I had to stop by Randy’s Donuts on La Cienega in Inglewood for a photo-op. Randy’s dates back to 1953 and its Wiki page talks about 16 movies that it’s been featured in, including Iron Man 2. Here’s a picture of Tony Stark reclining inside the donut from Iron Man 2.
And my ILX pictured there earlier today.
My last stop before taking off for home was a car show sponsored by 742 Marketing that my friend Aaron had invited me to. Aaron’s ILX was one of over 200 vehicles registered. His ILX is vastly different from any other. It started out as a bone stock Bellanova White 6-speed, but he’s since customized it with a custom quad exhaust, sport suspension, aftermarket wheels, and many other enhancements. His next upgrades will be made under the hood, as he told me he’s hoping to hit “beyond 400” horsepower. You go Aaron!
I pulled off a 33.1 mpg overall trip, not too shabby considering some more-spirited-than-normal driving in LA to take advantage of that great sea-level performance. Another fun weekend road trip in the books. The long, straight stretch of Interstate 10 through the desert was a fine place to spend Sunday afternoon. Thanks for tagging along!
The rest of my trip’s pics will follow in sequential order. First was my dinner stop in Palm Desert on Friday.
Here’s what the Back to the Future street looks like. Familiar to anyone else?
The famous house. I wonder if there’s a DeLorean in the garage.
Thanks, Mark, for this awesome Acura banner! It will go in the garage soon.
I spy! Check out that Silver Moon ILX Hybrid on Interstate 405. I spotted about half a dozen ILXs on the road during my travels in/around Los Angeles.
A couple of GPS screen shots to consider. It’s not uncommon to see 7-lane-wide freeways in LA. Each of the “up” arrows on my Garmin Nuvi meant that I was okay to be in any of the 5 center lanes.
What a mess of cities!
Lunch at Dinah’s in Culver City, famous for its fried chicken since 1959.
The place was bustling at noon on a Saturday.
Mushroom & Swiss = top notch.
Notice the “Culver City” signage in the background in my picture here with Vince. He knows a lot about the history of the area and its infrastructure.
Off to the beach. I actually took this picture so that I could remember where I had parked.
A little beach volleyball with Andrew, Jeff, and Rick.
Typical layout of homes in Manhattan Beach.
Sunset was phenomenal.
This is a tunnel that goes under the runways at LAX International Airport on Sepulveda Boulevard.
Venice, California, for this morning’s breakfast meet-up.
Which of these 18 different types of French toast would you pick?
I went with the Lemon Curd. It tasted as great as it looked.
Randy’s! It’s too bad I was already full of French toast or I would have eaten a donut. Or two or three.
Aaron’s custom ILX 2.4 liter at the 742 Motoring Car Show.
I decided to break in a new (to me) Nikon D90 camera and get a few sunset pictures of my ILX and a friend’s TL on Friday night. You first met Devan and his 2006 TL back in October. The TL is equipped with the Tech Package and finished in a brilliant Alabaster Silver paint. We think my Silver Moon ILX paint may be just a tiny bit lighter in color than the Alabaster. Devan’s car has 81,000 miles on it and runs great. These pictures were taken at Papago Park near the Tempe / Phoenix border.
In the background is “Hole in the Rock” — an area where visitors can hike up to a natural sandstone opening in the rock and admire the view. After eight years of living in the PHX area, I still haven’t hiked that.
Devan and I both have the ‘Agriculture’ vanity license plate option on our Acuras. Its black & white design compliments a silver car well.
You may notice that Devan has also done some subtle updates to the nose of his TL with some Plasti-Dip treatment on the front grille.
A closer look:
Face-off. For having debuted a full 10 years ago, the 3rd generation TL design still looks modern today.
Nice looking pair of Acuras. I wonder how long it’ll take me to pass Devan up in mileage?
As a professional detailer, Devan takes great pride in keeping his Acura immaculate. Follow his work on @dnaautodetailing on Instagram or on his Facebook page. Just view that interior:
Now, usually when I post interior pics, I crop out door jambs because they are unsightly and dirty. I intentionally left Devan’s pictured here because they are JUST SO CLEAN.
It was a great Arizona evening. We are blessed with great sunsets nightly.
Finally, a couple of solo shots. I do love those LED tails on the TL.
