I made the realization the other day that I’ve been driving for half my life. This year – my 32nd – is the only year I’ll be able to say that. It’s been fascinating to see how far automotive technology and style have come in the last couple of decades. We now live in an age where cars are far smarter than their drivers, and it blows my mind.
A couple of weeks ago, my friend Devan came over to give me a hand with a detailing project. My buddy Jeremy recently picked up a 2004 Acura MDX that was absolutely covered in every possible dealer accessory. A few of those upgrades are tasteful, but for some reason those brown side moldings just didn’t do much for the look of the vehicle against the pearl white paint. Devan and I stripped the moldings off to give the MDX a cleaner look.
Before:
After:
I got thinking about all the ways people can customize a vehicle and how those styles have evolved in the last 20 years. The MDX had a gold emblem package (I thought those went out of style in the late 90’s!), moonroof visor, chrome wheels, and a bug guard. I remember how badly I wanted my mom to install these chrome fender flares on her 1993 Legend L sedan back in 1998:
For kicks, I pulled out some paperwork from my old Acura Legend GS. The shocker: The OEM (center console-mounted) cellular telephone was $1,143 in 1994. According to the Inflation Calculator, that’s $1,797 in 2013 dollars. Among other goodies on the list are sheepskin seat covers for $499 and gold exhaust tips for $130. I would love to get my hands on a set of the OEM fog lights since they’re long since discontinued, but $565? It’s no wonder they’re so rare to find on Legends today – they were spendy as all get-out! Let’s take a look at how the types of automotive accessories have evolved for Acura.
1994 Acura Legend Accessory Price List
2014 Acura ILX Accessory Price List
Gone are the days of gold emblems, sheepskins, and nose masks, but a few NEW things have made the roster. Mud guards are now called splash guards. Body side molding, which was standard on the Legend, costs $268 on the ILX. The price for an OEM car cover went from $175 to $242. And illuminated door sill trim was probably only a dream in the 1990’s, but can now be picked up for $499 in 2014.
My ILX is pretty highly optioned out. Here’s what I ended up with:
All-Season Floor Mats
Illuminated Door Sill Trim
First Aid Kit
Trunk Tray
17″ Diamond Cut Alloy Wheels
Decklid Spoiler
Front, Side, and Rear Underbody Spoilers
Wheel Locks
All-in, my ILX accessories (“installed”) would ring up at $5,140.28! That works out to 17% of the ILX’s $29,200 list price! Few people are likely to spend such an amount to dress up their vehicles.
This was a fun video that was put together in June 2012 in collaboration with Acura on the day that my ILX was accessorized at Acura of Tempe, Arizona. Most of you have probably already seen it.
What kind of accessories will Acura be offering in the year 2034?
I know I’ve got my friends well-trained when they’re sending me Acura “spy photos” from the road, like my friend Jack did awhile back.
It’s been a great year! Let’s close it out with some statistics for 2013, just for fun.
Views: 76,460
Email Subscribers: 55
Number of Posts: 128
Ending Mileage Readings
2013 Acura ILX: 63,602
1994 Acura Legend LS Coupe: 528,328
1994 Acura Legend GS Sedan: 144,382
1992 Acura NSX: 98,513
TOP 5 MEMORABLE ROADTRIPS
1) Moses Lake, Washington in the ILX
The highlight of this trip to the Pacific Northwest was the company. I had three very important passengers in tow: My grandmother, my aunt Jodi, and my mom. For several days, we resurrected old memories by visiting homes where my family members had lived half a century ago. At the same time, we created new memories by making special visits to one of the largest dams in the United States and reconnecting with family members at a reunion.
The National Acura Legend Meet is an event where I can feel totally comfortable “geeking out” about my obsession with the Acura Legend. The 9th annual NALM was held at the opposite end of the country, but that didn’t stop me from enthusiastically hopping back into the driver’s seat of my tried & true 520k+ mile Legend for this exciting adventure across 11 states. The reunion with friends along the way made it all worthwhile.
One of several “Tyson-Jason” trips that I’ve taken with my fellow roadtrip warrior Jason from New Mexico, this one topped the charts – literally. Jason and I took our cars to the highest elevation paved road in North America, located west of Denver Colorado. The scenery was every bit as amazing as I knew it would be. Above 14,000 feet, we truly did feel like we were on top of the world.
The allure of conquering a remote backroad with “Hell” in its name was all the motivation I needed on this one. The fact that the route traversed over 50 miles of technical dirt terrain didn’t keep me from taking my Acura ILX where no ILX had gone before. My friend Ryan brought his Audi along for this one. Among our trip’s highlights were a ride on the Hall’s Crossing ferry at Lake Powell, and the experience of driving the Burr Trail.
Highway 550 between Durango and Ouray, Colorado has been a long-time favorite of sports car drivers and motorcyclists. For this multi-day adventure, I teamed up with my mom and my stepdad to explore some of southwestern Colorado’s most scenic roads and quaint mining & railroad towns, including Silverton and Telluride. The ILX made a perfect choice for carving the high-elevation canyon roads with ease.
Here’s an Annual Report that was developed by WordPress with some other neat stats. Thanks to those of you who keep coming back for more. Keep those roadtrip ideas coming, because there’s much more in store for 2014. Happy New Year!
Each year, I receive a visit from my dad & stepmom between Christmas and New Year’s Day. This year, they showed up in their new 2013 Acura MDX. It seemed only fitting that we lined up the available Acuras for a quick driveway photoshoot. My neighbors, without a doubt, were watching out the windows and rolling their eyes.
