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Alaska Trip Day 1: St. George, Utah

Posted in Alaska, ILX, Road Trip on May 20, 2016 by tysonhugie

Odometer: 164,132

Day Distance: 435 Miles

Trip Distance: 435 Miles

And I’m off! I’m debating about how most effectively to share my trip with my readers without overdoing it. For those who subscribe via email, I apologize in advance, because I think I’m going to post once per day, in the evening, with something – even if it’s short and sweet – just to let you all know where I am, the cumulative trip distance, and one or two noteworthy things I saw that day. I’m already getting “pinged” by multiple people for updates so it’ll be easier to just post as I go versus waiting for a gigantic blog download when I get home. Thirty of my friends have access to my to-the-minute location via the iPhone “Find My Friends” app. Stalkers!

Today’s drive was a repeat of one that I’ve taken (and shared) many times before, from Phoenix Arizona to southwestern Utah, so I didn’t make any efforts to document it. Rather, I settled into my “pace” and mentally prepared myself to spend the next couple of weeks watching the miles go by and seeing what the countryside has to offer. I stopped only once on the way here tonight, in Kingman to check work emails before activating the almighty “Out-Of-Office” reply. I also grabbed a banana at the Mobil gas station.

Jason has just now arrived, too, in his Mazda. So tomorrow, we roll out in caravan and begin the long, long journey (that’s the title of a great Enya song, by the way) together to the land of the far north.

I picked up some Canadian cash just in case!

Passing Las Vegas – and staying away from the slot machines

Sunset along Interstate 15 northbound. It was windy today and the air was full of dust.

Check out these snacks my dad and stepmom gave me for the drive! Sugar rush!

Tomorrow (tentative): 9.5 hours drive time with a destination of Butte, Montana.

See you soon.

20 Comments »

Alaska Road Trip 2016 Begins in 4 Days

Posted in ILX, Legend, Maintenance, Road Trip on May 16, 2016 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend Coupe): 543,199

Odometer (Legend Sedan): 150,241

Odometer (ILX): 163,382

It was Saturday, May 6, 2006 when my dad and I departed from Salt Lake City to begin a very long journey. For months, I had researched and planned a nearly 8,000-mile road trip across North America and ending in Fairbanks, Alaska. It took us only 4 days to get there.

A decade has passed, and I’m ready to go back. The Legend, which had 220,000 miles back then and has 543,000 miles now, will sit this one out. I’m taking my 2013 ILX. The pre-work began long ago: I have a recent copy of the “Milepost” trip planner in hand. Milepost is known for being the Bible of the Alcan, with detailed turn-by-turn directions. We relied heavily on the book in ’06 as we were unaided by any sort of GPS or smart phones at that time. This year, we’ll have some help from technology but I still want to keep the navigation somewhat “old school.”

The fun begins this coming Friday, May 20th. Joining me for this adventure will be Jason from Las Cruces who is preparing to take his 2004 Mazda 6. It’s tough (impossible) to know exactly where we’ll be stopping each night because there are so many variables in play. Just a couple of weeks ago a piece of the Alaska Highway was shut down due to wildfires, and one such fire in Alberta necessitated the evacuation of an entire town of 80,000 people. Beyond that hazard, there are the inevitable delays due to road construction this time of year, potential weather uncertainty, and general concern of our health and safety. We don’t want to push our limits on daily distance (even though longer daylight hours up north may tempt us to) so that we can stay alert throughout the trip.

For some time now, I’ve been compiling a to-take list. Here’s an excerpt:

3 spare tires. I have a full size 17″ wheel that matches the existing wheels, plus the donut the car came with, plus an extra tire that I saved the last time I had my new set installed.
4 walkie talkies. Battery life under constant use is about 1/2 day. So if Jason and I each carry two and charge them at night, we will have constant communication which is critical especially in areas where cell signal is nonexistent.
1 GoPro camera, 1 Canon Rebel digital SLR camera, and my iPhone for documentation of the trip.
2 iPods (one with about 1,300 songs, and one with over 15,000) plus 3 huge CD cases carrying 64 discs each.
Milepost Guide Book editions from 2006 and from 2015 with step-by-step, detailed travel helps.
2 laptop computers: My personal laptop as well as my work one, so I can check email occasionally as time and Wifi permit. In the 9 business days I’ll be gone, I anticipate almost 2,000 emails coming in.
My “I drove the Alaska Highway. Both Ways, Dammit!” bumper sticker.

Oh, and a valid passport! When was the last time you took a ROAD TRIP that required one?

This afternoon, the ILX got an oil change at Acura of Tempe with 0W20 oil which should be good to last me for the entire length of the trip without having to have it serviced whilst en route. The last oil change prior to this was in February, about 7,500 miles ago. Maintenance minder and trip meter are now reset at 0.00 miles.

It might not be this clean when I get back.

In an untimely fashion, my credit card was compromised over the weekend so I’m waiting for a new one to arrive (quickly) so I can take it on the trip. I’ve already alerted the credit card company that I’ll be traveling through 7 states and 4 provinces in case my charging activity looks suspicious (because it will). Here’s my most “determined” look to pull this trip off without a hitch.

Couple other news bits:

Anybody already read the article about Victor Sheppard who drove his 2007 Toyota Tundra to a million miles?

Link Here

Toyota is going to dissect his truck! A shame, I say. Keep it rolling.

Here’s a photo from Saturday morning in Phoenix while I had the Legend sedan out for a spin. “Mr. Lucky’s” has been a landmark along Grand Avenue since 1966 when it was built to be Phoenix’s first casino. That plan didn’t go through, but the place ended up being a nightclub for 40 years. Today it houses a furniture store but that crazy (creepy?) sign out front still catches everyone’s eye on a daily basis.

The twins were put back away for the next few weeks.

