“Quartzsite tow” I googled on my iPhone. When the representative from Everett’s Towing answered the phone, I told her my situation. “I’m at the Bouse rest area eastbound on I-10 about 30 miles from Quartzsite with a dead battery. Can you send a truck to give me a jump?” Meanwhile I was reaching out of my comfort zone by walking up to random people at the rest area: Tourists in a rental Caravan, a guy in a white PT Cruiser, a couple in a black Acura TL-S, and a family in a Ford pickup. Nobody carries jumper cables these days!
Location reference. AKA: Middle of nowhere, smack-dab in the desert.
My predicament happened because while my friend Justin was in the bathroom, I left the car’s ignition turned on so that I could stay in the car and use my work laptop which was plugged in to recharge. I guess the laptop sucked a lot more power than I thought it did. When Justin came back and hit the red START button on the instrument panel, lights flickered, the engine jolted briefly, and then everything went dark. My heart sank as I realized what had happened. At over 107,000 miles and with 2.5 solid years of daily use, the ILX’s battery has been getting a little more tired lately so I should have known better.
Stressed out about making it home to Phoenix (still a 90-minute drive away) so Justin could make it to a volleyball tournament, we anxiously watched the clock as we awaited help from the tow company. Then, a light bulb went on. We remembered that stick shifts can be push-started. It was a long shot, but we decided to try our luck at doing the same with the ILX. Because of the angle of the parking lot, it made the most sense to conduct our experiment in reverse, so I took the driver’s seat and released the parking brake. Justin gave the car a hearty push from up front and I started coasting rearward in reverse with the clutch depressed. When I felt like I had some pretty good momentum, I kicked my leg off the clutch pedal abruptly and the car came to life. Genius! Saved by a manual transmission.
Meanwhile, I felt bad leaving the tow driver high & dry so I called and offered to pay him for the time he’d already spent heading my direction. Lesson learned: I’m putting jumper cables in the car tomorrow.
It was a quick out-and-back weekend trip to Palm Springs, California for a party hosted by my friends Scott & Sandy. Their beautiful home was dressed to the max and bustling with dozens of people, Christmas music, and plenty of cheer. Justin and I had the chance to take a spin in Scott’s nicely restored 1966 Mustang in the perfect top-down weather before making our return trip to Phoenix the following day. Here are a few quick pics from the weekend.
Pit stop in Desert Center, California
Interstate 10 westbound
Backyard with a golf course view
Party hosts
Home exterior, with the palms decked out in blue lights
Following Scott in his new 1993 Legend LS coupe
Taking a look at some old iron. Pictured here is Scott’s 1959 Mercury Park Lane. Massive!
Out for a spin in the 1966 Ford Mustang 289 V8 with “Pony Package” interior.
Posted in ILX, Road Trip, Utah on December 1, 2014 by tysonhugie
Odometer (Legend): 531,910
Odometer (ILX): 106,356
Trip Distance: 12 Miles
As sunset drew near one evening during our visit to St. George, Utah for the Thanksgiving holiday, my friend Ryan asked me if I knew of “any good drives” in the area. “Pssssh” I thought. “Of course!” It wouldn’t be a Tyson-Ryan road trip if there wasn’t at least a little bit of off-roading, like that one time we drove Hell’s Backbone. That’s why, at first thought, the remote area of Warner Valley came to mind.
It had been a long time since I visited Warner Valley. Maybe 18 years? I know for a fact that we went camping there when I was in Boy Scouts, and I was probably 14 at the time. The landscape I’m sure hasn’t changed much, but the steadily sprawling urban development has encroached on what was once barren wilderness back then. This road trip didn’t just rewind the clock 18 years, though. It rewound the clock to 190 million years ago, back when dinosaurs roamed the earth. That’s because Warner Valley is home to some of the best-preserved dinosaur tracks in the southwest. There are, in fact, about 400 examples of dinosaur tracks that have been found in the area since it was originally mapped in 1989.
Ryan and I took to the dirt road with enthusiasm and started kicking up some dust. The red one-laner snaked its way through the sagebrush and led us past some areas where people were set up with firearms and doing target practice. We gladly continued onward from there. I did get a little nervous because the road conditions got a little sketchy – the gravel gave way to sand which was quite deep in places. Remembering that one time when I got the ILX hopelessly stuck in the sand, I knew that I needed to keep my momentum to avoid that. My car’s traction-control assistance did kick in a number of times as the front tires lost grip in the sand.
Luckily, Ryan kept a pretty good pace from ahead of me and I stayed on his tail despite being enveloped by a cloud of dust. The desert’s colors really took on vivid hues as the sun dipped down in the western sky. Soon, it became pretty clear we’d run out of daylight before getting down the road much further, so we opted to loop back once we arrived at the site of the Fort Pearce Historic Site. It’s a small stone structure that was built in 1866 during Utah’s “Black Hawk War.” Native Americans from the Ute tribe were trying to drive out the Mormon settlers. In a series of battles, 100 Indian lives were lost and 70 Mormons. The 42 x 22 foot structure was one of several guard posts that were built during that time. The war ended by about 1873 and the remains of Fort Pearce stand as a reminder.