1992 Acura NSX: 98,500 Miles
2013 Acura ILX: 63,525 Miles
1994 Acura Legend: 528,279 Miles
2013 Acura MDX: 10,800 Miles
2004 Acura MDX (friend’s): 90,400 Miles
Interestingly enough, the 4 other Acuras in the picture still don’t add up to the mileage of the 1994 Legend. In fact, their combined mileage of 263,225 is still less than half what the Legend has alone.
As part of dad’s visit, we worked on a bunch of home improvement projects and also celebrated my birthday which was on 12/28. I like having a birthday that’s sandwiched between Christmas and NYE. The below picture must have been taken around my 5th birthday or so. Long live the 1980’s! Check out those stripes.
My friend Cody wins an award for this fantastic Acura-themed birthday wish on Facebook.
Later in the day, I received a very nice visit from world-famous automotive spy photographer Brenda Priddy.
And best of all, my 2-year-old niece, Vivienne, made my day with this sidewalk chalk message sent from Utah.
We dined at one of my favorite Mexican joints in the Phoenix valley, called Nando’s Mexican Cafe.
To celebrate my #32, my dad and Tanya and I took the ILX to a 1939 movie set called Old Tucson Studios, just west of Tucson, Arizona. The 200-mile round-trip drive from Phoenix was a great chance to visit with them.
I’ve blogged about Old Tucson before back in April and it was every bit as interesting on the second visit as the first.
We learned about some of the 300+ Western films that were produced here.
Standing at the cemetery entrance
With Tanya, in jail!
And inside the lobby of the Grand Hotel
This set was used as an 1863 bank in various films.
The star of the show was this 1897 steam locomotive that was used in such movies as Tombstone and Wild Wild West. It is a Virginia & Truckee Railroad No. 11.
Parting shot before we rolled back to the Phoenix area in the ILX.
I’m one year older and a little bit wiser. The adventures will keep on coming. My friend Ami’s post said it best!
Arizona is full of white-knuckle canyon drives, and this week I’d like to share another one with you.
On a brisk 41-degree Christmas morning in Phoenix, armed with a chocolate milk, an iPod loaded with good music, and a full tank of premium fuel, I headed out in the ILX to the White Mountains to attend a luncheon with friends in Show Low, Arizona. This drive would take me eastward on US Highway 60 through the Salt River Canyon Wilderness which comprises over 32,000 acres of terrain in the Tonto National Forest. My favorite stretch includes the 87 miles between Globe and Show Low — the focus for today’s discussion.
The Salt River Canyon is been referred to as a “mini” Grand Canyon, and for good reason. Around every turn is a scenic panorama of sandstone cliffs that defy gravity and entertain the eyes. And unlike its big brother canyon in the northern part of the state, Salt River Canyon can be driven from rim to rim; just don’t bring a passenger who gets easily motion sick. There are oodles of curves that require maximum driver attention. Highway 60 is a two-laner that falls 2,500 feet in elevation over the course of just a few miles to the canyon floor below, where for millions of years the Salt River has been carving out its course. The ILX made short work of the 6% grades since I was able to downshift into 3rd gear for the 25 mph curves and rarely hit the brakes.
At the base of the canyon, an eerily vacant rest area along the river’s edge provided a prime place to view the existing bridge as well as the old bridge which runs parallel to it. A concrete barricade prevented me from being able to use the rest area parking lot. Grass was growing over a foot tall out of the pavement, so it was very clear that this place hadn’t been in use for quite some time. I took the opportunity to park the ILX a little further up the road and do a little hiking around. Constructed in 1934, the original bridge is 454 feet in length and is still fully intact, though it’s used only for foot traffic. I walked across it – as fascinated with the canyon view as I was with the historic bridge itself.
The Salt River Canyon rest area (among many others in the state) was closed in 2007 due to budget issues. In the 6+ years since that time, it’s fallen into quite a state of disrepair. Some of the interpretive signs were vandalized, the landscaping has overgrown, and the building itself has taken on a scary appearance with chipping paint on its trim. I walked around the stone building with is intricate staircases and metalwork, thinking to myself what a shame it was that people could no longer stop there. I did learn some good news, though. As of October of this year, it was announced that restoration efforts will bring the rest area back into service sometime in summer 2014. I’m anxious to see how the facility turns out.
With eagerness, the ILX ascended those 2,500 feet to put me back among the pine trees and a light dusting of recent snowfall along the road’s edge. I powered through the curves with the road almost entirely to myself. The Salt River Canyon scenic drive is one that should not be missed. Check out my pics below for a taste of some of the terrain that I covered on a beautiful Christmas Day drive.
Miami, Arizona – like so many other historic towns of the southwest, this place got its start in mining.
This Mobil station stands as a forgotten relic of the past. It’s been fenced off and closed up, but is a clear reminder of the olden days.
There are even vintage vehicles sitting around.
I would have loved to see this station in its heyday.
Next stop: Show Low! Odd name for a town, right? It actually has a reference to gambling. Here’s the full story:
According to the legend, the city was named after a marathon poker game between C.E. Cooley and Marion Clark. The two men decided there was not enough room for both of them in their settlement. The two men agreed to let a game of cards decide who was to move. According to the tale, Clark said, “If you can show low, you win.” Cooley turned up the deuce of clubs (the lowest possible card) and replied, “Show low it is.” The stakes were a 100,000 acres (400 km2) ranch. Show Low’s main street is named “Deuce of Clubs” in remembrance.
