So, I may be Officially Insane

30 June 2013 – 11:30AM

My connecting flight was originally delayed from 10:10AM until 11:00AM for maintenance, but they got everything fixed earlier, and started boarding only about 20 minutes late. Unfortunately, it looks like they couldn’t work us back into the schedule to take off until 11:00 anyway, so we sat on the tarmac for a while.

Sitting the row next to me was Thurl Bailey (or so I’m told). Apparently he was a player for the Utah Jazz for a long time and is now an announcer for their games (or so I’m told). Seems nice enough, signed some boarding passes for some little kinds (I saw this, so no one had to tell me). They moved him up to 1st Class because he is like 11’ tall or something. Or looks like it. Like I said, I didn’t recognize him, but I was pretty sure he wasn’t an NHL player or a race car driver.

Talked to my seller; he’s meeting me at the hotel tomorrow morning. I haven’t worked out my transportation from the SLC to the hotel quite yet, but it’ll probably be a taxi. I started investigating taking the bus, but that will require further investigation. My hotel is only 7 miles from the airport, so either is probably just fine.

The kid behind me keeps kicking the seat. Hard. And pushing on it. I want to hit him. He looks like he’s maybe six. I should probably resist. His dad looks like he could beat me up.

30 June 2013 - 2:35PM

Well, I'm at the hotel now. Hyatt Place was a good choice. It was a short, easy $2.50 light rail ride from the airport to within 200 yards of my hotel. Basically, all decent size cities need to implement a light rail/bus system that is this nice, clean, and easy to use immediately. Put people to work; it can be the highway system of the 2010s. Do it now.

Here's said train:

Meeting dude-man in the morning to look over the car, make purchase, and begin the grand adventure back. Already had a hiccup; my tire transporter broke his 'vette today at local event, so he, his car, his trailer, and my tires aren't heading to Blytheville after all. After a brief telephone explosion, I've secured alternate transport. Cool.

I've taken some lame pictures, the train station, the train, hotel (I didn't take any in the airport because TSA and not wanting to deal with even though it would've been fine, I'm sure).

best of luck. Keep us posted

At least I will be living vicariously through your experience- please post often!

I am well past those days of adventure.

LainfordExpress wrote: I just agreed to place a downpayment on a 1994 Mazda Miata R. In Utah. I live in Columbus, Ohio. Cockamamey scheme is to fly to Utah at the beginning of my summer shutdown, inspect the car and decide whether or not to purchase it. If I do, then I'll drive it from Salt Lake City to Blytheville, Arkansas for the ProSolo and Championships Tour, compete in it, then continue on to Columbus. I'm more than a little terrified. This is well out of my comfort zone. Discuss.

Good luck with the trip!

1 July 2013 - 6:42AM

Last night I went out and looked around Salt Lake City a little bit. Seems really nice, except for the oppressive 100F+ weather. Actually, the heat was pretty tolerable because it is so arid. Locals were complaining enough though.

Wouldn't be a proper GRM trip without oddball vehicle sightings, so far, this pretty cool looking Yugo!

I saw it walking to the Gateway Mall, which was very close to my hotel. After wandering around in the heat a little bit, I found 'Bout Time Pub & Grub (or something like that). Had about 20 different brews on tap, a cooler full of different beers from all over, and Grand-Am on the television. All-win.

Had two of these, Wasatch Amber Ale, $4.50. Seemed quite fair for the price in my opinion.

After that I walked to the cinema and saw Fast and Furious 6 for some reason. It was pretty much as awful as you'd expect, but at least it was entertaining.

Dude with the car just called, so I have to run downstairs and check the car out. Updates later.

I LOVE lightrail systems. Made things soooo much easier when living in Denver, and with my student ID, it was free-fiddy!

If that tall brown building in the background is the hospital... I was there for about a week when I rolled my Jeep and broke my back exactly 5 years ago. I lived in Wyoming at the time, and that was the closest "best" hospital within a 500~ mi distance. Not a fun experience, and I wouldn't want to go back there again. Doctors here are WAY better.

Really looking forward to more updates, can't wait to see the car in the flesh.

Got the car bought. It is as beautiful as advertised. Thanks Gordon!

Well, I've set up camp in the Utah DMV, 1 hour and counting. Sometimes being a good law abiding citizen is inconvenient.

My traveling companion so far has been The Unfair Advantage by Mark Donahue and Paul Van Valkenburgh. Favorite part so far is this quote "In the end we always came back to the old reliable bulletproof 333 [Chevrolet-Track] engine. An example of its durability: on time a screw came out of the headlight covers, flew into the Weber's, was swallowed by the engine, and imbedded itself in a piston. We pulled the head, removed the screw, and were able to put the engine back together and race with it. We even put the screw back in the headlight cover too - with a little more care." Any, SCCA Trans-Am. Epic.

