Road Trip | drivetofive

Archive for the Road Trip Category

NALM 2016 Day 3: Oakwood, Georgia

Posted in Legend, NALM, Road Trip on September 15, 2016 by tysonhugie

Odometer: 546,604

Trip Distance (Day): 670

Trip Distance (Overall): 1,947

Let the games begin! It “feels” like 7:00 p.m. to me, but locally it’s already 10:00 and time to wind it down for the night. One challenge with driving west-to-east, cross-country, is that dealing with all those time-zone losses. I’ve arrived at my destination in Oakwood, northeast of Atlanta.

For a few frustrating minutes – or probably closer to 45 – I fought heavy traffic northbound on Interstate 85 from metro ATL and that caused me to be late for this evening’s pizza party here at the Best Western Plus Hotel. No matter, I still enjoyed a few slices and it was great to be reunited with old friends and make a few new ones. This is now the 12th time I’ve attended the National Acura Legend Meet. And it’s my car’s 11th. The only one it missed was 2012 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin when I drove the then-brand-new ILX.

This morning started out bright and early in western Louisiana. The humidity was high as I departed Motel 6 off Interstate 10 and started my eastward journey into the sunrise for the day. The nice thing about today’s drive was that the states went by much more quickly. In a matter of hours I’d crossed multiple borders off my list.

Checkpoint!

Lunch (though my internal time clock told me it was breakfast) was at Starbucks in Jackson, Mississippi and I later had a bite at Burger King in Birmingham, Alabama. The miles flew by and I encountered miraculously few slow-downs on the interstate.

Tonight, I was greeted by the “Ground Team” planning committee members who are putting the event on. Alan Jackson pulled out his informational poster boards and filled the room of 25 or so people in on the game plan for our upcoming couple of days. Tomorrow begins bright and early with an 8:00 departure for our “dyno” event where a few members will have their cars tested to evaluate horsepower and torque performance ratings. A few of us made our way to the parking lot and carried on some Legend chat.

Eric threw me the keys to his 1993 L sedan which coincidentally used to be mine! It’s amazing to see the car here, but now in restored form. Pics of that tomorrow. I also took my friend Marc’s 1994 GS sedan for a quick spin. Both Eric and Marc are based in New Jersey but this year’s event has brought folks from all across the country – including one guy named Leon who drove from Los Angeles and thus has me beat for the long-haul award!

Much more to come!

Departing Shreveport

Quick stop in Monroe, Louisiana

Crossing the mighty Mississippi River

93 octane is tasty stuff. $2.18 is what I paid.

Chubby cheeks. This is a town in Mississippi.

Saw this on multiple vehicles in Alabama. Must be what they use on recently-sold cars for registration!

Closing in on my destination!

Northbound I-85 in ATL

NALM attendee map. The one in Arizona is me! A couple of the Californians didn’t make it, one flew in, and one drove.

Rich’s car, twin to mine but a year newer and an automatic.

Check back tomorrow when the real fun gets started out here! Thanks for following along!

9 Comments »

NALM 2016 Days 1 and 2: Las Cruces, New Mexico & Shreveport, Louisiana

Posted in Legend, NALM, Road Trip on September 14, 2016 by tysonhugie

Odometer: 545,934

Trip Distance (Leg): 1,277

Trip Distance (Overall): 1,277

Welcome aboard!

It’s that blessed time of year once again when a few dozen crazed Legend fans rendezvous for a multi-day event. This year, the event’s 12th, will be hosted in Oakwood, Georgia – just a bit north of Atlanta. My one-way drive will end up being about 1,900 miles, making this quite a bit further than I had to go last year when the event was in Houston. Here’s to hoping things move toward the west coast for 2017. Maybe I should host NALM in Phoenix?

The last couple of days I’ve been pounding the pavement of I-10 and I-20 through Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. Let me rephrase that last one. Teeeeeexxxxxxaaaaaaaasssssss. The state is just gigantic. Today I drove from sun-up to sundown and never left the state. In fact, I drove another 2 hours eastbound in the dark until I finally reached the Louisiana state line after having spent some 800 miles working my way from one end of the Lone Star State to the other. I’m exhausted. And maybe my tried & true Legend steed is as well.

Jason of Driven for Drives was kind enough to roll out some red carpet for me during my stay in Las Cruces, New Mexico. The drive to his place from central Phoenix ended up taking me about 6 hours. I was able to pry my way out of the office (not an easy task when you’ve only had the job a week!) about a half hour early and hit the highway. After a night’s rest, I continued on through El Paso (fought about 1/2 hour worth of rush-hour there) and then it was the open road ahead. “Wide Open Spaces,” as the Dixie Chicks would call it.

I reach a point in my long-distance drives where I fall into a meditative state and time flies by. I’m skipping through a few dozen songs on the iPod, perusing my road atlas, and the next thing I know I’ve gone 100 miles. Luckily most of the speed limits out in rural Texas are 80 miles per hour, but that doesn’t help in cases (like today’s) where I frequently hit construction zones and sudden rain downpours and had to clamp down on the brakes.

This was my dialogue with the service station attendant at Cowpoke’s Convenience Store in Cisco, Texas:

Guy: What kind of car is that?
Me: It’s just an old Acura, a Legend.
Guy: Oh, I saw when you pulled up, the front end looked like an old Skyline.
Me: Haha, nah. Nothing fancy. Just cruising across the country to Atlanta.
Guy: Atlanta? But you’ve only made it to Cisco, Texas.
Me (walking out the door with my newly purchased beef jerky): Well, at least I’m halfway!

