Road Trip to Arizona - Day 2 - Lake Havasu City

The day started out a little on the mellow side. We got up around 9:00am and got ready, then hit the hotel buffet for breakfast. We then left and headed South to Lake Havasu City to visit with my parents. We had not had any opportunities to get to visit them since they moved there, so we made sure to do so on this trip.

Looking North-East on Interstate 40

After checking directions on my phone, we headed out across the river to Bullhead City and drive down from there. What a mistake that turned out to be. If we had only known it was a much slower drive, we would have made the drive down on the California side where there is only a few traffic lights, and these were just south of the Casinos, with nothing until you get to Needles. Yeah the speed limit was only 55, but, I would rather drive than sit at traffic lights. Our drive down ended up taking about 2 hours. If we had gone the other way, we could have cut out at least 30 minutes.

Anyways! We got through the traffic lights, down to Interstate 40, and headed East. Since the drive to Laughlin was quite long, I never did pull off the highway to get any photos of Historic Route 66. So, I found a chance to get it done and pulled off. I asked my wife to take a pic of me with a road sign. The weather was a little on the bad side, so my wife took the shot out the open car window. Then I grabbed it took a shot of the sign itself.  Then we were back on the road.

Under the sign!
Yes my wife didn't realize
her finger was in the way

After a short drive, we made our exit onto Highway 95. Then we made it to Lake Havasu City. I got to my parents place, and, they were not at home. So I called them, and they had been in town and would be heading home in a few minutes. Well that few minutes ended up being about 30 minutes. Possible longer. They finally got home and since we were all hungry, I asked my father to decide where to go. 5 minutes later we were at a place called Rusty's. My parents said they come here quite a lot. The place was very clean and the waitress was very friendly. I knew then why they came here. We got our order, which was actually pretty decent. Then I stepped away from the table for a few minutes, and when I returned, my wife had mentioned that she invited my parents to come with us to Kingman, as well as the Grand Canyon. You would think I would have been a little upset about it, but since I don't get to visit with them as often as I used to, I was okay with it. But, we then had to get another room at the hotel for the to stay. So back on my phone I went to check room availability via Hotel.com. First I had to download the ap to my iPhone. Once that was completed, we checked for a room. However I had to wait to complete the transaction due to issues I wasn't able to deal with at the moment. So we finished up our meal and headed over to the "London Bridge" since my wife had wanted to check it out.

Entrance to London Bridge

London Bridge

We arrived, parked and walked into the visitors center. After about 10 minutes of looking around, we walked out to the river walk under the bridge. My wife was hoping that there were some English Style shops, but was dissappointed when we got there and as it turns out, there are none to be found. So we made the best of it. We took a few photos, then went back to my parents place. Once we got back to their house, I got the reservations completed so they could get things together and follow us up.While my mother was gathering their things, my father and I made a run to the local Safeway supermarket to grab a prescription that he had forgot to grab when he was at his appointment earlier in the day. On the way, my father also needed to go to th bank. So, while he was at the bank, I hit the Big Lots in the shopping center to see if they had any Hot Wheels. As luck would have it, they did. I ended up finding an error. To top it off, it was a Ferrari. So this find will stay in with my collection. After that we got his prescription and headed back to the house to finish up. 30 minutes or so later, we were on the road. But, my mother forgot her purse at the house. Fortunately, we were just around the corner when she realized she had forgotten it. So my wife and waited until they came back. After sitting on the side of the road, and freaking out a gentleman that just arrived home, because we pulled over in front of his house, I saw a road runner crossing the road up ahead. I hadn't seen one in probably 20 or more years, so I pulled forward to show it to my wife. It was kind of cool to see one again. MEEP! MEEP!