If you want a good laugh, pick up Apathy and Other Small Victories by Paul Neilan. Prepared to be given strange glances/stares by onlookers as you nearly die from laughter. It's pretty short, but great.

Good luck at the BMV!

Utah was ridiculously hot. I was just there two days ago. HATE.

I had a Wasatch Raspberry Wheat for breakfast when i was there.

Called it a day in Steamboat Springs. Goal was Fort Collins, but I wasn't as quick in the morning as I'd hoped and the Utah DMV took 2.5 hours. So, I'll spend the night here (which looks like all win, by the way) and get an early jump in the morning.

Here it is at a scenic view on the Guardsman Pass out of Salt Lake City:

The first two hours of my drive was all this:

Posted speed limit was 25 in some places, and for good reason; lots of 100+ foot drops with no guardrail. I did find some places to get after it though.

Now, across the pass and descending into the basin, where I picked up Highway 40.

Ate lunch at the "Spin Cafe" in Heber Valley. Delicious roasted turkey sandwich with fries and a chocolate shake.

After that, back on the road with minimal stops. Northwest Utah and western Colorado is pretty desolate, even more than I anticipate, and it wasn't as mountainous more, rolling hills.

I did stop at Dinosauer National Monument in Colorado though, albeit briefly.

And then for fuel and Mayberry, CO; where I made a friend (very hillbilly, very impressed with my Miata, refused to pose with it for a picture though, he had two twelve packs in tow and they were calling his name methinks).

I'll be back with updates from my evening in Steamboat Springs.

It looks nice.

This is what I like to see, rock on and good luck!

Great pictures! Black R's seem to be pretty rare.

Here's where I stayed last night in Steamboat Springs:

The Nordic Lodge Motel, only rated 1 star by priceline, but I thought it was pretty nice, albeit slightly overpriced. But I was ready to stop, it was nearby, and walking distance to downtown, and had free parking and free breakfast. So, done deal.

I walked to the Boathouse Pub, which was right on the "river". Here's the view from my table:

Food was great, service was slow, view was worth it.

Got the Miata all tucked in and turned in early to get a jump on the morning.

I woke up early and got all packed up; breakfast at the hotel was perfect, and I sat and chatted with an Amish gentleman from Indiana who was in there. I wonder if he rode a horse from Indiana? Probably not. I should've gotten a picture, but I'm realizing I just don't really like taking pictures... need to get better about that.

Finally underway, I headed out of Steamboat Springs at about 7:00AM. Started climbing the Rabbit Ears Pass on Highway 40 to Colorado 14. Had to drop to 4th much of way, the poor 1.8L was churning all the butter she could churn in 5th, and was struggling to maintain 55mph, much less the 65mph+ the few other cars on the road were maintaining. One the way up:

Once over the pass (the decent was epic... but there was better later, I'll share pictures of that later) I got into the high country. And honestly, I thought this was about the most beautiful place on earth.

I had been worried yesterday about speeding (lots of signs about aircraft speed monitoring). Then I realized my license plate is hand lettered and not legible from more than 20 feet away, much less 5,000 feet. And middle-aged ladies in Audi station wagons kept blowing by me like I wasn't there.

Between the kamikaze prairie dogs, mule deer, elk, and coyotes, it was thoroughly enjoyable morning. But it had only begun, next up was the decent out of the mountain ranges to Fort Collins through Roosevelt National Forest.

I think I got some more pictures (not as many as in Routt, but some).

quite the adventure

So I didn't get very many pictures of the decent into Fort Collins. Apparently I was too busy gawking and driving. There were several miles that were unbelievable though... turns tighter than an autocross where I had to lean forward so I could look far enough ahead to avoid driving off a cliff into a river of chocolate milk rapids. And the apex? Not marked with cones, but with a 200' cliff straight up.

Those two pictures are from a few miles up-hill from the scene I described. I'm really disappointed in myself for not taking more pictures here... I was just starting to feel behind schedule already.

This little guy (below) all but save my life driving across Utah and Colorado yesterday. It was over 100F and I had to almost constantly drink water. I almost didn't get the cooler, but it was $10 at Walmart, another $2 for ice and it was worth every penny. I drank all six bottles of water, and when that was gone, started eating the ice. Every time I'd get a new ice cube, I'd wipe my hand (with the icy water on it) across the back of my neck and my forward. I would've been damn thirsty without it.

