So... Cross country in a Miata in 24 hrs...

[Echonova]

Some of you may know, most do not... My father's health has been failing. Got the call last Wed night that he had taken a drastic turn for the worse. Searched for plane tickets, but the only plane that had two seats (for me and my daughter) arrived at 10:30pm Friday night, I thought... "Damn I can drive there faster. I'll get a rental car.". Only to discover that since years ago, I shed any form of debt. While I owe no man a dollar, most rental car companies were reluctant to rent me a car once I told them my destination was Tucson with just a debit card... While waiting for some faceless GM's approval I said F*** it. I'll just take the Miata. This thread is more about the journey, than anything else.

Pre-trip maintenance meant I removed the sub-woofer so I would have room for a duffel bag and to put the spare tire back in.


But whatever. Halfway through Texas I figured "maybe I should document my journey". Didn't bring a camera so all the pics are i-Pod quality... Sorry.

So here I am driving through Texas.
http://i1178.photobucket.com/albums/x378/Echonova3/006_zpsd0a1d114.jpg

5 hours later... Still in Texas
http://i1178.photobucket.com/albums/x378/Echonova3/007_zpsa9ec8bcf.jpg

Still more hours later... Yep still in Texas. My father passed before I reached El Paso. Hence I wasn't in a picture taking mood. But I was determined to press on for mom's sake.
http://i1178.photobucket.com/albums/x378/Echonova3/009_zpse17969b2.jpg

Many hours later I entered the great state of New Mexico
http://i1178.photobucket.com/albums/x378/Echonova3/010_zps9272c284.jpg

Started to approach Arizona
http://i1178.photobucket.com/albums/x378/Echonova3/011_zpsb6475d08.jpg

Yea!!!! Reached Arizona!!!
http://i1178.photobucket.com/albums/x378/Echonova3/016_zps23e40430.jpg

Reached my parents house 24.5 hours flat (many, many hours were spent @ 90mph+) after leaving Bethlehem, GA. Friday @ 6pm. Should have been a 27 hr drive according to Google. But Google is the perfect example of the difference between knowledge and wisdom. Google don't know shit about Miata power. Although I wished I had cruise control... The 19 year old car performed like a wizened porn star on a casting couch. It did everything asked of it and more with nary a complaint.
http://i1178.photobucket.com/albums/x378/Echonova3/024_zpsf0dfc130.jpg

After settling in, I realized half the things I thought I packed... I didn't. So off to the store for mundane things like clothes, and toothpaste.
http://i1178.photobucket.com/albums/x378/Echonova3/025_zps5808e809.jpg

While I was off at the store my mom made a run to the Starbucks, that is literally .28 miles from her house. Got a nail, tire went flat after she pulled back in the garage. Never fear, the Miata in here.
http://i1178.photobucket.com/albums/x378/Echonova3/026_zpsacaea91c.jpg

Now I'm sitting in the backyard watching the sun go down whilst enjoying a tasty adult beverage.
http://i1178.photobucket.com/albums/x378/Echonova3/027_zps6041027f.jpg

Monday the real work begins for the short two weeks I am here...

So today (Sun) went to wash 2,000 miles of bugs off the car. Nice and shiny again for the trip home in a couple weeks.

http://i1178.photobucket.com/albums/x378/Echonova3/AZtrip001_zpsa0d5f8f0.jpg
http://i1178.photobucket.com/albums/x378/Echonova3/AZtrip007_zps27f07361.jpg

Found this pic of me and my dad in the Miata.

http://i1178.photobucket.com/albums/x378/Echonova3/Grandparentsvisit2010005_zps63661db3.jpg

[Hermin]

Sorry for your loss homie.. RIP!

Have a safe trip back home.

[Doppelgänger]

Kevin, I'm sorry to hear about your father :(
At least he did get to enjoy at least one top-down ride with you :)
Glad to hear the car got you there safely! Hope that a/c is still blowing nice and cold for ya ;)

If there is one positive note to being out there right now, it's that you're missing the massive pollen count that just popped up. I am jelly of you being in a pollen-free environment!

[Bacon]

Sorry for your loss Echo. Stay safe and be careful coming home.

[Sinfix_15]

Sorry for your loss.