Desert Storm

My parents returned after about 10 minutes, and back on the road we were. As we headed out on highway 95, it started to rain. Yay! We're on vacation and it's raining. No big deal though. It wasn't to bad. But, the smell of the desert during a storm is definitely something I was enjoying. It may be the only thing I actually miss from the time I lived in the high desert here in California. Well that, and chasing the reptiles around to catch them. Anyway, we took it easy on the way back due to the weather, and after about an hour and 30 minutes, we were back at the hotel. So I checked in again, and we got everything into their room. We relaxed for a few minutes and then went back down for dinner. After that it was time for bed. We had a day of Route 66 touring to complete. But that happens tomorrow. THE ADVENTURE CONTINUES!

Road Trip to Arizona - Day 1 - The Drive

As the plans had changed for what the weekend was to be, I was a little excited that my wife and I had decided to get out of town and go somewhere we had not yet been. When she decided to go to the Grand Canyon, I was more than happy to jump at the chance to go. So we made our plans sort of last minute and decided to stay in Laughlin, Nevada. I figured since we had not yet been there either, it would be a good middle point, and very inexpensive place to stay. So we hit Hotels.com and made our reservation. Where really wasn't a main part of the trip, and since we don't gamble, she decided in which hotel to stay at, and the reservations were set.

Southbound 99 - North Madera, CA.

On Wednesday evening, we got to bed at a decent time so we could leave town early Thursday morning. We got up, got ready, ate some breakfast, A cup of coffee, as well as plenty for the road. We left the driveway around 5:30am, and in about 5 minutes later, we hit the 99 freeway and headed South. As I was trying to keep from being bored, I decided to grab the cell, put on some tunes, as well as take some pics so I would have something to add to this blog entry. I was doing okay, my wife was sleeping, and I made it as far as Visalia before having to stop. So we exited the freeway and changed seats so I could take a short 30 minute snooze.

Southbound 99 - North Fresno, CA

After the 30 minute morning nap, I woke up and we were somewhere North of MacFarland, so I pulled out the cell phone to get some roadside pictures from the passenger seat to post on my Facebook status. Eventually we got to Bakersfield, then headed East on 58. We exited the first exit to fuel up so we didn't have to until after getting to Laughlin. We stopped at an Arco-AM/PM station, and for some reason I decided to go inside to use my card. What a mistake that turned out to be. The counter clerk was such an idiot about me using my card inside, He asked me a question that pissed me off. The funny thing is I do the same thing at the AM/PM at home. I was pissed that the guy couldn't figure out how to do such a simple task that I walked out and used my card at the pump.

Eastbound 58 - East Bakersfield, CA

After that, we hit the road for about 10 miles or so and exited again as my wife wanted to stop at the Murray Family Farms for some fruit. As we pulled into the lot I noticed a cool old Chevy truck. They had made it into a nice display with the business logo on the doors and some oranges on display. My wife went inside and, of course, I just had to walk over and get a photo of the truck. I then went inside and we spent about 20 minutes inside and bought what we wanted and hit 58 again. After seeing how nice the scenery was, I decided to exit again and grab a couple more pics with my cell. I grabbed my shots, and back on 58 in a matter of about 5 minutes. As we were driving, my wife had no idea as to what I was wanting to do next. HMMMMM! Once we got to the 14 Freeway in Mojave, I headed South again. I drove about 10 miles and exited the freeway, turned left, drove another 1/2 mile and made a right turn and drove about another 1/2 mile or so and made a U-turn then parked the car. I had decided to make a pit stop to check out Gene Winfield's place as I had never been there before. So since I was going to be withing 10 miles of the place, I figured this was my chance to check it out. Why? So I could come back and attend the "Winfield & Watson Car Show" or one of Gene's Metal Working classes. I had talked to Gene at the "Sacramento Autorama" event about wanting to come, so this gave me an idea to check it out before returning for another adventure. So, as it turned out, I could only check the place out from the outside of the fence. No Problem! I just pulled out the Canon 40D and took a few shots. After 10 minutes I was back in the car again.