Visible from one side of the canyon is the road that escalates up the other side. See that slice toward the bottom of the picture frame?
Here is the approach to the (now-closed) rest area.
Approaching the old 1934 bridge here from the north:
Pavement markings are still visible, even though this has been closed to automobile traffic since 1996 when it was bypassed.
Photo of the new (red) bridge, as taken from the old.
View of the Salt River, looking east while standing on the old bridge. Also visible is the highway which ascends about halfway up the mountainside.
This is the rest area parking lot – clearly showing the overgrowth that has taken its toll on the facility.
Following are a few pictures of the rest area which has been closed for over 6 years.
Interpretive signs
View of the backside of the building. Large metal doors into a utility room of sorts were wide open. I walked inside and found only trash and rubble.
These elaborate curved staircases line each side of the rest area.
Steps leading down to an observation deck overlooking the Salt River.
View looking up toward the rest area building from the staircase.
Observation deck down below the bridges
Old bridge in the foreground; new in the background. This was a peaceful, serene place to hang out for a few minutes. I heard only 2 or 3 cars drive by during my entire stay at the vacant rest area.
Back at road level, a picture of me with the two bridges in the background.
Hello there!
One thing that I love about old infrastructure is the level of effort that has gone into making things beautiful. Look at the intricate metalwork on the railings that line the bridge deck.
Here’s where I’d parked the ILX during the time I was hiking around. “Medecine” Ranch – anyone else want to guess that label on this crudely made wooden sign was a typo?
Words to live by, as stated by the US Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs:
A short hike up the road, this abandoned gas station offered some entertainment.
I don’t know why, but those made me think of the robot character Johnny 5 from the 1986 movie “Short Circuit.”
Here’s the rest of that old gas station.
Inside, it’s a griffiti’d mess.
Need to use the restroom?
Not sure what the story was on this wooden shack out back.
Inside, more trash, and a metal desk that might be nice with some restoration effort.
This weekend I decided to change things up a bit and hop onboard a train instead of hitting the highways for a long distance. The Verde Canyon Railroad is based in Clarkdale, Arizona and operates 20 miles of track. The company’s slogan is “It’s Not the Destination; It’s the Journey.” Sounded like the perfect type of experience for me!
My friend Chris and I headed northbound in the ILX on Saturday morning despite inclement weather. The car was surefooted and easy to control on the wet surfaces of Interstate 17 which climbed several thousand feet in elevation out of the Phoenix valley. By the time we reached a summit near Camp Verde, the rain had transitioned into snowflakes but thankfully they weren’t sticking to the roadways. Once we arrived in Clarkdale, Chris and I enjoyed some lunch what appeared to be the only place in town that was open: Main Street Cafe. We were the only ones there, and as a result had the attention of the entire wait staff. Score!
Clarkdale was founded in 1912 as a “company town,” much like the mining town of Bagdad which we visited this summer. It was named for Senator William A. Clark who owned the United Verde Copper Company. In its day, Clarkdale’s amenities were cutting edge, with electric streetlights, telephone/telegraph, sewer system, and public parks being some of the features of the master planned community.
The mine closed in 1953 and there were tough times for the town, but it was incorporated in 1957 and lives on today, with the Verde Canyon Railroad as one of its hub attractions. In fact, the railroad was originally built as a means of serving the mine. It connected Clarkdale with two other small towns, Drake and Perkinsville, which are now ghost towns (making notes here so I can visit both of those at a future date in the ILX).
Chris and I made our way to the railroad station and checked in, then met up with our friends Matt and Alan who would be joining for the experience. Our out-and-back, 40-mile round-trip ride took about 4 hours. The train’s pace was perfect to allow us time to soak in the great scenery along the way, as we followed the path of the Verde River westward. First Class accommodations were very comfortable, affording two plush couches to our party of four. Select beverages, snacks, and appetizers were included with the $79 fare, and each of us made multiple trips to the concessions area of our car, which was named “Sycamore.”
Power was provided by two vintage FP7 diesel engines, built originally by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors for the Alaska Railroad in 1953. It’s amazing to me that 60 years later they are still providing reliable service. Connected to our passenger car was an open-air “gondola” car with small canvas umbrellas and wooden benches in the center. As long as we had our sweaters on, it made the best place from which to view the Verde Canyon’s scenery. We had a special visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus along the way. Oh what fun it was to ride!
My favorite part of the trip was going through the 680-foot-long (curving) tunnel that took 6 months to carve out in 1911. At times, the train came within only 6 inches of the walls. Our ride was full of other attractions along the way, including cliff dwellings, caves, bald eagle sightings, and an up-close view of the abandoned train depot building in Perkinsville, Arizona that has fallen into disrepair.
Check out the many pictures and video below for a more detailed look at our Verde Canyon Railroad experience. Thanks for joining!
Jump starting our morning with some beverages from Starbucks. The ILX has some of the best cupholders in the industry!
Happy campers, heading northbound.
The Prescott National Forest welcomed us with its 1.25 million acres of land in north-central Arizona.
Camp Verde, Arizona. Bathroom break at the BK with rain that was just a few degrees away from becoming snow.
Backing out… err… guess that rearview camera won’t be doing us much good!
Highway 89A weaved through a neat historic business district in the town of Cottonwood.
Soon we pulled into Clarkdale town limits.
It’s been years since I saw a gas pump with “rolling” numbers like this instead of digital ones. Believe it or not, this one in Clarkdale is still in service.
