Archive for 2011 « JESDA.COM | Cars, travel, etc.

Yearly Archives: 2011

PART 7.2: 2011 American Road Trip – Mendocino, Highway 1, Highway 101

Be sure to read Part 1 for a trip overview.

Travel Dates: 4/21/11 – 4/22/11

Highway 1 meets up with Highway 101 at Leggett.
It winds through redwoods until Eureka where it returns to the coast.
At Crescent City, 101 and 199 intersect.
227mi

A friendly wave from the locals at Westport.

Westport CA

Getting dark as the road gets narrower.

Fast Tube by Casper

This was unfortunately closed. Its a large redwood tree you can drive under.

It was late and I was exhausted. After driving all over town trying to find a pet-friendly hotel, I found an Econolodge for $68 in Crescent City.

PART 8: Crescent City CA, Crater Lake National Park, US 199

PART 7.1: 2011 American Road Trip – Bodega Bay, Highway 1, Highway 101

Be sure to read Part 1 for a trip overview.Travel Dates: 4/21/11 – 4/22/11

43mi

Apparently, there are pedestrians on the road.

BIg ones.

Oh hi there.

“Sup”

Another scenic stop.

1 and 128 intersect

A couple sections of the road appeared to have shifted due to slides and quakes.

Fast Tube by Casper

PART 7.2: Mendocino, Highway 1, Highway 101

PART 5: 2011 American Road Trip – Computer History Museum, Silicon Valley, Apple HQ

Be sure to read Part 1 for a trip overview.

Travel Dates: 4/20/11

A: Oakland CA – Motel 6
B: Palo Alto CA – Computer History Museum
C: Cupertino CA – Apple Corporate Headquarters
D: Golden Gate Bridge, Day
E: Berkeley CA – Dinner at Sea Salt
F: San Francisco CA – Castro District
G: Goldgen Gate Bridge, Night
160 miles
Checked out of Motel 6 and headed to Palo Alto, CA, to see the Computer History Museum.

It rained everywhere I went except for Las Vegas.

Sun Microsystems

Lots of Porsches of every vintage and variety all over San Francisco

A taco truck! I could smell it.

The museum covered everything from the abacus (actually, even earlier than the abacus) to Charles Baggage to mainframes to video games to wartime data processing. It was exceptionally, impressively thorough. I was exhausted by the end.

There’s too many pictures to describe and explain, so I’ll place the thumbnails here:

[Show as slideshow]

Fast Tube by Casper

We got to see an early hard drive from the 1950s in action, with all of its data still in tact!

Checked out Apple in Cupertino

This sign for Apple’s retail store, which used to only sell souvenirs but now sells computers, seems to be the only relic left of pre-Jobs Apple. I went inside and asked about the icon garden, but they said it was removed. The girl at the reception desk didn’t know what I was talking about — her coworker had to explain it to her.

I wanted to meet Clarus the Dogcow, but was disappointed to learn that he was gone.

Outside the retail store.

I bought a keychain. There was something uncomfortably snooty about the staff and atmosphere. The mall retail stores feel open and friendly while the corporate store was stuffy.

Went north to San Francisco to see the Golden Gate Bridge.

Bonus: I saw a Tesla Roadster abandoned on the side of the highway just north of Palo Alto. I didn’t get a chance to take a picture, but I couldn’t help laughing. Range anxiety is very real. It figures that the first Tesla Roadster I see in person is one that’s run out of juice. I can’t imagine where the owner went. Maybe Home Depot for a 10-mile extension cord?

PART 6: San Francisco, Castro, Golden Gate, and Berkeley

PART 3: 2011 American Road Trip – Las Vegas

Continued from Part 2.

See Part 1 for a trip overview.

Travel Dates: 4/18/11 – 4/19/11

A: Pawn Stars Pawn Shop
B: Motel 6
C: Rio Hotel and Casino
D: Treasure Island
E: Bellagio
F: Las Vegas Sign

Approaching the strip.

I was uneasy at first. Something about Las Vegas’s overt fakeness offended my midwestern sensibilities.

There was even a miniaturized version of New York City, complete with the Statue of Liberty and the Chrysler building.

Everything is LOUD and BRIGHT, even during the day.

Smart. Escalators to keep the tourists off the street.

Yes, that’s the shop where Pawn Stars is filmed, located just north of the main drag.