Murray Family Farms

Murray Family Farms

We hit the 14 Northbound and then back onto 58 East to cross more of the desert. We got to Kramer Junction and I had another side plan in mind that the wife didn't know about yet. I made a quick left onto Highway 395 and stopped at an antique store that I had know about for quite a long time, but forgot about. Then one day while watching "American Restoration", they had gone to this place and bought an old gas pump. After watching the episode, I knew I needed to stop in when in the area. Well this was the chance of being less that 100 yards from it, and I stopped on in. The name - "Kramer Antiques". The bad part, I didn't have much time since we wanted to get to Laughlin at a reasonable hour. So we kind of hurried our way around the store, and if I had had more time, and money, I'm sure I would have found something to bring home. I also didn't get a chance to go through the warehouse. The place was pretty cool. I would definitely stop in again when I have more time to really look around. I asked a few questions about what I was looking for, but no item related in the place except for a neck tie. Then back on the road again. We didn't stop until we got to the hotel after this, so there really isn't much else to say. I checked in, we parked, got our stuff up to the room, then relaxed until it was time to go back down for dinner.

Gene Winfield's Place

Kramer Antiques - Kramer Juction

WAIT! I do have more to talk about. On the way through from Kramer Junction, we got to Barstow (BARFSTOW), and my eyes kept bouncing across both sides of Interstate 40. I was just wondering what it was like back in the day when old Route 66 was the road to be on while driving through here. I knew for years that this is where it had travelled through, as I had grown up in So-Cal about an hour South of here. I even installed a fiberglass pool in Barstow when I was about 16 or 17. I had been through Barstow several times. But back then, Route 66 wasn't really a big deal. Not sure why either. I have been on several sections from Santa Monica, Rancho Cucamonga, Fontana, Colton, Rialto, San Bernardino, up through The Cajon Pass, Victorville and of course Barstow. I even remember the Wigwam Motel in Rialto when I was a little kid. I thought it was odd back then, but in a oddly cool kind of sense. So where am I going with this? Well, while looking off to the south of Interstate 40 I was a looking for anything that was still around that was part of the history of Route 66. I saw several places. Now I have it my head for another great BUCKET LIST Adventure. Someday I want to drive whats left of Route 66.

One more thing! I did end up finally getting off the freeway before reaching Needles and asked my wife to get a shot of me with a road sign pointing out Route 66. But that happens tomorrow. THE ADVENTURE DOES CONTINUE!

SKUSA 2009 - Prelude to my Callaway SC 540 Silverado Experience

So a few weeks ago a friend of mine came through town for work. However, before I can proceed I need to explain what brought me to the point of how Mike C. and I actually met and became friends. I know it's a story of the past, but it helps explain a few things.

In November 2009 I was working at the Ferrari Store in San Francisco and a co-worker came in and proceeded to tell us that a very famous Formula One driver was confirmed to be participating in the SKUSA event that weekend at the Rio Hotel in Las Vegas. This driver, Michael Schumacher. I immediately called my wife and told her I was going to Las Vegas. Once I told her why, it was no contest. She knew I was going. I had tried to get some things signed back in 2005 and 2006 while attending the Formula One race in Indianapolis at the famed Indy Motor Speedway. In '05 I had my Ferrari cap signed by Rubens Barrichello and Ross Brawn. In '06, I had my 1:18 Ferrari Enzo diecast car in front of Schumy and he just went right around it signing everything except for my car. I was a little bummed out about it, but such is life right. I did however get Felipe Massa and Ross Brawn, so I was happy. Keeping that story short, let us now get back to November 2009! I made a few more calls after I spoke to my wife to a couple of friends that I thought for sure would go. One wasn't able to pull it off, but my friend Mike T. from Los Angeles was ALL IN. He said he would get the room, so all I had to do was make my flight purchase and it was all set. So, on my lunch break I got that all in line and I was already feeling the excitement of meeting (at the time) my favorite driver from my favorite marque.

Friday Morning Practice

Thursday morning came and I made the usual trek that I normally did for my work commute. But this time I stayed on the train and was on my way to the Airport. The flight was easy and when I got to Las Vegas, I just needed to kill a few hours and wait for Mike T. to show. So, I had breakfast at the hotel and since I'm not a gambling man, I did a little bit of nothing for a couple hours. After all, I was there for a chance of a lifetime, not to gamble. Once Mike T. showed and we got settled in our room, we just decided to do some sight seeing for the day. After all, we were going to be at SKUSA all day on Friday. To spare those details, I'll skip to Friday.