Our train was waiting for us when we arrived at the station 15 minutes prior to departure.
Beauty shot before getting checked in.
All aboard!
We were assigned to the Sycamore car.
Among our first attractions were these ancient Sinagua Indian ruins, high in the canyon walls. These date back to around 1100 – 1125 AD!
We got settled in for the ride in our comfortable couches.
The gondola car was an inviting place to hang out, though a little chilly when we were rolling through the shade.
Don, one of the many guides who we had, was pointing out something to Matt here.
For 20 miles, we curved along the Verde Canyon crossing trestles and bridges.
Red rock scenery is similar to that of neighboring Sedona.
This is what the inside of our First Class car looked like. These passenger coaches were originally built in 1946 and used in a commuter capacity.
It was great to kick back and relax. The train is a slow-paced way of travel but it’s a great escape from the hustle and bustle of the city.
More from the gondola car.
This was my favorite part of the train ride: the 650-foot-long tunnel. Photo scanned from Rail Magazine, the official magazine of the Verde Canyon Railroad, page 32.
Matt, Alan, Tyson, and Chris
Chris taking a peek at something in the distance. It was neat to see some snow on the ground outside.
This is the old 1911 Perkinsville Depot that we passed, just before the diesel engines uncoupled and switched ends of the train for our return trip. Perkinsville is now a privately owned place, with a population of 10.
The Perkinsville Depot was featured briefly in the 1962 film “How The West Was Won.”
Heading back on the return ride!
View toward the front of the train, showing the alternating passenger cars & gondola cars.
Alan looked a little too excited to be there.
Chris captured a photo of two of the bald eagles that reside in the Verde Canyon, on top of a dead tree.
Thanks, Mr. and Mrs. Claus, for a great ride!
Closing out a memorable adventure with a sunset drive back to Phoenix via I-17 in the ILX.
1. a salt of hydrochloric acid consisting of two elements, one of which is chlorine, as sodium chloride, NaCl.
2. a compound containing chlorine, as methyl chloride, CH3Cl.
To me, the word itself carries a vibe of toxicity, harshness, and abrasion. The rusty pots and pans that were hanging along the fence at the entrance to town thus provided a curious, yet fitting, welcome to a community that resembles 1913 a lot more than it does 2013. Join me on a drive to the oldest continuously-inhabited mining settlement in the great state of Arizona: Chloride.
I could drive the Highway 93 corridor between Phoenix and Las Vegas with my eyes closed – that’s how familiar I am with that 292-mile stretch of road. In the hundreds of times I’ve passed the turnoff for “Chloride,” though, I never let my curiosity get the best of me and actually checked it out. That is, until last Saturday when I was on my way home from the Thanksgiving holiday in Utah. “Today’s the day,” I thought to myself as I hit the brakes in the ILX and made my way to the left hand turn lane. “I’ve gotta see what this place is all about.”
For each of the 4 miles that I rolled eastward on Route 125, I journeyed deeper and deeper into the past. I ended up in the year 1864, when Chloride was bustling with commerce and was home to 2,500 people who rushed to settle there in search of silver, gold, lead, and zinc deposits in the Cerbat Mountains. My ‘ILX stagecoach’ kicked up a few billowing dust clouds in the sections of two-lane, winding road that had experienced flooding recently. I drove in search of the various attractions advertised on a crude wooden sign alongside the road. It promised “Old Buildings.” What more enticement did I need?
Approaching town limits, I passed a cattle guard at the west end of town and saw a small sign that said CEMETERY alongside the road. I downshifted the ILX to 2nd gear and slowed to 15 mph in the 25 mph zone because there was simply too much scenery to soak in. All around me were relics of the past, homes that stood half-boarded up like they were one step away from being good for nothing more than firewood.
A gas station on the north side of Route 125 had antique pumps out front that have been dry for decades. As I neared the intersection of 2nd Street & Tennessee Avenue, I saw that life did exist in Chloride. Two bearded men were smoking in front of a tavern and gave me a stare-down as I slowly rolled past them. I might as well have been driving a spaceship because that’s how much of an outsider I felt. If it was possible to “tiptoe” in a vehicle, that’s what I felt like doing. I didn’t want to call any attention to myself as I explored this fascinating little town.
My first stop was the Mineshaft Market & General Store. One step inside the front door and I quickly recognized why the sign out front said, “Pack Rat’s Porch.” This place was chock full of… well… stuff. Basic food items lined one wall while the rest of the shelves were filled with trinkets, leather goods, and souvenirs. I used the restroom at the back of the store, then went into an adjacent room with a sign “Arizona Tourist Information.” That tourist information, as it turns out, was a room fitting for the TV show Hoarders. Miscellaneous brochures and pamphlets were scattered around haphazardly as if a tornado had just rolled through the room.
I took a driving tour to explore a few square blocks of Chloride, envisioning what the place might have been like 150 years ago. Still most of the roads are unpaved. “Payroll Avenue” was one of those streets. I wonder if anyone actually ever struck it rich in Chloride? If they did, I certainly imagine they would have since moved elsewhere. I pulled over and got out of the car when I saw a woman who’d walked up to the post office to retrieve her mail. “How long have you lived here?” I asked. “Four years,” she said, “But my boyfriend’s been here 20.”