I got a kick out of this gas station the other day. “Super Plus 2000: New Gas for the New Millenium.” And “millennium” isn’t even spelled correctly. I wonder if I should tell them that Y2K was 16 years ago.

Spare tires for days!

My friend Michael who flew out to buy his new Vigor recently has been really enjoying it.

That shine though!

And a friend sent me this photo of a neighborhood in Paradise Valley, Arizona where I need to look at real estate.

Until next time! Not sure when or where that’ll be, but I’ll post whenever I can.

EDIT: WordPress just told me this was my 555th post since I started Drive to Five. Gives a whole new meaning to the name, doesn’t it? Drive on.

25 Comments »

Weekend Road Trip: St. George, Utah, Snow Canyon State Park, and Strawberry, Arizona

Posted in Arizona, ILX, Road Trip, Utah on May 1, 2016 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend): 543,124

Odometer (ILX): 162,648

Trip Distance: 886 Miles

Sometimes the best part about planning a road trip is throwing the plan out the window and winging it entirely. What was intended to be a hiking weekend at Zion National Park with a dozen friends and family members ended up getting rained out and rescheduled. While I had been looking forward to checking out the 14-mile “West Rim Trail” hike, Mother Nature had other plans that included thunderstorms in Southern Utah.

Still, my friend Rob and I made the trip up to see what kind of fun we could dig up. And we found plenty. On Friday we worked from “home,” or in this case, from mom’s kitchen table and Wifi network while she served up waffles, “fruit pizza,” and other snacks to keep us fueled. I only wish my office had such amenities! That evening, we met up with an old friend Josh who I’d known since high school but hadn’t seen for over a decade.

Saturday morning started out with mountain of French Toast at Bear Paw Cafe on Main Street in downtown St. George, followed by a hike on the Red Hill (also called the “sugarloaf”) with Rob. The rain wasn’t yet coming down heavily so we scrambled up the rocks for a view overlooking the community.

sgu

Later that afternoon, we visited Snow Canyon State Park off State Route 18. Snow Canyon is a 7,400-acre park just outside St. George city limits that is part of the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve. It has nearly 40 miles of hiking trails and was set aside in 1959 as a state park. Snow Canyon is one of my favorite places for automotive photography and videos. Rob and I hiked around the sand dunes for a little while before heading to a family BBQ.

snow_canyon_2

Thumbs up!

For the return trip to Phoenix, I wanted to introduce Rob to some other parts of Utah & Arizona that he hadn’t yet seen, so we opted to circle back to Phoenix via Flagstaff as opposed to back-tracking to Las Vegas where we’d come from. About 90 minutes into our drive we’d reached the 7,900-foot-elevation Jacob Lake Inn, a historic lodge just north of the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. There’s a small gas station, motel, restaurant, and gift shop on the site. I couldn’t resist the grilled cheese sandwich so we stayed for a bite to eat before continuing on our way. Spy the ILX in the window reflection here!

The Colorado River looked a lot like chocolate milk when we stopped briefly for a photo at the Navajo Bridge along Highway 89A about 40 miles later. The old 1928 bridge has long-since been bypassed by a newer one, but pedestrians are allowed to walk out across it so we did that to get a good view of the river below.

Further adding to the adventure of our return trip was a sign along Interstate 17 just south of Flagstaff that stated “Road Closed 89 Miles Ahead.” Rob took a peek at traffic on his phone and confirmed that things were at a standstill near the Bloody Basin Road exit just a little north of Phoenix. So, we did some quick calculations and decided to make a detour at Camp Verde to Payson, which would add about 30-40 minutes to our trip but most certainly avoid any sort of delay from the road closure issue. That seemed like the most logical plan of attack, so we went with it, and I’m glad we did! Highway 260 from I-17 to the Highway 87 junction was a gorgeous two-lane windy road with very little traffic.

Soon we found our way in a few small towns on the outskirts of Payson, including one called Strawberry. Most homes in that area have log cabin architecture which adds to a cozy feeling in the community. Strawberry is also home to the state’s oldest still-standing schoolhouse, built in 1885, so we had to make a stop there.

“Old school.” Get it? Never mind.

By the time we got back to my place in Scottsdale, it was nearly 6 p.m. and we felt like we’d spent the entire day in the car, but we covered some beautiful ground and enjoyed the road trip! Below are the rest of my photos.

Thanks to PAPA member Larry Edsall for giving me this awesome mousepad!

Dinner with my buddy Josh

This is how long I’ve known Josh: We took these photos of our Hondas together in January 2001. Over 15 years ago! Mine was the red Prelude of course.

Prepare for takeoff!

Breakfast with mom, sporting my NALM shirt of course

Check out that French toast from Bear Paw Cafe!

View of St. George from the Red Hill

tyson_rob

Old tunnel into St. George that has been bypassed by modern roads, and now serves as a storage area.

Picking up my 5-year-old niece Vivienne

Family BBQ with my brothers Payton and Bentley, and mom

Rob getting cozy at the Jacob Lake Inn

Leaving the Navajo Bridge

Check out this Acura brand video entitled “30 Years Young” – pretty cool stuff!