And with that, I was off. Cisco was a pretty neat little down, actually. It’s known for being a historical spot in the story of Hilton hotels. Hilton’s founder, Conrad Hilton, bought a building there in 1919 and it became his first hotel. Back in those days, they would rent out the rooms in 8-hour time intervals! Today, that original building houses the Cisco Chamber of Commerce. I stopped by for a few photos in the rain and checked it out.

In Dallas – the Metroplex – I met up with my friend Scott for a short visit. He clued me in a pretty cool truck stop just a ways up the road on I-20 called Buc-Ees. Sure enough, it was worth checking out. Have you ever been to a gas station that had 38 pumps? Thirty-eight. I think that’s what heaven must look like. No waiting, anywhere. Just pumps for days. I didn’t take the time to check out Buc-Ees in much detail, but I liked what I saw.

So that brings us to Louisiana, and just a few states to go until my arrival tomorrow night at the meeting point. Here’s to a good night’s rest, and thanks for coming along on the journey!

Took this before leaving. These are some leaks from the Legend. I checked oil 4 times so far on the trip and haven’t had to add any. I know there is some power steering fluid leakage and I did add some of that.

Departing the “Land of Enchantment”

And arriving Texas there you have to “drive friendly.”

This is the worst breakfast. But it was also the best. Cinnabon + choc milk.

Lots of 5-4 going on here.

Seeing signs for Shreveport

Meeting up w/ Scott

A visit to Buc-Ees off I-20

And finally, arriving Shreveport!

13 Comments »

First Week of Work; Another Honda Purchase

Posted in House, Legend, Road Trip on September 11, 2016 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend): 544,647

Odometer (ILX): 181,139

Owning a 544,000 mile car is not without its share of drama! I just got the Legend back on Friday from receiving a replacement starter under warranty from Hon-Man in Tempe, Arizona. The old one was an aftermarket unit installed in December 2015 that had intermittent issues. A couple of weeks ago, I had to push-start the car (alone!) in a Great Clips parking lot in Fountain Hills after getting a haircut. That was embarrassing. Luckily, Hon-Man took great care of me. I also had the car’s oil changed yesterday.

We are good to go! On Tuesday evening, we (as in me + you, my readers) will depart on a 3,800 mile round-trip drive to Georgia and back.

The car received a backyard bath yesterday evening, though I know it’ll get plenty dirty on its cross-country journey across 6 states in the coming days. I’ll depart Tuesday after work and do my best to post nightly updates like the ones I gave when Jason and I took our Alaska trip earlier this year.

I still have the training wheels on, but I made it through my first week (well, first 4 days) of work at my new job with Banner Health. Luckily for me, I have a sidekick (Amanda) who started the same day as I did so I don’t have to feel like the only new kid on the block. Tuesday was filled with a half-day or orientation followed by an introduction to our teammembers. The Banner “Corporate Center” at Phoenix Plaza is comprised by two 21-story identical towers at the northeast corner of Central Avenue and Thomas Avenue. My team sits on the 4th floor of the south tower.

As with any large organization, we had our share of hoops to go through this week to get up to speed. Still, I have no work-issued laptop computer and I’m using a “loaner.” And it took us until day 3 to get ahold of our parking passes and elevator badges. In all, I’m toting around 6 different badges on my lanyard. I’d better not lose it!

Access granted:

The team has been most welcoming and I’m starting to wrap my head around the new language and tasks. My role operates in the Medicare & Medicaid realm which means I need to get acquainted with all the laws, regulations, and rules that govern those programs. It’s been a crash course in learning acronyms! EHR, CPOE, MIPS, MACRA, CQM, CAH… these all mean something and sooner than later, I’m going to need to be familiar with the dialect!

One interesting thing about commuting to my new office: If I want to, I can use the “Suicide Lanes.” These are on 7th Avenue and 7th Street in central Phoenix, which run north-south. It’s basically a turning lane that becomes a through-travel lane during certain hours of the day to ease traffic congestion at rush hour. It changes direction based on time of day: From 6-9 a.m. on weekdays, the the suicide lanes run southbound. From 4-6 p.m., they run northbound. And at any other time of the day – and all throughout the weekend – they’re used as turning lanes.

The VW Jetta in this picture was using a suicide lane during my morning commute the other day. Notice how the double-yellow lines are “broken” (not solid). The suicide name – as you can imagine – comes from the fact that it’s possible to meet a clueless motorist head-on who doesn’t understand how the lanes’ directions are managed.

The last bit of this week’s fun comes from another Honda purchase (as if I needed another!). This one is rear-wheel-drive, with a twin-blade design. It’s a self-propelled, variable-speed, 21-inch Honda lawnmower that I snagged from The Home Depot yesterday afternoon. I didn’t get a key-handoff photo (if there had been a key, I would have ) but it was love at first sight when I saw the box being brought out. The slogan on the box read “Very Smart.” Go Honda.

Assembly was a piece of cake – extend the handle, add oil, adjust cutting height, and fire it up. The owner’s manual said that the mower had been started from the factory so I assumed there might be a little gas in the tank. There wasn’t. Luckily I had some fuel in the garage so I filled it up and let her rip. Cutting time was about an hour to cover both the front and back yards. I even got fancy and striped the front lawn diagonally.

Kyle and Dan stopped by to give their approval of my latest purchase.

