“We seem to have a problem. We’re running low on petrol.” These words were spoken to me yesterday in broken English from a French tourist who had honked the horn of his white rental car to get my attention. I’d been minding my own business getting some quality sunset shots of the ILX at an abandoned service station when my focus was interrupted with a horn honk that nearly sent me jumping sky-high.
Unfortunately for my fellow traveler, Interstate 10 is a lonely place when it comes to services. The station we were standing in front of had been shuttered for easily a few decades. The metal Chevron pumps out front looked like they belonged in a museum somewhere – weathered examples of a motoring era years in the past.
“Well, you’re 40 miles from Blythe to the east,” I told him, “and probably 20 miles from Chiriaco Summit to the west.” As the sun continued to dip lower on the horizon, I could sense the urgency in his voice as he debated his options. I encouraged him to continue toward Blythe. His Nissan Versa couldn’t possibly need more than a gallon and a half to go those 40 miles, right? I now wonder if he was able to make it.
Today I’ll share a few of the pictures from my drive toward California yesterday in the 2013 Acura ILX.
First up, how could I have passed by this roadside attraction so many times in the past and never stopped to appreciate it? A stagecoach stop that bears my own first name. Located in Quartzsite at the far western end of Interstate 10 in Arizona, Tyson’s Well dates back to the 1870s and provided traveler accommodations.
Just down the road, the Tyson Mobile Home & RV Park greeted me with a larger-than-life sign with my name on it.
I’m ready to move right on in.
And finally, that fated location where my French friend pulled off the interstate in hopes of finding his petrol. Well, he wasn’t going to find any at this 24-hour service station. In fact, I’m pretty sure this one was a “zero”-hour service station in Desert Center, California. The pumps were long gone.
Down the road, the Family Cafe lingered as a memory of days gone by. Miraculously, vandals have left the old fuel equipment alone and all the building’s windows remained intact.
Red, white, and blue. These must have looked nice when they were fresh & new.
I could sure have gone for a gourmet meal, but I think the kitchen’s closed.
I suppose you could take a picnic lunch, though, since this old wooden table out front appeared serviceable.
Think they sold 91 octane here?
A bit further west down the old frontage road (which pre-dated I-10 by a long shot), I found a third abandoned station. A skeleton of what was once the sign out front doesn’t give us any clues about the brand of fuel that was sold here.
I stepped inside for a look at the amenities.
Windows were broken out, but by golly, the view was stunning. Better than the view from my office, in fact. Maybe I could telecommute from Desert Center?
Great fixer-upper!
One-stop shopping.
The old wooden guard rails on this bridge could use a new coat of paint.
Nighttime took over as I continued westbound.
Come back tomorrow for a detailed look at one of the most eclectic car collections I’ve ever visited, in Palm Springs, California. You’re going to want to see this!
Would you get claustrophobic like me if you had to live inside an enclosed greenhouse for 2 years?
Imagine a self-contained world: a giant bubble that’s capable of supporting life as we know it. Welcome to Biosphere 2. Surprisingly few people have heard of a place in southern Arizona that 20 years ago was home to such an experiment. Now owned by the University of Arizona Science Department, Biosphere 2 is a research facility that was built as a closed ecological system – the largest of its kind. Biosphere 1, for those who are probably wondering like I was, is our own earth.
Yesterday’s outing may have been the largest I’ve organized to date. It was attended by 15 of my friends in 8 separate (and very diverse!) vehicles. After assembling at my place in Scottsdale, Arizona, we set out in the following caravan of vehicles. It made for a nice parade.
2013 Acura ILX
1995 Acura Legend
2013 Audi RS5
2013 Audi S5
1997 BMW 740 iL
2013 Cadillac SRX
2000 Honda Accord
2013 Nissan 370Z
Kevin, Edward, and Cole rode along with me in the ILX. I felt like the car actually handled better with the additional weight in there! Despite the rain and wet roads, we made pretty good time in getting to Oracle, Arizona via historic Highway 79 which led us to the southeast from the Phoenix Valley. After checking in, we were assigned to the 1:30 p.m. tour group and took a few minutes to visit the on-site cafe.
Constructed from 1987 to 1991, Biosphere 2 covers 3.14 acres. Two missions were conducted in Biosphere 2 in the 1990s. The first, from 1991 to 1993, and the second from March 1994 through September 1994. Biosphere contains 5 different indoor biomes: Desert, Savanna, Rainforest, Ocean, and Marsh. During our 90-minute tour, we were shown through each of these by our guide, Ren.
Ren told us there there was a division among the 8 “Biospherians” who participated in the first mission which lasted two years. Four of them wanted to allow the import of outside food & materials so that they could focus more on conducting science experiments and less on just trying to survive. The other four wanted to stay true to the design of the experiment and be entirely self-sufficient. The rift escalated. Along with that, heightened levels of CO2 were taking their toll on everyone’s critical thinking skills, and a change in climate in some of the biomes (increasing moisture in the desert, for example), caused an overrun of insects. Finally, the caloric intake was low so the diet wasn’t very good. Some of these challenges are what drove that mission to its end.
