24,000 Miles of Nothing

Day 2 consisted of over 300 miles of driving on what Life Magazine dubbed the Loneliest Road in America back in 1986. The Nevada Department of Tourism has decided to run with that description and have turned it into a tourist “destination.”

Once you get west of Fallon there is pretty much of nothing along the whole way across the state. There are three whole named places along the route, two of which have populations of around 100 and are nothing more than glorified gas stops. We are spending the night in the third, Ely, a city of 4,000 that benefits from being a crossroads of 3 separate US routes, 6, 50 & 93.

This is a real pretty drive, but we probably won’t be picking it as our default route between Klamath Falls and Santa Fe any time soon. Speaking of time, for some reason my phone has already changed from Pacific Time to Mountain Time even though we are 40 miles as the crow flies to the Utah border where the change point is.

Somewhere around the middle of the loneliest road, literally in the middle of nowhere, the rental car rolled through its twenty fourth thousand mile.

When Did That Happen?

Day one of another trip to Santa Fe, New Mexico: Klamath Falls to Carson City.

Filled up the CX-5 here in Carson City at the 320.3 mile mark. Google maps says our mileage between points should have been 280, but we roamed a bit of Nevada’s capital city before arriving at the hotel and that also includes a bunch of driving around Klamath Falls the two days before starting our journey.

The first part of the drive, through mostly northeast California, we were practically all alone on the road, but into Nevada at about 20 miles from Reno the road widened and it started to fill with cars. It has been a while since we’ve seen this much traffic, about 6 months to be precise, it was the last time we ventured out of our little city in November when we did this trip the last time.

We are ensconced in our usual Holiday Inn Express for the evening and are watching a decade old 27″ TV without an onscreen guide or even a cheesy little printed and laminated one. We have resorted to scrolling through the channels looking for something to watch.

I stumbled onto the Women’s NCAA basketball tournament and stopped to watch it for a bit. I have absolutely had zero to do with college basketball since I was involved with my former workplace’s March Bracket Madness back in 2018. When did the women start playing 4 ten minute quarters instead of 2 twenty minute halves?

Mmmm…Pizza

Made a quick run downtown and back to pick up our lunch pizza.

4.1 mile drive emulating Uber Eats.
Times Miata Driven since 01/01/22: 16

 

Wash Day

Yesterday was tire swap day for the Mini and today was bath day. Even broke out the Tire & Trim Care liquid and shined up the the black trim that runs around around the lower part of the car.

14.0 mile drive running errands and enjoying the springtime.
Times Miata Driven since 01/01/22: 15

 

Seasonal Tires Part 2

Ten days ago the weather had warmed up enough to go ahead and put the summer tires on the Miata, now it is even warmer and I took the snows off the Mini and put its regular all-season tires back on. That order seems a bit backwards to me, but that is the way it has to be because we don’t have dedicated snow tires for both cars.

We don’t need snow tires for the Miata because it doesn’t get driven enough to warrant the extra spending. Plus the mild winters here snow-wise mean that the borrowed Mini all-seasons suffice for taking the Miata out for an occasional drive to keep from having to do a winterized storage procedure.

18.9 mile drive before and after our walk at in Moore Park.
Times Miata Driven since 01/01/22: 14

 

Sport, Off-Road, Touring

Vernal Equinox Edition of SORT
As of Monday, March 21, 2022 at 6:00 PM pacific time:

Sport Off-Road Touring
2015 Ferrari
California T		 1996 Suzuki
X-90 4×4		 1949 Ford
Custom Convertible
Ferrari people don’t think this is a real sports car, but what do they know? This thing is bonkers. It’s like a toy car. Where do I mount the bicycles? These cars are nicknamed Shoebox Fords, I don’t see it, but what do I know?

