drivetofive

Odometer:  9,204

Trip Mileage:  3,744

Home sweet home!

As much fun as it is to travel, I love the feeling of pulling back into my driveway after a few days away.  The ILX not only survived its 3,744 mile journey, it actually seems to be performing ‘better’ the more experienced it gets.  My gas mileage went to a record (for me) high of 33 mpg today.

Over the course of the last 6 days, Alex the ILX and I have traveled an average of 624 miles per day.  That’s a lot of seat time!  But I’m happy to report that the newest member of the Acura family does not disappoint.  It instead delivers all the amenities I’ve come to know and expect over the last decade of driving Acura vehicles.

This is a look at the total trip, with a pinpoint at each of my nightly stops.

And this was today’s final leg of the journey:

Good morning from Gallup, New Mexico.  Looks like we got a little rain overnight.

Just 20 miles westward, I celebrated a reunion with my home state.

I shifted gears into a new music genre just for fun.  Ironically, “Cadillac Ranch” came on.  Just yesterday I drove past Cadillac Ranch and blogged about it!

At Holbrook, Arizona, I left interstate 40 and instead sought out some back roads to get me back to the Phoenix area.  Town was pretty quiet on a Sunday morning!

The first part of the drive looked a lot like this on Arizona Highway 277 – wide open roads, zero traffic, and perfect weather.

So perfect, in fact, that I opened the moonroof and enjoyed some of the fresh morning air.

Soon I connected with Highway 260 which winds along Arizona’s “Mogollon Rim.”  This is the area where I took my Acura Legend camping last year.  Beautiful area!

Finally, I was home!   Perhaps worth mentioning here:  I’ve driven 4,292 miles since my last oil change and the “Oil Life” indicator on the dashboard still says 70%.  These highway miles must be pretty easy on a motor.

The first order of business was a CAR WASH!  The last thing I want to do when it’s 100 degrees outside is let all those bugs get baked on.

BEFORE

DURING

AFTER.  Tucked in for a rest after the long journey.

Thanks for coming along on the ride to Wisconsin with me and I hope to share more adventures in the coming months!

Time for some rest & relaxation here.  Cheers!

Odometer:  7,980

Trip Mileage:  2,520

By now, you’ve probably figured out that I don’t sit still in any given place for too long.  I was greeted upon arrival at the NALM host hotel in Brookfield yesterday by Kevin (looking at his watch), “Okay, you’ve got ten minutes.”  It wasn’t far from the truth!  Fewer than 24 hours after reaching my destination in Wisconsin I was pulling up the anchor yet again and hopping back on the road.  Places to go, people to see.

I’m in Missouri now – chalk that one up to another “new” state for my ILX.  Here’s a recount of the day’s journey.

Kevin from Duluth, Georgia has this gorgeous Vineyard Gray Legend sedan.  He asked that I leave my mark on the car in the form of a signature. Sure, why not!  It’s not every day I get to write on someone’s car in permanent marker!

Trunk liner now immortalized (and devalued, probably).

Meanwhile, we readied ourselves for a photoshoot just down the road in Brookfield.  Tom from Connecticut gives the ILX wheels a quick wipe.

We take our photoshoots seriously!

Let’s get these cars lined up!

That’s more like it.  But wait — Student Driver!?  Yeah, I pulled out the magnets for a little photo-op fun.

Here’s the gang.  Great people, and excellent friends of mine.  All connoisseurs of fine Acura automobiles.

I may not have had a Legend at this meet, but these folks can still appreciate almost anything with an “A” badge on the grille.

Now a solo Legend shot for good measure.

Parting ways already – and on my way back to the southwest via Hwy 194 and Interstate 43 to Illinois.

Anybody else get a kick out of watching their reflection drive by in a tanker truck sometimes?

Central Illinois, somewhere off southbound Interstate 55.  This isn’t the El Paso you’re thinking of!  The distance from El Paso, Illinois, to El Paso, Texas is a whopping 1,396 miles.  That’s an adventure for another day (week)!

Normal, Illinois.  I didn’t dine at Woody’s.

I did, however, feed Alex.  He lapped up some 92 octane at $3.88 / gallon.

Finally some signs mentioning St. Louis – my next pit stop.

Discovery:  Those “Elapsed Time” screens in the driver’s information center can only accommodate 99 hours, 59 minutes of time.

St. Louis’ “Gateway Arch,” as seen from the 64 freeway.  This landmark stands 630 feet tall, making it the tallest man-made monument in the United States.  I would’ve loved to park the ILX in front of it for a picture, but alas I had a dinner commitment to get to.