There was a line to get in. Apparently they were filming so everyone had to wait with no certainty on when the doors would reopen. I couldn’t be bothered to wait in line to see a stupid pawn shop, so I insisted on leaving.

Checked into Motel 6 on Tropicana right next to the strip for only $37. Few hotels in Las Vegas are pet-friendly, so I didn’t get to stay overnight in any iconic hotels.

It wasn’t exactly The Venetian, but it was clean and cheap.

Ian found something called “Tix4tonight” which offers discounted tickets for last-minute planners. They had a booth at the Fashion Show Mall.

I purchased two tickets for Penn and Teller at the Rio and two buffets at Treasure Island. Total was only $116!

Did some gambling at Treasure Island (camera-phone warped the image)

The buffet at Treasure Island was EXCELLENT. Naturally, I went for the collard greens, pulled pork, and ribs.

I was up $10. That didn’t last long.

After eating and gambling, we headed to Rio to see Penn and Teller.

Penn and Teller’s magic show was absolutely worth the $50. The presentation followed a libertarian theme, mocking the TSA, lambasting the Patriot Act, and praising the Bill of Rights while frequently interacting with the audience.

Went back to the motel. Even Motel 6 has a glitzy sign.

There’s free and plentiful parking all over Las Vegas, which makes it very car-friendly. This is the top of the parking garage at Bellagio.

I take a lot of pictures in elevators. I don’t know why. They always turn out poorly.

The Bellagio has a beautiful indoor art display.

Parking/reception area outside.

The famous Bellagio fountain show. The water spouts are fired and lit according to the music, a selection of pop, country, or classical.

At night, it goes off every 15 minutes until midnight.

Fast Tube by Casper

Bellagio

Cosmopolitan

A wide variety of friendly tourists.

Bill’s. The only $5 blackjack table I could find.

This truck was driving up and down the strip all day. Ian kept nagging me to let him buy one, but I insisted that he get his own room.

At the Vegas sign.

Caesar’s Palace

A Previa towing an SC430. “Oh what a feeling!”

The Venetian

Went exploring on foot up and down the strip, checking out the casinos.

There were guys in the street handing out business cards for prostitutes.

Wandered around town for a while before returning to the motel room.

This was my first visit to Las Vegas. I was skeptical of its cheese and shamelessness, but it grew on me. Penn and Teller won me over.

PART 4: Las Vegas, Hoover Dam, Mojave Airplane Graveyard

PART 19: 2011 American Road Trip – Conclusions, Gettysburg PA to St Louis

Be sure to read Part 1 for a trip overview.

Travel Dates: 5/15/11 – 5/16/11

Continued from Part 18.

It was 70 miles from Gettysburg to I-76/I-70.
Gettysburg to Chesterfield MO was 800 miles.

US-30 follows The Lincoln Highway through the mountains. In the rain it was difficult to see around the curves. I averaged about 40 mph. This picture was taken at the highest elevation point.

Somewhere on US-30 east of Chamberlain is a place called Mister Ed’s Elephant Museum.

I didn’t stop there (nor did I see it), but you can check out the web site.

Fast Tube by Casper
This is how I stayed awake on I-70.

FINALLY!
Made it to Ohio where I booked a room at the Doubletree in Columbus and speed limits jumped from 55 to 70. I thought I was going to be in Pennsylvania forever.

Tim Horton’s! Got a doughnut and a sandwich.

The best thing about checking into a Doubletree is the cookie. I used to work at one when I was 20 and got fat(ter) eating these all night at work.

A nice, comfortable room.

I think it was $55 with tax through Priceline.

Some Doubletree hotels use a super high thread count sheet set. This was unfortunately not one of those. I was exhausted from traveling, and this bed was quite heavenly.

This Camry’s bumper sticker says “CRAZY BITCH”.
Classy.

Entering Indiana

This shop claims to make all of its cheeses from Amish milk.

I bought some sodas and this jar of pickled beet eggs. It was so strange I had to buy it. I chose not to open the jar in the car in case it stunk.

Snack cheese.

Indianapolis

Not sure where this place is from. It says “DURANGO” in rainbow colored text.

I HATE driving through Illinois. Its 65mph, heavily enforced, and the pavement is crap. There’s NOTHING to see, not even roadside novelties.

Home! St Louis Arch

Had to give these a try.

They have no smell, other than a sugary scent, and they taste like sweet beets. Quite tasty.

Newton was happy to see me.

That’s it. I’m done! 32 days on the road, completed.