12 Comments »

Group Road Trip to Skull Valley, Arizona & Kyle’s Pontiac GTO 100,000 Milestone

Posted in Arizona, ILX, Road Trip on April 16, 2016 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend): 543,032

Odometer (ILX): 160,566

Trip Distance: 253 Miles

One of these things is not like the others.

garage

No matter how hard James tried, he couldn’t get his weekly test vehicle, a 2016 Nissan Titan, to blend in with the rest of the participants on this weekend’s half-day jaunt to the Prescott National Forest in north-central Arizona. Maybe that’s because the Titan is a 3.5-ton, 20-foot-long behemoth compared to the cars it accompanied. No matter; we don’t discriminate. In fact, it was fun to get a look at Nissan’s fancy latest truck.

group

It was a perfect day to get out of town (when is it ever not?) so we rallied the troops around 10:00 in the morning and 7 of us headed north in search of cool weather, curvy roads, and tasty eats. Sounds like a winning formula for my kind of Saturday. Our hodge-podge of vehicles spanned a variety of types:

Brad: 2013 Audi RS5
Jack: 2006 Acura RSX 5-speed
James: 2016 Nissan Titan
Kyle: 2005 Pontiac GTO 6-speed
Tyson: 2013 Acura ILX 6-speed

Chandler and Rob also came along for the ride, and they swapped between the cars throughout the day.

i17

This was a special day for Kyle’s GTO as it surpassed the 100,000 mile mark not long after starting our drive. Since interstate traffic was moderately heavy and we had 4 other cars in tow, Kyle opted not to pull over to the shoulder but Rob as passenger was able to capture the odometer reading just in time. Kyle’s car was by far the loudest of our bunch with its roaring exhaust system that probably activates car alarms with just its burble.

kyle_100k

kyle_100k_odo

It wasn’t long after our fuel stop in Wickenburg on US Highway 93 that we veered eastward on Highway 89. Looming ahead of us was what we call the Yarnell Grade: a sharp-curved stretch of highway with two lanes in each direction that climbs from about 2,000 feet in elevation to about 4,700 feet.

yarnell_grade

Some of the turns are posted as low as 25 miles per hour so it’s quite a technical piece of road. Sadly, this is where James had a distinct disadvantage in his pickup truck. I was still impressed at how well he tossed it around given its heft.

winding_road

A Corvette club had parked its cars all the way down the main street in the tiny town of Yarnell, so we didn’t stop there but continued on to the junction about 8 miles down the road where we would head toward our destination of Skull Valley. Nestled in the mountains on Highway 10 lies a teeny little town of 743 people. While amenities are scarce – in fact, just one market – Skull Valley is only 20 miles from the larger town of Prescott so it’s not entirely isolated from civilization.

tyson_skull_valley

The town’s name comes from human remains that were found when the area was settled. Those remains were determined to have been the result of battles between the Native Americans and the early settlers in the 1860s.

gto_rsx

We snagged a few photographs and watched a freight train go clanking by, then changed things up a bit by swapping cars. I took the keys to Jack’s RSX, Kyle took my ILX, and Jack took Kyle’s GTO. Right off the bat I noticed a few things about the RSX that I fell in love with. The overall visibility is amazing thanks to thin A-pillars and a low hoodline. I love how the gauges are set up with zero mph / RPM in the 6:00 position on the dial.

skull_group

Since Jack’s car is not a Type-S, that means it only has 155 horsepower as opposed to the 201 that the S got. But you honestly can’t tell! The car revved excitedly and its light chassis felt nimble. The 5-speed gearbox has that perfect Honda seamlessness to it, and on some of the steeper grades I downshifted to 3rd or 4th gears to get the revs up. The steering wheel has a small diameter and good feel, and perhaps what surprised me most was just how tight and quiet the cabin was for being 10 years old. It made my 7-year-newer ILX seem so loud in comparison.

But, apparently Kyle liked my music selections while he was driving it…

prescott

Rosa’s Pizzeria in downtown Prescott was the next destination for our hungry bunch, so we stashed our vehicles in a 4-story parking garage a few blocks away and wandered over to grab a table. Our waiter had it pretty easy since 6 of the 7 of us ordered the exact same thing for lunch: The “Rosa’s Special” Chicken Martini. Chandler was the only one who had to go against the grain and make things difficult.

lunch

We made a quick visit to Lynx Lake on the way out of town and it was bustling with people out for Saturday recreation, then completed our loop on Highway 69 and I-17 back to the Phoenix area.

lynx_lake

Hope you enjoyed coming along for the drive! The rest of my photos are below.

Northbound on I-17

i17a

Chandler as passenger in the RSX

My ILX as seen from the sideview mirror of James’ Titan

Check that out! Look: a Sugar Daddy and a Big Hunk

Fuel stop at Mobil in Wickenburg

Heading up toward Yarnell on Highway 89

Next stop Kirkland, then Skull Valley, then Prescott. I covered Bagdad in another post.

These pumps in Skull Valley were out of order.

Lunch spot in Prescott

rosas

15 Comments »

Seeing Double: Arcadia Green 1994 Acura Vigor GS Twins

Posted in ILX, Vigor on April 14, 2016 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend): 543,029

Odometer (ILX): 160,207

Odometer (Vigor): 105,500

together2

Feast your eyes on some “BG-30P” code paint deliciousness! This here is a double-dose of a color that we all saw back in the 90’s that has long since been replaced by today’s boring silvers, grays, charcoals, and…. yawn.

Several weeks ago I bought a new T-shirt on blipshift.com that says “Alive With Five.” It felt appropriate that I wear the shirt to a meet-up on Monday night with newfound friend Chris in Scottsdale, Arizona who happens to be an old-school Acura 5-cylinder fan just like me.

My friend Ryan made a snide remark about how little I will probably wear the shirt.

Bridging the gap between the Integra and the Legend, the Vigor split the difference between 4 and 6 cylinders with its 2.5-liter, 176-horsepower inline-five-cylinder motor. I shared some history about the model when I picked up my own Vigor last July in Denver.

This middle sibling was forever overshadowed by its larger, more popular, big brother the Legend. The Vigor enthusiast network in general was just a lot smaller. While the Legend community has been able to support enough interest to host an annual meet every year since 2005, the Vigor club members held regional meets until about the early 2000’s and then the fire died out. Consider the fact that there were more than ten times as many Legends sold as Vigors.

