Posted in Throwback, Utah on May 3, 2014 by tysonhugie
Odometer (ILX): 77,336
Knock knock knock.
The front door of the home near 600 N 100 E, Logan Utah opened on a sunny Friday afternoon. “Hi there, I’m Tyson, I have a bit of a weird request. I was wondering if I could park my car in your driveway for a picture.” By the time the guy who opened the door had furrowed his eyebrow in question, I was already explaining: “My grandfather used to live in this house. I have these three old pictures that he took 60 years ago of his car parked in front if it, and I was wondering if I could try and duplicate them.”
Aaron, the home’s current occupant, has lived there for 4 years with his young family. He immediately engaged with me in conversation wondering about the home’s history. “This home used to be at the far north end of town,” he stated. Within 10 minutes, he’d pulled both of his vehicles out of the driveway and allowed me to position the ILX there at an angle, much like my grandpa had done with his 1950 Buick Special. Out of respect for Aaron’s lush green lawn, I decided not to ask him about driving over it as my grandpa had done to his family’s lawn in 1954.
I’ve often times gone to great lengths before to re-create photos – like that time in September 2011 when I stopped at the Nevada / Arizona border in the Legend and positioned the car so that it would be sitting just like my the Buick was. So here we are with a “then and now” look at the 1950 Buick and the 2013 Acura in about the same position.
My grandpa’s been gone for 25 years now, but thanks to my dad, I was able to find the home with just the below information:
I got on Google Maps / street view and easily identied its location.
Here’s the original picture. It’s only about 2″ by 3″ in size.
Another angle. I wonder what was so special about that bike?
And grandpa standing proudly with his “Jetback” Model 43D sedan. Chrome, anyone?
The power pole from the above pic can be seen in the below. Follow the passenger headlight up.
Huge thanks to Aaron and his family for giving me an insightful look (both inside and out) at the home where my grandpa lived in his 20’s.
Onward I go for some more northern Utah / southern Idaho adventures! Stay tuned.
Posted in Legend, NALM, Utah on May 1, 2014 by tysonhugie
Odometer (Legend): 529,296
Odometer (ILX): 76,481
A decade is a long time! Where were you ten years ago today? Things were a little different back then. Facebook (then “The” Facebook) launched in February 2004 at a select few universities.
The top TV show was American Idol, and “Friends” ended its last season. Shrek 2 and Spiderman 2 took top slots at the box office, and Green Day’s “American Idiot” was one of the biggest albums of the year. Feeling old yet?
It was on May 1, 2004 when I met up with a few Acura-owning friends in Salt Lake City, Utah for a drive up scenic Interstate 80 to Park City. Here is a video capturing some of the festivities. Pardon the obnoxious soundtrack.
Bits and pieces from my handwritten journal entry that day:
I was the first to Sugarhouse Park off I-80 East. I picked the same spot we were in last time. Nobody was there. It was a perfect, sunny day…. I served up donuts. We headed up Parley’s Canyon to Park City – fast! It was a sight to see; so many Legends cruising together. My rims have really got issues. Need to get some TL-S or something… We decided to eat at Quizno’s and had a picnic lunch by the cars. We then caravanned to the outlet stores. Dave locked his keys in his car and had to call a locksmith ($35). I drove Kevin’s 6-speed to the other side of the parking lot…
Makes it feel like yesterday! Pictured below: Ross’ 1989 Legend L coupe, Jason’s 1988 Legend L sedan, my 1994 Legend LS coupe, and Kevin’s 1993 LS coupe after our arrival in Park City.
We must’ve been pros at “mirror” photography. I was able to dig up the following three pics. Branson took this one of me in his sideview mirror.
Jason took this one. That old school digital camera really dates these pics, right?
As well as this one. Gotta love a Legend lineup.
I was proudly rolling on 18″ Mille Miglia wheels. (massive eye roll here)
Couldn’t help but throw in a few more pics of meets from the same era.
San Francisco, California
Torrance, California. Why’d we put that Integra in the middle?
Las Vegas, Nevada
Even back then, I was accustomed to taking my Acura off-road from time to time. This was a picture I took in “Old Iron Town,” an 1868 Mormon settlement in southern Utah. Oh yeah, check out that ‘fro.
Can’t get enough of that bling.