She confirmed that the few hundred people who still live in Chloride do work primarily in the mining industry. The town attracts a few tourists a year for its St. Patty’s Day parade and an “Old Miner’s Day” parade each June, complete with a gunfight at high noon. The town’s two restaurants and two bars are usually filled to capacity during those seasonal festivities. Perhaps I’ll go back for the “all town yard sale,” held each May and October when residents display their wares on their front lawns in hopes of finding the right buyers.
I thanked the woman for the information, saddled back up in my ILX, and headed westward on Route 125 into the sunset, glad that I had stopped in this quaint little town but also glad to get back to the reality of 2013. Hope you enjoyed experiencing it with me. Below are the photos that I captured during my visit.
A fence lined with pots & pans greet visitors arriving from the west.
It truly felt like I was time traveling as I got closer to the business district.
On the outskirts of town, a May 1976 time capsule created by the students of the Chloride School awaits its unveil at a future unspecified date.
I don’t think this service station had the 91 octane fuel I would have needed. Luckily I had a half tank of gas.
Below (building at left) is the post office which has been in continuous operation since 1873.
The Chloride Baptist church (established 1891) has Sunday School services at 10:00 a.m. This was the only church building I saw within town limits during my drive through.
This “pedestrian-only” ghost town street looked like a Western movie set. It reminded me of my visit to Old Tucson Studios.
The center of commerce: Mineshaft Market. The Pack Rat’s Porch invites visitors to “Come Sit a Spell.” It’s easy to tell that the pace of life in Chloride is moving in slow motion.
I parked the ILX and took a peek inside to see what kind of wares I could find.
The sign at hanging on the wall at right reads, “Arizona Tourist Information.” Good luck finding it in this disastrous room.
When’s the last time you used a pay phone?
A small building (it stood no taller than my height) had a sign out front that said “Gnome Retirement Home.”
Finally, heading back to civilization in the real world and happy to set foot back in 2013.
SWEET ILX
Thanks to my friend Paul for capturing some pictures of the sporty looking ILX at the Phoenix Auto Show this past weekend.
MAINTENANCE UPDATE
On Monday, my ILX received an “A13” service from Acura of Tempe, Arizona. It included:
Oil change (0W20 synthetic): $46.70
Tire rotation: $20.00
Manual transmission service: $69.95
“Shop supplies”: $8.28
Total invoice with tax: $150.92
Current maintenance summary since new (click to enlarge):
Back on the road I go, riding into the sunset until the next episode!
Posted in Hikes, ILX, Utah on December 1, 2013 by tysonhugie
Odometer (Legend): 528,062
Odometer (ILX): 61,263
It’s tradition in my family to do a little hiking each Thanksgiving weekend. Even though I lived in St. George, Utah for almost 10 years, I had never heard of “Shinob Kibe.” The name comes from a Paiute Indian deity who was considered protector of the tribes. From what I’ve been able to learn, Shinob means “great spirit” and Kibe means “mountains.” The butte that we climbed also has significance in aviation history:
Back in the 1930s, the Civil Aviation Authority was trying to figure out a way to help guide the small mail-carrying aircraft that were traveling between Los Angeles and Salt Lake City. A series of concrete navigation arrows were constructed on the ground at 10-mile intervals throughout the length of that trip. The concrete arrows are still in place today. From overhead, they look relatively small, but they are actually 70 feet in length.
Each arrow had a 51-foot-tall steel tower constructed next to it. A (one-million-candle-power!) rotating beacon at the top of the tower would illuminate the arrow. More on this here:
Even the dumbest of air mail pilots, it seems, could follow a series of bright yellow arrows straight out of a Tex Avery cartoon. By 1924, just a year after Congress funded it, the line of giant concrete markers stretched from Rock Springs, Wyoming to Cleveland, Ohio. The next summer, it reached all the way to New York, and by 1929 it spanned the continent uninterrupted, the envy of postal systems worldwide.
This is a map of what that network of arrows looked like at one time.
Here’s the navigation arrow that we hiked to on Shinob Kibe, as seen from Google satellite images:
The hike itself was relatively short but the elevation gain was intense, with a climb of about 750 feet in less than one mile. When we made it to the summit, it was a special feeling to stand on that historic arrow and recognize its importance. There was a log box there where we signed in with our names & the date.
Yesterday, I made the return 430-mile drive to my home in Scottsdale, Arizona. Along the way, I took a couple of impromptu detours. The first was a stretch of old US Highway 91 between Littlefield, Arizona and Mesquite, Nevada where I captured this picture in the morning light. I had the road to myself!
The second was a short visit to an 1860’s mining town north of Kingman, Arizona called “Chloride” which I’ll save for a separate blog entry in the near future. Below are the photos and video that we took during our hike at Shinob Kibe.
On Friday afternoon, we loaded up the Acura ILX with with bottled waters and a few snacks for the ascent.
Tia, Todd, and Tyson in Transport to the Trail. Is that enough T’s for you? Some other friends followed in a separate vehicle to meet us in Washington where the hike began.
We parked at the trailhead which is now part of a residential community on Paiute Drive. Back in the 1930s, there were no homes anywhere near this area but suburban growth has brought development right to the base of the mountain.
Soon we were on our way to find this elusive navigation arrow. Pictured here are Melynn, Holly, and myself (notice, with trail notes printed and in-hand!).
Todd and Tia making their way up the face of the mountain. We initially had a tough time finding the trail itself, so we forged our own way until we met up with it.
Melynn was taking a breather to admire the surrounding views.
Late afternoon weather was optimal. We got our cardio workout in while burning off some of those Thanksgiving calories.