If i made a 2000 mile trip in a miata i would need knee replacement surgery. I felt like i was gonna have to crawl into my house after 600 miles in an s2000.

[Echonova]

Glad to hear the car got you there safely! Hope that a/c is still blowing nice and cold for ya ;)

If there is one positive note to being out there right now, it's that you're missing the massive pollen count that just popped up. I am jelly of you being in a pollen-free environment!The a/c is still working fine. I'll probably recharge it once I get back. It's fine for now, but not sure it would cut it if it were 100+.

But yes missing the pollen is great. Right now this is the weather I'm having to put up with...

http://i1178.photobucket.com/albums/x378/Echonova3/001_zps675cb289.jpg

85 and sunny


Sorry for your loss Echo. Stay safe and be careful coming home.Thanks.


Sorry for your loss.

If i made a 2000 mile trip in a miata i would need knee replacement surgery. I felt like i was gonna have to crawl into my house after 600 miles in an s2000.I had a blister on my foot from kicking my flip flops off and driving barefoot. Floorboard became so hot from the header it burned my foot (not bad, just sayin'). That was the only casualty.

[RandomGuy]

I was about to say Sorry for your loss- but I didn't really see where you said you had one.

Any how, best of luck on everything- lmk if I can do anything.

[Bacon]

I was about to say Sorry for your loss- but I didn't really see where you said you had one.

Any how, best of luck on everything- lmk if I can do anything.

He mentioned his father passing before he reached El Paso.

[0p7!mu5]

Sorry to hear that man. One hell of a roadtrip though it seems! Take it easy gettin back

[Echonova]

I was about to say Sorry for your loss- but I didn't really see where you said you had one.

Any how, best of luck on everything- lmk if I can do anything.Will do. Although things are as well as they can be. He went peacefully in his sleep, we should all be that lucky.


He mentioned his father passing before he reached El Paso.^^^ Yup.
In Memory of Junior Mathis (http://www.memorialsolutions.com/sitemaker/sites/vistos0/obit.cgi?user=966841Mathis)

Yes his name really was Junior. Hospital made a mistake because he was to be named James Jr. Mathis, Grandma thought it was cute and kept it.


Sorry to hear that man. One hell of a roadtrip though it seems! Take it easy gettin backThanks, and will do. Probably going to make come back a 3 day trip coming back up through New Orleans/Gulf Coast region. But we'll see, no particular plan or time frame for coming back.

[On_Her_Face]

I am very sorry to hear about your loss.

I want to drive cross country one time with a time lapse camera :)

...in a convertible that is.

[Relentless]

Aww man. Sorry to hear about father echo. Trip looks cool though. I'll pour out some of my adult beverage for the homie

[91LudeSiT]

I'm truly sorry for your loss Kevin, the loss of my father was the hardest time of my life.

[C230K]

I am sorry to hear about your loss, I cannot imagine losing my father at the moment, but it must be hard. This reminds me of the time I drove to Los Angeles, Arizona hot ass shit! Driving through Texas felt like forever

[Skorcher]

I disappear for a bit and come back to this. Real sorry to hear about your loss Kevin. Those pics of AZ make it look really nce, but I'm sure he's liking where he is now even more.

[D3UC3S]

Sorry to hear Kevin. Epic journey in memory of your Dad..... Pretty fuckin kick ass my brother! Enjoy the weather and the memories.

[Echonova]

So, everything was taken care of. So I drove home Sat/Sun to save some vacation time to go check on my mom from time to time the rest of the year.

Goodbye Tucson

http://i1178.photobucket.com/albums/x378/Echonova3/ReturnTrip001_zpsa7456d26.jpg (http://s1178.photobucket.com/user/Echonova3/media/ReturnTrip001_zpsa7456d26.jpg.html)

http://i1178.photobucket.com/albums/x378/Echonova3/ReturnTrip010_zpse1d3ecd3.jpg (http://s1178.photobucket.com/user/Echonova3/media/ReturnTrip010_zpse1d3ecd3.jpg.html)

Still in Arizona

http://i1178.photobucket.com/albums/x378/Echonova3/ReturnTrip015_zps34ef638e.jpg (http://s1178.photobucket.com/user/Echonova3/media/ReturnTrip015_zps34ef638e.jpg.html)

