Clinton Ooooook-lahoma!

Yet another evening with a wretched connection. (Thanks to Rachelle D. for reminding me what a woonderful word "wretched" is.)

I managed to escape Texas. It seems that Fox News is the default TV show to play in public places such as breakfast areas in hotels. I guess they think they'll offend fewer of their patrons with Fox. I tried hard not to laugh at some of the segments.

Two nights in Oklahoma. Here in Clinton and another tomorrow in Claremore, where I will be dining with four Miata-loads of people who are doing Route 66 westbound after leaving Miatas at MRLS and wending their way through a bunch of national parks before taking off on The Mother Road from Chicago.

I managed to visit two Route 66 museums today, One in Elk City, OK, (The National Route 66 Museum) and one in Clinton (The Oklahoma Route 66 Museum.) The latter was head and shoulders better than the former. Much better exhibitry and focus. The former was one of those "attic-dumps" that local museums are so often prone to. It does concern me that places seem to be able to use "national" in their names with impunity. Anyway, these are a couple of the exhibits.

Outside the "national" museum, there was a beautiful c. 1960 Corvette parked. I thought it was part of the exhibit. But there was an empty space next to it, so I parked Bergy alongside. Just as I was about to take a picture of the two, a couple, looking very unfriendly, came out of the museum, looked down their noses at Bergy, got into their shiny Corvette and left with a snooty roar. I guess they were afraid I'd get Japanese cooties on their car.

Hello from Amarillo!

I'm still trying to adjust to, what do we call it? Miata Lag? Two time zones in two days has kept me a little behind the 8-ball. I am hoping that tomorrow I can get with the program.

Dinner and comfy bed last night with Ron and Laura Harvey in Las Vegas, NM, a fascinating little town. Pretty much passed over by "progress" and, as a result, remains relatively intact from a century ago. It seems that the cuisine has not suffered in Las Vegas, however. Dinner last night included bacon and gorgonzola fondue (as an appetizer, no less!) followed by chicken and pasta in even more gorgonzola. Redundant, yes, but ever-so-nummy. So yummy in fact, that this morning's breakfast choice was oatmeal. Trying to be nice to Tommy's Tummy tonight.

Adding to my list of Twisties Not to be Missed, I took Route 104 southeast out of Las Vegas to Tucumcari. Wonderful vistas, and, not to beat a dead horse, but lonely-wise, it was right up there. This is a view from the road. Whatever that is down in the valley (the valley so low) that looks like the road, isn't.

I paid the obligatory visit to the Cadillac Ranch just west of Amarillo. I was hoping to get a picture of Bergy next to what's left of the Cadillacs, but they are planted maybe 100 yards from the road. I'm pretty sure that Bergy is glad he's not planted nose down in a Texas prairie.

Everything is graffitied. Everything, even the dirt. And in Texas, it is likely that Maria will last a long time.

Route 66 is famous for its outsized, um, everything: dinosaurs, cowboys, et ceteras. We stopped to consider what is purported to be the largest cross in the western hemisphere. It was big, but is it more powerful than a small cross held in the hand of a true believer? So why do people build these things?

Or the big cowboy just down the road at the Cadillac Ranch RV park and gift shop and, I assume, anything else that can turn a buck from tourists who come to see what's left of the real thing.  Turns out that he was a "Second Amendment Cowboy," whatever that is. Maybe all this bigness is a form of shouting, or typing in all caps. Whatever it is, there's a lot of it.

Drying Out in Gallup, NM

Tonight I find myself in Gallup, staying at El Rancho Hotel. (This is not it.) Built in 1937, it has played host to many movie stars of times gone by. Each room is named for one star. I am in the Richard (Have Gun Will Travel) Boone room. Only William Bendix stands between me and Jane Fonda's room. Kitch aside, it is a very nice place with rustic railings, heavy furniture, and Southwest motifs everywhere.

If you want a true taste of old Route 66, the road east of Oatman serves up a hearty meal. Twisties galore, on a par with Mulholland Highway, but narrower and in worse repair. Fortunately, zero traffic in either direction. But, again, I can't imagine doing that road in an overloaded Model T.

Nor could I pass up a visit to the Meteor Crater. People can cast aspersions at traveling and spending money to see a big hole in the ground, but I thought it was worthwhile, certainly as close as I'll ever come to being in a moonscape.