Conclusions:

I am completely impressed with the fifth-generation Cadillac Seville. Despite its reputation for poor reliability, it didn’t let me down. The bent wheel and damaged tire were the fault of Spokane’s poorly maintained roads. The fuel and temp gauge going out was a bit unnerving, but it turned out to be a minor electrical glitch that corrected itself with a restart. Fuel economy was impressive for a 300hp V8 at 23.6 mpg overall, and comfort was exceptional. I never felt a hint of physical fatigue.

I’ll even give some praise to the Bose 4.0 sound system which, despite all my criticisms, had more than sufficient power and punch to keep me entertained. The weather band feature proved its usefulness as I traveled through tornadic weather, thunderstorms, fog, and blizzards.

It did consume oil as most Northstars from that era do, somewhat by design, using a quart every 1000 to 2000 miles. It was unpredictable as to whether it used more on the highway or in the city.

I have to give my friend Ian credit for doing a lot of driving, but he didn’t pay for gas, tolls, entertainment, lodging, or most of the food so we’re even. He, a South Texan, was ready to wuss out at the sight of snow and bad weather but I insisted that he keep driving.

As for Newton, he’s a fantastic road dog. He’s quiet and behaves reasonably well in strange hotel rooms. He didn’t freak out or destroy anything and his compact size made him easy to travel with. While I was with him, he didn’t whine.

Of the places I saw and things I did, its Highway 1 in California that I recall most fondly. It looked as beautiful as it did in photos and people seemed to drive with a reasonable level of care and diligence. The scenic viewpoints were an aesthetic overload — taking pictures of my Cadillac on the rocky coastline, watching the sun set on the coast, and enjoying the beautiful weather. The serenity and calm of Crater Lake was stunning.

And despite my whining and complaining about Spokane, great friends and a lot of alcohol made my time quite enjoyable.

I was skeptical of Las Vegas but came to appreciate its forwardness. The city’s artificial, factory-built, adult-Disney personality was off-putting at first, but it doesn’t pretend to be appropriate, deep, or anything it isn’t. The beauty of a culture that embraces legal and open gambling and prostitution is that you get to see people and institutions for exactly what they are. No bullshit.

And thank goodness for Motel 6. They’re flexible, cheap, comfortable, available everywhere, and generally consistent. However, if I didn’t bring my dog, I’d use Priceline. A Motel 6 room is anywhere from $35 to $60 (plus tax). Luxury hotels through Priceline typically range from $40 to $60. I’ve also had tremendous luck with Travelocity’s Secret Hotels. See the article I wrote for a comparison.

I also drove my first real classic car, Gary’s 1964 Chevy Impala. I expected it to wander around and float like a barge. Instead, it was powerful, comfortable, and easy to drive with exceptionally good build quality and just enough maneuverability for daily driving. The Impala’s timeless beauty is a given, and its true what they say: they don’t make them like they used to.

After hanging out with Christine and driving her Miata, I have the itch again. I’ve wanted an MX-5 since I was a kid, so I’m overdue.

After getting some rest, I feel energized from the trip. Traveling reminds us that the world is larger than the walls of our home and the streets of our subdivision. It has the ability to disconnect us from the social norms, false assumptions, bad habits, and self-imposed limitations that drag us down and prevent us from becoming better people. Like an institutional education, its a source of enlightenment that expands one’s scope and understanding of the world. This sounds like hippie bullshit, but you’ll have to take my word for it. Find the time, find the money, and go somewhere — with an open mind.

In a few days I will be leaving for Thailand, so you won’t see any updates until July 2011.

PART 18: 2011 American Road Trip – Gettysburg PA, National Cemetery

Be sure to read Part 1 for a trip overview.

Travel Dates: 5/15/11

Continued from Part 17.

Becky told me about Gettysburg which was only 45 minutes away. I told Christine I wanted to go, so we went.

I was exhausted, not just from Carlisle, but from a month of being away from home and being on the road. My sleep cycle was a wreck and I was spewing what Boston Legal’s Alan Shore referred to as “Word Salad”, a verbal jumbling of incoherent nonsense.

US-30 is a leg of The Lincoln Highway.

Farmland, cattle, and rolling hills.

Me and Abe. I’m not exactly one of his fans.

We stopped at the visitor center for a map and took the in-car tour.

We took the tour in her Miata and got rained on quite a bit. There was a lot of stop and go and ingress/egress isn’t so easy.