The wind had kicked up and was blowing sand all over the place.
But the Legend looked photogenic either way.
Mileage was a mere 138,000 around this time. Time warp!
The last two were taken near the Paria western movie set outside Kanab, Utah on Highway 89.
Southern Utah at its finest.
These pics brought back a ton of great memories. Where will the next 10 years take me?
PS, congrats to my coworker Derek on his new Audi A5 Cabriolet, and thanks for letting me take it for a spin!
Posted in Blog, ILX on April 30, 2014 by tysonhugie
Odometer (ILX): 76,439
For those of you who are always hungry for more car websites to digest, I’ll add another entree to the buffet. I met a Phoenix-based automotive journalist awhile back and he has featured my 2013 Acura ILX on his page, “RNR Automotive Blog.” Editor Ruben has a knack for details and I find his writing engaging and informative. Go take a look at his page!
Here’s the link to the article about the ILX specifically. Stay tuned because he’ll be doing a similar write-up on my Legend and on my NSX in the near future.
If you’re on Instagram, you can also follow “@rnrautoblog” for great shots of the latest cars Ruben is reviewing.
“It’s raining Dippin Dots!” exclaimed Roger as he tightened his hooded sweatshirt and squinted into the freezing wind gusts that were driving snow pellets toward us. As Roger and the other 5 of us carefully hiked our descent into a 700-foot-deep red rock canyon in a remote part of northeastern Arizona, we occasionally sought shelter from the elements by staying near the rock walls or underneath archways. We hadn’t anticipated those types of conditions when planning a late April hike in Arizona, but the experience was unforgettable. I wouldn’t change a thing.
For this weekend’s Drive to Five, come with me to a place that’s sacred to the Navajo Nation and is home to a rich history, dating back as far as 900 AD. It’s a place with some of the best-preserved ancient ruins in existence and contains scenery that matches the Grand Canyon in its awesomeness. I’m talking about Canyon de Chelly National Monument, an 83,000-acre site that’s visited by over 800,000 people each year. For this trip, I was accompanied by a few friends who, like me, have an appreciation for great road trips in great cars. We took three Acuras:
My 2013 ILX 2.4 6-speed @ 75,000 miles
Jason’s 2010 TL 6-speed @ 41,000 miles
Joe’s 1995 Legend coupe automatic @ 161,000 miles
Let’s make sure you know how to say “Chelly” before we get too far down the road. It’s pronounced “Shay.” Though, for reasons you’ll soon see, there were a few times during the trip when I started to wonder if Canyon de Chelly ought to be called “Canyon de Chilly.” Mother Nature dished us up a generous helping of ice-cold temps, but that didn’t keep us from braving the weather and feasting our eyes on some of the earth’s finest landscapes. Canyon de Chelly was set aside in 1931 as a unit of the National Park Service.
My friend Adam and I met up with Joe and his dad, Roger, on the northeast outskirts of the Phoenix area before beginning our ascent through the Tonto National Forest on Highway 87. As quickly as we started gaining elevation toward Payson’s 5,000 feet, we were thoroughly drenched with roads that were wet enough to cause hydro-planing. We made just 3 stops on the 5-hour drive to Chinle, Arizona which is a settlement at the mouth of the canyon. Upon arriving in Chinle, Jason and Jouhl from Las Cruces, NM arrived in Jason’s black TL and completed our trio of Acuras.
One of only two “sit-down” restaurants in the entire town of Chinle, The Junction, was a great place for us all to dry out and to plan the rest of our visit to the area. We dined on authentic Navajo tacos made from homemade frybread and beans. After a check-in at the Holiday Inn, we rolled our Acura caravan into the western entrance of the monument just a bit down the road. Jason and I swapped cars for a few of those miles — that TL’s 3.7 liter V6 is a torquey monster!).
Our first stop after checking in at the visitor center was the White House Ruins viewpoint. Adam took one look at the dark clouds approaching at rapid speed from the southwest. “That’s coming this direction,” he said. Despite his warning, we prepared ourselves for the canyon’s most well-known hike and set out on a descent into its depths. Not long into our hike, the Dippin Dots came down and the wind picked up speed. Adding to those challenges, the sandstone terrain was slippery when wet and our sneakers quickly became caked in several pounds of mud. At one point, I heard Jason lose his footing in the mud from behind me. He nearly tackled me to the ground as he struggled to regain his balance, but he and his Canon SLR camera survived without a scratch. We had a good laugh about it moments afterward.