The ILX had received a bath, too, so it was looking rather nice in the evening light.
Thanks Devan for meeting up! Keep rolling that beautiful TL.
This weekend I’ve got family in town and I stuck around the Phoenix area. My cousin Logan plays for the Williston State College Tetons baseball team, based out of Willison, North Dakota. I went over to watch his team play a game at Chandler-Gilbert Community College on Saturday.
Perfect weather for a ballgame!
With uncle Dart and aunt Wendy.
I also did a bit more urban exploration. Many of you will remember last April when I took a drive on Gates Pass in Tucson, Arizona and visited Old Tucson Studios. On the way back from that trip, I stopped an abandoned Nickerson Farms Restaurant in Picacho Peak, about halfway between Tucson and Phoenix.
April 14, 2013 – Notice the roof of the building still intact, despite having been out of operation since 1979.
March 15, 2014 – The entire red roof of the building has now collapsed and the building is taped off with caution tape. The entire surroundings are covered in “No Trespassing” signs (unlike last year) so I didn’t dare take a peek inside this time.
Another look from the front of the building
And looking from the south side
If it has to do with abandoned buildings, ghost towns, or anything of that sort, you know I’m interested! Just point me in the right direction and throw me a camera.
Having been ‘raised’ on 3,000 mile clockwork oil changes with my Legend, I’m really digging the fact that I don’t have to visit the dealership that often anymore with the ILX. Sure, the service advisors and amenities are top notch and I enjoy my visits, but the fact that I can go for 3+ months and (in this case) 8,580 miles on a single oil change is pretty dang awesome when you’re a busy person like me. I was $120 out the door for a “B13” service – 0W20 synthetic oil (my car’s 12th oil change), tire rotation, and an engine air filter.
As I was sitting in the lounge catching up on some work, my advisor Dana came up with me with my old air filter in a plastic bag and an eyebrow raised just slightly. “I think we’re going to want to change this one,” she said while showing me the filter’s black grilles. I smirked a little, “Yeah, I did a little off-roading. Go ahead and change it.” I guess that dirt-road trip to Castle Hot Springs a few weeks ago caught up to me after all.
Back on the road I went!
Today, I introduce you to my friend Jason Richmond. Along with so many of us, Jason is a committed enthusiast to the Honda and Acura brands. In fact, he took his brand loyalty so far as to create a special YouTube channel, Facebook page, and Instagram account dedicated to sharing news and features on “all things Honda.” It’s no wonder Jason prefers to go by HondaPro Jason.
His YouTube channel has amassed 10,000 subscribers and his Facebook page about 20,000 followers. Jason knows a thing or two about keeping his fans happy. He definitely appreciates a high-mileage car, too. As of last December, his own 1997 Civic EX coupe had 212,000 miles on the odometer when he sent me this picture.
And it still looks pretty dang nice for the year & mileage! A true testament to his care & maintenance.
Jason launched a contest recently wherein he asked his followers to accurately match a picture of an Acura Legend’s odometer to its famous owner. Of course, I knew right away he had posted about Ludacris. And I won a sticker! So thanks, Jason, for sending my winnings right on over! I installed my prize, this “Don’t Hate” sticker, on my 1992 NSX a few days ago.
For anyone who wants to get in touch with Jason, he’s at thehondapro@sbcglobal.net and he’s based at Schaumburg Honda in Schaumburg, Illinois.
In today’s other news:
You’ve all been introduced to my friend Cody and his 1993 Acura Legend L Sedan 5-Speed. My 2013 Acura ILX, by the way, has already surpassed Cody’s 22-year-old Legend in miles!
With the intent of sharing the story of cars and their drivers, Cody has launched a blog of his own. It’s called Random Drive.
Cody invites his readers from near and far to share their own stories of vehicle ownership. For some of us, a vehicle is far more than an A-to-B source of transport. It’s a friend, a travel companion, and a source of great pride. Be sure and click “Share Your Story” to submit yours.
Every car and driver has a story to tell and I want to hear and share yours! The vehicles that we use everyday are such an integral part of our lives and I think that each and everyone should be shared in a fun way. Help me share your vehicles history and story!
Cody recently featured a story on his old “junkyard find” 1997 Cadillac Catera, and he’s bound to have more fun car adventures to share. Add this one to the (growing) list of other blogs you all need to check out and subscribe to.