Today, Biosphere 2 is a research facility used to study ecosystem processes under controlled conditions. The University of Arizona operates it with the intent of better understanding how natural environments generate conditions that are suitable for life. The overall goal is to improve the quality of life for us. I found the tour educational and interesting. After filling our brains with science, we hopped into our cars and traveled 9 miles to the Oracle Inn Steakhouse to fill our stomachs with some of the best grub in central Arizona. Our last stretch of road took us up Highway 77 to Highway 177 to the old mining town of Superior.
Cole took DJ duties for most of our two-hour trip back to the Phoenix area, and we rocked out to slow jams like the classic 1997 K-Ci & JoJo hit, “All My Life.” The ILX 7-speaker Premium Audio System was put to its limit while we sang along. Many thanks to all my friends who joined on this adventure, in person or through the blog!
Below are all the pictures and a short video that I hope you’ll enjoy.
Pre-departure and my driveway/street started looking like a used car lot with more than a dozen cars parked all over the place.
Eastbound US 60, in hot pursuit of Aaron in the S5.
My crew in the ILX: Kevin, Cole, Edward
Upon arrival in Oracle, the rains held up long enough for us to enjoy our tour without getting too wet.
Oddball fleet of cars. Michael’s BMW, at over 280,000 miles, was the mileage king. Also, apparently Joe didn’t get the memo about needing to back his Legend in for the photoshoot.
Sexy hind ends.
ILX, Z, and a couple of Audis that have way more horsepower than they know what to do with.
Checking into the Visitor Center. Student tickets were $15 ea.
I think we may have overwhelmed the staff with our large group.
We were shown a 12-minute video before being introduced to our tour guide and heading into the facility.
Ren, our guide, used a portable mic and told us all the details about the facility and its operations.
The ocean, pictured far in the distance below, is 26 feet deep and holds 670,000 gallons of water.
Adjacent to that, we walked through a plastic curtain and into the biome known as the rainforest.
The rainforest has a waterfall and over 90 different plant species. We could readily feel the difference in humidity as we entered this area.
Next we went through a mangrove forest and down into the desert. Ren told us about the large “air handlers” that regulate the flow of air into this part of the Biosphere. They are disguised to look like caves.
Our next stop was the basement.
My favorite part was when we walked through this tunnel that seemed to get smaller and smaller as we walked onward. Someone commented that it felt like a scene from “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.”
Soon, we had to duck and watch our heads as we went through a triangle shaped opening.
Here we are arriving inside one of two “lungs” in the facility. These are air-volume control devices. There is a 20+ ton metal saucer in the middle of the room, connected to the surrounding walls by a rubber curved ceiling. The entire ceiling can move up and down to regulate the volume of air within Biosphere.
It felt like a scene from outer space.
To get to the outside world from there, we had to pass through two “air lock” doors. Each time, a huge gust of wind would hit us in the face as the pressure inside the Biosphere started regulating with the pressure from outside.
A few more instructions and then we continued back inside.
Here is the kitchen where the Biospherians prepared their meals. Ren told us they would only eat meat once a week.
This is a look inside one of the bedrooms.
Next up: Lunch in Oracle
Michael’s 740 was looking great.
Joe’s Cashmere Silver Metallic Legend Type II has over 160,000 miles on it.
Woody made a friend at the Oracle Inn.
Lunch is served.
Group photo-op at the Oracle Inn before heading out again.
Tyson, Paul, Michael, Woody
Joe, Cole, Aaron, Kevin
Jim, Edward, Kelvin, Chad, Kevin
Alan, Matt, Brad
Let’s roll!
Everyone taking their seats in the ILX for the drive to Winkelman on Highway 77.
This was my favorite stretch of the day’s drive by far.
Sunset made for some nice lighting as we headed up the two-laner.
Rest area in Superior, Arizona with the Z, the RS5, and the ILX
For a starting price of just $500,000, you can bid your way toward ownership of a 210-acre former resort in the remote desert north of Phoenix, Arizona! Opened in 1896 as a relaxing getaway for dignitaries and the elite, Castle Hot Springs and its luxurious amenities thrived all the way through the 1950s and 60s. U.S. Presidents Roosevelt, Wilson and Hoover were regular guests.
Here’s a postcard from the 1950’s. Nice place, huh?
The hot springs themselves (yes, they do exist in Arizona!) produce some 180,000 gallons of water per day that’s between 118-120 degrees. However, the resort has been closed since a December 1976 fire destroyed the main building. At that time, the site was 40 miles from the nearest fire station, so assistance was too far out of reach.
The resort never came back to life. In the 38 years since that fire, it’s changed hands a few times. A year ago, the entire piece of property was up for grabs for $5.7 million. This coming Thursday February 27th, an auction will determine its next owner. Remote doesn’t even begin to describe it. Circled in yellow (top left) is the resort location.
Here’s the aerial view of what the site looks like today. Clearly visible is the white 125,000-gallon swimming pool. Tennis courts are located to the left.
Despite the fact that the resort was closed and potentially even inaccessible, I was determined to make the trek in the Acura ILX today to see what this forgotten place was all about. Having done a little bit of online mapping, I knew from Google satellite view that the road was unpaved for a long portion, but I read that conditions could be traversed with a passenger car if driven carefully. Challenge: accepted.