Two sandstone tunnels and a couple of bridge crossings later, we had completed the 1.25-mile one-way hike to the ruins where Anasazi people once lived from 900 to 1200 AD. The last 800 years have taken their toll on the infrastructure, slowly eroding the once-elaborate buildings and returning them to the earth, but we still got a great look at what’s left of them. A Navajo woman and her daughter were sitting near the ruins with a table where they displayed pottery and other wares for sale. We saw only one other group of hikers. I loved the canyon’s feeling of serenity and seclusion.
Our return hike was accompanied by another flurry of snowflakes, but we made it to the summit and Roger said, “According to my Fitbit, we just hiked 79 flights of stairs.” We happily took refuge in our leather-lined Acuras with heated seats and fast-acting climate control systems. Aside from a few photo-ops at other viewpoints along the two-lane canyon road, we had a much-needed low-key evening in Chinle.
Today, Joe and his dad departed for Flagstaff in the early morning hours, while Adam, Jason, Jouhl and I went back for a peek at the North Rim of the canyon. The views were stunning, just as I knew they’d be. Soon it was time to part ways and return to our respective homes. Adam and I made just one stop on our 300-mile trip back to Scottsdale. Thanks to now-sunny weather, the drive was enjoyable and passed by quickly. I hope you enjoy the photos and video!
Adam and Tyson en route.
After meeting up with Joe. By the time we got to Payson, we both said, “What’s up with this weather?”
Pouring rain as seen from the hotel lobby in Chinle, Arizona.
First stop: Food, of course.
Authentic Navajo Taco on frybread. It tasted amazing.
Jason and Jouhl showed up to join the party.
Checking at the Canyon de Chelly Visitor Center, we were warned about “Hazardous Weather.” But that didn’t stop us.
Lining up for a beauty shot at the White House Ruins trailhead.
The view as we began the descent on our hike.
Winding our way down the 700-foot drop-off via switchbacks and tunnels that hugged the side of the mountain.
Passing through one of the tunnels.
And coming out the other end.
Roger, Joe, Jouhl, Jason making their way down the trail.
We saw patches of blue sky. It looks a lot warmer than it really was!
Muddy shoes and chilly winds, but 360-degree scenery made up for all that.
Crossing a bridge.
Group photo at the White House Ruins: Roger, Joe, Jouhl, Jason, Adam, Tyson
A Navajo woman and her daughter selling jewelry and pottery. Notice: They do take Visa and Mastercard!
Back at the trailhead for some photos with the Acuras and their owners.
Let’s get a move on!
Next viewpoint.
Here’s what the view from that sheer cliff looked like. The vertical lines along the canyon walls are called “desert varnish.”
Adam, Joe, Roger, Tyson, Jouhl, Jason
Last viewpoint for the day: Tsegi Overlook
Sunday morning: The clouds had parted but the cold temps remained.
Back into the monument for a few more viewpoints.
This Navajo vendor displayed her jewelry on the hood of her Ford Taurus and secured it with cords and rocks to keep the wind from carrying it away.
Mummy Cave Overlook.
Antelope House Overlook
Side note: Did you know that the Navajo tribe taxes virtually everything? Our meal last night had “Tribal Tax” tacked on.
And the fuel pump at Chevron had a “Navajo Nation Fuel Excise Tax.” Interesting.
The return drive to the Phoenix area looked a whole lot different than the rain-soaked outbound trip.
As I jet for the door on a weekend road trip to Canyon de Chelly, I have to share something with the D25 audience. One of our own hyper-milers has achieved an incredible feat on his 2005 Acura TSX this week.
Josh from Boise, Idaho turned the big 400,000 on Interstate 84and he documented the occasion on his blog, TSX Travels, for all of us to enjoy. I first introduced Josh to you last August when he and I got together on my drive to Washington state.
Check out Josh’s detailed write-up here where he’s included a video of the milestone as well as a full report from his local Acura dealership about the health & wellness of his Acura now that it’s entered 400k territory.
Huge congratulations to Josh (and his trusty TSX) and here’s to many more miles of fun! You’re giving me a run for my money! Also, I look forward to meeting up with you this summer for some tandem Acura drives.