After we zig-zagged our way up the face of the peak, the trail leveled out a bit. Just a bit further up the sloping grade, we could see a post with a metal box attached to it. We had arrived!
Here I was standing at the tip of the arrow, at elevation 3,228 feet.
Danielle and Melynn set to work signing us into the register. There were multiple filled notebooks inside the metal box. The summit is also a popular place for geocaching.
The concrete arrow today is still in decent shape with surprisingly little cracking. The center square pad is where the 50-foot-tall tower once stood; we could still see the base of the metal tower that had been cut off.
Mitch, Tyson, Todd admiring the arrow.
Standing at the top of the world – or at least on top of one of the many peaks in Washington County, Utah.
The view from this area is stunning, since it wraps a full 360 degrees.
Tia was visibly a bit nervous to be standing on the edge of a several hundred foot dropoff.
Holly and I weren’t too concerned, however.
Group shot (thanks Melynn for taking it!): Todd, Tia, Holly, Tyson, Mitch, Danielle
The descent went quickly.
And soon, we had arrived back at our chariot!
Sunday’s return to Phoenix started around 7:30 in the morning, as I made my way down Interstate 15 to the Arizona state line on a crisp November day.
The detour along old Highway 91 took me across this old bridge that’s barely wide enough for two cars to squeeze by one another going opposite directions. I love exploring infrastructure like this, and I took the opportunity to park the ILX and walk around beneath the bridge for a few minutes.
My last oil change in the ILX was on August 17th, 2013 at 52,237 miles. At 61,016 miles (8,689 miles later!), the “Maintenance Minder” popped up and alerted me that remaining oil life was at 15% and instructed me to schedule an A13 service. I spoke on the phone with Acura of Tempe and learned that an A13 includes oil and filter change, tire rotation, and replacement of the transmission fluid. I’m scheduled for that service tomorrow.
Posted in ILX, Utah on November 28, 2013 by tysonhugie
Odometer (Legend): 528,058
Odometer (ILX): 60,756
Trip Distance: 430 Miles
Hello readers:
Just a quick note of gratitude to those who have followed my travels for the 2.5 years since Drive to Five was born. I thank you for your continued interest and I look forward to having you along (digitally, anyway) for each and every future trip!
Today, I drove to my hometown in Utah to spend a couple of days with family and friends. By 7:00 in the morning, I was at the junction of Loop 101 and Interstate 17 in north Phoenix.
My next turn was at Highway 74, the Carefree Highway, where I had the two-laner to myself as I made my way toward Wickenburg, Arizona. Dawn and dusk are my favorite times of day to drive.
Nestled midway between Mesquite, Nevada, and St. George, Utah lies a campground called Virgin River Canyon. It’s home to 75 developed sites and overnight use costs $8. I haven’t ever stayed there but it’s a scenic place to pit-stop along Interstate 15 in the Virgin River Gorge.
This stretch of I-15 was one of the most expensive pieces of road ever constructed, at an estimated $100 an inch. That’s because it plows through huge sandstone cliffs and required a great deal of time & effort to complete.
Once I arrived in St. George, Utah, I visited my favorite car photo backdrop: Pioneer Park on the Red Hill. Pioneer Park covers 52 acres and is a rock climber’s paradise. Growing up, I spent a lot of time there with friends.
Here are a few Thanksgiving shots that I captured of the ILX.
It was a perfect day for windows-down cruising in St. George, with plenty of sunshine & temps in the 60’s.
Soon, it was time to head over for dinner with the family, including grandma.
Smells like home cookin’!
On the agenda for tomorrow: A local hike that’s sure to provide some stunning views. More on that later this weekend. Thanks again for following, and Happy Thanksgiving to you all!
Wet weekend weather (rare for us Arizonans) kept me from traveling too far from home, but it was a nice break from all the action this past couple of weeks including the trip to the Los Angeles Auto Show. I’ve been greatly enjoying my Acura ILX 6-speed. The ILX was just featured in a Road & Track write-up about the “three pedal club”, since the 2.4-liter model comes only as a stick shift. Check out that article here.
It has been said that Frank Lloyd Wright was once asked to introduce himself under oath in a courtroom. “I’m Frank Lloyd Wright,” he said, “the greatest architect in the world.” Humble he was not, but FLW was indeed one of the most influential architects in history. Over the course of his lifetime from 1867 to 1959, he designed over 1,000 structures. Three friends and I hopped in the ILX on Sunday to visit one of them: Taliesin West.
Josh, Paul, Tyler and I visited Wright’s winter home, in Scottsdale Arizona. Frank Lloyd Wright had been born and raised in Wisconsin. In the early 1900’s, he built a studio and home on a 600-acre estate near the town of Spring Green which became known as Taliesin. In his later years, Wright desired (like so many others do!) to spend the cooler months in Arizona. Taliesin West was built in 1937 and became his home as well as a studio for aspiring architects.
One little known fact about FLW was that he loved cars as much as he loved architecture. Our tour guide told us that Wright owned between 80 and 90 vehicles during his lifetime. And these weren’t plebeian Ford or Dodge models; Wright was driving Cadillacs, Lincolns, and Cord L-29s. Wright saw “automobility” as contributing to individual liberty and key to eliminating rural isolation. One of Wright’s early apprentices, John deKoven Hill, stated:
“The car was part of his stance, his outward appearance as far as the world was concerned. It was a matter of his persona – how he looked, what he stood for – his artistic judgment. The cars he drove and the way he dressed were all part of a general picture of presenting himself and his work in the right light.”