I picked up two friends for the trip this morning: Daniel, visiting from Charlotte NC, and Greg, a colleague from work. Both are avid travelers and I knew they’d be good company. We made our way toward the Carefree Highway and Lake Pleasant. I was surprised to see only one sign for Castle Hot Springs as we exited the highway. The rest of the drive we were winging it with what we thought was the correct route. After we made it to the northwestern edge of the lake, the road turned to dirt.
For eight miles, I carefully weaved my way through the desert while stirring up a cloud of dust in the ILX. Three of those miles were very especially rocky as the road followed the path of the riverbed, and I was lucky to have 6 inches of ground clearance to get around the obstructions in the road. Finally as we rounded a corner, the palm trees of Castle Hot Springs came into view. We’d made it!
To no surprise, the property was entirely fenced off with “No Trespassing” signs. As the three of us chatted outside the gate about site, we were approached by two men who were walking up the road. One of them began, “I’m surprised the caretaker isn’t already out here on her golf cart with a gun, running you guys off.” Rough neighborhood, I guess! As it turns out, this gentleman was a neighbor from down the road. He said they’ve had problems with riffraff in the area – drugs, guns, killings, and (yes he really said this one) “people having lunch on our lawns.” Basically, he’s trying to keep inquisitive people like us away.
He did, at least, give us some interesting info regarding the state of the property. It’s been zoned as a residence instead of commercial property now, so the chance of it being resurrected as a desert resort oasis is slim. The land is in fact being parceled out into sections. The springs are still active (though another area shortly up the road where springs used to exist has since been “capped off” with concrete because it attracted too many troublemakers). It’s really a shame more people aren’t able to enjoy the springs. Check out the photos below from our adventure in checking this place out!
Heading toward Lake Pleasant Regional Park
And a right hand turn at Castle Hot Springs Road. This was the last sign we’d be seeing for Castle Hot Springs.
15 or so miles later, we’d reached the end of the pavement.
Putting my tires and suspension to the test.
This notice stapled to the gate at the resort was in reference to the re-zoning effective 3/3/14
Scoping the place out as best we could from outside the white wooden fence.
Barn across the street
Here we are!
The yellow building that sits near the swimming pool appears to be currently inhabited. A trailer is sitting on the tennis courts.
This is the driveway to the property. I wonder what kind of cars drove down this road in the early 1900’s.
A bit further down the road, we found another palm-lined grassy area with a mysterious looking garage on the premises. I have to wonder what’s inside there!
Just before making our turnaround to head back to Phoenix.
Sharing the road with some cows
I was surprised my Garmin GPS knew the name of the dirt road we were on
Back to civilization we went. For more on Castle Hot Springs including a neat look at what the pools look like today, and some scans from a 1907 brochure/pamphlet, check out this website.
No road trip is complete without great food, so we grabbed burgers at Wild Horse West near the intersection of Carefree Highway and Lake Pleasant Rd.
They weren’t kidding! This thing was pretty amazing.
I saw this range figure after a fuel-up earlier in the week. I don’t know if the car is really capable of 500+ miles on a tank. Has anyone with an ILX ever actually achieved that?
Also spotted another place I may have to check out sometime.
Despite the fact that the trip between Phoenix, Arizona and my hometown in Southern Utah is one that I’ve driven hundreds of times, it’s still chock full of hidden treasures waiting to be discovered. I decided to make a side-trip on my drive home to Arizona last Sunday in my 2013 Acura ILX to change things up a bit and see some new turf.
Instead of taking I-15 through Las Vegas as I usually do, I stayed far east of the city on two-lane back roads. Interstate travel can be so mindless and rudimentary. Next time you’re cruising a freeway at 75 miles per hour and worried about getting around that next 18-wheeler, consider taking a state highway sometime. I guarantee you’ll find that there are charming places to see and experience, even if it means slowing your pace a bit. Between Mesquite and Las Vegas, I took a detour from Interstate 15 at Exit 93 and headed south through the small towns of Logandale and Overton on Moapa Valley Boulevard, also known as Highway 169. My destination: Nevada’s oldest state park.
Valley of Fire State Park was named in 1935, but the formations in the park itself date back much, much farther into the past. In the age of the dinosaurs, the shifting of sand dunes resulted in the creation of dramatic red sandstone formations which have the appearance of being on fire in the sunlight. The park covers 42,000 acres which were once inhabited by ancient Pueblo peoples from 300 B.C. to 1150 A.D. Their petroglyphs can still be found in various places inside the park, remarkably well preserved.
It was about 7:45 in the morning when I arrived at the east entrance self-serve pay lot in the ILX. I exited the car and looked around me. I was standing in the middle of 360 degrees of gorgeousness. And not another person or car in sight. I paid $10 in an envelope and geared up my backpack for a short hike to Elephant Rock, the park’s most-photographed rock formation. I failed at finding it. Miserably. I was so focused on looking far in the distance for the rock formation that I didn’t realize I walked right past it! For a solid 45 minutes, I trudged through red sand in my sneakers in search of anything that looked remotely like Elephant Rock. Feeling defeated, I got back to the parking lot and continued my journey. But I’ll go back and conquer that rock formation for sure next time.