Fun final fact: Last Thursday at around 5:00 p.m. was the first time in the 21 months that I’ve been driving my ILX that I actually pulled up at a stoplight next to one. This was in Fountain Hills, Arizona on Shea Boulevard eastbound. The girl with big sunglasses in the Bellanova White Pearl ILX wouldn’t even acknowledge my presence. Didn’t she know how big of a deal this was for me? Oh well.
Lydia’s glistening chrome bumper winked at me with a flash of reflective sunlight from the parking lot outside her garage. I approached her and admired her 225 inches of reflective Willow Mist metallic paint, highlighted by chrome trim that pierced my eyes with gleaming Palm Springs sunshine. Lydia was a sassy 1963 Buick Electra 225.
I gave the heavy driver’s door a tug and climbed inside, then took a deep breath while she transported me 51 years into the past. The switches, the fabrics, the smells — everything true and perfect according to factory-spec equipment. Then I looked down at the odometer showing only 20,223 miles. Lydia may have been half a century old, but it was as if her heart was that of a teenager.
You all know I get stir crazy if I don’t get out of the state often enough. I was way overdue for a long-distance drive since my last big one (trip to Utah) was a month ago. This time, I hopped in the Acura ILX and headed west instead of north. The destination? I was about to get an exclusive look at a classic car collection that belongs to my friends Scott and Sandy. And boy was I in for a treat.
My drive in the ILX was an easy one since Interstate 10 westbound would guide me to PSP from PHX without need for any other directions. I managed to pry myself away from the office a little early and set out on Friday afternoon toward a beautiful desert sunset. The next 5 hours were filled with music, contemplation, and some ILX photos / urban exploration as you saw from yesterday’s Drive to Five post.
Palm Springs is a desert oasis in southern California’s Coachella Valley. It’s home to fewer than 50,000 full-time residents but boasts a full roster of attractions that bring tourists year-round. Where else can you find a 26-foot-tall statue of Marilyn Monroe with a wind-ruffled dress?
Scott is a long-time friend of mine, but I think the last time I’d seen him was at the Metric Listening Event in Hollywood back in June 2012. Scott and I have a similar affinity for collecting automobiles. Our tastes, in fact, align on a couple of models specifically. Scott’s Formula Red 1992 Acura NSX is one example of real keeper that we both own and appreciate. His car’s production number, in fact, is just 26 digits off that of my NSX. However, the rest of his fleet is as diverse as they come – from a go-kart sized 1972 Honda Z600 to Lydia the Electra who nearly doubled the Honda’s length. I immediately felt at home in the 1965 Honda S600 Roadster.
After a brief tour of Scott and Sandy’s beautiful home, I rode with Scott in his Alfa Romeo to his storage location. As the large garage door rolled up, I realized I was standing before about 15 unique and rare vehicles. While the domestics and the Japanese were certainly well-represented, a couple of oddball cars rounded out the collection, including a 1985 Bertone Fiat X1/9. I had the distinct opportunity to drive several of the cars, so today I’ll share some of my impressions.
With its dash-mounted shift lever, the orange 1972 Honda Z600 struck me immediately as the ancestor to today’s Civic Si. Scott brought the 2-cylinder air-cooled engine to life with a few pumps of the engine primer. Yes, all 36 horses giddied-up enthusiastically. And for a car of that size, 36 is all it really takes! The clutch was stiff and it took a row or two through the gears to get acquainted with the 4-speed shift gate, but I felt right at home in that little rig in no time. The Z600 has a cozy cabin with no frills. Such simplicity is an attribute that I truly appreciate, especially in today’s world of driver assistance technology that goes so far that it often becomes invasive or detracts from a raw driving experience.
At the other end of the size spectrum, the 1966 Lincoln Continental was the first car I’ve ever driven with suicide doors. After watching its convertible top hide away mechanically in the trunk, I took the wheel and drove the 5,300 pound tank around the neighborhood. Except, it didn’t feel like it weighed nearly 3 tons. The car was remarkably light on its feet, and steering effort – well, let’s just say the car could be driven with just one pinky finger. For a big car, it had the skinniest steering wheel ever. It also seemed only fitting that Scott and I extended the retractable antenna and listened to an oldies station KWXY on the car’s AM radio while we cruised around Palm Springs. That drive was better than any history lesson I ever received in college.