I did find a nice laundromat after I arrived in Gallup, where I washed and dried my tent, sleeping bag, pad, etc. after last night's deluge, so everything's back to normal. It was a beautiful campsite, and the tent did perform admirably in keeping me dry, I could almost say it gave its all in protecting me. It's good to know the little tent is up to the task.

This afternoon, Bergy went topless. The temperature has dropped and the onnagain-offagain rain was mostly offagain. So after I visited Petrified Forest, the big sky country was just that, and just beautiful.

Tomorrow, it's off to Las Vegas, NM to visit friends Laura and Ron Harvey, and my soon-to-be friend, their dog, Fred Harvey.

Onward!

Where's Tommy?

Last night, Thor, Bergy, and I camped at Fort Tuthill County Park just south of Flagstaff, AZ. I clearly mis-read the lay of the campsite, as a small river ran directly under my tent. Soggy City. At least the lightning didn't get to me. No WiFi at the park, so no post. I'm having lunch at Petrified Forest NP where there's petrified wood and WiFi. I'll be in Gallup, NM this afternoon and will post more from there.

On the Road Again!

It's funny how the same span of time can fly along quickly, and then at the same time seem to be long. Understand? I had a wonderful viddddit with my sister who is very good to me. Looking back to when I first arrived at her place, it seems like ages ago, yet, where did the time go?  We traveled from San Jose down the coast had a birthday party for me and my nephew Beto, Spent some time with Beto's family, Went to Malibu, and introduced Bergy to Mulholland Highway (everyone should meet Mulholland,) visited a Krispy Kreme parking lot where Bill Wilner of Miata Roadster installed a quick-shifter kit for me (more anon) went to Santa Monica Mountains (twice) fixed a few things around the house, visited the Griffith Observatory (everything I dreamed) and on and on and on.... Wonderful times

Now I have taken the first bite from my return-trip pie and am staying at The Lodge on the River in Bullhead City, Arizona. It's just up the road from Needles, California, the perennial national hotspot. Today did not disappoint, with a high of 109. OK, folks, it's late September, let's move along. Some weather-guessers are predicting rain in Arizona in the coming days. I think I remember rain.... Wet, wasn't it?

Taking a Break

As you may have noticed, I have been taking a bit of a break from blogging. I am not doing much traveling and am pretty much hunkered down avoiding the Southern California heat wave. It is due to break on Thursday, with highs in the mid-80s instead of the 100-plusses. I'm all for that.

Tomorrow I'm having lunch with Jamie Cabral, a friend from Greece (My, don't we sound exotic?) who works at Santa Monica Mountains. And maybe Amy Lethbridge, another Greek sojourner. We all attended the NAI international conference in Athens a few years ago.

Friday I'll be meeting up with Bill Wilner from MiataRoadster who is going to install his short-shifter upgrade in Bergy. It's supposed to be a great upgrade. We'll be meeting at the weekly KINOD Miata meet at the Krispy Kreme in City of Industry, CA. Mine will be the Miata that is not slammed.

My journey east will commence on September 25th. Leaving Gullyforneia (as Governor Ahnold would say) and heading through Needles, the perennial national hotspot. It supposed to be only 106 when I pass through. I'll keep you posted.

If you need an adrenaline rush, here is an article about a ride-along with Brian Goodwin in his NC Miata, the same Miata I was in for a couple of hot laps. Amazing! You're here. And then you're not.

LA, Day 3

OK, I'm beginning to get my feet under me again. Being in one place for more than a day is a good thing every now and then. Hotter than blazes here though. 99 last I checked at about 4:45 p.m. And I don't want to hear any of that "dry heat" crap. Gimme Monterey or San Jose any day.

Bergy got a bath this afternoon. There is a coin-op wash just a few blocks away. I've beenin touch with Bill Wilgus at MiataRoadster who is going to come over and install a quick-shift kit for Bergy. Supposedly a wonderful upgrade.I'll let you know how it performs on the trip back east

The drought appears in odd ways. Through the Valley, there seemed to be a lot of water flowing through sprinklers and aquaducts. Agriculture gets a pass, I suppose. But many businesses have instituted very strict "customers only" policies for bathrooms, and many, including Hearst Castle, (A California State Park) are using chemical toilets in lieu of watery toilets. Watering is permitted on alternate days. It is dry. Laguna Seca was a dust bowl. I guess car wash water gets reused.