The rest of my visit to V.O.F. was a windows-down, spirited cruise in the ILX through some of the fun twisties. This kind of view (pictured below), I contend, is better than any front-row seat at a sporting event. It’s better than a view of a nighttime cityscape from an urban penthouse. It’s a panoramic view of the natural world in its colorful, untouched condition aside from an immaculate ribbon of blacktop cutting through it. I was in my element.
I took a right on Mouse’s Tank Road and headed to the White Dome Trailhead about 6 miles up the road. There were several dips in the road where floodwaters collect during rainy seasons, but they made some really fun rollercoaster-like ups and downs for my sport sedan.
After I’d had my fun, Highway 169 took me to the small town of Overton on the north shore of Lake Mead Reservoir. Lake Mead, by the way, is the largest reservoir in the United States. It covers 247 square miles of surface and holds 28 million acre-feet of water when filled to capacity! I weaved my way along the lake until arriving at a junction with Highway 93 and the rest of the drive was familiar territory. It was a phenomenal drive and I’m glad I took the time to experience Valley of Fire in all its glory! Below are the video and photos from the drive.
Morning departure from St. George, Utah
For once, went “old school” and used printed directions from Google Maps
Exiting I-15 in favor of roads that were far more scenic and exciting
Overton, Nevada. A town so small I wasn’t even able to find out its population.
But just a few miles beyond city limits: Home to the largest reservoir in the country.
Nearing my destination
Pull off the road for a quick pic? Don’t mind if I do.
I’m sorry, but what font is that where the “F” is capitalized and everything else isn’t?
Not another soul in sight.
Elephant Rock – 1/8 mile away. Should have been easy to spot, right?
Two or three miles later, I crossing a rickety metal bridge. Where was that darn rock?
Working up a sweat.
Onward to do some more exploration
Years and years of erosion have made the landforms into stunning shapes.
The Vistor Center looked like a McDonald’s, just without the golden arches.
“Look northwest.” Well, I tried that, and I still didn’t see Elephant Rock.
Displays inside the Visitor Center
Cruising up Mouse’s Tank
Like a playground
15 mph? C’mon. These hairpin curves beg for at least 25 when you’re in a car like the ILX.
Sights of the road
Moonroof open, sun streaming in
Next stop: Lake Mead
Las Vegas Bay – I wonder if there’s a slot machine to be found
Lake Mead in all its glory
That’s a wrap!
Check out Acura’s latest commercial: “Let the Race Begin.”
Posted in ILX, Road Trip, Utah on February 8, 2014 by tysonhugie
Odometer (ILX): 66,553
Trip Distance: 421 Miles
It had been too long since I stretched my highway legs for a good 5+ hour drive so I decided to hop in the ILX after work and head north to my hometown in St. George, Utah. This time I decided to take the “back” way – instead of opting for a route that consisted of mostly split highways, I drove through the mountain passes and canyons of Highway 89, northeast of the Grand Canyon. It was a relaxing 6.5 hours on the road.
Driving, for me, is an incredibly therapeutic activity. It’s an opportunity to clear the head and forget about the stresses of life. Friday was an insane workday at CVS Caremark. I got into the office at 7:00 a.m. and didn’t even step up from the chair at my workstation to stretch until almost 11:30. By the time I got into the ILX around 4 p.m., my nerves were on end. I set my cell phone on the passenger seat, face down so I wouldn’t see any alerts. I plugged in my iPod 80 gig, took off my shoes, and picked up a grande caramel frappaccino from Starbucks at the drive-through. Things were looking better already. For the rest of the evening, it was just me, the ILX, and the open road.
Interstate 17 climbed aggressively toward about 7,000 feet in elevation and the temperature sank to the high 30s as I gained altitude. By the time I got to Flagstaff, I’d witnessed a spectacular sunset in 15 shades of red, purple, and dark blue. There was snow on the sides of the road but the lanes of travels were clear and dry. North of Flag is when I got off the beaten interstate path and headed north toward Page, Arizona on Highway 89. With each passing mile, I saw fewer cars on the road. Soon I was able to drive for many miles at a time with my high beams on. I rolled open the moonroof to see the stars overhead – more clearly than I’d ever seen them in the city.
I drove through the Navajo Nation and pondered what a hardy people they are, having endured a way of life in small towns with few of life’s luxuries. Nearing the junction of highways 89 and 89A, a blinding light shone ahead of me. “Bright oncoming HID headlights,” I thought. Soon it became apparent that the light was not a car. “Wow, someone has really bright yard lighting.” And finally, I approached the light and realized I had come up on a massive road closure with a generator driving three high-power lights. This was where Highway 89 was detoured due to this massive buckle in the pavement. Heading left on 89A, the road got more narrow and curvy. Nevertheless, I set my cruise control at 65 miles per hour and firmly planted both hands on the wheel.
At one point after climbing in elevation to 7,921 feet at Jacob Lake, Arizona, I pulled over on a scenic overlook and shut off the car and its headlights. I rolled down my windows. The moonlight illuminated everything around me in a glow, and the only sound I could hear was the wind rustling the trees. I loved the momentary feeling of solitude and peace. This was a good night to be on the road. I arrived at my brother’s place in St. George at 11:03 p.m. – right on target from what I’d told him earlier in the day.