This gorgeous 1995 Legend LS coupe belongs to my friend Dave who I met through the Acura Legend forums.  When I met Dave in 2005 at the first National Acura Legend Meet, his car only had around 50,000 miles on it.  Today at 130,000 it looks almost exactly the same.  This guy is meticulous and it shows.

And what better place to dine than one that appreciates ‘Legendary’ taste?  Lion’s Choice.

Thanks, Dave, for meeting up!

The Legend’s styling just never gets old.  Does anyone agree with me that it looks a hundred times better than that Prius next to it?

Westbound on I-44 for today’s final stretch.  Road sign announces Cuba straight ahead!

That’s right!  Cuba, Missouri.  Home to 3,230 people.

Now onward to Springfield we go.

Just when the road started to get a little boring, this song came on the iPod and I cranked it to full volume and got fully recharged.

Record-setting MPG average for me right here.

This particular motel in Springfield is a familiar place to me.  Last summer I stayed here when I was driving my Legend to New Jersey.  In fact, I parked it in this very same parking space where my ILX is sitting this very evening.

But what about that old 514k-mile Legend?  I’ve been asked by many.  Well, I received an updated status today along with the below picture.  The front end paint work is now complete, but needs reassembly.  From what I can tell, the paint work turned out nicely!

Good evening and until next time!

Odometer:  7,394

Trip Mileage:  1,934

I’ve made it to my final destination in Brookfield, Wisconsin!  First time I’ve set foot in this state. Fewer than 48 hours after departing from my workplace in Scottsdale, I reached the finish line.  It’s a lot greener here than the Arizona desert that I’m used to.

The 8th annual National Acura Legend Meet is now underway and there are Acura enthusiasts coming from various parts of the country to participate.  Our ‘host’ hotel parking lot at the Quality Inn will be dominated by Acura Legends in the coming days.

For the first time since the event’s 2005 inception (Dallas, Texas), I left my 1994 Acura Legend LS coupe at home and instead made the trip in my 2013 Acura ILX Premium 6-speed.  It was a fun ride!  And, since I’ve got to get home to Arizona by Sunday night – it’s only halfway over.

This morning started off with an early departure from my motel in Omaha off Interstate 80.

I attempted to get into Kenefick Park in east Omaha to get an up-close glimpse at the Union Pacific Big Boy #4023 steam locomotive on display there.  I saw another one of the 8 remaining “Big Boy” locomotives this past weekend in Cheyenne, Wyoming so I thought it would be fun to have a look at another.  However, I learned that the park does not open until 9 a.m. so I was met with a closed gate.

As the interstate crosses the Missouri River, I entered Iowa but was unable to stop in time for a picture.

Lucky sevens!

Anybody know the max towing capacity of a Chevy Cobalt?  I think this guy has it figured out.  On a side note, I have to wonder what the state of Iowa is using on its roads in the winter to keep the snow away.  Even cars that are just a few years old are starting to rust out like crazy!  I saw a relatively new Mazda 3 with rusted out quarter panels and an Explorer that looked like rust had consumed its entire running board.

Cornfields… cornfields… and more cornfields.  Welcome to Iowa!

I’m really not a slob but this is what my ILX interior looked like for much of the drive.

Rest stop off I-80 in Iowa.

While pit stopped, a discovery.  When my iPhone is plugged in with a USB cable, if I try to watch a video I’ve filmed or received via text message, my iPhone “thinks” it’s being played via TV so I can’t see anything on the screen.  Tech people, any ideas?

The words “WORLD’S LARGEST” evoke excitement no matter what they’re in reference to.  It took every bit of willpower in my being to keep me from turning around at the next exit on I-80 and seeing what the “World’s Largest Truckstop” had to offer.

Welcome to the Land of Lincoln!

MPG’s just keep getting better. Thanks to some conservative driving (and 55-65 mph construction zones all through Iowa) I got the average to creep up to 32.3 miles per gallon.

Starting to get closer to Milwaukee!  It’s fun to see that blue dot creep ever closer.

Tollways.  I spent a total of $5.50 today on tolls on Interstates 88 and 39 in Illinois.

“Alex” the ILX gets his first taste of 93 octane fuel for $3.65 / gallon just south of Rockford, Illinois.  We only get 91 back home.

Starting to look pretty buggy up front.  Thank goodness for that clear bra I had installed a couple of weeks ago.

Signs for Wisconsin.  We’re getting there!

And finally – welcome.

Happy camper right here.

Just off I-43 and nearing my destination in Brookfield.

Intergalactic travels in the ILX!  Milky Way Rd!