Acura Legend sales, 1986 – 1995: 477,831 units
Acura Vigor sales, 1992 – 1994: 43,908 units

The Acura Vigor Club was an online community started in 1998-1999, right around the time that I was spending my teenage years browsing Legend.org (still alive for archive purposes) and HondaPrelude.com (long gone). In January 1999, a “Yahoo!” group was founded for the Acura Vigor and Legend Club.

vig_club

More and more members began joining the community at acuravigorclub.com, with “Timely Topics” monthly DIY tutorials being posted by contributors and with meets being organized in select regions. In 2005, the website hit its peak with about 100,000 total hits, including one specific day in March that had over 900 views. Here is a (grainy, tiny, characteristic of those early days) photograph of a meet in Seattle in the early 2000s.

In the decade since, the website has become a ghost town. Last updates were posted in 2007 but by then the Vigor model was already 13 years old and a good chunk of the Vigor fanbase had likely moved on to the wildly successful new Acuras being offered on the showroom floor, like the crowd favorite 3rd generation 2004-2008 TL.

tyson

“Chris” was one of the rare, few people who took interest in the Vigor model when it was near-new. In 1996, he bought his car with around 25,000 miles on it. Over the last 20 years, it’s gone from daily driver, to weekend cruiser, to pretty much sitting around all the time – now that he has 3 other vehicles and a motorcycle competing for his attention. Thus the reason why he finally decided, at 200,400 miles on the odometer, he’s considering letting his pride and joy go to the next worthy owner.

together1

I was impressed with the condition of his car from the moment I arrived. It’s clearly been cared for. A mechancial engineer by trade, he’s performed all of his own maintenance over the years – everything, in fact, except for the tire installations and balancing. The timing belt was changed 20,000 miles (and 8 years) ago. The radiator and battery are new, and he says he’d trust the car to drive across the country without thinking twice.

engine

“Nice Vig,” was Chris’ comment when he saw my car. And, I definitely return those sentiments. We took his for a spin and it was interesting to get used to not kicking at a clutch pedal, but it idled, ran, drove, and braked as smoothly as could be – even with twice the miles that my car has on it. Hope you enjoy seeing some of the photos of his car that I captured during my visit.

Best angle!

My own Vigor in the background.

Front end is remarkably rock-chip-free for 200,000 miles

I need that spoiler!

The 2004 BMW in the driveway is one of Chris’ newer vehicles

Extra mats in the trunk! I need!

Cognac-colored interior has held up well, minus the driver’s seat & console lid.

Rare finds in this kind of condition.

And I happened to be passed by a 1991-92 Legend sedan whilst on my way home!

legend_sighting

A few other bits & pieces today to catch everyone up. Cruise on by TSXTravels.com, and say hello to my friend Josh who is now only a mere 8,000 miles away from the big 500,000 milestone on his 2005 TSX!

I got my tires ordered for the ILX. I ended up going with Michelin Primacy 215-45-17s for $725. They’ll be installed in early May just before the Alaska departure. Michelin has a $70 rebate going on right now so I figured the timing was right to go ahead and get them ordered.

Check out my new cologne from Nordstrom:

My friend Jason seems to think it should smell like leather & burlwood. No such luck!

My mom flew in last night to get her G35. Here’s a video she captured of me pulling up to the airport to pick her up!

And she delivered a diecast model car (Chevy Nova) to my nephew for me when she arrived home with her G35 this afternoon. My brother sent me this pic. Love that kid!

becks

Catch ya later!

22 Comments »

A Million Mile Accord, Alaska Trip Planning, & Jack’s New RSX

Posted in Arizona, ILX on April 10, 2016 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend): 543,021

Odometer (G35): 20,246 (Mom’s new car still at my house til Wednesday!)

Odometer (ILX): 160,000

Sometimes just a simple piece of paper can bring back so many memories. I was rooting through a box this week in search of something and came across a Bill of Sale dated March 19, 2005 – just a little over 11 years ago – from when I sold my first car for a whopping $250. Yes, it ran and drove! Funny how I felt the need to clarify “No Warranty” on a car that was 19 years old and had 194,000 miles on it. It’s a little irrational (okay, downright crazy), but I actually do miss my 1986 Celebrity from time to time. Especially that plush velour front bench seat.

celebrity_bos

It’s been an Acura used car lot at my house as usual. Joining the crowd here Scottsdale, Arizona comes this 2005 TL. I helped a friend of mine sell it today for $8,500 with just 83,000 miles. Non-navigation, tan interior, new Michelins. The buyer got a pretty solid deal!

I’m only 6 weeks away from departing on a 7,800-mile, 16 day road trip to Fairbanks, Alaska with my friend Jason. Yes indeed, it’s time to stretch our highway legs and see the north country. Beginning on Friday, May 20th, I’ll be taking you – Wifi access & blogging time permitting – on a trip through 7 states and 4 provinces in my (now-160,000-mile) 2013 Acura ILX.

This trip will be a re-creation of the same journey that my dad and I took exactly 10 years ago in my Legend. In fact, I’m going to do my best to capture photos at some of the identical locations, like this welcome sign to the Yukon Territory.

Planning is well underway, as I’ll be having the ILX serviced prior to departure. I’m also having new Michelin Pilot tires installed next month and I’ll be taking 2 spare tires. I’m an Eagle Scout after all, so “Be Prepared” is a motto that I live by, especially when embarking on such a journey. Jason is similarly busy getting his Mazda ready.

Yesterday I did a little junkyarding in south Phoenix and came across this miraculously straight 1994 Legend sedan in Desert Mist Metallic. It’s a shame the interior was pillaged before I got to it, because I bet it was in really nice shape. The entire dashboard, in fact, had been removed, but from the stickers on the windshield I know that it had 169,000 miles on it and came from Acura of Peoria. Wild guess: Some original owner traded it in with a blown head gasket and the dealership sent it to the junkyard because it needed engine replacement.

I also found an old 1990 Integra sedan that reminded me of my family’s first Acura.