Today, I had the privilege of shuttling my grandpa, grandma, and aunt to lunch at the home of the best tater tots in town – Larsen’s Frostop. This drive-in has been a key landmark on St. George Boulevard since 1965. We had some burgers, tots, and desserts in the company of some other family members in honor of my grandpa’s 83rd birthday, coming up on Monday.
Here is a 30-second video slideshow from our lunch. Thanks Aunt Jodi for putting it together!
Northbound Interstate 17
Pit stop along the roadside near Camp Verde
“This Surface is Never Regularly Maintained” – spotted on a sign near one of the interstate’s offramps
A year ago, Highway 89 near Page, Arizona collapsed and looked like this
Today, it’s still not yet repaired. Traffic is detoured a long way around. Here’s a photo at the road closure.
Niece Vivienne will be 3 in April. She’s full of energy.
Lunch bunch en route to one of my favorite burger places
Grandpa was riding shotgun
My brother Bentley and his family met up with us. His black Audi Q7 S-Line 3.0 liter supercharged was looking pretty clean.
Let’s eat!
Grandpa peeking in the window.
A grilled cheese here is only $1! We opted for a couple of Prince Burgers.
Chow time.
And back to Gpa’s Avalon Abode. He’s got a white 2000 and a silver 2006 in the stable.
It was a great day with family! Thanks for joining!
Did anybody catch this 1996 Lexus LS400 on Ebay with a mind-boggling 897,000 miles on it? As of right now, bids are at $1,150 with a couple days left in the auction.
Description as follows:
This vehicle has a CarFax and Odometer both stating 896,977 miles. The vehicle, when I got it, needed the driver’s seat recovered and the paint was sunburned. The seat has been recovered and the car has been painted. This is an original Rust-Free Florida car. The rest of the car is original and in good condition as the pictures show. The only option on the car which doesn’t work is the factory radio. It has a factory sunroof. The car drives like a good 100,000 mile car would. The car had no rust on it before it was painted. This car has no motor noise, and it doesn’t smoke. The transmission shifts properly. The CarFax, again, shows no accidents and actual miles.
Pretty sweet! That car has averaged nearly 50,000 miles per year over its 18 years.
Catch the rest of my Utah trip sometime this coming week!
Happy Superbowl Sunday. Here’s the score. I think you’re OK to look away from the TV for a minute.
About a month ago, I received an email inquiry about my availability for an interview with a Japanese automotive lifestyle magazine called Kurumag. The magazine’s third issue is under development and they wanted to include my story! I may need to call upon those of you who are fluent in Japanese to translate it, but I’m stoked to see how it turns out. This morning, I received a visit from the following:
Yujiro Otsuki, Motorsports Marketing Photographer
Shigeyuki Ishikawa, Managing Editor, Automobile Business Division
Here’s a sneak peek at the vantage point we were able to achieve with some strategic parking and a step ladder.
Mileage, by the way, for the cars in this picture was:
2013 ILX: 65,802
NSX: 97,567
Legend 1: 144,429
Legend 2: 528,562
Total: 836,360
Here’s an example of Kurumag, the Winter 2013-2014 Issue, featuring Ken Block
I’m pretty anxious to see what these guys come up with! The magazine is very widely distributed so maybe I’ll pick up a few followers from that side of the world. Many thanks to Yujiro and Shigeyuki for making the time to come visit with me. My Legend sedan turned over a memorable milestone while out & about today.
Here are a few shots of my ILX from a quickie trip up Arizona Highway 87 toward Payson yesterday. I found a concrete underpass that begged to have its picture taken.
The ILX has a menacing appearance from this perspective.
Go toward the light!
Wait, is that Harry Henderson painted on the wall back there?
This masterpiece, it appears, may have originated from two different artists. Oh, the many things you see when driving the road less traveled. “So Dope,” for sure.
The real deal (I had nightmares about this guy back in 1987):
Dang, broken foglight lens. Discovered it this morning!
Welcome back! It was an Acurrific Saturday with our caravan of three Acuras around the hills of Tucson, Arizona. This is a continuation of our adventure from that day full o’ fun. After having visited the Kitt Peak National Observatory, the next destination on our radar was a small canyon located about 25 miles south of Tucson called Madera Canyon.
From the Kitt visitor center parking lot, we stood about 4,000 feet above the elevation at the valley floor below. We eagerly climbed into our sport sedans and set out to experience an exhilarating drive. Paul led the way in Sport mode with his pearl white TL SH-AWD, while I followed closely behind in the ILX and Jason brought up the rear in his black TL SH-AWD. The Kitt Peak access road is a driving enthusiast’s dream: a 12-mile narrow two-laner with plenty of blind/sharp corners and some seriously panoramic views of the valley floor below. All drivers’ eyes, however, were glued to the road ahead rather than the peripheral views because the highway begged to be experienced at speed.
Thankfully, the ILX 2.4 is a high-revving machine and I was able to go easy on the brakes as I slid the gearbox between 3rd & 4th gears and listened to the growl at 4,000 RPM and higher. At over 65,000 miles I’ve yet to do any work to the brakes and I’ve only had the manual transmission fluid changed once. It’s still as smooth as the day I got the car with 16 miles on it in June 2012. And even without AWD, it held its own against the TLs in the corners!