Imagine thousands of troops converging here, killing each other.

Eternal Light Peace Memorial:
“The memorial was dedicated by President Franklin Roosevelt on July 3rd, 1938, the 75th anniversary of the battle. One Union and one Confederate veteran unveiled the 47 1/2 foot tall shaft. Roosevelt compared the task of the men of the 1860’s with the men of his day: “All of them we honor, not asking under which Flag they fought then – thankful that they stand together under one Flag now.” In less than five years the sons and grandsons of these veterans would be standing together in unimaginably terrible battles against enemies around the world.”

A small child snuck into my photo.

The rain got worse.

The thunderstorm set the mood for the tour. There were more than 46,000 casualties. I’m sure the entire town is haunted.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Gettysburg

Popup headlights are the coolest thing ever.

Observation tower. I won’t be going up there during lightning and thunder.

Arkansas

Alabama

Pennsylvania Memorial

The cemetery where President Lincoln gave the famous Gettysburg Address.

The thunderstorm was a narrative. As we approached the cemetery, the rain stopped and the sun came out.

Land Barge vs. Power Wheels

Although the weather made it difficult to get out and read the signs and get an understanding of the events, I’m glad I went.

After I got home I called my friend Sean, a history teacher and Civil War expert. He explained to me that union forces formed a hook as they descended from Little Round Top.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Round_Top
“On the final charge, knowing that his men were out of ammunition, that his numbers were being depleted, and further knowing that another charge could not be repulsed, Chamberlain ordered a maneuver that was considered unusual for the day: He ordered his left flank, which had been pulled back, to advance with bayonets in a “right-wheel forward” maneuver. As soon as they were in line with the rest of the regiment, the remainder of the regiment charged, akin to a door swinging shut. This simultaneous frontal assault and flanking maneuver halted and captured a good portion of the 15th Alabama.[17]”

Union in blue.
Confederate in red.

PART 19: Conclusions, Gettysburg PA to St Louis

PART 17: 2011 American Road Trip – Carlisle PA

Be sure to read Part 1 for a trip overview.

Travel Dates: 5/15/11

Continued from Part 16.

Back at the Park Inn in Carlisle.
Torry’s two kegs of Yeungling.

Ray found an ICE version of Classic Lager, as if the standard version wasn’t awful enough!

Ray’s Miata

David offered me a ride to Wegman’s so I could buy a bottle of merlot. This was THE FASTEST G37 I’ve ever been in. Even as a passenger, it was a thrill. Its supercharged.

We came back for dinner at TGI Fridays. I seated myself at the kids table.

Greg doing a super-accurate Jesda impersonation.

Andy, Christine, Seth, Sheila

JESDA. THE FRESHMAKER.

Andy got me a gift! Its a kangaroo scrotum filled with Australian coins. I told him that when the US dollar crashed, I’d be the richest man in America.

Andy did an interview with the local newspaper about his trip to America. They seem to have overlooked his sarcasm. 🙂“After landing in Los Angeles, [Andy] Sola was met by friends from the website, who quickly introduced him to two popular American traditions – fast food, at an In-N-Out Burger, and gun shooting at a firing range.“Do you know what the gun laws are like in Australia,” he asked. He quickly got the hang of it and made nine for 10 in target shooting.To many people, Australia is the land of koala bears, kangaroos, and accents that aren’t quite British. At least some of that is true.“’Roos outnumber people about two to one. There are roughly 21 million people and 45 million ‘roos,” he said.His part time job, in fact, is ‘roo-shooer.’

“You know, I go on the road and ‘shoo’ them,” he said making a shooing motion with his hands. The Australian government prefers to call that job Kangaroo Relocation Specialist.”

PURPLE DRINK! Torry’s concoction. Some people got blue ones, some got green. I got purple.

Brandon, Abbey, Amy

Torry sneaks in for a picture, as does a fork full of pasta.

Andy

Joel!

Dinner’s done, headed across the street to the Park Inn.

Cracked open my bottle of merlot. Got it all over my sweater vest and ended up throwing it away.

Dan being cheerful.

Sean, Abbey, Dan

Brandon sees something

Beer was tossed into my glass of merlot. It kind of worked

Torry goes for a keg ride.

Ray and I having a manly chat about manly things, both of us heavily under the influence.

Brandon is an impressive drinker

lolwut

More rain.

Before the evening ended I downed what seemed like several gallons of water. My morning pee was epic.