On the Integra topic, here’s a first look at my next car. This is a rare 1992 “GS-R” model in Aztec Green Pearl, owned by my friend Lance in the Seattle area. Lance has been performing an extensive restoration on this 234,000 mile car over about the last year or so, bringing it back to stock condition by sourcing and installing OEM suspension, wheels, exhaust system, and other items. The results speak for themselves. You could eat off this 1.7 liter engine!

Stock ride height means there’s a lot of fender well gap, but it looks “right” for a 1990s period Honda.

Remember automatic seatbelts?

gsr_int

These photos were taken today at HondaFest car show that Lance entered.

Looks great! And I should have my hands on this one within the next couple of months.

I haven’t forgotten about the 1993 L sedan. It still needs quite a bit of work but it starts up reliably.

My friend Devan visited this week from Fort Worth, TX and we grabbed lunch on his birthday.

And my friend Jack became the proud owner of a 2006 Acura RSX. He’d been looking for a reliable, cheap, fun-to-drive commuter to replace his 2002 Lexus IS300, so this fit the bill perfectly. Here’s a photo from the test-drive.

Seller Jacob is also a friend of mine. I was glad to be able to facilitate the deal!

And Jack drove off as a happy camper in his 5-speed RSX.

Finally, here’s a mileage achievement story worth seeing. Planet Honda in New Jersey has taken into the showroom a one-owner 1990 Honda Accord coupe that recently turned its one-millionth mile. The car looks great! And we can’t help but draw similarities to Million Mile Joe who also drove an Accord of the same bodystyle.

Video link here:

Over and out!

10 Comments »

Weekly Updates & “Serial Number One” – 1967 Honda N600 Restoration Project

Posted in ILX, Legend, NSX, Vigor on April 3, 2016 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend coupe): 543,021

Odometer (Legend sedan): 150,233

Odometer (Vigor): 105,477

Odometer (ILX): 159,320

It was 39 years ago when Honda made its entrance into selling passenger cars in the United States. The company’s first model, a simple (and teeny) “N600,” was cute and efficient. Little did the world know that it marked the beginning of an automotive power-player that would sell over 123,000 units in the month of March 2016 alone. Honda is big.

One special car – the first – is currently in the hands of “Merciless” Tim Mings, a southern California-based mechanic who is heralded as THE subject matter expert on Honda’s early cars like the N600, Z600, and S600 models which were the precursors to today’s Honda lineup. Some of you may recall the special little Z600 that I test-drove last year from my friend Scott’s collection in Palm Springs.

I’ll be following this restoration project very closely and hope you’ll do the same!

I have an assortment of updates from the last week or so to share today. It should come as no surprise that I’ve been playing with cars as much as time allows, so I’ll let the photos tell the story and keep this week’s blog entry short and sweet.

My friend Armando and his pup Sable visited from California. We took the NSX to breakfast.

Armando is the proud owner of two Subaru SVXs, a Mazda, RX-8 and a Mazda RX-4

My family members from Utah visited and soaked up the sun for a few days.

My friend Jeremy visited from Utah as well for a few days and picked up a ‘new’ BMW X5 diesel here.

I made an attempt at installing some spare “A-Spec” wheels on the ILX but found out they were the incorrect bolt pattern (5 x 120 instead of 5 x 114.3), which means they came off an Acura RL instead of a TL. Shucks, no new wheels for me!

Night drive in the NSX

“Cars & Coffee” in Scottsdale, yesterday. This huge event draws hundreds of high-end cars, every first Saturday of the month.

Quick pic with automotive spy photographer Brenda Briddy who was there

After C&C I took the ILX to explore a remote area called Rio Verde, northeast of town.

Most of Rio Verde’s population lives in the 55-and-older golf community.

I made a quick stop at McDowell Mountain Regional Park. It has over 80 miles of hiking trails so I’ll need to plan another visit back soon.

Stopped by “Legends” automotive repair shop. (Notice the sign)

Fun fact: This location at 2412 N Scottsdale Rd was once the Valley’s first Acura dealership, 30 years ago.

I have to wonder if the people who currently own & operate the business even know that history.

Mom’s G35 is still awaiting its new owner. She’s flying down a week from Wednesday to pick it up.

I went and grabbed the Vigor. This car will probably go in for a timing belt change in the next few weeks.

At the grocery store, I happened to park next to a 1992-93 Honda Accord in my same paint color, code BG-30P “Arcadia Green.”

Twinners!

That’s it for now. Have a great week everyone.

13 Comments »

Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, Phoenix Ignition Car Show, & Mom’s New Infiniti G35

Posted in California, ILX, Legend, NSX, Road Trip on March 28, 2016 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend): 542,910

Odometer (ILX): 158,951

Trip Distance: 558 Miles

I attended a 60th birthday gathering for my friend Chuck last Wednesday. As I was just getting ready to head out for another commitment (my second of 3 appointments that evening), he made the comment, “One of these days I’m going to put Velcro on your chair so you’re forced to stick around longer than an hour.” Ha – sounds about right!

legend_desert_center_2

It was a double-duty mileage weekend out here in the American Southwest. My Legend coupe and my ILX both saw some highway use on a trip out to Southern California for sunshine and relaxation. Since the early 1900s, the desert city of Palm Springs has blossomed and grown as a destination for its hot springs, architecture, and tourism in the surrounding landscape. I’ve visited many times over the last few years and it’s an easy 4-hour drive door-to-door from my place in Scottsdale, Arizona.

legend_workstation

Ever the king of multi-tasking, I had to stop twice at gas stations and respond to some work emails. I was in my 1994 Legend LS since my friend, Justin, would be heading out later on in the evening in my 2013 ILX. The drive into the sunset was enjoyable and I made really good time. Even at over 540,000 miles, the Legend is still a great highway cruiser than revs at fewer than 2,500 RPM at 80 miles per hour.