Video of the first start-up.

Hope everyone else had a great week! Here are the rest of my pics.

I was greeted with a welcoming gift and this sign in my cube: The cow comes from “MU,” or “Meaningful Use,” which is the department in which I’m working.

Doing some heavy-duty training on Day 2 at work.

The new lawnmower had my name on it. Literally.

“Legendary” performance. This thing is perfect for me!

Finished product. I love the backyard. My swing is still broken, as shown here.

Lastly: My friends Scott and Sandy were featured this week on Petrolicious! Check out the video segment on their story, including awesome visuals of their 1959 Mercury Park Lane and their 1992 Acura NSX.

24 Comments »

My Car Went to Idaho Without Me, Some Attic Finds, and a Road Trip to the Landfill

Posted in ILX, Road Trip on August 14, 2016 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend): 544,176

Odometer (ILX): 179,669

Statistics can be fun. I never thought I’d utter (or type) those words when I took Stats as a sophomore in high school, but today I’m a numbers junkie and I enjoy them – especially in automotive applications. Like this: In an AutoTrader search query on August 9, 2016, I pulled up all the 2013-2015 Acura ILX models for sale in the country. Here’s what I found:

863 automatics (83,033 highest miles)
27 manuals (63,578 highest miles)

So 27 manuals out of 890 total cars = 3%. That makes my car pretty rare.

I have to admit, my conscience has gotten to me: In recent weeks, some of the miles on the ILX weren’t “earned” by me personally. My friends Jack and Chandler borrowed the car for a 2,166-mile, 5-day road trip to Boise, Idaho and back for a wedding. When flight pricing didn’t look reasonable and attendance was critical (Chandler was a “best man”), I offered up the ILX to them because it’s a reliable and fuel-efficient car for long trips. And you know the miles don’t scare me a bit.

The only thing I asked in return was that Jack take and share a few photos from along the way, and that he did! Here’s the route they took, with the Utah leg northbound and the Nevada (return) leg southbound.

Lots of the eastern Nevada area is foreign to me. I’ve been a few places out there, like Wendover during my open-road race in 2007, and the town of Rachel, when I toured the Extraterrestrial Highway around Area 51. As it turns out, I’m probably not missing a heck of a lot though. Jack sent a photo from the entry to Wells, Nevada: “Gateway to the East Humboldts.” Originally named for a swampy area near town along the Humboldt River, it got its start as a passenger train stop along the transcontinental railroad.

The historic El Rancho Hotel there has lots of history, having been opened from 1952 to 1980. Currently there’s not much happening there, but luckily it hasn’t been left completely to ruin. Note that the El Rancho Hotel is not to be confused with the similarly-named Hotel El Rancho, which is in Gallup, New Mexico. I visited that back in 2013.

Historic pic

Today

Jack reported that much of the drive looked something like this. I told him to go ahead find out what the ILX’s speedometer was governed at. I’m not sure if he did or not, but on a road like that, how could you NOT be tempted to have a little fun?

Next they arrived in Ely. It’s a town about four times larger than Wells, but still only home to about 4,200 people. This town is (or was) a key stop along the railroad. A steam locomotive in the background of the old train station pays homage to that past. Ely (pronounced “eely”) was a boom town in the early 1900s thanks to the discovery of copper. This photo was taken in front of the Northern Nevada Railway Museum.

Ely lies at the eastern end of U.S. Route 50 which was named in 1986 by Life Magazine as “The Loneliest Road in America.” That just makes me want to drive the entire 408-mile stretch of it! Adding that to my road trip destination list right now, in fact.

Thanks to those travels, Jack and Chandler brought me back a few souvenirs in the form of slaughtered bugs. I took care of them promptly the next day. Wouldn’t want them to bake in!

This is how you do summer in Phoenix.

I’m in the process of cleaning out my house for a potential move (I’ll know this week if things are final, then I’ll spill the beans accordingly). But after spending most of my Saturday indoors boxing things up, I decided it was time to brave the heat and climb into the attic to see what kind of relics had been stashed up there. My iPhone overheated – that’s how warm it was up there.

My home was built in 1979 and has been updated very little since then. I’ve lived there for almost 8 years. The attic was a storage area for 5 boxes of Christmas decor that I needed to bring down. But while I was up there, I decided to root around a little and see what else I could find. The access point is a trap-door style ladder in the garage, akin to the one Clark Griswold uses in National Lampoon’s “Christmas Vacation.”

Well, looky here. I found some luggage up there that’s not mine. This is a “Lady Baltimore” suitcase with an American Airlines tag on it. Google reveals that this brand of luggage was big in the late 1950s. Oddly enough, it’s locked and I don’t have a key. Feels empty inside but I need to get in there somehow anyway just because my curiosity is getting the best of me.

I also found some steel-toed boots up there. Again, not mine.

And a STOP sign. Where in the world did the prior owners of my home get that? It’ll make a nice addition to my future garage anyway.

My favorite find was this poster. I’ve had it since I was about 13. “Justification for Higher Education” with a series of fancy cars and a nice oceanfront home. About 20 years later, I’m pretty much there – but minus the ocean, and with vintage Acuras instead of Porsches and BMWs.

The ILX got landfill duty to transport and dispose of a bunch of lumber and miscellaneous garbage that I piled up. I think I was the only person out there roaming around in the trash and mud in an Acura. But until I get a pickup truck, this is the best I can do!