Apparently, the way to get me to take pictures is to let me get bored... in the Kansas part of Colorado, I spied this dramatically overloaded Fit.

We passed and repassed each other for about 60 miles or so.

Stopped for gas at Shell in Burlington... still that Kansas part of Colorado (actually worse than about half of Kansas itself... they almost should've made eastern Colorado and western Kansas "Kansas"... once you get passed Salina, KS, it gets quite beautiful again).

The gas station had a terrifying restaurant called "Reynaldo's":

Which featured this concoction:

Needless to say, I declined to sample their wares. "Crunchy Time"... WTF?

This Nebraskan family was my "cruise control" for about four hours. I hope I didn't scare them my pacing them that long.

I've been talking to "Gladys" today. At least, that's what I call her. My dad calls her "Margaret". I figure, if she's gonna talk to me, I'm gonna talk back. You might think I'm crazy. Shut up Gladys, nobody asked you.

I noticed I had no pictures of myself thus far. So, here ya go.

Did I mention there isn't a lot going on in Kansas? There is this thing:

What're these guys selling?

That's right. Nothing. What's that? You like nothing. Well you're in luck, welcome to Kansas.

Sinclair Oil has the best logo in all of commerce. Fact.

Stopped at this place in Salina, KS for dinner.

Doesn't say what geo-regional location they're judged to have the best BBQ, so naturally, I assumed THE WORLD.

Fortunately, that was a safe assumption. If it isn't the best, I'm not sure what to tell you.

I couldn't finish. It was a veritable feast for $15.

I continued on to Topeka, and have another 8-10 hours on the road tomorrow to get to Blytheville. Wish me luck!

Very cool! I almost did a CA->TX trip for a 94R. As I was getting ready to pull the trigger on a plane ticket, one popped up on craiglist about 20 minutes away. Dealer had no idea it was an "R", so I haggled him down pretty viciously (what? it doesn't even have power steering?!)

Bright and early start this morning. Left the hotel at 6:00AM sharp. Got a room here for $56! Thanks, priceline! In the immortal words of Ferris Bueller, "So Choice".

First stop was detour to the SCCA Headquarters. I thought there'd be more to see, but no...

Hardly any amateur rules lawyers anywhere. Maybe they keep them in back.

As I was getting ready to jet, I saw a bunch of jets. And tanks, and really big helicopter. Apparently SCCA HQ is next to the Kansas National Guard Museum.

On the way over to the SCCA, I thought I spotted a pair of MGBs, and thought, "Hey! My Miata should get's its picture taken with its spiritual ancestors!" When I got back, I found they weren't MGBs at all, but Datsuns. A 1600 and 2000! With Hardtops! Rust free even! They looked really good. I like the red one (2000).

Here's the sign for the place. Right on the east side of SW Topeka Blvd. Somebody should buy these. The red one had a very old for sale sign, and the blue one had a temp tag from 1995 in the back window. Did I mention hardtops?!?! I want one...

From then on, just barreling through Kansas and Missouri. I actually quite enjoyed the drive through Kansas, despite the cliched "it's soo flat!" which it is, but it has beauty in its own way. I think it is more just how long it takes to get to the border.

This is in Missouri... I love when clouds/sunshine pull this off. This part of Missouri was really really pretty.

I met this all-american badass at a Pilot in MO. That's his '63 Chevy truck with a '63 Corvette 327 in it. He said it'll get painted sometime this month, and look really sharp. I'm taking his word for it. I thought it looked awesome as is. I want to be like him when I grow up. He didn't say what he did, so I assumed retired short-track racer that now wrestles alligators and/or bears. I bet he doesn't even use a thimble when he fixes a loose button on his shirt.

All the signs and radio stations kept talking about being in the Ozarks; I thought those were in Arkansas, but I dunno. Seems reasonable. Pretty, regardless.

I got to Blytheville just after 4:00PM and checked into the hotel, then on to the site to register and get teched. I stopped and washed the car at one of those self-service coin jobs. Then stickers. Because racecar. Fo realz.

I run first heat tomorrow in the S5 class. You can follow the live results here. (don't worry, it'll update tomorrow).

Those Datsun roadsters are the spiritual ancestors of that Miata. The MGB is the European cousin.

Why does the 1600 (blue) have triple taillights while the 2000 (red) only has doubles? Also, I like the top on the 1600 better.

Very nice. Looks like you are enjoying life so far. keep on keeping on... And why do I have the feeling that Whitey's Auto is going to get about 75 phone calls...

Add in a pass down the flying mile on the Bonneville salt flats & it sounds like the perfect trip!