After the refreshing (and remarkably traffic-free) descent to the valley floor, our Acuras then made their way across Highway 86 toward Interstate 19 and the town of Green Valley. As I’ve blogged before, I-19 is the only interstate in the country that is signed with metric distances. At Exit 63 (63 kilometers from the Mexican border) we exited for lunch at The Olives Bistro. From there, we were just moments away from our final destination for the day.
Madera Canyon (madera, by the way, is Spanish for “wood”) winds some 25 miles through the Santa Rita Mountains as it gains elevation. The canyon is one of the southwest’s most popular places for birdwatching. There are over 250 species that call this area home, including 15 different species of hummingbirds. The two-lane road that winds its way through the canyon is a dead end. There is a visitor parking lot at the end that also doubles as a trailhead for a half-dozen different hikes. Jason, Paul, and I hiked about 30 minutes toward Josephine Saddle before deciding to double back.
The few times when we stopped to catch our breath on the steep incline, we noted how silent it was. No rustling of leaves, no sounds of traffic. It was just us and nature. On the note of “sounds,” we did have one funny realization over the course of Saturday’s trip. Each time we’d all pull our cars over to get a group picture, as soon as we exited our vehicles with our key fobs in our pockets, our Acuras would beep due to the key proximity sensors alerting us that the keys were not detected. It was a symphony of Acura beeps and we had a good laugh about it.
On the way out of the canyon, we made a pit stop at a gift shop full of bird feeders, postcards, and walking sticks. Here are the photos and a video from the rest of our Saturday trip!
Metric units of measure abound in the regions surrounding Interstate 19 south of Tucson
Only in Arizona do you have to watch out for prickly cacti when exiting your vehicle.
From there, we were only about 10 miles from the southern end of the Madera Canyon road. State Route 83 is accessed via a separate (dirt) road that branches off the main highway. I’ll save that drive for another day!
It was a perfect afternoon to explore a new destination.
Can’t complain about the scenery in the rearview mirror, either.
We drove over a total of five one-lane bridges to get to the trailhead at the end of the canyon.
Jason rolled down his window and all I heard was Journey blasting at full volume.
Map in hand, we paid our $5 for day use and headed to the Mount Baldy hike trailhead.
I definitely didn’t have the energy to attempt Mt. Wrightson at 10 (steep) miles round-trip.
Taking a quick breather.
Back at the cars! There was a family the came walking past. “Look at all the Acuras,” one boy said as he pointed to our trio of backed-in cars. We all just laughed.
There’s a warning sign you don’t see every day!
This gift shop was full of knick-knacks, but I decided against making a purchase.
Alright, classic car gurus. Tell me what we’re looking at here. I’m guessing 1952 Chevy station wagon. The body was remarkably rust-free! This was sitting hidden off the main road, tucked away.
Fun restoration candidate for someone! Jason’s first comment as we were walking up to it: “Hey, is that a first generation HHR?” Haha.
Thanks, Paul and Jason, for a great day on the road!
Nerd alert! I’ve had a soft spot for science ever since childhood, and I met one of my heroes – Bill Nye the Science Guy – when I was in college. But I’ve lived in Arizona for over 8 years ago and only recently learned that it’s home to an observatory with the largest collection of optical telescopes in the world. Arizona is chock-full of hidden gems.
I first heard the name “Kitt Peak” when I drove past the turnoff last July while on a roadtrip to Why, Arizona. Since then, I’d been wanting to make it back for a formal visit. There are 3 tours offered daily. Along with my friends Jason and Paul, I made it to the 10:00 a.m. program yesterday, which would focus on the McMath-Pierce Solar Telescope. It is the world’s largest solar telescope.
This was a family outing. And by that, I mean all three vehicles in our caravan were Acuras:
Black 2010 Acura TL SH-AWD 6MT (Jason)
White 2013 Acura TL SH-AWD AT (Paul)
Silver 2013 Acura ILX 6MT (Tyson)
The boys and I broke this trip into a two-dayer, with a Friday night rendezvous in Tucson before the big day. After a hotel buffet breakfast, we fired up our cars and headed westward through the Sonoran Desert on a beautiful morning. As soon as we exited Highway 86, the Tucson-Ajo Highway, I knew we were in for a treat. The next 12 miles were filled with great curves and some of the best scenery in the southwest. I took the lead in the ILX and we climbed to an elevation of 6,880 feet at the summit. Jason and I rowed our manual gearboxes, while Paul manipulated his paddle shifters to command action from his 6-speed automatic transmission. The temperatures were notably cooler as we made our way toward the top.
Kitt Peak’s construction dates back to 1958 when the National Science Foundation supplied funding under President John F. Kennedy. Extensive site evaluations had designated Kitt as the best place for a national observatory: It had more “good seeing days” (273 per year, to be exact) than any other potential site. However, because the land was owned at the time by the Tohono O’odham Indian Nation (and considered very sacred), the U.S. had to negotiate with the tribe before it could lease 2,000 acres. Among the contract terms: The observatory must buy electricity that’s supplied by the reservation. Those stipulations are still in full force today.