I even felt compelled to put together a 3-minute video about my landfill experience. Riveting, it is not. But if you’re so inclined:

This coming Thursday night, I’m off to Monterey, California to “The Quail” Motorsports Gathering. It’s part of Monterey’s week-long focus on automobiles and a very exclusive event, as only 3,000 tickets are made available. Face value of each? $600! Luckily Acura is a major sponsor this year and I scored a ticket for free thanks to helping out with last year’s NSXPO.

Have a great week!

18 Comments »

Weekend Road Trip: Phoenix to San Diego, California for James’ Birthday

Posted in California, ILX, Road Trip on July 18, 2016 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend): 543,881

Odometer (ILX): 175,686

Trip Distance: 730 Miles

You really can’t get a much better 7-day weather forecast than this. Highs in the 70s. Lows in the 60s.

It’s no wonder us Phoenicians don’t think twice about flocking to the coastline in mid-summer for a gasp of sea air from time to time. Yesterday afternoon, I was sprawled in the shade of a palm tree on the grass at the Hotel del Coronado. The Pacific coast was a picture of perfection: a light breeze, the sound of the crashing waves, and the smell of fresh flowers. The grounds at the “del” were immaculate as always. The historic hotel, built in 1888, has always been a place for San Diego’s elite to vacation. It’s no wonder the cost for 2 hours of parking is $30 and brunch costs $90.

My seven friends and I didn’t pay for either, as we’d opted to park several blocks away (for free) on a surface street and we ate at Panda Express instead. But at least the scenery didn’t cost us a penny, and I think a couple of the guys may have even snagged a seashell or two to take home as a souvenir.

The reason for the season was a birthday gathering: James turned 30 last week and he decided to take the party to Southern California. It’s only about a five-and-a-half hour drive from Phoenix to San Diego, and with enough advance notice, James was able to arrange an “AirBNB” home for our group in the convenient North Park part of town, right off the I-8 and I-805 freeways.

Kyle took the wheel of the ILX on Friday afternoon for the drive out so that I could telecommute from the road, in the passenger seat. By the time we descended to sea level at the coastline, the sun had dipped below the Pacific and nighttime had fallen. Our three-story home for the weekend was right off Idaho Street & El Cajon Boulevard: “The Gateway to Mid City.” Saturday morning took us to Pacific Beach which was bustling with people and entertainment. The water temperature was brisk initially but really not all that bad. I’d forgotten my flip-flops so I spent $5.99 on a two-pack of them at CVS Pharmacy which promptly fell apart as soon as a strong wave ripped one off my feet. I guess I got my money’s worth.

We spent the evening in San Diego’s uptown “Hillcrest” district, exploring the streets, freeways, and cuisine. I twas a a contrast to see the many people outside enjoying the weather. Central Phoenix after-hours is usually somewhat of a ghost town in comparison.

That brings us to our visit to Coronado Island on Sunday morning. Once isolated from ‘mainland’ San Diego, Coronado (Spanish for “crowned one”) became connected in 1969 thanks to a 2.12-mile, curved bridge. It’s five lanes wide with the center lane reserved for emergency use as well as a reversible lane for peak traffic times. Up until 2002, the bridge cost a $1.00-per-car toll for westbound traffic, but that toll was discontinued after the original bond had been paid. Today, the roadway carries 75,000 vehicles per day. We encountered fairly heavy traffic not on the bridge itself, but after arriving on the island and making our way to Hotel del Coronado. (not my pic here)

Interestingly enough, the San Diego – Coronado Bridge is the third-deadliest “suicide bridge” in the United States. Between 1972 and 2000, some 200 people jumped to their deaths. There are signs along the road urging people to call a suicide hotline. Yikes.

The Hotel del Coronado is home to what is believed to be the world’s oldest living Christmas tree. First decorated in 1904, a huge pine tree on the grounds continues to be decorated every December. Unfortunately I didn’t snag a picture of it, but it was far too big to fit in the viewfinder when I walked underneath it anyway!

Interstate 8 brought us back to the desert on Sunday afternoon, where reality soon set in and it was time to do laundry and get ready for the work week. But the memories will live on we’re glad we got to enjoy the birthday festivities in such an awesome place as San Diego. Thanks for joining for the trip!

Shell station in Gila Bend, Arizona

Sunset and windmills on westbound I-8 Friday night

Pacific Beach on Saturday with Rob and James

This is a “Baked Bear” ice cream sandwich. Cookie on one end, brownie on the other end, and cookie dough ice cream in the middle. TDF (to die for). Especially since the cookie & brownie were warmed up.

Kyle borrowed the ILX and we drove behind for a block or two in James’ Lexus RX450h.

Entering El Cajon Boulevard

Crossing the San Diego – Coronado Bridge

Arriving at the Hotel del Coronado

Group photo overlooking at the beach at the hotel: Rob, Kyle, James, Tyson, Chandler, Jack, Michael, Chris

ILX after fueling up in Tavern Rd in Alpine

Have a great week!

19 Comments »

Oceanfront Property in Arizona: Road Trip to Miami

Posted in Arizona, ILX, Road Trip on July 12, 2016 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend): 543,818

Odometer (Vigor): 105,755

Odometer (ILX):

Trip Distance: 164 Miles

I’m really giving you all quite the summer 2016 vacation! It seems only fitting that this weekend’s destination is as much of a vacation spot as last week’s (“Florence“). Miami, Florida would have been a stretch for a weekend drive – some 2,363 miles from home – not quite close enough for a day-trip. But Miami, Arizona is. And it’s been about 5 years since I last talked about that little spot on the map, in October 2011. So let’s go back and take a look around.