Here is what last week’s cars sold for, or bid to, if the reserve was not met.
Sports: 2013 BMW M3 Coupe Sold for $68,500 on 3/18/22
Off-Road: 2004 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Sold for $27,750 on 3/15/22
Touring: 1955 Chevrolet Apache Pickup Bid to $35,750 on 3/18/22

25 Years Ago – Issue II 1997

This is the year that the magazine was transitioning from a quarterly to a bi-monthly publishing schedule, 1997 had five issues. This is number two because they counted the mid-winter tech issue as volume one. So for volume numbers two through four of this year I’ll stick to the spring, summer, fall and winter dates and next year I’ll do it this every other month, probably mid-January, mid-March, etc.

Back To Today

– by Vince Tidwell
   President
   Miata Club of America

I remember well the two weeks every summer I spent with my still very close friend Jimmy Wilson. We were young — blissfully young — and his parents had a cottage on the lake where they would take us for 14 days of cookouts and swimming off the dock. When a boat passed by we would ride the waves of its wake as they rushed to the shore. The dock would rise and fall and the water lap the bank’s Georgia red clay. It was always with great anticipation we’d spy a cabin cruiser or house boat. Big waves. No homework, no girl problems (yet) except his younger sister, and no financial concerns. Nope, just a few rules that were decisively and lovingly enforced if we decided to explore the limits of behavior as pre-adolescent boys are wont to do. The smiles never stopped. Oh, stepping on a pinecone barefoot didn’t bring much pleasure but it was amazing how even if the boat ran out of gas or if you bruised yourself silly it didn’t matter but for a few moments. Our life’s paradigm, indeed our whole attitude, was “maxed” out. In short, it didn’t get any better than that. I realize now I have Jimmy’s parents to thank. It was their effort and, mostly, their attitude that provided the environment for both of us to grow.

What does this have to do with Miatas? Thanks for your patience; just ruminate whilst I illuminate. I liken the Miata to Jimmy’s parents; particularly his father, Dewey, who seemed to always have a smile on his face and a proactive philosophy. The Miata can, time after time, if but a few short moments, make lemonade out of lemons. The top down, the lifting of the clutch as the engine growls and propels a foam-filled seat into the small of your back. The wind rustling through your hair as the steering wheel has just the correct resistance in your hand to navigate the curve. The reassuring click/click of the shifter as you ask for more thrust. A touch of a but-ton and your soul can soar to the music of your choice.

Did you ever notice that as you squint from the sun’s glare you bring a smile to your face? Incredibly, there are people who are totally numb to the aforementioned. They have someplace to go. Tomorrow, perhaps. The Miata is a time machine for me, if not many of you. It destroys a lot of the past that is best forgotten and annihilates the concerns/fears of the future. It can bring you BACK to today, this very moment. How many times have so many of us escaped from whatever may plague us only to realize that it can’t bother us if we don’t let it? How many times have I come to that realization behind the wheel of my Miata and not my family sedan? How can a product planner possibly design this utility into a marketable good?

When I drive out to the roads that Robert Frost prefers, I open up every sense of my body and seize the day. Easy to do, but what about traffic, you ask? That’s when I think of that cabin cruiser boat. Huh? Traffic? I must be joking! Every fiber in my body dislikes stopping on an interstate (no stop signs; how’s that possible?) or waiting in line on a side road. I know that everyone else around me has an agenda and sitting in traffic is NEVER on anyone’s agenda. But here’s my chance to shine. If someone lets me into a coveted slot, I wave thank you. If I need into a slot I smile into another person’s eyes, point and ask politely if I may merge. Works every time. If someone needs to merge in front of me — sure. If the Z3 wants to challenge me for the first hundred yards off a red light, well, there’s that kid inside again. I smile, wave and point down the road. If weather permits, the top comes down and I make gracious eye contact as much as possible.

Convertibles are wonderful for that and the Miata even more so due to people’s familiarity of it. I’m riding down my road of life, each milestone but a moment in time and each to be anticipated, remembered fondly and then replaced. Maybe I can leave a big wake for each of those people I meet. If they smile as much as Jimmy and I did, then my Miata is indeed a time machine.

Copyright 1997, Miata Magazine. Reprinted without permission.