tramway_sign

One of the attractions I’d been wanting to see in Palm Springs for a very long time is the “Aerial Tramway,” a 2.5 mile, 10-minute ride that climbs in a cable car from 2,600 feet to 8,500 feet in elevation. It opened in 1963 and climbs in elevation through a rugged canyon to the top of San Jacinto Peak. Justin and I headed to the tramway station on Friday morning and the wait time was about an hour until the next available departure at 12:40 p.m.

tram_car

The ascent wasn’t without some drama. I have both a moderate fear of heights and a slight degree of motion sickness, so after lift-off when the interior of the 80-passenger car started spinning around, it took me a minute before I could even feel comfortable opening my eyes to look outside. I remember being very grateful that there were a few windows open to let a breeze through so I could get some fresh mountain air.

view

For the $25/adult price of admission I felt like I got my money’s worth! The view from the Mountain Station at the top was spectacular (and weather quite a bit cooler than where we’d started). There are quite a few amenities including a restaurant and snack bar. We indulged in a $5 tray of nachos and some potato wedges before getting ready to hop on the next available car and make our descent.

tyson_in_tram_car

I got back from Palm Springs just in time for a car swap at home, then headed to the 2nd annual “Ignition” car show at the Arizona Fairgrounds in central Phoenix. There were probably 50 vehicles in attendance, spanning a wide range of types. The centerpiece was a 1960 Bentley, but at the other end of the spectrum was a $600 Chrysler LeBaron convertible (think “Planes, Trains, & Automobiles” movie car). I represented with the only Acura, displaying my 1992 NSX. Midway through the day, I was asked to say a few words about the car over the loudspeaker and the master of ceremonies commented on the signature on my glove compartment, which belongs to RealTime Racing driver Peter Cunningham.

Another highlight of the weekend was taking delivery of a new car for my mom. At the same birthday party referenced in my opening paragraph, I happened to be seated next to someone named John who I was meeting for the first time. John and I got engaged in “car talk” and I came to find out that he had just listed for sale his 2004 Infiniti G35 online. What blew me away was the odometer reading: 20,192 miles. On a 12-year-old car!

So my interest was piqued and I relayed the information to my mother who happened to be looking for a (larger, car-seat-friendly) replacement for her 2010 Volkswagen Eos convertible. Over the next 24 hours, she struck a deal with John and on Sunday, I showed up to take delivery of the vehicle on her behalf.

It was every bit as immaculate as described. It’s painted a brilliant Garnet Fire Metallic with Willow leather interior. Power comes from a 3.5-liter V6 engine with 260 horsepower and the transmission is a 5-speed automatic. Beyond the standard equipment, the car has the following:

Premium Package (Bose Audio, Glass Sunroof, Dual Zone Temp, and more): $3,200
Aero Package (Rear Spoiler, Diffusers): $550
Sport-Tuned Suspension Package (17″ Alloy Wheels, Sport-Tuned Springs): $425
Body-Color Splash Guards: $120
Price as Equipped: $35,045

When John drove the car off the lot with 36 miles on the odometer on March 20, 2004, it right away became his special occasion car. Neighbors would say, “You must have a date,” each time it would leave the garage. (His daily driver was a white Chevy S-10 pickup).

Over the last 12 years, he paid close attention to detail and maintenance, changing the oil and fluids himself. He has kept detailed notes on everything done to the car, and during our transaction he walked me through all the paperwork. Most used cars don’t even come with an original window sticker. This one not only came with that, but also with full books & records, a 4-page handwritten maintenance log, even a printed page from Infiniti.com from when John “built” his car online before taking delivery.

The car has found a good home and now resides in my garage for 2 weeks until mom flies down to get it.

Here are the rest of the pics from this action-packed last few days!

The Legend coupe in Desert Center, California

Morning view in Palm Springs

My friend Scott taking a spin in the ILX

Road ascending “Tram Way” to the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway

Staging area for the tramway with a man-made waterfall

View toward San Jacinto Peak

With Justin at the summit

Headed back down toward civilization

Hanging with other friends that afternoon, Chris & Vince

Out and about on the town later in the evening

Scott’s 1965 Mustang interior

Photos from the Ignition Car Show: Tyson and a Titan

Grassy lawn on the west side of the Coliseum

Old Pontiac Bonneville with only 14,000 original miles

And a few more photos from the day I got the G35 for mom

From the driver’s seat

Back at the house with the ILX

Interior still smells new

Tucked away with the NSX until mom’s arrival

Window sticker at $35,045

Other records and paperwork

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Salton Sea, California Road Trip Part 2: Slab City, East Jesus, & Niland Mud Pots

Posted in Blog, California, ILX, Road Trip on March 21, 2016 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend): 542,248

Odometer (ILX): 158,038

Trip Distance: 266 Miles

“Uhh, guys. We have a problem,” said Jason with a look of despair as we were just getting ready to hop in the cars and continue our Southern California tour last Saturday. I couldn’t think of what could possibly be the problem. My eyes immediately went to the tires of his car thinking he might have a flat. “I locked my keys in the trunk,” he told us. My mind started rushing with the complexity of the situation. Here we were, 4 miles down a dirt road in a teeny town with only 1,000 people, standing in a field next to some geothermal mud pots.

If it had been 30 years ago, we might have had to go into town and summon help the old fashioned way. But the solution was pretty clear and pretty flawless: James hit the OnStar button on the overhead console of his 2016 Chevy Malibu and summoned help. The representative was able to patch us through to an available locksmith about 30 miles away in Brawley. Meanwhile, we had about an hour to kill, so I sat in the backseat of the Malibu and took advantage of its WiFi hotspot and air conditioning vents since it was 90 degrees outside. Technology has really made even an emergency situation feel pretty dang convenient. Help came to the rescue:

We pick up today’s story after our visit to Salvation Mountain near Niland and take it even deeper into the “weird category.” Imagine a place where you can take a vehicle, tent, trailer, or even corrugated tin and pop up a dwelling and just stay there as long as you want. It’s the “last free place in America,” say some.