Like most of the towns in Arizona’s wild western frontier, Miami got its start in the mining industry in the 1870s. The hills of the surrounding area were rich with copper, and prospectors flocked to be a part of the industry in those early years. Miami proper was founded in 1907 and tracts of land were officially sold for development after the first train arrived there in 1909. Within a year, there were about 1,300 people calling it home. Interestingly enough, 100 years later, that population had only grown by about 500 people.

Today, Miami is a quiet (and even run-down) little community that while only 77 miles from the hustle and bustle of urban Scottsdale, feels like stepping back in time a century or so. My friend Rob decided to join me for the drive. It took us only about 90 minutes to get to Miami from my home – straight east on US Highway 60 and through a pass in the Superstition Mountains in my ILX. Along the way we stopped in a similarly time-warped community called Superior.

Most of Miami is pretty run-down. The residential side-streets – many of which are so skinny they’re one-way – have poor pavement conditions and steep grades. The small homes are sad, with crumbling foundations and stair steps. Most have chain link fences around their yards and “NO TRESPASSING” signs in abundance. One particular such sign was kind of entertaining. “Do I have to speak to you in 12 gauge?” with the image of a gun. Real friendly neighborhood over there!

A friend had recommended some Mexican grub so we made our way down to Guayo’s El Rey restaurant. We happened to time our arrival right when church let out, apparently. The place flooded with hungry (but well-dressed) lunch-goers as soon as we’d been seated. “Anything to drink?” asked the waittress. “Sure, a Diet Coke,” I said. Before she even turned to Rob to ask for his beverage order, she’d walked away. She brought back a pitcher of Diet Coke for both of us. I guess she figured we both wanted the same thing! At least the food was delicious.

Miami’s Sullivan Street is the main thoroughfare – or was, at least, until the current US Highway 60 was put in a block to the south. The owner of one antique store that Rob and I visited told us that Miami was once home to 30 brothels during its boom. I enjoyed walking through a few of the historic shops. I was surprised to come around the corner in one of them and see the front end of a 1950 Buick in there: The exact same car that my Grandpa Hugie owned in 1954. I’ve blogged about it here.

Unfortunately, that Buick (or piece of it, anyway) wasn’t for sale but I left my contact information with the store owner in case they ever decide to part with it. Rob and I cruised back to civilization after enjoying a few minutes on Memory Lane. Thanks for being a part of the adventure!

We got a kick out of how the road stripes lead right up to the front door of the Pinal County Administration Building in Superior

Sullivan Street, Miami

These railroad tracks just end!

I read this as “Slow Children At Play.”

Overlooking Miami from someone’s driveway

Don’t try and eat at Guayo’s El Rey on a Wednesday!

This is the combo #1. Shredded beef taco, enchilada, and a refried bean tostada. Are my food connoisseurs in the blog audience happier with this than they were with my buffalo chicken bites last week?

ILX parked on Sullivan

Making friends with a “fry guy” statue

Rob checking out the wares inside the antique shop

The soda fountain isn’t open yet

Headed back toward Phoenix via US 60

Queen Creek Tunnel (1952)

What did you think of my new T-shirt?

Couple other news bits! You all remember that 1993 L sedan I had for about a year? It’s been in Florida for a few weeks now and it’s getting a full restoration, courtesy of my friend Alan. Follow his “Build Thread” here!

Alan at work!

My brother Bentley sent me a progress picture yestererday showing the new leather he’s installing in my NSX.

Thanks to my friend Erik for sending me this awesome calendar featuring European Domestic Market Hondas!

Finally, a few have asked for a more thorough recent video of the Legend. I pulled it out on Saturday for a cruise and filmed 11 minutes’ worth of action for you. I’m going to leave this “Unlisted” instead of public since I realize that it makes it look like I ran a stop sign at 6:30. In the words of the movie Clueless, “I totally paused!”

Have a great week!

24 Comments »

4th of July Weekend 2016: Florence, Arizona Road Trip

Posted in Arizona, Legend, Road Trip on July 6, 2016 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend): 543,770

Odometer (ILX): 174,186

Trip Distance: 135 Miles

On one end of the spectrum, you have Florence, Italy: the home of the Renaissance and the capital of Italy’s Tuscany Region. It’s a place filled with art, culture, and class. It would take about a 15-hour flight to get there. At the complete other end of the spectrum, there’s another Florence I’d like to introduce you to: Florence, Arizona. It’s the capital of Pinal County, home to one of the state’s largest prison facilities, and a now-defunct railroad stop. But, you can get there in about an hour from Phoenix and it offers a “culture” all its own.

I took my Legend coupe out for a half-day of exploration on Sunday morning to give Florence a whirl. Along the way, I stopped at a noteworthy waypoint suggested by Roadside America: The Pork Shop in San Tan Valley. This place is known for its meat. They have seven types of smoked bacon, as well as sausages and burritos. At 9:45 in the morning I wasn’t hungry for any of those items, and I think it may have been closed for the day anyway, but that didn’t stop be from taking a few pictures out front next to the giant tank that’s been decked out like a pink pig.

I zig-zagged my way across the desert southeast of Phoenix as I made my way toward Florence on two-lane roads, often times with telephone poles alongside me. There was really no one else on the roads so it was a chance to turn up the volume on my Jock Jams or whatever else was playing on the iPod at the time. I do recall having “Every Day Is a Winding Road,” by Sheryl Crow coming on and thinking that was an appropriate soundtrack for my drive.