Imagine that – cars being used as status symbols. Apparently that’s been going on for over a hundred years. It’s no wonder that luxury automakers like Acura have a loyal customer base of people who are willing to pay a premium for that level of status. Wright’s Cord L-29 (pictured below) cost more than $3,000, six times the price of a Ford at the time. It was the first American production car equipped with front-wheel-drive. Wright loved his car so much that he wrote a letter of praise to the company president that was later featured in a “What Owners Say” promotion by Cord.
Wright’s other pride and joy was a 1940 Lincoln Continental. He customized it by removing the roof over the front seats and cutting half-round “opera” windows in the back. He had it (and many of his other cars) painted his favorite color as seen here: Cherokee Red.
Below is a scan I took from the Winter 2010 quarterly Frank Lloyd Wright Magazine. Notice what it says about the 1940 Continental in there: This car had logged over 200,000 miles by the time Wright passed away in 1959. I knew I liked this guy for a reason! That 1940 Lincoln Continental, and a similar 1941 model that Wright also owned, are both now restored and owned by film producer Joel Silver.
Come along with me on the below photo gallery of Wright’s 600-acre Taliesin West estate and I’ll recount a few of the interesting facts that were shared with us during our 90-minute tour.
Recent rains have taken their toll on the property. “If it doesn’t leak like a sieve,” our guide told us, “it’s not a Wright home.”
Wright faced his home toward the southwest so that it would make the most efficient use of available light & heat during the winter months when he stayed there. He envisioned his home as a boat, sailing through the open desert. Below, Tyler, Paul, and I were standing at what Wright would have considered the bow of his ship. Water supply for Taliesin West comes from a well that’s 480 feet underground.
Inside, the roof was covered in canvas to allow in light. Windows were not added to Taliesin West until the late 1940s, a full ten years after it was built. Wright had originally intended for it to be an open-air structure. The chairs pictured here are “origami” chairs.
When the windows were added, Wright asked this vase to not be moved. Instead, a hole was cut around the vase so that it could stay exactly where it was sitting.
Plush green grass was planted to provide a place for children to play. Wright had many dozens of apprentices who brought their families here.
Doors at Taliesin West often require visitors to duck or tightly squeeze through. Wright thought thought of this as a way to “compress” his visitors before “releasing” them into the larger spaces inside. He used space as a way to move people into the areas where he wanted them to reside.
This is a “selfie” I took facing a mirror in Frank Lloyd Wright’s bedroom.
His bathroom was constructed almost entirely of stainless steel.
The dining room faced the McDowell Mountains. Wright didn’t like to obstruct corners of the building with supporting poles. Notice that the glass here is joined at the corner and the support system is further back.
Out in the yard, there’s a dragon on a rock that was originally designed to be used as a water fountain. Wright’s wife, Olgivanna, had it converted into a gas-powered flame-thrower! It’s still used today during special engagements. Notice how the surrounding plant is partially burned.
Rarely will you ever find 90-degree angles in a Frank Lloyd Wright home. Every wall or ceiling is tilted in some fashion, because Wright didn’t like how straight walls felt like “living in boxes.”
“The reality of the building does not consist in its roof and walls but in the space within to be lived.”
This auditorium can house over 100 people and was often used for special black-tie occasions and concerts. It was the last building added to the Taliesin West estate before Wright passed away. Its nonparallel ceiling & floor and angled walls make it almost like a giant megaphone, transferring sound clearly all the way to the back row.
Thanks to my friends for joining on this adventure! I took a picture of my ILX at the entrance to Taliesin West much like Frank Lloyd Wright may have liked to do with his prized 1940 Continental. Except, I’m guessing he would’ve custom-ordered his ILX in Cherokee Red.
In other news: A few weeks ago, I met an online celebrity (to me, anyway!) named Leif who runs a page called “Ugly House Photos.” As a Phoenix area real estate agent, Leif gets to see more than his fair share offbeat or interesting discoveries in peoples’ homes. Give his page a look!
Finally, we have a milestone to commemorate today:
For awhile now, we’ve been following the progress of my friend Francesco in Italy as he racks up the kilometers on his 2005 Fiat. He first reached out to me in May 2012 at 240,000 kilometers. He sends me updates every once in awhile, and I’m happy to report that this past weekend he rolled the big 300,000 mark.
Posted in Car Show, ILX, RLX on November 22, 2013 by tysonhugie
Odometer (Legend): 527,902
Odometer (ILX): 60,130
Trip Distance: 767 Miles
The City of Angels welcomed me this Wednesday & Thursday for a feast of automotive eye candy. It’s hard to believe that it was already a year ago when my friend Branson and I took my Acura ILX to the 2012 LA Auto Show. It was time once again to head westward and see the latest reveals from Acura as well as other automakers.
I attended the show as media colleague of the “2theRedline” team. 2theRedline is a YouTube auto review channel with over 30,000 subscribers. Featured there are hundreds of videos highlighting many late-model vehicles. Sofyan Bey, host of the channel, takes viewers beyond a simple “specs & walkaround” of the vehicles and instead takes us inside each one and allows us to experience a digital driving experience with his candid & thorough feedback.