I got to the fairgrounds at noon this time.

Christine decorated his bottle of sweet tea. “DIABEETUS TESTING SUPPLIES”

Fast Tube by Casper

I was on cone duty, putting them back in place if they got knocked over. Kind of cool.

Josh Sheets in his SE-R

I told him to watch out — I like brunettes.

Folks started heading home.

PART 18: Gettysburg PA, National Cemetery

PART 16: 2011 American Road Trip – Carlisle PA

Be sure to read Part 1 for a trip overview.

Travel Dates: 5/14/11

It was a bit of a drive from where I stayed to the Carlisle fairgrounds. 30 miles, 30 minutes.

I slept for 13 or 14 hours. I think I was awake the day before for 35 hours straight. I finally joined everyone at 3pm. I was still pretty out of it but alive.

Andy holding a Datsun with one hand, like a boss. Apparently the parking brake wasn’t working.
He helped Joel run the track and did tech inspections.

I brought my Seville. Before I found the NICO tent, I wandered all over the fairgrounds in a sea of ricers and roid-raging VW and Chevy owners. I went over the hill and found NICO’s quiet suburb. What a relief.

Wes always ends up in an awkward picture by himself.

The “Jersey Shore” crowd showed up in an Audi A4. They ignored all the rules an plowed through a fence.

Altima guys arriving.

COSWORTH! Sean brought his Mercedes 190E Cosworth. For me, this was the highlight of the event.

From Wikipedia:
“Back in the late 1970s, Mercedes competed in rallying with the big V8-powered Coupés of the R107 Series, mainly the light-weight Mercedes 450 SLC 5.0. Mercedes wished to take the 190 E rallying, and asked British race car engineering company Cosworth to develop an engine with 320 bhp (239 kW) for the rally car. This project was known as project “WAA” by Cosworth”.[4] During this time, the Audi Quattro with its all wheel drive and turbocharger was launched, making the 2.3-16v appear over-matched. With a continued desire to compete in high-profile motor sport with the 190, and also now an engine to do it with, Mercedes turned to the Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft (DTM) (German Touring Car Championship) motor sport series instead. Cars racing in this championship, however, had to be based on a roadgoing model. Mercedes therefore had to put into series production a 190 fitted with a detuned version of the Cosworth engine. This high performance model was known as the 190 E 2.3-16, and debuted at the Frankfurt Auto Show in September 1983, after its reputation had already been established. Three cars, only slightly cosmetically altered, had set three world records in August at the Nardo testing facility in Italy, recording a combined average speed of 154.06 mph (247.94 km/h) over the 50,000 km endurance test, and establishing twelve international endurance records. The Mercedes 190-E Cosworth was also featured on the second episode in season fifteen of the extremely popular car show Top Gear.”

A “professional” drifter in a Mustang was there, sponsored by Monster. He was good but a bit boring to watch.

My wrist band.

The guy in the blue hat is Joel. He arranged and managed this event. Super guy with a cool hobby.

Sentra SE-R with almost 400,000 miles, ready for the track.

Christine’s R-package Miata. I got to take it for a quick drive around town.

Christine went into a Panera to use the bathroom and left me alone with her Miata. I was tempted to drive home and keep it.

[Review link goes here.]

Greg C., Stacey A.

Yep, that’s a Ford Ranger going sideways.

I went over the hill to see the other hooligans at Carlisle.

Josh Sheets in his SE-R

PART 17: Carlisle PA

PART 15: 2011 American Road Trip – St Louis, Yeungling Brewery, Carlisle PA

Be sure to read Part 1 for a trip overview.

Travel Dates: 5/12/11 – 5/16/11After just six hours of sleep, I was on the road again.

Chesterfield MO to Pottsville PA
865miNICOClub was going to be present at Carlisle Performance and Style, a large automotive event with drifting, autocross, and other activities. Andy from the NICO forum, an Australian, flew to America to spend time with us, so my attendance was mandatory. After years of talking to him online, I had to meet this character.

I neglected to realize how long the drive would take. Google estimated 15 hours, which I thought was ridiculous for 865 miles. Unfortunately, the moment I reached the Pennsylvania border, heavy construction forced speeds down to 55mph, heavily enforced.

Using Priceline, I booked three nights at a Ramada near Harrisburg PA for $131 including tax. I figured I would arrive at 6am, get a few hours of sleep, and join the gang in the afternoon. Instead, I didn’t get to town until 2pm! My Thursday night booking was a waste.