Slab City, USA. If you want to live in the middle of the desert, the land is yours for the taking. Jason, James, and I headed eastward on a dirt road from Salvation Mountain and entered a wide expanse of land that was littered – literally – with peoples’ belongings and makeshift residences. A man playing guitar atop an entrance sign looked like he might have been a permanent resident.

I’d seen a hand-painted sign promoting a library of some sort, so I decided to head that direction and see what we could find. The washboard road was dusty and I lost sight of James in my rearview mirror as I left his white Malibu in a cloud. But soon I saw a big painted arrow which pointed me in the direction of the library’s parking lot. “24 hour Library,” it said.

Here we met some locals. While browsing the books in this open-air shack, I saw a couch and a couple of chairs set up around a chess set. An old man in a cowboy hat came up and greeted us, cigarette in hand. “John,” his name we later learned, proceeded to give us a warm welcome to Slab City and provide the run-down on everything we possibly wanted to know. “You guys skateboard?” he asked. “You guys want to float the canal?” His stories were endless. The library, as it turns out was operated by a one-legged woman and her boyfriend named Caveman, who weren’t there that day. (“But don’t ask about her leg,” he said. “She lost it train-track hopping and that’s about all she wants to say.”)

For being set up in a shack, this library was remarkably well organized by topic or theme. A “Google Tree” contained the encyclopedia / reference section. John, and another guy who surfaced who was also named John, extended an invitation to the upcoming Prom Night in Slab City where they’ll have live music and other entertainment along with a “formal” (tongue in cheek) dance. There was a table spray painted “Free” with all sorts of garbage up for grabs. I asked John & John if it ever rained in Slab City (wondering how all the books are so well-preserved). They said it only happens a couple of times a year. They both heartily recommended we take the time to visit a place called East Jesus, down the road, so we headed that direction after getting our fill of the library.

“EJ” the sign led us, so I stirred up another clout of dust in my ILX and my fellow road-trippers and I entered the next quirky phase of our day’s journey. There was a literal fork in the road. I hit the brakes so quickly out of excitement that I activated the ABS system and skidded to a stop on the dirt road.

In East Jesus, it’s art for days. People have taken garbage and made things out of it. An old Honda Civic sedan at the entrance was covered in circuit boards and bullet shells. There was a wall of television sets with messages painted on them.

This was perhaps the most oddball collection of “stuff” I think I’ve ever seen. I’ll let the pictures and video tell the story here.

Jason, James, and I had lunch back in Niland at the Buckshot Deli & Diner. The hamburger meat is homemade and delicious, and I chugged two huge glasses of their lemonade. A sign on the wall read: Food choices: 1) Take it. 2) Leave it.

The last place on my “to-see” list was something I’d read about online called the mud pots. Just 6 miles from where we had lunch, but about 4 of those miles were on a dirt road. That had never stopped us before, so we decided to check them out. Mud bubbles up from the ground and sometimes shoots into the air. Over time, it has formed little mounds of dirt. It reminded me a lot of the geothermal activity at Yellowstone National Park.

I got a little too close to a fresh mud stream and ended up ankle-deep in it. My shoe was so heavy afterward. The other guys had a good laugh about it. The good news was that I had a pair of flip-flops in my trunk ready for just such an emergency.

Mud pot video:

It was around this time when we were just getting ready to part ways and Jason had his keys-in-the-trunk incident. A nice man in a pickup truck gave us bottled waters while we waited. I was surprised it took the roadside assistance guy no more than 5 minutes to get access to Jason’s car and get us back on our way after he’d arrived. James and I headed east on Highway 78 while Jason made his way to Interstate 8 and we split up the threesome. Our route took us through the Imperial Sand Dunes – also called Algodones Dunes – which span 45 miles in length by 6 miles in width.

There were lots of people out in off-road vehicles enjoying them. The highway itself was a bit of a roller-coaster with lots of dips posted 55 miles per hour but a lot of fun when taken at about 10 mph over that.

We dined in Blythe, California – reunited with Interstate 10 and our favorite diner, the Courtesy Coffee Shop. The grilled cheese was just what I needed to fuel me sufficiently for the final 2 hours of the drive back into Arizona and home to Scottsdale.

Here are the rest of my pics from our adventurous day!

Inside the library at Slab City

Lounge area inside the libary

“Google Tree”

Bathroom break in the middle of nowhere along the dirt road

Not even sure what this thing is

Salton Sea, California Road Trip Part 1: Bombay Beach & Salvation Mountain

Posted in California, Ghost Town, ILX, Road Trip on March 20, 2016 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend): 542,210

Odometer (ILX): 157,959

Trip Distance: 315 Miles

I have a not-so-secret fascination with abandoned places. There’s something that pulls me in and makes me wonder, “Why’d everyone leave?” For that reason, the Salton Sea in Southern California made its way onto my must-see list a long time ago, and I just this weekend got around to finally checking it out. My friends Jason and James joined for the party.

Once a popular destination for tourists (“The Miracle in the Desert”), this is one lake that’s definitely not on anyone’s recreation radar anymore. It’s more salty than the Pacific Ocean, and getting 1% saltier in each passing year because it has no outlet. It’s still California’s largest lake and, a surprise to many, was actually created by accident.

For millions of years the Colorado River flowed through the Imperial Valley where the Salton Sea is located. It’s at a low point in the region and positioned right over the San Andreas Fault. Before 1905, the lake bed was mostly dry, but an engineering “accident” diverted gallon after gallon of irrigation water there for two full years before repairs were completed and the inflow stopped. In that time, the lake bed filled up and even overtook some small towns. The small influx of water that now makes its way into the sea is enough to keep its level current, though it’s anticipated the level will progressively get lower between now and 2021.