Hooking up with Highway 79 at the T in the road, I headed south and Florence was just 4 more miles down the highway. It took just a few minutes of winding through the historic downtown district to get a feel for the lay of the land. Main Street was dead – a total ghost town if it weren’t for the random C6 Corvette parked southbound on the west side of the street in front of some shops.

I snagged a few photos and started thinking about lunch. Unfortunately my first choice was a place that wasn’t open. Painted in bold blue letters were the words DONUTS and SALAD BAR. That struck me as an odd combination of food offerings. They must be trying to cater to a wide variety of clientele. Maybe I could a glazed donut with a splash of ranch dressing?

I ended up continuing westward on Highway 287 to Coolidge for lunch instead of eating in Florence — it was still early anyway. So early, in fact, that when I arrived at my destination – “Gallopin’ Goose” – it was still 20 minutes before they opened. For some reason, even though the sign says “Breakfast All Day,” the place doesn’t open until 11:00 a.m. Go figure. I guess everyone in Coolidge eats breakfast really late.

As it turns out, it was worth the wait. I had the place to myself and also the attention of the entire wait staff. I sat myself at the bar and was immediately helped by “Chrissy” who was laying on the flirts pretty thick. Before I’d even been handed a menu, she’d rattled off about 5 or 6 drink specials. “Just a lemonade please,” I told her. It was quiet in there – just the sound of country music on the jukebox!

Appetizers were buy-one, get-one-half-off so I went with the buffalo chicken “bites,” and the chips & salsa. I probably only ate half what was given to me, so Chrissy got me two styrofoam boxes and a styrofoam cup (for the salsa) to take my leftovers. The Legend doesn’t have a cup holder. I think this was the first time I’ve ever had to hold a cup full of salsa between my legs as I drove away. Right down the street from Gallopin’ you’ll find the Casa Grande Ruins.

I had one more visit to pay before looping back to the Phoenix area, and that was to say hello to my friends Mark and Rosalinda Bandoni. I’ve known them for the better part of a decade and they’re good people. In fact, they invited me to their wedding 7 years ago. Today, they live in a two-story home there in Coolidge and have a kitty named Abra and three vehicles. Mark has developed his hobby of model car building in recent years and he showed me his growing collection of completed projects. I never had the patience to work on stuff like that.

The return drive was mostly on Interstate 10, since I decided to take an easy path by hitting the freeway at the McCartney Road interchange. It was a nice little Sunday loop and I hope you enjoyed taking it with me!

Cruising through San Tan Valley, Arizona. It’s pretty desolate out there.

Vintage looking signage on Main Street in Florence.

Building in Florence

Lunch at Gallopin’ Goose.

Mark’s review of G.G. wasn’t all that praiseworthy!

What’s wrong with this picture? Ugh.

I thought this sign inside Mark’s garage was kind of funny.

The Integra got tint yesterday!

My receipt at Texas Roadhouse the other night said it right!

Have a great rest of your week, all!

21 Comments »

Group Drive & Hike: Water Wheel Waterfalls in Payson, Arizona

Posted in Arizona, Hikes, ILX, Road Trip on June 19, 2016 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend): 543,531

Odometer (ILX): 172,944

Trip Distance: 175 Miles

What if I told you Arizonans there’s a place within an hour of Phoenix where you can slice 20 degrees off the temperature and dip your toes in the refreshing East Verde River? Maybe it would be best if I kept this place a secret, but since I’m feeling generous I’ll clue you in to this secluded little watering hole.

It’s the season of “beat the heat” so many of the destinations you’re likely to see me hit up this summer will be to higher elevations where I can get a reprieve from the Phoenix oven. This one in particular has been on my Destination Spreadsheet for some time now. On Saturday morning, my house in Scottsdale became the meeting point for a variety of cars and people ready for adventure. Here were our attendees:

Tyson, Clayton, and Miles: 2013 Acura ILX
Peter and Jack: 2002 BMW 325iT
James and Rob: 2016 Chrysler 300
Paul: 2013 Acura TL SH-AWD
Kyle: 2005 Pontiac GTO
Sunny: 2013 Hyundai Sonata 2.0T
Brad and Kenny: 2013 Audi RS5

Brad described it as “quite a menagerie.” A menagerie is defined as: A collection of wild animals kept in captivity for exhibition. Sounds about right when referring to this bunch of cars & gents. Though, in this case, all were unleashed from captivity allowed to roam freely in the hills of the Tonto National Forest surrounding Payson, Arizona. The one-way trek to our destination was only about 80 miles but ascended 3,800 feet in elevation.

For the most part it’s a 65-mph split highway but the curves can be fun and they require constant attention. The ILX with 3 occupants and 100-degree temperatures bogged down on the steeper grades and I found myself downshifting to 5th gear and even 4th occasionally to keep up with the pack. From Payson, we continued north past a couple of roundabouts and hung a right on Houston Mesa Road. The road narrowed to two lanes and had some nice curves for the next 8 miles until we arrived at Water Wheel Campground. Luckily, we found ample parking to stash our 7 vehicles but things were filling up quickly with a lot of Saturday adventure-seekers like ourselves. Parking was $8 via cash / self-service, with envelopes to be deposited in an opening in a post near the trailhead.