The big debut from Acura was the flagship 2014 RLX Sport Hybrid, Super Handling All-Wheel-Drive. This sedan is the most powerful in the company’s 28-year history and delivers an impressive 377 horsepower. On top of all that, it sips fuel, achieving 30 miles per gallon with combined city/highway driving. The powertrain specs are a tongue-twister: We’re talking about a V6 engine, but the fine print takes some time to digest:
That makes for some fun science & engineering, but the bottom line is most important: This thing scoots. A first for Acura is the head-up display which can show Sport Hybrid system operation, turn-by-turn navigation, speedometer and compass, as well as alerts from various driver-assistance systems. Also new to the Sport Hybrid SH-AWD are a push-button transmission gear selector. Pricing for this model is yet unannounced. I can’t wait to get behind the wheel and take the RLX Sport Hybrid SH-AWD for a spin.
Sofyan allowed me to “host” 2theRedline for a 2-minute segment discussing some of the features of this newest iteration of the RLX.
Check out the video here:
On the Honda side, the star of the show was a car called the “FCEV Concept.” At Honda’s press conference on Wednesday afternoon, my colleagues and I sat transfixed by the lights, music, and water show that was performed before us — just before a white sheet was pulled off the FCEV for dramatic effect. The FCEV is Honda’s latest creation in fuel cell powered driving. Here’s more info on this unique ride:
The curious contraption is powered by a fuel cell that uses a mixture of hydrogen and oxygen to create electrcity, which powers the wheels and the car’s electronics. The result is emission-free motoring, with water and heat the only byproducts. Clean, it most certainly is. Fuel cell technology has the added benefit of more range (and therefore less worrying about running out before you reach your destination) and faster charging than a standard electric battery.
Range for the FCEV is 300 miles, and it can refuel in just 3 minutes.
Also, here’s a 10-minute video from my iPhone capturing the complete unveil.
My ILX made the trip to California and back effortlessly. Even faced with heavy rain in the Riverside area as I made my return trip eastbound on Thursday night, the car was confident and controllable. I ended up turning over 60,000 miles on the odometer near Quartzsite, Arizona before approaching the Phoenix metro area.
For the rest of the nitty-gritty on this trip as well as the people & cars that made it memorable, enjoy the photo gallery below. It was a great Auto Show and I’m already looking forward to next year’s.
A lot of people hate the long, sparsely populated stretch of Interstate 10 between Phoenix and the California state line. I love it. It’s the type of road where you can set your cruise control and just relax.
My Garmin Nuvi GPS unit led the way for the drive.
As I got closer to that CA state line, the sun had started to descend beneath the horizon.
This, my friends, is my favorite time of day to drive.
For once, traffic in LA was a breeze. Within about 6 hours of my departure time from Phoenix, I was arriving in downtown at the Westin Bonaventure hotel. I met up with my friends there, including Sofyan pictured here.
Sofyan and I took my ILX for a spin. He drives a Fathom Blue ILX 6-speed back at his home in Washington D.C. so he felt right at home!
Redline Productions provided me the Media credential that would allow me into the show.
Weather in Los Angeles was overcast and a bit wet for my two-day visit, but our view from the 20th floor of the hotel was still pretty nice to look at.
Arriving at day 1 of the auto show: Sofyan and I were ready to geek out on all the shiny new rides.
I made a beeline for the Acura exhibit, of course. Here was the new RLX Sport Hybrid SH-AWD in all its glory.
Notice that push-button transmission selector on the center console.
The entire Acura booth is new & improved this year with a fresh redesign. The RLX and MDX were featured on turntables, with the rest of the Acura models (black in color) surrounding the center stage. There was no NSX on display this time.
The ILX there was a 6-speed manual.
I met up with a good friend from Atlanta named Davis who runs Rockland Media.
On the automaker side, I met up with Chuck Schifsky, Manager of Acura Public Relations. Chuck asked how the ILX was doing and I happily gave him a full report.
Here’s John Watts, Sr. Manager of Digital Marketing. John played a key role in my Drive to Five celebration as well as my entry into the ILX ownership world. He and I have continued to keep in touch over the years.
Finally, I met up with Alicia Jones (National Manager, Honda & Acura Social Marketing) and Lauren Ebner (Assistant Manager of Social Media at Honda). These ladies are fun to visit with and I always look forward to reconnecting with them at events like these. Social media is a lot more difficult to manage than it looks!
The new Civic coupe sports a fresh front end for 2014, as well as some new technology including push-button start for certain trim levels.
Honda Accord Hybrid was named as 2014 Green Car of the Year, thanks to its remarkable 50 mpg rating.
A few non-Honda/Acura cars also caught my eye. One was the Cadillac Elmiraj concept.
The new Subaru WRX was unveiled before a huge spectator crowd.
Beautiful Audi R8 in matte blue – I enjoyed!
Just hanging out inside a $400k Lexus LFA!
Jackson, Sofyan, Rob, and Tyson – finishing out day 1 at the auto show.
I had considered attending an after-party in West Hollywood sponsored by one of the automakers, but I took one glance at the map and decided against that idea. Look at all that red! LA traffic at its finest.
Day 2 of the show was a little more laid-back. Each automaker had brought out its entire fleet for display.
I had the opportunity to meet a celebrity! Brian Cooley, host of “CNET on Cars” auto reviews, was filming a piece on a Ford Fusion Plug-In, and I approached him to get a picture.
I was star-struck! What a great time at the LA Auto Show.
In closing, what you can’t see in my hand in the below picture is a license plate. An ARIZONA license plate. Yes, my friends, I have now taken full custody of the ILX and made it my own!
This means the ILX and I are in it for the long haul, and you can expect to see a whole lot more in the future as I continue to explore the country in my Acura. Thanks to all of you for reading!
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