Watching Josh’s video reminded me of 5 years ago when I watched those same numbers roll over on my Legend.
My attention span at work today has been about a 2 out of 10. I spun my office chair around this morning and started to gaze at the giant US map pinned to the wall in my cubicle. “Where to?” I pondered. That’s what I do when I need an escape from the endless emails that seem to multiply in my inbox.
I can spend hours clicking around Google Maps. The coast of California caught my eye. Though I last saw the ocean on my trip to Los Angeles about a month ago, it’s been quite a bit longer since I really experienced the beauty of the Pacific. Lately, I’ve been craving a road trip up the California coast. To hold me over, I dug up some old pictures from an Acura Legend meet held 7 years ago in Monterey. Get a load of this scenery.
That Sirius White Pearl 1994 Legend GS sedan 6-speed at far left was mine. This trip took place in the brief window of time when my 1994 Legend coupe was undergoing repairs from an unfortunate Texas deer collision incident. The white Legend was a comfortable ride to and fro. It had around 210,000 miles on it at the time.
The good news is that I’ve kept in touch with most of the folks in the picture. The bad news is that I only know of 1 or 2 who still have their Legends today.
Nevertheless (or always the more?), scenery like this ocean landscape never seems to get old.
It was during this trip that I met up with a long-time friend named Sergio who drove a beautiful 6-speed Milano Red Legend coupe.
Who invited that TL to the party?
I think I still have that shirt. And a little more facial hair.
Peace.
Group drive.
Before you click away, wanna see a pretty amazing road trip in action? Check out the website for America Sin Limites (“America Without Limits“). Imagine a nearly 9,000-mile drive from Patagonia in South America to Alaska. In a 1980’s Cadillac limousine! I learned about this crazy endeavor via Curbside Classic this week, when an automotive journalist spotted the limo in Eugene, Oregon.
These avid road trippers have already been on the road for over two years, having begun their adventure in the 1989 Caddy in early 2012.
The trip hasn’t been without incidents. In scrolling through the Facebook page, I see that they have already had to do extensive motor and suspension work on their car throughout the journey.
I would SO do this type of trip. Guess it’s time to start planning.
“Clunk.. clunk.. roll.. clunk…” That’s what I heard loudly from the roof of my car when I pulled out of the Chevron gas station in Hurricane, Utah this morning.
I turned to my passenger, Justin, with a look of “What the heck was that?” and then realized what had happened just in time to look in my sideview mirror and watch a pickup truck towing a 5th wheel trailer obliterate a glass bottle on the road into smithereens with its tires. I am a total airhead. I had inadvertently left an unopened bottled juice beverage sitting on the roof of the ILX and driven away.
Aside from that disappointing little mishap, it was a seamless weekend of family and friends in the scenic southwestern corner of Utah. And the ILX, as always, flawlessly transported me and my friend nearly 900 miles in comfort. Among the weekend’s activities: a visit to the grandparents, a car show, my niece’s 3rd birthday party, some hiking, and an Easter egg hunt. It’s a miracle we were able to squeeze so much into just a couple of days.
For the drive up from Phoenix, Justin and I had a silver Acura caravan with a 2005 TL and the 2013 ILX. A friend needed the TL transported from Arizona to Utah so we were happy to oblige.
Some traffic delays that were caused by construction on on Interstate 15 north of Las Vegas put us about 45 minutes behind schedule, but we made it safe and sound to St. George on Friday evening.
On Saturday, we went to the 29th annual Hurricane Easter Car Show. I’ve been attending this annually since 2004, usually entering the Legend but occasionally displaying other cars like my Prelude 4WS, and the NSX. Here are the pictures from last year. Hurricane is a small town of 14,000 people, yet the car show every Easter weekend attracts from 8,000 to 10,000 spectators.
This year, my brother Bentley entered his 1968 Chevy Nova SS in the “Muscle Car” category. The Nova turned plenty of heads with its metallic red paint and new deep-dish wheels. Not to mention the goodies under the hood: This Nova is powered by a 525+ horsepower Chevrolet LS3 motor — essentially a Corvette powerplant that’s been upgraded for additional power output. The factory 5-speed transmission has been swapped for a 6-speed. It’s no wonder the car ended up taking home a first place trophy in its category. I’ve yet to take the Nova for a spin, but I surely will soon.