(photo credit Washington County Historical Society)
I’ve heard of “instant karma” but never seen it in action until Ryan and I started heading back to toward civilization. Despite the fact that we were clipping along at 30 miles per hour, a Ford pickup came up in my rearview and got uncomfortably close. It was clear he wanted to blast past me, but the road was far too narrow at that time to allow it. At the next possible area, I did scoot to the right and he flew by, spraying a cloud of dust in my direction. It was just seconds later, as the driver took his truck halfway up the berm on the left side of the road in an attempt to pass Ryan, that he lost control of his truck and ended up spinning it sideways in the deep sand and having to stop. I passed him with a chuckle and Ryan and I continued on our merry way.
Thanks for joining on the trip!
Dinosaur track photos:
(photo credit stillexploring.com)
(photo credit stillexploring.com)
Heading out on the dirt road, following Ryan’s dust cloud
Quick photo op in the middle of nowhere
Another angle
Love the red sandstone scenery
ILX + S2000
Great sunset skies out in the desert
And headed back to civilization
Return drive to Phoenix on Saturday morning
The Virgin River Gorge section of Interstate 15
The Legend getting out for its weekly “walk” around the block.
Posted in ILX, Road Trip, Utah on November 28, 2014 by tysonhugie
Odometer (ILX): 105,770
Trip Distance: 426 Miles
Back in the 1850’s, southern Utah’s Mormon settlers discovered a beautiful canyon while searching for lost cattle. That place later became known as Snow Canyon State Park after prominent Utah pioneers Lorenzo and Erastus Snow. Since that designation in 1958, it has since become a favorite recreation destination for hiking and other outdoor activities.
The canyon’s views of the red and white sandstone rock formations are beautiful at any time of day, but I enjoy them especially in the early morning light. For many years while living in the nearby city of St. George, I visited the canyon for car photoshoots and videos. Here’s an example of one such video I filmed there (7 years ago! The Legend had “only” around 260,000 miles on it at the time).
It seemed only fitting that I kick off the Thanksgiving holiday with a car meet-up and road trip, so I rallied a few people including my younger brother Payton and a few Honda/Acura-owning buddies so we could get out and enjoy the gorgeous morning and the open road.
Payton’s car was by far the quickest of the group. It’s a highly modified Lexus IS300 and it’s known to peel out in just about any of its 6 gears. At over 600 horsepower, it’s more power than I’d ever know what to do with. The last touch on his build will be to reattach the front bumper but mechanically the car is “done.”
Nice color-matched custom interior dash trim. Notice the stereo has been removed, a custom aluminum plate added, and ready for additional gauges.
Driver’s side interior.
The beast of an engine. I should have taken a better picture of this, but the attention to detail is unmatched. It’s spotlessly clean and all of the finishes have been either custom painted or powder coated.
Heading up State Route 18 toward the entrance to Snow Canyon.
Getting passed by Cody’s Cashmere Silver Metallic 1993 L 5-speed sedan.
Nearing the north entrance to Snow Canyon State Park.
Park Entry
It’s amazing how close in hue the Intensa Blue Pearl (Lexus) and Kinetic Blue Pearl (Acura) are.
ILX and Blair’s 2007 Acura TL Type-S with 106,000 miles
Solo shot
In my element!
Standing with the 3 Acuras
Checking out Cody’s Legend engine
Cody’s interior smells like new, and the driver’s seat is near perfect
That car turned over 74,000 miles on the way up the canyon: It’s just a baby considering it’s nearly 22 years old.
Legend trunk.
Ryan’s 2001 Honda S2000 rounded out the mix of cars. It’s Berlina Black with 148,000 miles.
Thanks to Cody for these next 3 awesome pics.
Standing with Payton in Snow Canyon
Obligatory family family photo before turkey dinner at mom’s
Hope everyone had a great holiday! I’m making the return trip to AZ tomorrow morning and will have more to share about this weekend’s adventures in coming days. Safe travels to all.
It would have cost me $460 to fly round-trip from Phoenix on Southwest for this week’s trip to Los Angeles. Was there any question I’d rather get behind the wheel and just drive? Still I get the “Are you driving or flying?” question from plenty of people who don’t yet know me well enough! For this trip, I had a copilot who’s a fellow seasoned driver: Jason from Las Cruces, who you’ve read about on Driven for Drives, accompanied me on this trip to the City of Angels.
The LA Auto Show started in 1907 with 99 vehicles on display at a skating rink. Since then, it has evolved into one of the largest annual automotive events in the country, filling 760,000 thousand square feet of space at the Los Angeles Convention Center. I’ve attended on two occasions in the past:
I attended this year’s show as an Associate Editor for DC-based automotive media company Redline Productions. Jackson and Sofyan from the Redline management team had asked me to work with them on some vehicle launch videos, and I was excited for the opportunity to collaborate with them again. Jason rolled into Phoenix on Tuesday afternoon from Las Cruces, New Mexico, and we hit the road just in time to savor some of Phoenix’s worst afternoon stop-and-go westbound traffic on Interstate 10. It was a relief when we finally broke free from the gridlock and set the cruise on 80 for the next 5 or so hours.