Somewhere in Indiana, my fuel and temp gauges suddenly died. I entered the Seville’s diagnostic mode and attempted to pull codes, which revealed nothing useful.

It was raining heavily, surprise surprise. I endured rain from the moment I began my travels in April and it hadn’t stopped.

I called Ian and asked him to look on the Cadillac forum for answers. The only discussion on this issue was from a guy who said he shut the car down, came back a few minutes later, and the problem went away.

So, I pulled into a gas station, topped off, used the bathroom, and my gauges were restored. Weird.

Rest areas get nicer and nicer as you head east.

The sun was rising.

Greetings

The hills are indeed very alive.

Pennsylvania’s highways use narrow corridors with little room for merging lanes. Instead, stop signs are placed at ramps.

Stopped at Burger King for breakfast. Terrible decision. There was a McDonald’s across the street.

A tunnel

A Pennsylvania Turnpike toll ticket. It can get quite expensive. Considering how low the speed limits are, it doesn’t seem like you get your money’s worth.

Another tunnel.

A Fiat

Attractive wooded area

I got to Harrisburg and received a phone call from James S. who just landed at the airport. I picked him up and we headed over to the Yeungling Brewery for an impromptu tour.

62 miles from Harrisburg to Pottsville

Navigating the Seville through Pottsville was like threading a rope through a sewing needle. There were several three-point turns. The only other Seville I saw there was parallel parked with a busted passenger side mirror.

My parking brake still worked.

The brewery at the top of the hill. It’s basically a cave built into the side of a hill with a building on top.

For safety reasons, and because they let visitors get so close to the equipment, they had me change out of my sandals and into a pair of used shoes.

Tons of shoes.

Down in the cave.

Over a century ago, miners were used to dig this cave.

Its cool and damp.

During prohibition the caves were bricked off by the government.

Brewing equipment.

Ornate ceiling

Storage area

Tour guide

Canning process. We were allowed to get within a couple feet of the line.

TRUTH.
Currency

Exhausted, I finally got to my hotel in Harrisburg later in the afternoon. I only had enough time to shower and get changed before meeting everyone at the Park Inn in Carlisle. I took some Five Hour Energy.

This Ramada was quite nice for $37. Sparkling clean with friendly hotel staff and a very comfortable bed.

I stopped at Wegman’s for a bottle of riesling as a gift to Ray. To purchase wine anywhere but a state-run liquor store (STUPID), you have to use this obnoxious kiosk. At the end of the transaction, it has to blow into a doughnut-shaped hole to make sure you aren’t drunk. Its intrusive, obnoxious, and dumb.

Pennsylvania’s liquor laws are bullshit.

Met up with the NICO crew at Park Inn.

A blurry picture of Torry, Andy, and Christine. I was mentally ‘drunk’ from a lack of sleep and forgot to set my camera to automatic mode. This picture basically sums up how everything looked through my eyes that night.

Abbey, Torry, Andy

RAY! He sent me a huge box of seafood from Rhode Island.

The Altima Coupe crowd likes their bass. I don’t know why this blue fellow climbed in.

Ray made us scallops and rice. It was excellent. James helped.

ANDY! All the way from Australia!

Front: Seth, Torry, and Greg. Greg is the owner/admin of NICO.

TIME FOR SCALLOPS

Wes, Ray. Wes has the world’s first Infinti Q45 with a 5-speed manual.

Greg drinking “Classic Lager”. It’s canned battery acid. I couldn’t take more than a few sips.

Wes’s 5-speed Q45. A very clean setup.

I was too drunk and tired to drive it.

Mike on the stage at Hardware Bar next door.

James’s turn.

Torry, Abbey, James

Torry brought two Yeungling kegs.

KEG STAND

PART 16: Carlisle PA

PART 14: 2011 American Road Trip – Tornado in Colorado, Dillon MT to St Louis

Be sure to read Part 1 for a trip overview.

Travel Dates: 5/11/11 – 5/12/11

Dillon MT to Fort Collins CO – 660 miles
Fort Collins CO to Wichita KS to Chesterfield MO – 1000 miles
We stopped in Pocatello ID to eat at Denny’s then took US-30 to connect to I-80, the Lincoln Highway.

The Lincoln Highway, the first official dedication to President Abraham Lincoln, was the first road to go from coast to coast. It was conceived in 1911 by wealthy businessman and auto enthusiasts. Today, much of the original route is covered by I-80.