We rendezvoused with some friends for an afternoon of hiking some of southern Utah’s famous red rocks and closed out the evening with some birthday celebrations for my niece Vivienne. By Sunday morning, the Easter Bunny had deposited several dozen plastic eggs throughout the yard so we watched the kids fill up their baskets with newfound treasures. Each of the eggs also had a 50 cent piece inside. I should have pocketed a few myself – that’s gas money!
Justin and I worked our way home to Phoenix via the remote backroads of northern Arizona, including my favorite: Highway 89A. This two-laner climbs from 2,000 feet at the desert floor in Fredonia to nearly 8,000 feet at Jacob Lake via curvy mountain grades. I watched the exterior temperature readout in the ILX dip from 75 degrees to 64 degrees as we neared a road at the summit that takes off toward the north rim of the Grand Canyon.
The ILX is well suited to such mountain passes, especially with its sharply tuned 6-speed manual transmission. Descending to the valley floor once more, the Vermillion Cliffs shone brightly ahead of us in vivid red. We saw very little other traffic. We made a stop at the 1928 “Navajo Bridge” which straddles a canyon some 600 feet above the Colorado River.
After one final stop in Flagstaff for a bite to eat, we continued home to the Valley of the Sun. Here are a few of the pictures from the weekend that I hope you’ll enjoy!
Following the ’05 TL on Highway 93 north of Kingman, Arizona
Just before Hoover Dam — this hitchhiker had a ways to go!
The ‘red’ traffic area shown here from the map on my phone was probably 15 miles in length. It was tedious stop-and-go on Interstate 15 northbound as we headed toward Mesquite, Nevada.
“This traffic jam brought to you by Ray Bans.” Justin let me borrow these shades. I lost mine but have another set on order.
You know you’re driving slowly when your GPS unit asks if you’d like to switch to “Pedestrian Usage Mode.”
Nevertheless, we made it, and Saturday was a beautiful day in southern Utah.
Jeremy took the wheel of the ILX for a few of our visits. “Close your eyes and see if you can tell when I’m shifting,” he said. He thinks, mistakenly, that he can shift a manual transmission smoother than I can.
We’re really not as cool as we pretend to be.
Back patio conversation with the grandparents. These folks are my most loyal readers, and I thank them for their support!
Looping around a giant guitar on Tabernacle Street in historic downtown St. George.
And now, a few photos from the Hurricane Easter Car Show.
Justin, Tyson, Jeremy with the 1968 Nova SS.
Too much power under that hood.
Notice that even the gauges have been updated. The factory bench seat has been replaced with supportive, sporty buckets. And my, does that paint glisten.
Next up, we headed to the “Red Hill” of St. George to hike around.
St. George is home to Dixie State University and proudly displays a “D” on the hillside.
Shane, Tyson, Jeremy
My dad happened to be wearing a commemorative 500,000 mile T-shirt at the pool later that day. These were designed and screen printed by a close friend and fellow Acura enthusiast, Dave, prior to my 500k milestone two years ago.
B-day bash for 3-year-old Vivienne.
Easter egg hunt on Sunday morning
Here’s Beckam
And this is Viv. Aren’t they the best?
On the road again, and turning 75,000 miles in the ILX.
Here’s the exact location where it happened, eastbound on Hwy 89A nearing the Vermillion Cliffs.
I couldn’t help but pull over for a few photo-ops in this amazing terrain.
Oh my. I came across a color copy of this 1990’s artifact the other day. Issued the last day of 1997, I was 5-foot-8 and 130 pounds of ear-to-ear grinning 16-year-old. I’m pretty sure I bolted from the DMV and did a few cartwheels in the process as I was finally a fully legalized driver.
While we’re looking back, here’s a shot from around that same era. My 1989 Honda Prelude 2.0 Si at the time was equipped with some blingin’ 15″ Optima wheels. Mom’s 1993 Acura Legend L was looking pretty fly, too. This was taken in 1998 at my grandparents’ cabin near Elk Meadows Ski Resort in the mountains east of Beaver, Utah.
I also scanned this beauty from around the same time. Grandma’s Chevy Beretta. It was a 1990, I think? I loved that car, and actually I still find Berettas attractive when I see them on the road. Call me crazy.