(photo credit to Jason)
Taking the ILX for a quick lap around Los Angeles International Airport’s terminal 5 to scoop up Sofyan and Rob, we checked in at the Sheraton in downtown LA for the night and charged up our batteries – literally and figuratively – for the adventures the following day would provide. Equipped with our press credentials and loads of ambition, we attacked Wednesday’s Auto Show with organization and strategy.
Throughout the day, each automaker got a 25-minute window of time to “wow” the journalists. We got ahold of the schedule and decided which press conferences we each wanted to attend. When we weren’t following the hordes of press people around, we spent time tidying up our scripts and networking with old friends, some of whom we hadn’t seen since last year’s show. I ran into Acura’s Chuck Schifsky and we caught up for a few minutes.
I got my moment in the spotlight when I did an on-camera preview of the newly-refreshed 2015 Chrysler 300 (above picture captured by a friend during my on-cam time), and then had some free time to explore at my leisure. Some of the automaker booths offered free food, drinks, and swag, so I was keen to keep my eyes open for such goodies. In all, I walked over 5 miles during the day while exploring the huge conference center, according to my iPhone’s “Health” app.
The afternoon hours flew by, and before we knew it, the 5:45 p.m. PA announcement was made: The show halls would be closing in 15 minutes. We hurried to wrap up our current activities and then made our way back to the hotel. The evening’s activities included dinner with a friend from Acura’s PR team and then a drop-in at a Hyundai-sponsored after-party at historic Hotel Figueroa.
Honda’s all-new 2016 HR-V model, a subcompact crossover based on the Honda Fit platform, was the subject of my focus on Thursday morning for day 2 of the auto show. After completing a quick vehicle intro on camera for Redline Reviews, I scampered quickly to the Acura press conference which was scheduled to begin at 9:35 a.m. Luckily I was able to score us some second-row seats for the entertainment. Right on cue, we were surrounded by thundering music, spotlights through smoke, and a gigantic countdown clock on the big screen ahead of us.
Acura’s Senior Vice President Mike Accavitti took the stage and teed up his introduction of the refreshed 2016 Acura ILX. As most of my readers will know, the ILX debuted for the 2013 model year and aside from some new standard features, has been largely unchanged since. For 2016, the car will now get a host of new appointments to sweeten its appeal to young car buyers looking to enter the luxury segment.
The climax of Mike’s presentation happened when two Acura ILX models – one in silver and one in stunning Catalina Blue – blazed their Jewel Eye headlights at us and drove up onto the elevated stage. Mike proceeded then to teach us a little about what makes the new ILX so special.
Among those highlights are the following:
Now-standard 201-horsepower, 2.4 liter direct-injected 4-cylinder motor (up 51 horses from the prior “base model” engine)
Standard 8-speed dual-clutch transmission
New front & rear styling, including signature Jewel Eye headlamps
Addition of power passenger seat and available memory seats
Seven-inch touch-screen on the instrument panel
New trim levels: Standard, Premium, and Technology Plus.
Available A-SPEC package for Premium & above – rolling in 18″ wheels, fog lights, suede seat inserts, red instrument illumination, gray interior stitching, and aluminum brake & throttle pedals
I’m saddened by the elimination of the 6-speed manual as a transmission offering, but I love everything else about the new ILX. It looks like Acura has listened to customers who had complained about the previous ILX 2.0-liter “base” engine being underpowered, at only 150 horsepower. I love the resurrection of of the “A-SPEC” name, as it’s great to see Acura getting back to its “Precision Crafted Performance” heritage. I look forward to taking a new ILX for a spin.
Among the show’s other world debuts were some important vehicles, 18 of which are listed on the show’s Wiki page under the “2014” heading. All-too-soon, it was time for Jason and me to collect our gear and ponder the 400-mile trek back to the desert. We said farewell to our friends from Redline Media and grabbed some boxed lunches to-go from the Media Center, then hit the road. Jason was great company for the drive and I thank him for coming along! Thanks also to the Redline Productions team for making it a great experience. I hope that you as my readers enjoyed the show as much as we all did. Below are the rest of my pics!
This is a video of an 8-minute segment of the Acura press conference, leading up to the ILX rollout/unveil.
Wednesday morning view from the 20th floor of the Sheraton in downtown Los Angeles
Jason, Tyson, Rob, Sofyan, ready to tackle the first day of the Auto Show
Media Center: Getting set up with our camera gear
The 2016 Acura ILX waits under black covers until its reveal the following day.
Celebrity encounters in the Media Center: Steve Ewing, Sr. Editor of Autoblog, and Steve Siler, featured author in Car & Driver
Another celebrity encounter: Davis Adams of Honda Public Relations, and “Lance the Driver.”
And a third! This is the MAN behind Acura: Mr. Kurt Antonius. His name appeared as the designated point of contact on the press releases back in the mid-1980’s when the Acura brand was created as a separate entity from Honda. He’s since retired, but still comes back to attend the shows from time to time. It was great to run into him!
Honda HR-V debut
Filming the HRV with Jason and Sofyan the following morning
Dinner meet-up with great friends
Hyundai after-party with a plexiglass cover over the swimming pool at Hotel Figueroa so we could walk on top of it.