My longest test-drive was in this 1977 Honda Civic CVCC. I love that Honda proudly badged the car “5-speed” on the rear hatch. Despite having sat for over a month, it purred flawlessly when Scott fired it up. The bright yellow coupe with a chrome bumper guard and roof rack grabbed a lot of attention on the road. The shifter and suspension performed so well that I would never believe they were parts of a nearly 40-year-old vehicle. It took me a minute to get used to the fact that there was no passenger sideview mirror. The CVCC brought a grin to my face as we drove it back from brunch.
Scott’s pride and joy is a green Honda N600 that was his first car. Though it sits half-covered up with expired plates and a flat tire, I could see the sparkle in his eye when he talked about the memories associated with that old Honda. He plans to treat that old car to a full restoration, and it won’t take much to get it back to showroom condition since like most California cars, the body is rust-free and the mechanicals are still solid.
Part of the intrigue about Scott and Sandy is that they gladly adopt vehicles that other car aficionados consider runts or outcasts. Consider the 1979 Mercury Bobcat (aka gussied-up Ford Pinto) in Tangerine paint with plaid seating and rally wheels, lovingly named Bob. Or the now-sold Cadillac Cimarron which proudly wore “WRSTCAD” license plates and won POS “Worst in Show” Concours d’LeMons. There’s something endearing about showing love for a car that nobody else seems to appreciate.
We closed the day out with a ride back to Scott’s place in the Emberglo Metallic (“don’t you dare call it brown!”) 1966 Mustang convertible with its potent 289 V8 and Pony Package. A classic Mustang is a true piece of Americana that every car collector should own at least once.
Huge thanks to Scott and Sandy for their incredible hospitality! Enjoy the rest of the pictures below, as well as a video showing start-up of a few of the cars in the collection.
Scott, Tyson, Sandy
Scott’s answer to, “How do you keep track of all the car keys?!”
1985 Honda CRX Si
1959 Mercury Park Lane
Mercury interior
No such thing as too much chrome here.
Meet Lydia, the Buick Electra from my opening paragraph.
And Lydia’s interior, complete with a dealer-installed tissue dispenser (the chrome box underneath the dash/glove compartment).
I loved the 1966 Lincoln dash with its driver-oriented instrument layout. Even the cruise control was set up as a dial. The speedometer worked like a thermometer, with a strip of numbers and a red bar that would extend across them to indicate the speed.
Suicide doors, anyone?
The car that needs no introduction. Just 45,000 miles on this 5-speed beauty. It’s also one of only 421 cars that were produced in this color /transmission combination for the year.
The Bertone X 1/9 is a mid-engine rig that’s in stunning condition for its age.
Along with the cars, Scott and Sandy have a lot of old literature and advertising.
Scott’s favorite (at least I kind of got that vibe) was the 1965 Honda S600 Coupe. Right hand drive. It was fun watching him squeeze into the driver’s seat before firing it up!
Front of the S600 Coupe.
Another S600 in the collection, this time a Roadster, started out as a project car but has finished beautifully. Scott showed me some ‘before’ pictures from a photo album.
“After”
Loved that there were unique switches on the dash for headlights and marker lights.
1976 Cadillac Seville – the first year for that model. This example has only 40,000 miles on it. It had a characteristic smell.
This 1969 Lincoln Continental Mark III is literally one-of-a-kind. It’s the only one that was built in this configuration, color, and trim without a vinyl roof. The car stickered at $8,356 when it was new.
Bobcat interior – thanks Sandy for sending this, as I forgot to take one! That plaid is factory original!
Interior of the 1977 Civic. Exactly as it was intended to be, right down to the AM radio.
Here’s the 2-cylinder air-cooled engine that powers the Z600.
Taking the Z for a spin.
After our full day of test drives, I headed back to Phoenix but stopped in Blythe, California per Scott’s recommendation. For any who ever travel the Interstate 10 corridor, remember this place! It’s called Courtesy Diner and it’s a must-visit.
I was craving a grilled cheese and a bowl of homemade chili. Both hit the spot.
I even got a smiley face on my bill when the total came out to $10.01.
drivetofive 