Schumacher signing for fans.
He signed my Enzo on the
engine cover.

Friday morning Mike T. and I got up, grabbed breakfast, then got a cab ride over to the Rio Hotel and Casino. We walked through the ground floor and out the back to where the event was taking place. Once we got in, we looked at the go-karts on our way through to where the bleachers were. I met up with my co-worker who was there to be a mechanic for his friend who was to be racing that weekend. We talked for a few minutes, and then the hunt was on to find Mr. Schumacher. We ended up finding where he was to be and waited for a bit. Throughout the day, Michael walked through the paddock to the starting grid, so he was getting hit by the fans, and I did manage to get my Ferrari hat signed very quickly. Now it had 3 signatures. Then a little later I managed to get the 1:18 Enzo signed. When I put it out in front of him, he asked where to sign it, I asked where I wanted it signed, and it was done. SWEET! 2 things signed. I had 1 more item that I needed signed before the day was to end of the day. This item was the only Michael Schumacher Ferrari hat I had in my vast Ferrari collection. Eventually it got signed.

Schumy Drift

Waiting for Qualifying 1

So, this is where the meeting of Mike C. and I comes into play. Mike C. was doing the same thing I was. Trying and succeeding to get some of his collectible items signed by the man who brought Ferrari back to their racing glory. I actually met quite a few fans. It was a great day. Everyone was being rather patient, and to make it even better, Schumy was being pretty cool as well. So this is how and where I met the friend that now works for Callaway. We talked about a lot of things throu the day, and one of them included, well obviously the fact that we were all fans of Schumacher and the great marque that he had driven for, Ferrari. Then we found out that 3 of us were all members of the same forum website that caters to the marque. Pretty interesting! Considering that is also how I managed to meet Mike T.. But, before the day was to end, we were waiting around the team tent at the end of the day for him to come out and see his fans that had been there all day long. And a couple more rare moments came into play. I was joking about getting a kart tire signed that was sitting on the ground when Mike C. was all for it. So we each grabbed a tire and got them signed. Then the moment came where I just had to get a picture with Schumy. So I asked him and he obliged. So I gave my camera to Mike T.,  Mike C. to jump into the shot, and a couple clicks later we were all happy. What an awesome day. So, obviously Mike C. wanted a copy of the shot. What fan of Schumacher wouldn't want actual proof that they had actually met the man in the flesh.


Waiting for Qualifying 2

Well, since we had had an awesome day checking out the Super Kart Nationals, and having the chance of a lifetime to meet the greatest Formula One driver of our time, the day was over. Since we hadn't had much of anything to eat all day, Mike T. and I decided it was time to leave and grab something to eat. Not knowing what to eat, we invited Mike C. and his friend to hang out for dinner, and he knew of a great burger joint in the Rio Hotel. So we went there and had some good time getting to know one another. After nearly a couple of hours of chatting, the day was done. I had to get back to the hotel and grab some sleep. I had to get up pretty early to catch my flight back home. It was Saturday, The event was still happening, and I had to get back to work since I was unable to get the day off. OH WELL! Thursday was fun, Friday was awesome. It was time to get back to the norm.

Now that I have explained how Mike C and I met, stay tuned for my write up on the next time we actually got together. And yes, it will include the Callaway SC 540 Silverado.

Michael Schumacher in action

Schumy/Kart

Off to work

Michael Schumacher in action

Helmet of the 7 Time World Champion

Thanks Schumy!

SKUSA at the RIO HOTEL

ROAD TRIP - WYOMING PART 6 - HEADING HOME!

Now to get this trip write up finished so I can get some other things added.

We got up somewhat early and had breakfast with the Aunt and Uncle. After about an hour or so, we finally decided it was time to head out. We said our goodbyes and then went to Grandmas to say goodbye to her. Then on the road we were.