Additional pictures of today’s 2016 Acura ILX unveiling – first, Mike Accavitti’s presentation.
This is the A-SPEC model that rolled out to the stage in Catalina Blue.
Interior
Rear
Rear again
Front
2.4 liter engine
Driver’s side interior
Driver’s side exterior
Accompanying silver ILX on display, with the new accessory 18″ wheels
Nice looking rear end
My good friend Scott who works for Acura’s media agency, Mullen
A few other sights from around the show: Mazda – with Jason conducting a review of the newly-revised 6
Volkswagen’s sexy new “Golf R”
Subaru
Toyota
Hyundai
Infiniti
Infiniti concept car
Bentley
Audi
BMW
Lexus
My trusty old car when leaving the Sheraton to head home from Los Angeles.
“Stop the car RIGHT NOW!” I ordered to Justin as my eyes affixed on the quickly passing Roy’s Motel sign on the passenger side of the car. Obediently, he cocked the steering wheel to the right and we skidded to a stop on the gravel shoulder from about 55 miles per hour in a cloud of dust. The lengths that I go to for a photo-op is sometimes extreme!
What had caught my eye was a remnant of old Route 66: A true time capsule of architecture from 1936 in Amboy, Nevada that stood as a reminder of what the Mother Road once was. Justin positioned the ILX for a photo op and I immortalized the moment digitally for you all to enjoy.
Determined to keep the weekend fun going, on the heels of our Zion National Park hike, Justin and I decided to explore some new turf and visit friends in Palm Springs, California. My mom served up some delicious sourdough French toast and we hit the road with a full tank of gas and full stomachs. The 100 mile stretch between St. George, Utah and Las Vegas, Nevada was a repeat for me as I’ve driven it hundreds of times. Still, the Virgin River Gorge through the northwest corner of Arizona always provides amazing views in any direction. In its day, it was one of the most expensive stretches of interstate in the country.
It was the route we took after rolling through Las Vegas that brought some excitement to the adventure. Shortly after crossing into the California state line (and passing the landmark “Buffalo Bill’s” casino & rollercoaster) in Primm, we rolled onward for only about another 10 miles on Interstate 15 southbound before exiting on Nipton Road at mile marker 286. I turned over the ILX reins to Justin for a little while. The next few hours were spent in the desert backcountry – winding our way along two lane highways that combined whoop-de-doos, seemingly endless straightaways, and plenty of roadside scenery to enjoy. Pavement conditions were less than optimal, as Justin frequently had to dodge huge potholes while clipping along at 65 to 75 miles per hour. At least the ILX steering is pretty responsive.
It’s a good thing we had fueled in up Las Vegas because amenities were extremely sparse out there. We rolled around with windows down, moonroof open, and music blaring — the temperatures were perfect for an open-air cruise. We blasted through the town of Cima without even batting an eye, but Kelso was worth a closer look. It got its start in 1905 as a railroad depot for the line between Utah and Los Angeles.
When the mining industry boomed in the 1940s, the population maxed out at around 2,000 residents. The mines, however, were only open for a decade and – you’ve all heard this story before – the town pretty much dried up. Today, the original 1923 depot has been restored and serves as the visitor center. Fun fact: Due to its remote nature, Kelso residents didn’t get access to television until the 1970s. (nice overhead shot here from Scott Haefner)
Further down Kelbaker Road from Kelso, we drove past 45 square miles of sand dunes in the Mojave Desert Preserve. The road crossed over Interstate 40 and eventually led us to our next pit stop in Amboy – home of Roy’s. I wish Roy’s was still open for business, but its doors shut shortly after the interstate bypassed Amboy in 1972. Can you imagine being able to time-travel to the heyday of Route 66 and experience what it must have been like? Amboy’s population is 4, and those residents refer to their town as “The ghost town that ain’t dead yet.”
There’s not a heck of a lot to see or do in Amboy today, but just a bit to the west (and visible from the highway) is a 6,000-year-old cinder cone volcano that looks like it would be fun to hike around in or on. Our destination in Palm Springs awaited – and Justin was anxious to pick up the pace – so we moseyed onward. We breezed through State Route 62 in the town of Twentynine Palms, named by a colonel who surveyed the land in 1852. Palm Springs was just another hour beyond that, and we arrived just in time for a fantastic sunset.
Here are the rest of the pictures from this leg of the journey.
Accident-induced traffic at the NV/CA state line near Primm. All that red!
Justin driving past the Kelso railroad depot.
Distance marker near Kelso.
Kelso sand dunes.
I loved this straightaway with telephone poles running parallel to the road.
Rock formations nearing Amboy.
Arrival at Roy’s in Amboy, California. Look closely for a special message Justin sent me from the moonroof of the car.
And yet again.
Waiting for a freight train to pass by.
ILX interior.
Monday morning: heading back to Phoenix from Palm Springs.
Rest area just east of Quartzsite, Arizona.
Love how friendly the interpretive signs are: “Enjoy Arizona.” We sure did!
Thanks for joining!
Hey, on the subject of car longevity:
My friend Scott shared this article with me. It shows just how much butt-kicking Honda does with regard to vehicle reliability when compared to other makes. My favorite part was the section about how the Accord model singlehandedly “beats all of Europe.”