By 1962, the McMath-Pierce Solar Telescope had been completed and astronomers were coming from all around the world to try it out. The telescope stands a massive 100 feet in the air, 200 feet into the ground, and has a 500-foot-long angled section that is exactly parallel to the earth’s axis. A telescope uses a series of mirrors and discs that reflect light and focus it to create an image. Even though McMath-Pierce is now over 50 years old, the technology that it employs is still relevant. Infrastructure has been updated with fiber optic communication equipment. Little known fact: The telescope also acts as a gigantic sundial. I guess that makes two massive sundials I’ve visited in recent months. Our tour guide, Larry, took us inside the telescope for a closer look.
Some 2,500 visitors travel to Kitt Peak each year to see McMath-Pierce as well as some of the 17 or so other telescopes on-site. I’d love to go back to Kitt and stargaze sometime during one of the nightly observing programs. For now, enjoy some of the many photos below from this part of our trip! Tomorrow, I’ll share the adventures of the rest of our Saturday Acura drive: A trip to Madera Canyon.
Thanks for coming along!
TL & ILX gearing up for departure on Friday evening
Eastbound on Interstate 10 – it’s about a 90-minute drive to Tucson.
The Shell station located in Picacho Peak, Arizona has a good sense of humor.
… Not to mention some great souvenirs. Coonskin cap, anyone?
Upon arrival in Tucson, I happened to hit 65,065 miles with an exterior temperature of 65 degrees Fahrenheit. The stars would have been in greater alignment if I had been going 65 miles per hour at the time.
Saturday morning: Mini waffles to fuel us for a long day of adventure behind the wheel.
Let’s load ’em up!
Couldn’t have asked for better weather for a Saturday drive.
Which would you pick?
Westward on the Ajo Highway, we knew we were getting close.
Paul snagged a great picture of the ILX from the rear. Kitt Peak was in the distance, awaiting our visit.
And, here we are at the turnoff.
From there, it was 12 miles to the summit at just under 6,900 feet in elevation.
This type of sign gets me excited.
As expected, views were exceptional from all around as we climbed the mountain.
At these elevations, snow is possible and even likely this time of year.
Getting close!
In 1957, our Acuras would have never made this trip. Here’s what the Kitt Peak access road looked like then.
We soon rounded a bend and saw some of Kitt Peak’s telescopes in the distance.
Made it!
The visitor center & gift shop dates back to 1962 and is staffed by members of the Tohono O’odham Indian Nation.
Inside, there are many informative displays. This one gave a comparison between the various sizes of reflective mirrors that are used in telescopes today.
Our tour group was led outside to the massive white structure which was the McMath-Pierce Telescope.
Yikes!
The telescope is actually made of copper, but it was painted white so that it can be as reflective of light as possible.
Inside, we stared down the inner barrel at all the mechanical components that make the telescope work.
This was a neat picture of what the telescope looked like when it was under construction.
Here, Paul and I are standing in front of a 2.1-meter telescope in the background.
Back to the Acuras we went for the next leg of our journey.
Paul took the lead in the white one and we made our descent.
Later that afternoon, we explored one of Arizona’s hidden canyons. Come back tomorrow & read about it!
Posted in Car Show, ILX on January 20, 2014 by tysonhugie
Odometer (Legend): 528,535
Odometer (ILX): 64,779
I had to chuckle when I saw this picture posted on Facebook today:
Well, it wasn’t even 50 years old, but I’ve already restored a Honda product. I brought a 25-year-old Acura Legend back to life just a couple months ago. Feast your eyes on some before-after goodness:
How’d I get the engine bay so clean? It took time, elbow grease, and a toothbrush.
I thought I was doing well to sell that “collector” low-mileage 1988 Acura Legend coupe for $3,000. But it’s a whole different ballgame to watch a vehicle being sold for 100 or even 1,000 times that price. As part of this past weekend’s festivities, some friends and I went to the Barrett-Jackson Auto Auction. B-J dates back to 1971 is one of several premiere car auctions held in the Scottsdale, Arizona area each January.
I wanted to quickly share a few pictures here from the heat of the action during our visit last Saturday. Entry tickets – even just for spectators – go for $60 each at the gate, but my friend David who works there got us in for free-ninety-nine.
Let’s go!
Saturday was one of the busiest days in the auction’s 7-day duration. It was so busy, in fact, that not only was the main parking lot full, but also a couple of the overlow lots. We ended up stashing the ILX on a grassy soccer field over 4 miles away and taking a shuttle bus to the entrance!
Credentials in-hand, we got ready for the sights & sounds.
Whole lotta bling going on here with this Chevy motor.
This is the main hall where the vehicles are brought up on the auction block. The folks who are seated in the center of the room are bidders and they have special credentials. There’s also bidding going on behind-the-scenes. My friend David works with the Internet team to place bids on behalf of people who are watching the auction online and who wish to make a bid electronically.
Here’s a 12-second taste of what it’s like in that room.
Outside, we were able to wander around and see the hundreds of vehicles which had been (or were yet to be) sold throughout the course of the week.
I quite enjoyed this 1953 Buick Skylark convertible.
One of my favorite things about the cars at B-J was that each one had a very detailed history. This Corvette Roadster, for example, was a numbers-matching, 2-owner car with only 36,000 miles and complete documentation back to when it was brand new.