Arriving at Quality Inn (thanks Kevin for the shot!):

And a familar sight upon arrival at the NALM host hotel:  Alan “Action Jackson” spit shining his 6-speed Sirius White Pearl Acura Legend GS which he drove all the way from Floral City, Florida for the occasion.  This guy’s a trooper and his car looks phenomenal for having just over 200,000 miles on the odometer.  I may very well have the lowest-mileage vehicle at NALM this year…

On another interesting note, it wasn’t until I pulled into the hotel parking lot that I even saw another Legend this trip!  And no ILXs.

I reunited with some friends of NALMs past and had a great evening.  The humidity here is killer!

Alan from Florida was the first to do a little test drive.

My buddy Tom from Connecticut also took the wheel of the ILX.  He’s a former Legend owner but currently driving a 2006 Acura TL 6-speed.

Waseem from Detroit giving his immaculate 1990 Legend LS sedan a bath.

Here’s Ben – I’ve known him since the first NALM in 2005.  This guy presented me with the a special souvenir today – a custom machined titanium shift knob commemorating my Legend’s 500k mile accomplishment.

Pictures don’t do this thing justice – it’s engraved with my name and the Acura emblem, and enclosed in a custom made acrylic case.  Thanks Ben – this is awesome!

Finished out the evening with dinner.  Pictured here with Kevin (my biggest fan) and Chris (hosting this year’s NALM).

(Another) Ben – this one from San Francisco – arrived tonight too.  This guy is apparently as crazy as I am!  His 1992 Legend LS coupe has been to the last several NALM events regardless of distance.

This is what I love about the Legend (and Acura in general) community – its people.  It doesn’t matter that I showed up in something other than a Legend at today’s meet.  It just matters that I’m here.

Tomorrow, more festivities await and I’ll begin my return trip to Phoenix, though traveling via a different / more southern route.  My nightly destination will depend on what time I break away from Brookfield.  Tune in tomorrow night to find out!

Over and out.

Odometer:  6,858

Trip Mileage:  1,398

I did it!  While it wasn’t a record-setting mileage day in my driving history, it was still a long one.

Omaha is the largest city in Nebraska with a population of just over 400,000 people.  Little did I know, too, that Omaha is the birthplace of what later became known as the “TV dinner.”  Thanks, Nebraskans for giving us that!

My day started off very early – 5:30 a.m. local time, hopping on I-25 northbound from Santa Fe with the highway to myself.

Welcome to Las Vegas!   Las Vegas, New Mexico that is.  No gambling allowed here.

Beyond Vegas, I-25 climbs up toward the CO/NM border and I finally got a chance to exercise some smooth-shifting skills.

Made it!  One more state added to the list.

Are we having fun yet?  I think so.

You’d think the Rockies would be a bit more… rocky?  Reality is that the eastern side of Colorado is actually pretty flat.

Just north of the CO border, I diverted from the interstate and instead took to the 2-lane backroads for the next several hundred miles.  Hwy 350 paralleled the train tracks for awhile.

You know you’re in a remote place when you get zero service.  And zero data.  Thank goodness I was in a reliable car!

Thought this was a ‘cute’ name for a little one-horse town in the middle of nowhere off Highway 71.

Where 71 meets 70 in the town of Limon, I thought I’d fuel up…

… but I quickly learned that the only gas station in town only had two grades of unleaded fuel:  85 and 87.

Neither is acceptable for Premium-sipping ILX so I continued on.

These windmills off 71 reminded me a bit of Palm Springs.

And… just when I got some good momentum going, a construction zone held me up for about 15 minutes.

Giving me time to stare at that “A” a little longer.

Here we go – Woodrow, Colorado.  ZIP code 80757 and not even enough going on to warrant a Wiki page longer than two lines.  Here we have the ILX posed in front of the ultimate all-in-one:  Post Office, General Store, and Coffee Shop.

I took this picture for my friend Woody.

Finally I got back to an interstate, I-76 at the town of Brush, Colorado.  Check this out:  The “Brush Hair Company.”  Doesn’t that just seem fitting?!

Fueling up!

Right at home behind the wheel!

And, another state conquered.  Thankfully there was a family pulled over here so I enlisted their services in getting a picture for me.

Omaha awaits!

Hwy MPGs are rated at 31 on the window sticker – I’ve consistently been getting better than that.

Gothenburg, Nebraska is teeny town on I-80 in central Nebraska whose only claim to fame is that it’s home to an original 1854 Pony Express station.  I’d stopped here many years ago in my Legend on a cross-country adventure, so I figured I might as well take the ILX there, too.

Foreground, 2013 Acura ILX.  Background, 158-year-old Pony Express station.

Transportation has come a long way since the days of the Oregon Trail.  Which, by the way, was my favorite computer game in elementary school!

Nebraska is one continuous construction zone.

Finally, arriving at the Motel 6 off I-80 in Omaha.