Grab a $5 footlong before getting started with this post. The Subway I’ll be introducing you to today, however, isn’t any kind of sandwich. It’s something far better: It’s one of the most remote and scenic canyons in the country. Growing up in southern Utah, I was lucky to have several national parks right in my own backyard. Utah, in fact, is often considered the country’s national park capital because there are five parks in close proximity.
Zion National Park covers 229 square miles but it’s most known for 15-mile-long Zion Canyon. Its designation as a national park happened almost exactly 95 years ago, in November 1919 under U.S. President Woodrow Wilson. The canyon itself is up to 1/2 mile deep and cuts through the sandstone rocks in dramatic red and orange colors. Back in May 2013, I shared a throwback post about a few of my visits to Zion including my favorite hike of all time, Angel’s Landing, which ascends a narrow pathway through terror-inducing heights with 1,500-foot cliff drop-offs on both sides. Yeah, don’t lose your footing.
For years I’ve known of a hike called The Subway but it wasn’t until this weekend that I actually got the chance to experience it. Due to its treacherous nature and in the interest of preservation, access to The Subway is heavily restricted by the National Park Service and a backcountry permit is required. My mom reserved a permit for our group several months in advance, so we set aside the date and planned our visit around a fixed date.
Bright and early on Saturday morning (do people ever say they got up “dark and late”?), five of us piled into my ILX and headed toward the entrance to Zion in Springdale. It was a cozy squeeze but only about a 40-mile trek. We ran into a traffic delay just before entering park limits, thanks to a 10K run that caused a road closure. By the time we’d retrieved our permit from the Visitor Center, driven 8 miles up Kolob Terrace Road, and unloaded our gear, it was around 10:45 in the morning when we started the hike.
For the next 6 hours, we’d be traversing some of southern Utah’s most rugged and scenic landscapes – with many of the fall colors at their peak, too. Motivated and full of energy, we practically skipped down the singletrack dirt trail for the first 1/2 mile or so. Terrain was level for the time being. Soon, though, we started dipping down rocky, steep (and sometimes slippery) red dirt as we made our way to the base of the canyon. A few of us had walking sticks, but Justin and I did the best we could to find our footing without the assistance. The lower in elevation that we got, the more clearly we could hear the babbling of the Virgin River as it carved its way through the canyon. Aside from a couple of cairns here and there, we had very few points of reference to go on. Sometimes, the trail was wherever we wanted it to be.
We frequently had to climb up, over, or around boulders that were bigger than SUVs. They came in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. Some had edges that looked so precision-cut, they almost seemed man-made. About an hour into the hike, it became apparent that getting our feet wet was going to be inevitable, so we swapped our footwear for water-friendly Teva sandles and continued onward. Multiple times we did end up having to cross the Virgin River as we headed up the canyon. One of my favorite things about The Subway hike was its solitude: In our entire day of hiking, we encountered probably fewer than two dozen people.
It seemed like it took forever, but we finally started noticing that the canyon narrowed and we crossed over some eye-catching tiered waterfalls. Just around the corner, The Subway was there in all its glory, and we spent some time in that area admiring the surroundings. The actual section of the hike that has rounded subway-like walls is only about 1/4 miles in length. It lies between two peaks called the North and South Guardian Angels.
Glancing at her watch, my mom alerted us to fact that it would start getting dark in just 3 hours. The last place any of us wanted to be at dusk was stuck inside the canyon, so we somewhat hurriedly started back-tracking toward the trailhead. I found it interesting that the reverse hike often times offered completely different looking views than what we had seen on the first leg. It was a bit unnerving when Justin and I came across a group of 3 people who were terrified: “We’ve think we’ve missed the exit.” (referring to the area where we needed to climb up out of the river bed and ascend to the trailhead). Justin and I were quite certain we hadn’t yet gotten to to that point in the trail. Still, it made my heart skip a beat to think that we might end up hopelessly lost and need to spend the night in a dark canyon.
Sure enough, we did find our way out and we spent the last ounce of our energy (and our last few drops of bottled water) on climbing the 1,000 or more feet in elevation to the parking lot, just as the sun started dipping beneath the horizon. I passed by a man who was clearly struggling to carry a bunch of camera gear and offered to lighten his load. He graciously accepted the offer and had me unlatch his heavy tripod so that I could carry it to the top for him. It was such a relief to get to the summit and know that we had finished our mission safely.
The Subway offered up an experience that I won’t soon forget! More pictures follow below – hope you enjoy them.
First, a very short (15-second!) video.
Stuck in Saturday morning traffic in Rockville, Utah – headed to get our backcountry hiking permit.
Arrival at the Left Fork Trailhead.
Todd and Tia getting ready for the descent into the canyon.
Making our way down the steep slope toward the Virgin River.
Fall colors as mom makes her way through the canyon.
Justin shows off his strength with this huge boulder.
Obligatory hiking selfie.
Pit stop along the river as we headed toward The Subway section.
More fall colors.
Small waterfalls were found throughout the canyon.
Scenery unmatched.
One of several terraced waterfalls.
Arrival at The Subway.
The Subway.
This was as far as we went into the depths of The Subway. We would have needed to rappel to go any further.