The hike itself does not stick to any specific route but rather follows the East Verde River upstream however a hiker decides to follow it. We did find a path along the west side of the river that had some welcomed shade from overhead trees – even at 88 degrees I managed to break a pretty aggressive sweat. The sound of the gushing river next to us helped give a sense of refreshment even without taking a dip. There came a time when we needed to crawl up and over some large boulders and we paved our own way, or followed people who were ahead of us.

At one point it looked like we needed to cross the river itself so we carefully collected our balance and hopped across. The rocks were slippery at times. For the return, I opted to just remove my shoes & socks and put them in my backpack so that I could walk barefoot across the water and not worry about a slip & fall incident. The water was chilly but it felt great. We wandered a bit further upstream and saw a series of waterfalls coming down. Jack whipped out the selfie stick for a group photograph and Kyle got brave enough to jump in the water.

By the time we made it back to our vehicles, we’d only been hiking about an hour and a half round trip. The overall hike distance is about 2 miles each way, and I think we probably only went about half that. So there is much more to see and we all want to get back up there, but we were ready for lunch and a few people needed to be back by late afternoon so we headed back to Payson. For grub, we dined on the patio at Buffalo Bar & Grill. The wait staff had already lined up several small tables for us in anticipation of our arrival and the service was top-notch.

It was great to break away from the Valley’s heat and get up to the mountains for some clean air and a little time with Mother Nature. Water Wheel Falls was just what the doctor ordered for a quick day-trip. Thanks to my friends for joining! Here’s a short video with some highlights of our excursion.

Pre-departure in Scottsdale

Fuel stop at the Chevron in Fort McDowell: Tyson, Peter, Jack, James, Rob

Backwards baseball caps for the bros.

Kyle caught this pic of my ILX, Sunny’s Sonata, and Peter’s 3-series in his sideview mirror.

Getting through Payson and to the campground.

Kyle’s mean GTO in the rearview.

Parking at Water Wheel Falls

Paul’s TL was blindingly clean in the Arizona sunlight.

Clayton gave us a wave before we started the hike.

Information at the trailhead.

Coming up on the first of a series of falls.

Here’s where we had to crawl up and over some rocks on the river’s edge.

Sunny preparing to cross the East Verde.

James got a little wet.

Group shot thanks to Jack’s selfie stick.

Solo shot.

Back in Payson with our diverse lineup of vehicles.

Peter’s wagon rolled 205,000 yesterday and still looks great.

Buffalo Burger at Buffalo Bar & Grill.

Sunny and I took the Legend out and ended up next to a nice lady in a Vigor 5-speed!

I spotted a G2 Legend sedan in Beverly Hillbillies (1993 movie) about 10 minutes in!

And a very thoughtful friend brought me back a souvenir from his Hawaii trip.

Get over to TSX Travels! Josh is about to have some big news SOON.

19 Comments »

Alaska Trip Finale: Stops in Utah; Home in Scottsdale, Arizona

Posted in Alaska, Arizona, ILX, Road Trip on June 5, 2016 by tysonhugie

Odometer: 171,688

Total Trip Distance: 7,909 Miles

I can’t believe it’s over. I did it. After 16 days on the road and 7,909 miles traversed, I’ve successfully driven not only to Alaska, but to the Arctic Circle, and back. It was a trip that I’ll remember for the rest of my life.

I couldn’t (and wouldn’t) have done it alone, so I thank Jason for being such a great trip companion even though we took separate cars. Also thanks to the many folks who followed along for the adventure online, and especially those who offered hospitality along the way. In all I drove through 8 states and 3 provinces. Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Montana, Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Alberta, Yukon Territory, and British Columbia. I documented the trip in 13 blog posts including this one, so if you’re just now tuning in, feel free to keep scrolling backward to start from the beginning. My nightly stops were at these locations:

Washington, Utah
Butte, Montana
Edmonton, Alberta
Pink Mountain, British Columbia
Teslin, Yukon Territory
Fairbanks, Alaska (x 3)
Teslin, Yukon Territory (again)
New Hazelton, British Columbia
Cache Creek, British Columbia
Seattle, Washington
Kuna, Idaho
Logan, Utah
St. George, Utah

I have to say it’s remarkable that I was able to take a 170,000 mile car on a journey of this length and never have to think twice about it getting me from A to B. I didn’t need any of my 3 spare tires. I didn’t check or add oil at any point on the drive. As a matter of fact, the last oil change from 8,000 miles ago still says I have 40% life remaining according to the “maintenance minder” in the car. This is why I drive the car that I drive. Relentless reliability.

On Thursday morning, I departed Josh’s place in Kuna, Idaho and I had about a 300-mile day to my dad & stepmom’s place in Cache Valley, northern Utah. I gave my dad a hand washing his Ford F-350 and then dined later in the evening at my favorite restaurant in town, called El Sol. Ryan, who Jason and I met up with on the first leg of our journey, joined again for the occasion.

Friday, I made my way southbound and traveled virtually the entire length of the state of Utah from north to south, staying at my mom’s place in Washington. Along the way, I paid a visit to my grandpa because it happened to be his 86th birthday. And the final stretch took place yesterday, when I drove the last 400 or so miles of my very long journey home. Phoenix welcomed me with 114-degree temperatures. Welcome summer.

Here’s a 17-minute video that documents my journey in bits & pieces from start to finish. Viewers beware: It may cause motion sickness and it’s mostly just me shooting “selfie style” and narrating some of our stops.