Here are some photos that I had not had time to post until now.

 Bergy in The Valley, Near Hollister, CA

Most expensive gas on the trip, Pacific Coast Highway, south of Big Sur.

Another Day In Paradise

Well folks, I know that I promised more today, but today turned out to be a Day of Rest, so I didn't do anything to gild my blog-lily. Tomorrow, for sure, I promise.

We did some laundry, a usually unremarkable event, but we went to El Gringo Laundromat, far and away the grandest one I have ever seen. WiFi, video games, food, and many different choices of washer sizes. All run by card, no 20-pound pocket full of quarters. Very cool. And my clothes are clean!

The other big event was Beethoven and Bernstein at the Holywood Bowl. Wonderful! Beethoven's 9th and Bernstein's W

Tomorrow, I Promise!

We've arrived at my sister's place near LA. I'll be here for a couple of weeks. I promise I'll update this with all of the photos from the last few days tomorrow. OK? Goodnight.

One in a Million Day

I have no words for how wonderful today was, but I guess I better come up with some or I will disappoint my legion fans.

We started this morning in San Jose and, after a wonderful breakfast (thank you again, Jeanne and Joy) we headed for Morro Bay on California Highway 1. The weather was perfect, cool with a slight overcast. Headed down the coast and found perhaps the most expensive gas in the nation. I had heard tales. Fortunately, I didn't need much soI bought a couple of gallons to tide me over until we got back to Realityville. Traffic was light for the most part, this being post-labor day and all. There were several tailgating bozos, but there were many turnouts so I let the bozos by so we could enjoy the drive.

We arrived at Morro Bay hust as the sun was setting next to Morro Rock, had a great dinner at the Harbor Hut and once agaain, I find myself tired and ready for the hay. Tomorrow, back to Hearst Castle and then shoot south to Encino for 2 weeks before heading east.

I have other pictures, but they'll have to wait (and so will you) I am too pooped to pop.

Goodnight, all.

San Jose

Today was check out, give Bergy a bath, travel to San Jose, repack the car to accommodate another human, pick up said human, my sister Kathy, and visit with Cousin Jeanne and her partner Joy. So good to see them again and to see Jeanne's workshop where she creates amazing scroll work.

We  also visited the Humane Society of Silicon Valley where they both volunteer. What a wonderful facility!

A wonderful dinner prepared by Joy, and lots of stories about our family. Note to family: If you weren't here, you really missed it.

Tomorrow we will drive down the coast to Morro Bay, spend the night, and then, the following day, back track a little to Hearst Castle. I wonder if Rosebud is there....

Last Day of Camp Zoom Zoom

And so it ends. With a bang, not a whimper Here's a photo of Bergy and me coming down the famous Corkscrew. Photo credit: GotBlueMilk.com. What an incredible operation that is! They took high-quality photos of every car that was on the track (more than 1,500) and had them catalogued and available for purchase by the following day. Today I took it a little easier. I tried to sit down more. Although some of that sitting included watching presentations by Tom Matano and Bob Hall, the two "fathers" of the original Miata, and by Derek Jenkins, current head of design for Mazda, who is responsible for the design of the yet to be released ND Miata. The other seat I sat in was in Brian Goodwin's NC Miata. I was a passenger in the Goodwin Racing Miata for two hot laps of MRLS. We only got up to about 90 or so on the straights, but it was pretty exciting in the corners. What a rush, and what control and quick reactions!

I have to say that Mazda outdid themselves with this event. It was free, the whole thing, and wonderfully organized. I don't think any babies were born, but it did remind me of Woodstock with Wheels. Everyone was having such a good time.

Said goodbye to two new friends from Sequim, Washington whose niece and nephew are both NPS WebRangers! I called Corky Mayo, former NPS Chief of Interpretation so they could chat with the "father" of WebRangers.

Tomorrow I pick up my sister Kathy in San Jose and we head off to visit our cousin Jeanne (Elsie in Wyoming's sister) before doing a Lou turn and heading south along the coast to Encino for a couple of weeks.

Truly an adventure to remember.!

Miatas at MRLS, Day 2

Here is what an artfully-arranged assembly of 1,200 Miatas looks like from a helicopter. Bergy is at the right side of the intersection of the X, just above the point. The scale of this event is breathtaking. There are so many f these things. They are estimating that more than 1,800 Miatas are gathering this weekend.