Taking a breather before starting the return trip.
The Virgin River cascades down this smooth rock face.
Back at the trailhead, victorious! Aunt Jodi, Justin, Tyson.
Despite not having any service, my iPhone somehow calculated my daily steps at 22,872 – equaling 11.03 miles and 59 flights of stairs.
It’s no wonder my legs were still sore even a couple days later. Hope you enjoyed the hike!
Vegas + Cars = Fun. Las Vegas, Nevada is one of the entertainment capitals of the world, but add on top of that the fact that the city plays host once a year to one of the biggest car conventions on the planet, and the fun factor skyrockets off the charts. The SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association) Show is a place for vendors to display their wares – and anything that’s automotive-related is fair game. Some 60,000 domestic and international buyers are expected to visit the 4-day show each November at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Over the next few blog entries, I’ll share with you the highlights of a 4-day, 1,133-mile trip through Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and California. This first one will include just the SEMA piece.
My friend Justin and I hit the road on Friday morning in the ILX to make our way to Sin City for this year’s show. Drive time was only about 4.5 hours – not too painful at all. We found our way to the convention center on Paradise Road and parked the ILX, shuffled our way indoors along with hundreds of other people who were also arriving for the last day of the show. Right off the bat, I ran into my friend Nyko from Local Motors who had a booth outside next to a huge Meguiar’s display. My main focuses for the SEMA show during our short visit were to meet up with my friend Jason and to document the Honda / Acura booth so that I could share it with you all.
The eye-catcher this year was the “Andaro Blue” customized 2015 Acura TLX, built by Galpin Auto Sports. It featured:
Aero body kit with new front and rear bumpers, side skirts and deck-lid spoiler
ADV5.0 M.V2 SL custom wheels with gunmetal inner and liquid smoke outer – 19×9+38 Front/19×9+35 Rear
Pirelli 245/40/19 P Zero Tires
RSR Sport SI Series suspension kit with fully adjustable coilovers featuring 36-way damping adjustment
Wilwood Superlite 6 Piston Caliper with 14″ Vented Rotor Front Brakes
Have a look at this beauty. A camera simply cannot do justice to how eye-popping that custom color was in person.
Indeed I did find “Honda Pro” Jason there at the show – standing among several highly modified Honda Fits in the Honda booth. I’ve introduced you to Jason before here and he’s a fellow high-mile connoisseur, having logged over 200,000 miles on his now-sold 1997 Honda Civic EX coupe.
The rest our short visit was spent wandering around wide-eyed and trying to soak in as much as possible. I managed to find my brother and his wife in the show, as well as connect with a few friends who were also there for the occasion. Below are a few of my other pics from the day!
Vegas-bound!
Highway 93 northbound, approaching Hoover Dam from the Nevada side.
With Nyko from Local Motors. He and his company were part of the ALV program last month.
Feasting my eyes on the Galpin-modified 2015 TLX.
Overview of the Acura booth.
A few PHX-based friends who we ran into at the show.
Heading up an escalator to eyeball some other vendors.
My sister-in-law and brother, with a wildly-modified, 6-door stretched Dodge Ram pickup. No, it’s not street legal.
Lexus booth with a couple of RC coupes.
Toyota concept car.
Next up: An action-packed hike in southern Utah’s Zion National Park. See you soon.
Life begins at 100,000 miles, right? Having a now-6-figure mileage readout on the ILX doesn’t change the fact that I still need to get out of town once in awhile.
Half the fun of owning a unique automobile is interacting with other folks who drive the same make and model. For 10 years now, I’ve attended the annual National Acura Legend Meet which has been held in various cities across America each summer and in the process, I’ve made valuable friendships that endure longer than our Legends ever will. Now that I’m an Acura NSX owner, I’m also starting to get involved with a similar program called NSXPO. Last week, it was announced that NSXPO 2015 will be hosted in Palm Springs, California.
I was approached by the Director for the 2015 NSXPO about serving as drive coordinator – in other words, about being the guy in charge of the cruise route. Naturally, if it has anything to do with planning road trips, it’s a good fit for me, so I happily obliged. In order to scout out the route I’m proposing for NSXPO, I set aside this weekend to do a mock drive. A friend who’s local to the Palm Springs area, Scott, gave me the idea of California State Route 74 – also known as the “Palms to Pines” Scenic Byway. The route dates all the way back to 1934 and connects Palm Springs with Banning via a series of thrilling mountain passes and refreshing cooler temperatures.
My friend Justin and I departed from the Phoenix area on Friday afternoon, just in time to sit in seemingly endless bumper-to-bumper traffic on Interstate 10 westbound out of town. Once we’d finally freed ourselves from that mess, it was smooth sailing all the way out to our first fuel stop in Palm Desert.
Our gracious hosts Scott & Sandy allowed us the use of a condominium near their home where we checked in prior to exploring the night life of the desert resort city. The main event came the following day. After grabbing drinks & breakfast grub at “Koffi” on Palm Canyon Drive, we picked up Scott in the ILX and headed for the hills of the San Bernardino National Forest on Highway 74.