I finally got around to test-fitting an OEM Legend coupe cover that my friend Mark gave me several weeks ago.
All bundled up! Perfect fit, just as I expected. Thanks, Mark!
My friend Chris in NJ tipped me off on this stunning Crystal Black Pearl 2014 Acura ILX, customized by Acura of Pembroke Pines, Florida. It’s sitting on 19″ Vossen wheels and stanced with Eibach lowering springs.
Absolutely gorgeous! And, it’s already been sold to a lucky owner. It’s amazing how a few subtle updates will really make a car “pop.”
I’m off to Utah until Sunday for some family festivities, so stay tuned for a trip write-up in the coming days. The ILX is closing in on the 25,000 mile home stretch to its first 100,000. Thanks for joining me on the way there!
I had a bunch of meetings on my calendar today at the office, but can you guess which one was the most important?
That’s right. My calendar was solidly blocked from 10:30 to 11:30 Arizona time for today’s Acura press conference.
It was an important day for Acura enthusiasts. New York City’s “International Auto Show” was the place to be. As each automaker queued up the lights-camera-action for its press conference, automotive enthusiasts from around the globe tuned in to lay eyes on some hot new 2015 model year cars. Acura’s conference was held at 10:50 in the morning Arizona time, and I made sure to block some time out accordingly so I could watch via the live YouTube feed.
The all-new TLX, as a blend of current/outgoing TSX and TL models, will go on sale sometime this summer. You’ll remember when I traveled to the Detroit Auto Show to see the prototype uncovered for the first time. In the months since then, the TLX has been refined and readied to become a full-blown production model instead of just a piece of art.
Acura’s Mike Accavitti took center stage and introduced the TLX as a vehicle with “more performance, more prestige, and more technological sophistication” than ever before seen in its predecessors. Matt Hargett took the stage next and discussed some of the car’s key features and multiple powertrain choices, ranging from a 206-horsepower 4 cylinder to a 290-horsepower 3.5-liter V6.
Thanks to 2theRedline star Sofyan Bey for sending me a few pictures from his front-row seat at the conference, including the following three.
Nice looking interior!
Side profile shot courtesy of AcuraNews.com
Acura’s full press release is here. I admit I’m loving that blue hue and sure wish I’d been able to see the action in real life.
I’ve been absent from the blog for a few days as I’ve had company visiting from out of town. My friends Jeff (Calgary, AB) and Shane (Salt Lake City, UT) spent some time here in Phoenix with me so I was in host mode instead of driving all over the state.
Jeff did borrow the ILX for a couple of days while I had to work, so that gave me an excuse to treat the old Legend to a 35-mile round-trip commute to the office. The car was happy to get some time on the open road.
Another Acura found its way to my home this week, too. I took delivery (on behalf of an out-of-state friend!) of a 2005 Acura TL automatic on Monday. It will soon go to its new owner in Utah.
But for now, this Alabaster Silver automatic TL with 163k miles on it will enjoy being a part of the Acura family at my house.
I haven’t even had a chance to take it for a spin yet since Jeff and I brought it back to the house.
Posted in Blog, Legend on April 12, 2014 by tysonhugie
Odometer (Legend): 529,145
Odometer (ILX): 73,760
“Every Car Has A Story”
Ain’t that the truth! Curbside Classic is one must-see website where cars’ stories are told in great detail. I recently submitted a guest write-up to Managing Editor Perry Shoar and invited him to use it on the site. It was published on Wednesday as a “COAL” – Car of a Lifetime – and has garnered over 90 comments since. It seems there are skeptics in the crowd who raise eyebrows at the thought of an original clutch that’s traveled nearly 530,000 miles. Ha!
Here’s a direct link to the article for any who wish to read it. Therein, I chronicled the story of my half-million miles of travels from long before I even owned my long-lived Acura Legend coupe. Those of you who have followed me for any length of time will probably find certain aspects of the story a re-run, but I hope you’ll enjoy it nonetheless.
Swing on by CC and take a peek. They’ve got some great features. As it turns out, the Legend model has been featured previously, too. Editor Brendan Saur posted this write-up last June. Thanks to Perry and the rest of the CC Team for seeing fit to publish my contribution! Have a great weekend, all.
drivetofive 