Today the Salton area has a certain allure to it for those of us who love off-beat destinations. Where else can you find a banana museum, remains of a mobile home park, mud pots, and a giant painted mountain all in a day’s drive? My road trip partners and I were determined to see what kind of stuff we could uncover. After a hearty breakfast at Denny’s on Saturday morning, we departed from our motel in Indio and headed along Highway 111 which hugs the eastern shores of the lake. We were in three vehicles: my 2013 Acura ILX, James’ 2016 Chevy Malibu (press / loaner car), and Jason’s 2004 Mazda 6.

Sadly, the International Banana Museum – which really appeared to be no more than a convenience store with a little building attached – was shut down when we pulled up. From the looks of the bars over the windows, it felt more like a prison of some sorts. A typewritten note was taped to the front window stating that the hours were 12:00 p.m. to dusk, so I guess we missed that opportunity since it was only about 9:00 a.m. At least it saved us the $1 admission fee.

We next visited the North Shore Beach & Yacht club, which sounds all sorts of classy, but it’s really not. Maybe at one time it was. Today it’s been restored – it’s a nice looking mid-century modern building designed by Albert Frey and originally built in 1959. It was abandoned by 1984 and left to vandals and pillagers until a 2009 grant allocated some money toward the rebuild. We peeked our heads in only long enough to see that were was a gymnasium and some sort of community center.

Random geography lesson: Calexico is a town on the border with Mexico. Its Mexican counterpart across the international line is Mexicali. I like how they’ve mixed “California” and “Mexico” in the naming of those cities. Another 25 or so miles down Highway 111, I hit the right blinker and led our threesome of cars onto “Avenue A” in Bombay Beach, California. In the 1950s and 1960s, Bombay Beach was a popular resort destination, even called a paradise.

But that all changed within the first couple of decades as the ecosystem changed and the quality of the water deteriorated. People departed en masse by the 1990s as dead fish washed up on the beaches. While pretty from afar, the beaches are no place for sunbathing. The water is dirty and it smells about like you’d expect it to. The few residents who remain live in trailers and must keep to themselves, since we didn’t see a single soul out and about in any yard. Our drive took us down to 5th Street where we proceeded to make a loop – or square, rather – around the entire town.

Our attention was quickly drawn to the ruins we were passing. There were abandoned homes lining the street with elaborate graffiti paintings all over them. I backed the ILX into one driveway of a home that looked almost move-in ready. NOT.

We drove up over a dike and to the beach which had a wooden boat on a stand. The water’s edge was littered with dead fish and the flies were abundant. Allow me to introduce my new boat: “Miss Take.”

I decided we should stop for a soda at the Bombay Market and that was a cultural experience in itself. Talk about a one-stop shop. I found the 7-Up I wanted, but what surprised me was the variety of other stuff available. “Step right in to the gift shop area,” said a sign. But there was no separate area. It was just a single shelf. There were T-shirts for sale with the logo “Living In Paradise.” Surely out of sarcasm, right? Maybe not! A woman in a straw hat behind us in the check out line had nothing but raves to say about the town. “I just came from Indian Wells and it’s the most stuck-up place I’ve ever been,” she said. “Bombay is at the complete other end of the scale.”

We made one more pass through the center of town, make sure to note that the bar there, “Ski Inn,” is the lowest bar in the western hemisphere. That must be due to the fact that Bombay Beach is America’s lowest elevation community, at 223 feet below sea level. (Reminded me of when I visited the lowest point in North America, Badwater Basin in Death Valley). I was ready to move on so we hit Highway 111 to our next wacky destination near Niland, California: “Salvation Mountain.”

So here’s the scoop on Salvation Mountain: A guy named Leonard Knight spent his lifetime dumping buckets of paint onto a hillside in the barren desert, creating both a living space for himself as well as a religious statement for all who pass by. The site is absolutely vibrant with colors and covered in Bible verses and Christian sayings. “God Is Love” is a recurring theme.

A yellow-brick (but not really brick) path leads up a stairway to the cross perched atop the tallest portion of the site. We took a walk through the area and noticed that people had been leaving keepsakes of all sorts in different rooms – driver licenses, student ID cards, photographs. The construction method for Leonard’s creation was similar to the way the Navajo Indians built their hogans – hay bales and straw were the main building materials. The place reminded me a little of Phoenix’s Mystery Castle.

Knight spent the last years of his life in a long-term care facility for dementia, and he died in 2014, but the site lives on thanks to volunteers who staff it daily. Oh, and they are taking donations of latex paint if anyone has a gallon or two to spare.

Thanks for joining for this first part of the trip. Come back for the second half next time!

More pics here. First, a pit stop in Quartzsite at the Tyson RV & Mobile Home Park, with my road trip snack essentials.

Dinner on Friday night at Mario’s Italian Cafe in Indio with James & Jason

Jason checking his oil in the 187,000 mile 2004 Mazda 6 on Saturday morning pre-departure.

Int’l Banana Museum sign

Your $1 entry fee is refundable if you make a “purchace.”

NSBYC: North Shore Beach & Yacht Club. A lot more exotic sounding than it really is.

Looking southbound on desolate Highway 111 along the eastern shores of the lake.

Graffiti in Bombay Beach: “Abandon All Hope Ye Who Enter.”

Needs a little TLC, but a great fixer-upper.

I hope this graffiti isn’t some sort of gang sign that could get me in trouble (Leif, if you’re reading this, I’m thinking of you!)

The ILX looking over Salton Sea.

Garbage and dead fish all over the place.

Jason and James

Perfect for a swim, no?

T-shirts in the market

Entrance sign to Salvation Mountain

Painted truck at Salvation Mountain

More very soon!

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