I knew the second that I saw a sign with “Avoid Overheating: Turn Off A/C Next 11 Miles,” this road was going to get technical and steep very quickly. To no surprise, the grade required frequent downshifts to 3rd gear as I pointed the ILX through the curves at 45-55 miles per hour and the road wound itself into a knot ahead of us. I took the opportunity to take a break at a pullout so that we could do a driver swap and briefly admire the view.
I nominated Scott to take some time behind the wheel so that I could better focus on the surroundings and take a few pictures. The view was incredible. Soon, we had ascended from an elevation of 440 feet all the way up to about 5,000 feet. Temperatures had fallen at least 15 degrees, and the landscape had transitioned from desert flora to oak and pine trees.
True to expectation, I did get a little motion sick as a passenger on the twisty road and I made every effort to overcome that by focusing intently on the vehicle ahead of us as well as pointing an A/C vent directly at my face so I could get some fresh air. It helped a lot. We rolled past a water storage reservoir called Hemet Lake to our left, and then soon took a right on Highway 243 which would lead us back to Interstate 10 and complete our loop.
Just 5 miles up the road, we entered the town of Idyllwild which is home to about 4,000 people and is nestled in the San Jacinto Mountains. This was a perfect chance to get out of the car and wander around in the perfect 72-degree temperatures. We found some open-air dining at a restaurant called Jo’An’s. The mozzarella sticks, avocado burger, and a Sprite helped settle my stomach greatly.
It was time for me to again take the wheel, so we saddled back up and made our way to the northwest via curvy Highway 243. A number of scenic lookouts gave us the opportunity to enjoy the views of the valley below. There were dozens of switchbacks as the road stepped down the mountainside and back toward sea level. I left the ILX in 3rd & 4th gear most of the time to keep from riding the brakes too much. By the time we arrived back in civilization in the city of Banning, Justin and I (and our stomachs) were both grateful for straight roads. We did make just one more important stop on the way back to Palm Springs: Cabazon, right off Interstate 10.
The two gigantic dinosaurs at Cabazon are named Mr. Rex and Ms. Dinny. Created in the 1960’s by portrait artist Claude Bell, these 100- and 150-ton creations have greeted visitors for decades. “Dinny” the Apatosaurus was created first and stands 45 feet tall. The T-Rex was built later. It used to have a slide built into its tail, but that was later filled with concrete. Claude at one time had wanted to make the dinosaurs’ eyes glow at night and have fire coming from their mouths, but never got around to adding that enhancement before he passed away in 1988. Today, there’s a small gift shop and museum inside Dinny.
We had a great time exploring Palms to Pines and are extremely grateful to Scott and Sandy for showing us around! Here are the rest of our pics.
Driving into the sunset on I-10. Justin, by the way, took the wheel for this stretch. I taught him how to drive a stick shift just this week! The ILX is a super easy car to learn on thanks to its light clutch and its hill-holding feature.
Golf course view from Scott’s backyard in Palm Springs.
Getting ready to hit the road, Jack. And don’tcha come back.
Highway 111 heading toward its junction with Highway 74.
After ascending a few of the twisties, a scenic lookout gave us an overview of the valley.
Twisty road below.
Heading on upward.
Roadside cafe in Paradise Valley along Highway 74 is a popular destination for motorcyclists.
Junction with Highway 243, just 5 miles from Idyllwild.
The curves never stop around here.
This town was voted “LA’s Best Mountain Getaway.”
Street parking is sparse but we found a spot to stash the ILX while we walked around.
Check it out: Polished Metal Metallic Acura ILX on the far right; my car on the far left.
Western wear store.
Dining “al fresco” in the perfect temperatures at Jo’An’s BBQ.
Lots of people enjoying the outdoors.
Back on the road again for the descent into Banning.
Scenic viewpoint parking.
Short hike to the overlook.
Smoky the Bear had a few words to say.
Departing San Bernardino National Forest on Highway 243.
Slippery when wet.
Back into the desert we go.
“Dinny” the 45-foot-tall dinosaur at Cabazon off Interstate 10.
Let’s get the heck out of town! In the matter of a short 3-hour jaunt today, my friends and I squoze (squeezed?) in a scenic drive, a hike, and some great grub. I’d say this Sunday funday got off to a really nice start. This morning, my friend Jack, Ian, and Brian stopped by to ride as passengers in the ILX as we headed to the hills northeast of Phoenix, Arizona. We made our way northbound on Loop 101 and Pima Rd, followed by a turn down Cave Creek Road toward its dirt road terminus. Our first stop included a history lesson.
Sears Kay Ruin has a self-guided hike that we stopped to get a closer look at. Historians believe this site was occupied between 1050 and 1200 AD by the native Hohokam people. The place gets its name from a rancher who occupied the area in 1887. The site at one time was elaborate with 40 rooms or more, but today the walls are weathered and worn down to just a couple of feet high. From the parking area, the one-mile loop was steep at times but not overly strenuous. The 360-degree views were worth every drop of sweat.
After the hike, we headed out in the ILX toward the end of the pavement on Cave Creek Road. The twisties got a little more intense but the pavement was fresh so conditions were right for having a little bit of cornering fun. The ILX definitely handles differently when I’ve got 3 passengers as opposed to when it’s just me. I actually prefer how “planted” it feels when there’s a little more weight in the car.