Now that we were on the road, we had planned on stopping at Pathfinder Reservoir to see the waterfall coming over the dam. We were told that it was rather high and wanted to check it out. Uncle Bobby had given us directions to get there via a scenic route by turning on Alcove Ave./County Road 407 just to the North of Alcova Reservoir. It was a decent scenic route. We stopped at a few places along the road to take some photos. But then got to one of the places he had mentioned to stop at. We were at Fremont Canyon. This place was very nice. Very deep rock canyons with a ton of water flowing through them. I was hoping to get a decent shot from just across the bridge, but since I don’t have a wide-angle lens, I had to go up high on the side of the mountain to get a decent shot. While walking around, there were several cactus flowers, so I put my camera to use and got several shots of those. Then I got my shot from on the mountain of the bridge and the canyon. Then we were off to get to where we were supposed to go.

We finally arrived at Pathfinder Reservoir, and I took a quick look at where everyone was going to, and coming from. I immediately knew that that was not where I wanted to go. So I looked to a different direction, and that was where I knew I needed to go. I walked to where I had to climb down some rocks to get to the edge of the cliffs in order to get some shots. I put both my Canon 40D and Rebel 2000 to use. I use the Rebel to shoot black and white. I won’t know how those turn out until I take another class at the college. I tried to get as many shots as I could with my 40D of the powerful waterfall coming off the reservoir. It was phenomenal! After about 30 minutes I climbed my way back out and headed back to the car. My wife and I started heading out when I saw another area of the falls that I wanted to check out. This was the area where it comes over the dam. I walked in and got some more shots and then back to the car and off we were. The next stop was lunch in Rawlins, just off the I-80. Now it was time for the long haul to Salt Lake City.

On the way to Salt Lake City, I noticed a car hauler loaded with cars. One in particular caught my eye. Why? This one was burned out. Then I get right up to it and I started to cry. The car I noticed was a Ferrari Testarossa. Yep! Some idiot blew up the motor and nearly burned the thing to the ground. I took a couple pics with my iPhone just to show to my Ferrari enthusiast friends. The only other stop we had to take was for fuel. Then we finally arrived in Salt Lake City around 6:00 pm. We had planned on being there a lot earlier, but the side trip to the reservoir added on way more time than we thought. OH WELL! We checked in to the Bed and Breakfast we had reservations for, and then we headed out to Red Rock Brewery and Restaurant. The beer was good, but this time our dinner wasn’t as good. But, it wasn’t that bad. No complaints!

The next morning we got up and left around 8:00 am. The weather wasn’t in our favor and we were in the rain for about 2 hours or so until we got in the clear. This was about the time we got to Wendover, Nevada. On our way though, I had noticed several Hot Rods, Muscle Cars and Classic Trucks going the other direction. When I got to Wendover and was going through on the main drag, I noticed that The Rainbow Casino and Hotel parking lot. I was in heaven once again. To bad I couldn’t stay though. What I saw though, was some great rides. They have this event every year on Fathers Day Weekend. HMMM! Maybe I’ll just have to come back when I have the time to get away. After drooling for about 15 minutes, back on the road again we were. Not much else happened, other that a long drive to keep calm and enjoy the view of, well not too much! We kept going except for more fuel, and for another bite to eat. We finally got home around 7:00 pm. Our trip was now over. Time to relax from the long drive and wait for the next event to come.

ROAD TRIP - WYOMING PART 2 - THE LONG DRIVE!!!