Anything goes. Who would have thought a 1978 Olds Toronado would someday be collectible? This example had only 5,000 original miles on it. It was a highly equipped model with lots of factory add-ons.
Each vehicle at the auction has an information sheet in the window which gives the story on the vehicle as well as provides the Sale Number for those who are interested in tracking it.
Row after row of vehicles awaited their fate outside.
The only Acura I saw – and boy, was it a beauty – was this Spa Yellow NSX-T 6-speed manual. It had only 3,000 miles on it!
It went for $56,000. Cheap for the miles, I say! Pictured here are Alan, Tia, Matt, and myself. Tire kickers – none of us had anywhere near the kind of money we would’ve needed to drive home in one of these fine rides.
Matt later sent me a picture of this Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution which was up for auction. This is the car that was driven by Paul Walker in Fast & Furious 2.
Heading home in my humble $30k ILX after being surrounded by so many great vehicles.
Bon voyage, mom! I had a great time with her, and hope she comes back to visit again soon!
Posted in Arizona, ILX on January 19, 2014 by tysonhugie
Odometer (Legend): 528,530
Odometer (ILX): 64,740
If there’s anyone who knows about going the distance, it’s my mom. My black & blue Asics running shoes have a few hundred miles on them, which may seem like a lot. Truth is, though, I’ve been lapped time and time again by my mother. Drive to five? Try five hundred, five thousand? She’s crossed the finish line over 160 times in competitive races since she started running in the late 1990s, having logged over 20,000 miles. By foot!
Below is a neat tradition my mom has for her full (26.2-mile) marathons. She’ll wear 26 bracelets on her wrist – each one dedicated to a particular friend of family member. As she completes each mile while thinking about that person, she’ll transfer that person’s bracelet from one wrist to the other.
Each year, mom comes to Phoenix from Utah for a winter getaway. In this blog post, you’ll get a play-by-play of our 13.1 mile race this morning as well as some other weekend activities. Tomorrow night, I’ll share the experience of our visit to one of the world’s premiere collector car auctions, right here in Scottsdale. Saddle up, pardners.
A Friday night out on the town in central Phoenix with friends preceded a busy weekend.
Long distance running is a hobby I took on about 8 years ago, and I can’t let it go. I saw a fitting sign today held up by a marathon spectator: “Running is a mental sport. And you’re all insane.” I think they’re absolutely right – anyone would have to be crazy to voluntarily subject his or her body to a dozen miles of pounding the pavement. There were 13,407 people today who ran the 13.1 mile half-marathon. That comes out to 175,631.7 miles that were run this morning between Tempe, Scottsdale, and Phoenix Arizona.
Saturday morning, we headed to the Phoenix Convention Center in the ILX to retrieve our race information & “goodie bags.”
Optimal weather – as Phoenix is known for this time of year – was in plentiful supply.
Downtown, we met up with our friend Aaron who’d also be running the race the following day.
The following quote has become a mantra for Drive to Five over the years. The joy of getting from Point A to B, for me anyway, has always been more important than the origin or the destination.
A quick brunch visit at Windsor satisfied our hunger before a busy afternoon that followed.
Linh, Kevin, Tia, Paul in the back, and some cheesy guy taking a 5-person ‘selfie’ in the foreground.
Paul’s TL was looking spectacular, as always.
What’s a mom visit without a little shopping at Scottsdale Fashion Square?
Race day came bright and early for us all. We each laced up and put 13.1 miles on our running shoes. Weather was perfect. I approach a long-distance run much like I do a long-distance drive. It must be broken up into more manageable segments. Take a 13-mile race, for example, and make it four 3-mile races, with a little extra tacked onto the end. That’s how I visualize it. I do the same on a long drive. If I’m heading to a destination 1,000 miles away, I’ll drive 250 miles at a time and only worry about making it that far – without stressing about the long road ahead. I ran into my friend Thomas at the start line, and we were off.
Just when I started feeling a little worn down at around mile 7 or so, I saw an amazing athlete with a prosthetic leg. She was moving and grooving. I no longer felt an ounce of fatigue. I was inspired.
A few miles later, I saw a man dribbling two basketballs and running at the same time. I later googled “Doctor Dribble” online and found that he has a fanpage on Facebook and he’s in part sponsored by the Rock & Roll marathon series. Pretty awesome! I sure wish I had his coordination.
Of all the things I most looked forward to as I neared the finish, know what was at the top of the list? Chocolate milk. I knew they’d have plentiful supply of this chocolatey goodness in the recovery area. I took two bottles. It was the most delicious thing I have ever tasted.
Final standings – well, mom kicked my hiney, as she always tends to do. She went on to place 20th in her age division and still looked like a million bucks. How DOES she do it?
Mom rolled in 15 minutes before I did.
Group shot at the finish – Tyson, Tia, Paul, Jonathan, and Aaron – glad to have succeeded!
I finished 3,918th out of those 13,407 total finishers. That comes out to a 9 1/2-minutes-per-mile pace. Slow poke compared to most of the competitive runners out there. It felt amazing to get back into my leather-lined ILX and roll the moonroof open for a leisurely drive back home to relax.
Thanks, mom, for the continued motivation!
Here’s a quick iPhone video from the race start line, as well as a few seconds of Dr. Dribble in action.
drivetofive 