When I see a sign that says “Pavement Ends,” it’s usually more an invitation than a warning. It only encourages me to keep pressing onward to see what might lie around the next bend. Further up the dirt road lies Seven Springs Campground was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1934 and has 25 different sites. It’s 9 miles 0f narrow gravel road with blind curves at times, but you can bet I’ll be going back to explore its entirety soon.
Our last stop was at a lunch destination with a very odd name: Big Earl’s Greasy Eats started out as a 1935 Standard Oil gas station in Phoenix but was moved in the 1950’s to its current location in Carefree, Arizona. Since 2002, it’s operated as a restaurant. The menu consisted of standard diner-type fare, and I opted for the mushroom & Swiss hamburger accompanied by some sweet potato fries. All in all, a perfect mini adventure and a nice escape with friends. Thanks for joining us for the drive!
Parking at Sears Kay trailhead
Information on the Sears Kay history
Some of the ruins. These have been reinforced over the years.
Ian, Brian, Tyson
Jack posted this snazzy pic of me behind the wheel. Follow him on Instagram!
Here’s a look at Cave Creek Road, just prior to where it turns to dirt at the north end.
Menu at Big Earl’s
Parking at Big Earl’s
Tyson and Jack enjoying the weather in Cave Creek, Arizona
I traveled around 878 miles this weekend, but 26.2 of those were more painful than all the rest. For those miles, I traveled by foot. Well, by New Balance running shoe anyway. It’s tradition each October to spend a weekend in my hometown and participate in the St. George Marathon which travels along State Route 18 and beautiful Snow Canyon State Park. Here are write-ups on the previous trips to the St. George Marathons I’ve blogged about.
It seems that with each passing year, my training gets less and less involved, and that definitely held true for the 2014 event. Having run only a maximum of 6 miles at a time since January, I was poorly prepared for what was to come.
On Saturday morning, a delayed race start (7:00 a.m. instead of 6:45) meant it would be a little warmer on the course for all of us. The heat, as it turned out, was what really drained my energy. I had a strong start, but by mile 7 I’d crossed into new distance territory and my body didn’t like it one bit. My mom blew past me at mile 8, just before we had to tackle this huge hill (she’s pictured in blue shorts here). I was amazed that we’d even seen each other, considering the fact that we hadn’t started together and there were 7,998 other registered participants!
At mile 10, I could tell I was overheating and dehydrated. I took advantage of a downhill at mile 14 to let gravity do some work for me, but the road quickly again leveled out and I told myself I’d never do this again. A fitting song came on my playlist just then: “Run, Run, Run” by Vicci Martinez.
It was around mile 16 when I slowed to a walk because I could tell there was a blister on my left foot. I needed to get my mind off the race for a minute, so I turned my phone off “airplane mode” and checked text messages and emails while I walked. I’m pretty sure I was the only person on the course reading his monthly HOA newsletter at that moment in time. An aid station up ahead called to me like an oasis in the desert, and I downed 3 cups of Gatorade and half an orange when I got there. That gave me enough fuel to pick up the pace again just a bit.
My grandma was sitting alongside the road at mile 24 in the same place she’s been every year. She’s definitely my most dedicated fan, and she’d gone to the effort of writing up a poem on posterboard to provide me (and my mom) some motivation. The last couple miles of the race took us winding through central St. George, with lots of crowd support and fanfare as we neared the finish. I saved a little energy for one last dash during the last couple of blocks, then came to a stop and felt the extreme sense of relief in knowing that I’d finished. My cousin Nicki, who’d long-since finished the race, caught my finish on video. My bright orange shirt was pretty easy to spot.
It wasn’t the ice cream sandwich, the Texas Roadhouse rolls, or the yogurt that I most enjoyed in the fenced-off runner recovery area after the race. It was the chocolate milk, and I chugged a few cups of it in delight. I ended up with a 4 hour, 43 minute finish time. This was over 20 minutes slower than my time last year. Look at how much my pace slowed toward the finish! Slow poke.
We spent the afternoon relaxing with family. Here are the rest of the pics from this weekend of fun.
I had the privilege of shuttling my cousin Nicki between Las Vegas, Nevada and St. George, Utah for the race.
Unfortunately, the ILX was victim to a hit-and-run in Las Vegas early Friday morning. I’m still trying to get ahold of my motel’s parking lot surveillance camera tape, but sometime between 1:00 and 7:00 a.m., the back bumper got hit & creased. Bummer!
Carbo-loading at Pasta Factory in St. George, the day before the race.
Ready to rock and roll!
Bonfires at the start line helped keep the chilly wind from making us too uncomfortable.
My friend Kerri was in her front yard cheering on the participants, too.
Best reward ever? Chocolate milk at the finish line.
And an ice cream sandwich.
Mom showing off her muscles. She pulled off a 4-hour finish time.
Much-needed relaxation.
Hanging with cousins.
Oh yeah, and those “sport” pedals in the ILX? I made the mistake of trying to drive barefoot after the race. Those little rubber nubs lit my blisters on fire every time I pushed in the clutch pedal or brake. Ouch. I had to pull over and find my flip flops before continuing on.
drivetofive 