On I-80 is a Lincoln Monument, originally located on US-30 and moved in 2001 to exit 323 near Laramie WY.

Henry Ford was against private investment for America’s roads, believing it should primarily be a government reponsibility. In 2003, Ford Motor Company’s Lincoln division sponsored the 90th anniversary Lincoln Highway Cross Country Tour, contributing several Lincoln vehicles (arguably Lincoln’s best model lineup year in recent history) new and old.

The Lincoln Highway’s alignments span 5869 miles.

Traveling on US-30, learning about the Lincoln Highway.

Several small towns along the way.

US-30 was mostly a two-lane road.

Got on I-80, a well-maintained stretch through Wyoming.

Watered and fed Newton. I rearranged my luggage to give him more room and used the center arm rest to keep him fed.

The snow got very heavy west of Cheyenne, forcing us to stop at a gas station until the storm passed.

Quite heavy. Ian, a Texan, wasn’t comfortable driving in the snow.

Accumulation was heavy and rapid.

After the storm passed we moved forward, running into the storm again. We headed south on I-25 and ran into rain.

Checked into Motel 6 in Fort Collins CO. $40.

Ellis KS, where Walter P Chrysler grew up.

The house, owned by the city of Ellis, serves as a museum. Its closed after 4pm.

Built in 1889

“The Walter P Chrysler Boyhood Home was built in 1889 by Walter’s father Henry, his brother Ed, and Walter himself. Walter lived in the home from 1889 to 1897. During this period, the Kansas Pacific Railway employed Walter as an engine wiper and later as a mechanic. His parents remained in this home until 1913. After decades of neglect, the house fell into disrepair until the early 1950s when the owner of the local Dodge/Plymouth dealership rescued it from its state of decay. The Chrysler Corporation later purchased the home and on 27 August 1955, Walter’s son Jack presented the deed to the city of Ellis, thus establishing it as a museum and opening the home to public tours.
In 1957 the Chrysler Home sustained damage when a devastating flood struck the downtown area of Ellis, depositing several feet of silt and debris. Through the dedication and efforts of many Ellis residents in cleaning and repairing the damage, the home was again opened to the public, keeping Chrysler’s memory alive.
On 23 February 1972, the Walter P Chrysler Boyhood Home was placed on the National Register of Historic Places and in 1994 the museum witnessed an expansion with the addition of an exhibit building located behind the house.
This annex houses objects from the Chrysler Historical Collection which presents a chronology of of Walter’s life and his rise to fame as the founder of The Chrysler Corporation.”

The quiet down of Ellis.

The annex behind the house.

Back of the house.

A DeSoto and a Cordoba.

A railroad museum was nearby, but closed.

Newton finds the weirdest sleeping positions. He’s sleeping upright with his head on the armrest.

We drove underneath an aggressive looking funnel cloud in Siebert KS.

We were right in the center of the warning area.

Video: The funnel cloud that we drove under touched down a couple minutes later behind us. As we approached the storm, Ian suggested pulling over. I told him to keep driving, because waiting for a storm to show up wasn’t going to do us any good, and the end of the storm was only a few miles ahead. He sped up to about 115mph, and we cleared it. The storm continued northwest with a tornado touching down over some farmland.

Fast Tube by Casper

On the other side of the storm several miles later.

I dropped Ian off in Wichita and continued driving home.

SWEET RELIEF. I’ve never been so happy to see the sign for Chesterfield.

PART 15: St Louis, Yeungling Brewery, Carlisle PA

Yearly Archives: 2011

PART 7.2: 2011 American Road Trip – Mendocino, Highway 1, Highway 101

PART 7.1: 2011 American Road Trip – Bodega Bay, Highway 1, Highway 101

PART 5: 2011 American Road Trip – Computer History Museum, Silicon Valley, Apple HQ

PART 3: 2011 American Road Trip – Las Vegas

PART 19: 2011 American Road Trip – Conclusions, Gettysburg PA to St Louis

PART 18: 2011 American Road Trip – Gettysburg PA, National Cemetery

PART 17: 2011 American Road Trip – Carlisle PA

PART 16: 2011 American Road Trip – Carlisle PA

PART 15: 2011 American Road Trip – St Louis, Yeungling Brewery, Carlisle PA

PART 14: 2011 American Road Trip – Tornado in Colorado, Dillon MT to St Louis

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