Well, after my wife got home from a hard days work, I got everything into the car. We left home around 7:00 PM on Friday. I drove the first few hours and stopped in Sparks, Nevada for Fuel and Coffee around 10:30 PM. Then back on the road we went. The next few stops were the same. I let my wife sleep for a bit until I needed to get a little sleep myself. I woke up just before Battle Mountain, Nevada and switched back to driving again. We arrived in Wendover, Nevada around a quarter to 5 and grabbed more fuel. Then it was over the State Line to the Bonneville Salts Flats so I could get some early morning photographs. I walked around for a while taking pictures in all directions trying to get some decent shots, then around 6:00 AM it was time to get back on the road. But, before I got back on the road I made a quick stop at the gas station and grabbed some Bonneville souvenirs for myself. The last time I was through 2 years ago, they didn’t have much, but this time I grabbed some decals, patches, a shot glass, a coffee mug, a hat-pin, a can coozy, and a few magnets. I would have picked up some post cards, but I grabbed those at the gas station before we crossed over into Utah. Someday I will get there for speed week and really know why this place is so awesome. 



Dawn at Bonneville Salt Flats

After finally getting back on the road and a long night of driving, and since I had only about an hour or so of sleep, I had to pull off at a rest stop and have the Mrs. drive. I figured I would only sleep for another hour. YEAH RIGHT! 2 hours later and almost out of Salt Lake City I woke up and realized we had just passed our next stop. I had kind of figured on where to stop for breakfast before going up the hill. Well like an idiot, before I had fallen asleep, I didn’t tell her where I had planned to stop. OOPS! Oh Well! We ended up pulling off the freeway and looked for somewhere to eat. We found a bakery and had breakfast and then back on the road and she kept driving for a bit.

A couple more stops along the way of places I had noticed the last time through, one of which I did stop at before. The first stop was somewhere in Utah that I had noticed. This was of a property with a bunch of cars, trucks, vans, and other vehicles on the lot. There must have been at least a hundred vehicles just going to waste. I took some shots and off we went. The next stop was an abandoned gas station off of Highway I-80 that we stumbled upon when getting off the freeway for a rest stop. The last time the fence was up and I was only able to take photos from afar. But this time, the gate was open and I was able to walk around and get different shots. I wanted to stop this time more or less to get pictures to show the change in the last 2 years. A little more brush growth, some graffiti and age. After about 20 minutes, we were off once again.



Abandoned Gas Station off I-80



 We next stopped in Rock Springs, Wyoming for lunch and gas. We kept the stop as short as we could. Then we were off to finish the trip. But, of course we need to stop one last time for a restroom break, and then the last stretch was on. We ended up arriving at grandmas around 4 or 5 PM. We then went to the Aunt and Uncles for dinner. Finally! We made it! Time to rest after that long drive. But, after deciding what we were to do the next day, Uncle Bobby and I went to load the Quads for our day of fun. Then one of them refused to start. We worked on that thing until about 11:30 or so with no luck. So, our plans needles to say had to be changed. Check back for the next chapter.

ROAD TRIP - WYOMING PART 1

That's right! My wife and I are going on a road trip to Wyoming. Bar Nunn, Wyoming to be exact. Just outside Casper. So, this is going to be a brief blog to set up for the trip. And since this is a road trip, it is technically Auto Related right?

We will be leaving Friday after she gets home from work and I plan on driving the full distance except to stop for coffee and gas up until I get to Wendover Utah. Why Wendover? Well, for those of you other Auto Enthusiasts out there, this is home to fastest place on earth - THE BONNEVILLE SALT FLATS. I hope to be there by 5:00 am so I can get some sunrise shots of this magnificent place. The last trip we made to Wyoming 2 years ago we stopped here in the middle of they day and it was awesome then. I took some photos then, but this time I want to be there for the right lighting. WE SHALL SEE! I just wish I was coming through here at the right time for Speed Week. DANG IT!

After that it's on to Salt Lake City for some Breakfast and fuel, then of to finish the drive until we need more fuel and I need more coffee. Then to end the trip, we will be at Grandmas House. Yes! Grandmas house. The whole reason we are heading to Wyoming. We haven't been to visit the Mrs. Grandma since our last trip just over 2 years ago. We will also be visiting her Aunt and Uncle. Anyhow, I will be updating my blog as the trip goes on, hopefully daily and with photos, but we shall see what time permits. So please check back for any updates and I hope you like what I am writing. If you do, please tell me by leaving a comment. THANK YOU!