Utah state line

Dad’s 1990 F-350 XLT Lariat Dual Cab 4×4

Dad’s new 2016 Honda Goldwing motorcycle. Packed with tech!

This thing even has navigation.

We took a night drive up to visit my Grandpa Hugie at Providence Cemetery. He passed away in 1989 when I was only 7 years old but I still have great memories of him.

View of Cache Valley from my dad’s back deck

ILX in grandma’s backyard

The home across the street dates back to the early 1900’s and it’s the home my grandma grew up in

Heading southbound on Hwy 89-91 which passes through “Sardine Canyon.”

Arriving in St. George about 6 hours later

Visiting the nieces and nephews in St. George

Arrival at home in Scottsdale

Check out that nasty interior, too

Two pages of handwritten fuel log, from start to finish.

The nerd in me couldn’t resist putting this in electronic format so I could run some metrics on it. I fueled up 41 times and spent a total of $826.52 on gas after taking into account the Canadian exchange rate.

27 Comments »

Back in the U.S.: Stops in Seattle, WA & Boise, ID

Posted in Alaska, ILX, Road Trip on June 1, 2016 by tysonhugie

Odometer: 170,440

Overall Trip Distance: 6,741 Miles

Back in the US of A! It was a real contrast to our wide-open, no-traffic drive through the Yukon when Jason and I got stuck in 6 lanes wide of bumper-to-bumper traffic on I-405 in Seattle yesterday afternoon. I’m starting to wonder if coming back to civilization was a good thing or a bad thing! Nevertheless (or always the more, as my Grandpa would say), we have successfully arrived in the Lower 48 and it’s been a great (shorter) last couple of days on the road.

We got out of Cache Creek bright and early on Tuesday and made our way down the Trans-Canada Highway with the Fraser River at the base. It was gorgeous scenery, turn after turn. There were a total of about 6 or 7 tunnels of varying length as we made our way southbound. The town of Hope was as charming as it sounds, and one stop we made there was at the wrecking yard for Jamie Davis Towing. Jamie’s company is famous because it’s featured in the Discovery Channel “Highway Thru Hell” TV show. Since the roads are so critical to keep commerce alive, and the weather conditions can be so rough, Jamie’s business deals with all sorts of hardships.

jamie_davis

Jason and I were treated to some of the best hospitality I’ve ever received, a little ways down the road in Abbotsford. This small B.C. city resides just on the north side of the United States border. Pam’s beautiful place which overlooks the valley is home to two Acuras: her 2006 TSX and 1991 NSX (and a couple of motorcycles). She is a truly genuine Honda fan, and a gracious hostess. Pam fixed us salads to-go and let us catch our breath for a few minutes at her home before we headed out on our way.

The border checkpoint at Abbotsford moved fairly slowly but we got through in about 25 minutes. The U.S. Customs agent recommended that I stop at a gas station and clean off my license plate. Ha!

Jason and I weaved around through some beautiful northern Washington back roads before connecting with Interstate 5 which led us south to the Seattle area. Our first stop there was to visit my friend Lance at his shop in Woodinville and take a look at a beautiful 1992 Acura Integra GS-R which he’s been restoring. He even let me roll 234,567.8 miles on a quick test drive.

Yesterday evening, I met up with some family members and friends at a bar & grill not far from my motel for a bite to eat. They all told me I must’ve brought the nice weather with me because it’s been so rainy in recent weeks (it’s Seattle – go figure!).

This morning, Jason and I walked to the IHOP next to our Motel 6 in Issaquah and shared one last meal together before parting ways. He’d decided to continue heading south through Oregon and California, but I needed to head more east and begin making my way toward Idaho and Utah. I got out on the road headed eastward on Interstate 90. While attractions along I-90, I-82, and I-84 were pretty slim, it was nice to be able to set the cruise control. The interstate climbs through a beautiful pass in the Cascade Range called Snoqualmie Pass at a little over 3,000 feet in elevation.

My car rolled 170,000 miles right at that location.

Once the terrain leveled out a bit, I arrived in Yakima and met up with a long-time friend named Chris who works in the school district there. Chris and I met 11 years ago at a Seattle-area Acura Legend meet and we’ve stayed in touch ever since. He still has his Legend but has also added a couple of other fancy cars to the stable: A Mitsubishi 3000GT VR-4 and a Mercedes-Benz 500SL. I must say, he has great taste in cars! We met up briefly to catch up and I got to check out his Benz up close and personal. The retractable top is fully automated with the touch of one button, and the open/close procedure is quite the complicated sight to behold!

From there I went on into Oregon by crossing the massive Columbia River. In Oregon and New Jersey, gas is not self-serve. I fueled up in La Grande and an attendant asked me if I wanted premium and how much to add. I asked her to fill up the tank. Another guy worked on squeegeeing my windshield while I waited. It felt odd having someone else do those sorts of tasks for me! Oregon and New Jersey are the only states with that law. Actually, “all” gas sales used to be full-service until 1947 when California was the first state to adopt self-serve. It caught on.

This evening I crossed into Idaho and I’m staying the night with my good friend Josh who you all know as the 497,500-mile TSX guy from TSXTravels.com. Josh and his Great Dane pup Abby are great hosts and I’m about to settle in for the night’s rest, but we took his TSX out for burgers at a restaurant called Ram and my friend Kevin met up with us for some chat, too. Tomorrow, I continue on into Utah and chopping another 400 or so miles off on my return drive to Phoenix. Thanks as always for following along!