We did have an opportunity to drive on the track today in what were called parade laps. About 300 of us got onto the track and did two laps at somewhere between 20 and 40 mph. There is one famous turn at Laguna Seca called The Corkscrew. You drive up a slight slope and at the crest, the bottom drops out. Beyond the crest of the hill is a nearly five-story drop in a few hundred feet and, at the same time, the track turns sharply to the left. Thrilling at 30, I can only imagine what t must feel like at a speed twice that.

Another full day and another opportunity for the 2001 BRGs to gather for a group picture. A wonderful group of people, and once again, I am baked, so to bed.

Miatas at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca

It was pretty seca alright. Dry Lake. But Laguna Seca sounds so much more appealing. But more than 1,800 Miataphiles filed into a huge, dusty parking area, choreographed by volunteers who shaped us into a field that spelled out MX-5 25 in the negative dirt-space. (MX-5 is an alias for the Miata, this year is the 25th anniversary of its introduction.) We all stood around and talked while a helicopter flew over and took stills and video of us and our artfully-arranged vehicles. Good times. Good times. Our Green Group made a good showing, some 18 strong, 3 rows of 6. We'll appear just at the intersection of the X, I believe on the right side.

We also got to see the newest version of the Miata, the ND (there have been Ns A through C, Bergy is an NB)  and now the ND that will be released as a 2015. It is stunning! Much better in "person" than the early photos released the other day. Less hippy and less aggressive, a bit friendlier-looking than the photos, I think. It had dual exhausts, two tips together on the passenger side. Very low and nimble-looking. It drove by once and then was gone, in a truck, to New York. There is supposed to be a non-running mockup on display tomorrow for more deliberate perusal. Maybe tomorrow my camera battery won't die like it did today, just as the ND went by. I've certainly lost my photo-chops, and that's a fact.

In the photo above, you can see a small section of the field with its 1,800+ Miatas. Really quite something. That's Bergy in the foreground. The guy in the Hawaiian shirt is Mark Booth, one of the moderators on Miata.net, the source of most Miata wisdom. If you look carefully through the windshield of his car (the red one) you can see dark inserts on his tan seats. His was the on-line inspiration for Bergy's dark green-on-tan seats. It just happened that Bergy was placed nose-to-nose with his car. We'll be meeting Mark and some of his Southern California group in Oklahoma when we head east on Route 66 as they return on 66 from Chicago. As I said, Good Times.

I have to admit though, I am pretty baked.

Fresh batteries and more fun tomorrow.

It Begins

I had dinner tonight with some members of the Green Group and another person from near Eugene, Oregon. Wonderful people. If all 2,000 of them are as much fun as this small preview, it's going to be a blast.

I did visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium this morning and it was everything that people promised. Just wonderful. The first thing I saw was this interpreter with a tube with tiny, live jellyfish swimming. Fascinating and, as you can see, captivating to the young (and older) visitors. I had been told that the visitor experience was top notch, but I was unprepared for just how high that notch was. It gave me much to think about, not only from the stories being told, but also from a (former) practitioner's perspective. There is much to learn here, and a tremendous amount of inspiration as well.

So inspired and deep in thought was I that, on leaving the parking garage, I sideswiped a concrete pillar with Bergy's rear bumper. Alas and oh well. The rear bumper needed redoing anyway. That's why you don't make a car perfect before taking a 7,000 mile drive. (Just one of Tom's Hints For A Stress-Free Life....)

Tomorrow is the Big Day, where 1,800+ Miatas will gather in an attempt to break the world record for Gathered Miatas. I am the group coordinator for about 20 green Miatas. The idea being to create a green patch in the assembled throng that will, when photographed from a helicopter, look like Central Park in Manhattan. At least that's the idea.

There will also be a chance to see the new, 2015 Miata in the "flesh" for the first time. It will be good to see it without the distortion created by wide or long lenses. I like what I've seen so far, however.

So I should better get to bed. There's cats needs herding in the morning.

To the Coast!

We made it! 14 days and 3,555 miles. We averaged something over 27 miles per gallon, probably owing to my over-packing. I know that we are heavier than we should be. I forgot to mention in my previous post that the first gas in California was $5.15/gallon. That was premium (Bergy has expensive tastes) and right at the beginning of the Tioga Road, a somewhat captive audience. I was pleased to see the prices drop to about $4.15 farther from the border. I had figured $4.10 average for the trip and this is really the first time I have exceeded that.