And a visit from my Sioux Falls, South Dakota-based friend Dawson who I met via the Acura Legend forums.  This guy has gone through 4 Acura Legends and a couple of Integras.  I let him take the ILX for a spin and he had fun with it.

When all other restaurant options fail – Denny’s is always there for you.

So how did it feel to spend over 14 hours behind the wheel of the car today?  I feel like I need to go for a run around the block!  I get stir-crazy from sitting in one position for such an extended time.  I’m a little fatigued, too, but this has less to do with that KIND of car I was driving but rather the fact that I was IN a car the entire day.

Thankfully, tomorrow’s final stretch to Milwaukee, Wisconsin is “only” about 8 1/2 hours of drive time, and fewer than 600 miles.  Piece of cake!

Odometer:  5,976

Trip Mileage:  516 miles

Let the games begin!  My voyage to the National Acura Legend Meet’s 2012 event in Milwaukee, Wisconsin is underway.  I’ve just finished checking in at a luxurious Motel 6 in New Mexico’s capital, Santa Fe.  I’m only about an hour north of much-larger Albuquerque and sitting at about 7,200 feet elevation in the mountains of northern New Mexico.  Can’t wait to see the sunrise up here.  So far, so good.

I’ve now added another state to the list of ‘conquered’ destinations.  That means, my ILX has now traveled through:

• Arizona
• California
• Idaho
• Nevada
• New Mexico
• Utah

Here’s what today’s trip looked like.

Beginning mileage:

The afternoon departure from work in Scottsdale, Arizona as the trip begins.

It didn’t take long until my ascent from Phoenix to the mountains of northern Arizona was accompanied by some ominous looking storm clouds in the distance.

Rainy times on Interstate 17 northbound nearing Flagstaff, Arizona.  Thankfully the ILX is well-equipped with Michelin all-season tires that kept the ride stable.

A lot of these grades are steep as the road climbs from Phoenix area’s 2,000 feet elevation to Flagstaff’s 7,000 feet.  I was able to leave the car in 6th gear and it held its speed impressively.

Shout out to my friend Ryan for sending me on my way with a mix CD that I rocked out to!  Today’s 7 hours in the car went by in a flash thanks to lots of mobile audio entertainment.

Now on Interstate 40 eastbound.

Even in an age where iPhones and GPS systems have made travel “on the fly” so easy, there’s still something I absolutely love about having a printed paper map.  Besides the one I got from Google Maps, I also bought a $13 road atlas from Flying J this evening.  A must-have.

The open road of Interstate 40 eastbound in northern Arizona was pretty deserted for a Tuesday afternoon.  Some blue sky peeked through the clouds at one point.

This has got to be one of the oldest operating DQ’s out there.  Holbrook, Arizona.  My friend Kevin and I ate at this DQ last year on my way to NALM 2011 in Morristown, New Jersey.

A very rainy arrival into the “Land of Enchantment” at the Arizona – New Mexico border.

And a rainbow awaiting me not long afterward.

There’s just something about these desert skies at dusk!

Two fuel stops today – Holbrook, Arizona, and Albuquerque, New Mexico.  The ILX is doing great and I’m feeling refreshed and ready for another long day of driving tomorrow!

In other news:

I walked out of Supercuts on Sunday to find a twin (or at least sibling!) in the parking lot in Scottsdale.  Next to my car is a 2012 Acura TSX Special Edition, finished in the same Silver Moon color as my ILX.  It’s also powered by the same 2.4 liter, 201 horsepower 4 cylinder motor.

Yesterday, I had the door latch recall on my car taken care of.  It was a quick and painless ordeal.  Acura has done a great job of communicating this to customers and promptly making replacement parts available.  I was glad to get this done before my journey started.

If you’re into motorsports beyond just luxury cars, check out the Fall Fuel Fest.  My brother Bentley’s business is called H&S Performance and specializes in diesel pickup performance upgrades.  They’re sponsoring an all-day event at headquarters in St. George Utah with motocross, diesel truck pulls, and dyno events.  Guaranteed to see some high horsepower engines over there.

Heard the name Gunther Holtorf?  This guy’s story is inspirational!  500,000 miles in a Mercedes SUV, hitting nearly every continent in the globe over a 23-year span.  The photographs that accompany his story are awesome.  Check out this video.  My favorite line:  “He drives like an old granny!”

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-18910560

Guess it’s time for me to start shipping my 500k-miler overseas to give this guy a run for his money!

Up next:

Below is what I’m going to attempt tomorrow.  14 hours drive time, 883 miles from here in Santa Fe to Omaha, Nebraska.  Can the ILX do it?  Can I do it?

Tune in tomorrow night to find out.