Now that the bean-counters have been dealt with....

I forgot to mention that the winner of the t-shirt is Doug Peel, who correctly guessed I would see my first Miata in Yosemite. The first one I saw here in Monterey was the earlier version of the British Racing Green Special Edition (Bergy's older sibling) from 1991. I was feeling pretty smug about completing my cross-country journey. This guy came from Newfoundland, about 10,000 kilometers, more than 6,200 miles in a 23 year old car! Put that in your pipe and smoke it.

I also drove out to the Laguna Seca track just to get my bearings. I couldn't believe how hilly it is! It looks like a fun place to play. I am not going to be doing any "hot laps," but I will take part in a "parade lap" or two at a more moderate speed, just to have the experience, dontcha know.

It was amazing how noticable the temperature drop was when we got near the coast. It's in the low to mid-70s here, supposed to be partly cloudy for The Event. Perfect!

Tomorrow is a "day off." Several people I trust suggested I visit the Monterey Aquarium, so the Monterey Aquarium it will be.

Yosemite

I think the Loneliest Road is over-hyped. US 95 south out of Fallon, Nevada was, in my opinion, lonelier Fewer cars, less traffic. (See what I did there?) I spent much of the morning singing of Darcy Farrow, because this is where the Walker runs down to the Carson Valley Plain. Anyway once the lonely part was done, I got to take the Tioga Road into Yosemite, one of the highpoints, literally and figuratively, of the trip thus far. Stunning, stunning scenery and a beautiful day.Traffic there was, but not as bad as it could have been. Some of the backups were due to more of those unsung heros (and federal employees) who were clearing the road of rock slides so that we all could pass safely Thank you, federal employees.

I met up with Jana and Sean, two good friends from the NPS who work in Yosemite, then had dinner and stayed with them at their house in Mariposa, an hour-plus commute each way (on a good day.) Again, beautiful scenery, and a wonderful Miata drive, but I can only imagine what it must be like when the weather is less clement.

I did drop in to Best Studios, AKA the Ansel Adams Gallery. I thought back to 1966 when I arrived there on a bus to take part in Ansel's Yosemite Workshop. Overwhelming experience for me. Moreso than when I returned nine years later as a teaching assistant. Much had changed in the intervening years. One of Ansel's prints was hanging in Gerry Ford's Oval Office, Ansel's business manager was driving a Ferrari, and his prints were commanding real money. In 1966, I bought three signed prints as gifts for $7.50 each. (My mom was appalled that I spent so much.) Granted, they had been printed by Liliane DeCock, Ansel's assistant at the time, but they were approved and signed by himself. For the truly well-heeled, yesterday I saw a print of Moonrise, Hernandez priced at $52,000. (Mom would be pleased I didn't buy it.)

Today it's off to Monterey, my "final" destination. It's another beautiful day, albeit dry and dusty. Poor California. It needs watering.

More and More Nevada

OK, it was lonely. It was lonely as Hell. Not that I think that Hell, if it exists, is lonely, far from it, but it was very lonely. It may not be the Loneliest Road in America, as the signs claim it to be, but US Route 50 in Nevada is way up there in the lonely road pantheon. Truth be told, however, it was a pretty popular road today. Lots of motorcycles, campers, and cars. I guess all the hype about its being lonely has created a counterproductive rush to experience the loneliness. But, as you can see, there's a lot of space in which to hide all the traffic.

I was again struck by the bravery of the people who crossed this wilderness before there were roads, where every gully, every hill, was an obstacle that had to be overcome. I can't imagine the perseverance that was needed all day, every day, for months or years. The Pony Express ran through this area. The last of the pre-technology communications methods. It lasted only 19 months, rendered obsolete by the telegraph. Of course, someone had to string those telegraph wires. Then, more recently, the people who planned and built the roads that I sped along so effortlessly. Yes, they had machines, but I'm sure it was no picnic.

I still have not seen any other west-bound Miatas. Tomorrow may be different, however, as I head into Yosemite by the Tioga Pass. I know that some Miata owners had talked about driving on the Tioga Road on their way to Monterey. One more night "on the road," staying with Sean and Jana before I arrive in Monterey for Miata's 25th anniversary celebration this coming weekend.