New Mexico

http://i1178.photobucket.com/albums/x378/Echonova3/ReturnTrip021_zps98901316.jpg (http://s1178.photobucket.com/user/Echonova3/media/ReturnTrip021_zps98901316.jpg.html)
http://i1178.photobucket.com/albums/x378/Echonova3/ReturnTrip020_zps58f558e9.jpg (http://s1178.photobucket.com/user/Echonova3/media/ReturnTrip020_zps58f558e9.jpg.html)

Texas

http://i1178.photobucket.com/albums/x378/Echonova3/ReturnTrip024_zpsff385a16.jpg (http://s1178.photobucket.com/user/Echonova3/media/ReturnTrip024_zpsff385a16.jpg.html)

And more Texas

http://i1178.photobucket.com/albums/x378/Echonova3/ReturnTrip026_zps04831ae6.jpg (http://s1178.photobucket.com/user/Echonova3/media/ReturnTrip026_zps04831ae6.jpg.html)

And more Texas

http://i1178.photobucket.com/albums/x378/Echonova3/ReturnTrip028_zps37aadf43.jpg (http://s1178.photobucket.com/user/Echonova3/media/ReturnTrip028_zps37aadf43.jpg.html)

Surprisingly enough... more Texas

http://i1178.photobucket.com/albums/x378/Echonova3/ReturnTrip029_zps1c61550d.jpg (http://s1178.photobucket.com/user/Echonova3/media/ReturnTrip029_zps1c61550d.jpg.html)

Yea...

http://i1178.photobucket.com/albums/x378/Echonova3/ReturnTrip031_zps74b86f24.jpg (http://s1178.photobucket.com/user/Echonova3/media/ReturnTrip031_zps74b86f24.jpg.html)

Words cannot explain how horrible driving across this God-forsaken state without cruise control is.

http://i1178.photobucket.com/albums/x378/Echonova3/ReturnTrip035_zps71c41aa6.jpg (http://s1178.photobucket.com/user/Echonova3/media/ReturnTrip035_zps71c41aa6.jpg.html)

Louisiana

http://i1178.photobucket.com/albums/x378/Echonova3/ReturnTrip038_zps90a3e3ad.jpg (http://s1178.photobucket.com/user/Echonova3/media/ReturnTrip038_zps90a3e3ad.jpg.html)

Mississippi

http://i1178.photobucket.com/albums/x378/Echonova3/ReturnTrip040_zpsa6e989c7.jpg (http://s1178.photobucket.com/user/Echonova3/media/ReturnTrip040_zpsa6e989c7.jpg.html)

Where it started raining...

http://i1178.photobucket.com/albums/x378/Echonova3/ReturnTrip047_zps1fa4e9b0.jpg (http://s1178.photobucket.com/user/Echonova3/media/ReturnTrip047_zps1fa4e9b0.jpg.html)

http://i1178.photobucket.com/albums/x378/Echonova3/ReturnTrip048_zpsea8ab80b.jpg (http://s1178.photobucket.com/user/Echonova3/media/ReturnTrip048_zpsea8ab80b.jpg.html)

Alabama

http://i1178.photobucket.com/albums/x378/Echonova3/ReturnTrip049_zps09bc34f6.jpg (http://s1178.photobucket.com/user/Echonova3/media/ReturnTrip049_zps09bc34f6.jpg.html)

Back home

http://i1178.photobucket.com/albums/x378/Echonova3/ReturnTrip061_zps8351052a.jpg (http://s1178.photobucket.com/user/Echonova3/media/ReturnTrip061_zps8351052a.jpg.html)

[Sammich]

my regards man i'm sorry for your lost..good pictorial documentary though

[Doppelgänger]

If you don't mind me asking, what has your average MPG been on the drive back?

[Echonova]

Been right around 30 (which I was happy with). Most of the western half had the a/c on, all of the eastern half had the barn doors up. Both ways, it was raining when I left GA/AL/MS, raining when I returned.


Did burn about 2 quarts of oil each way as well. Roughly 1900 miles door to door.

[Scotsman]

welcome back home skillet

[Echonova]

Thanks homie!!! Spending most of today cat-napping trying to get back on ATL time. Losing three hours sucks, Tucson doesn't change time during daylight savings time. So half the year they are two hours behind us, the other half three... Guess which half it is.

[TougeGTR-33]

So sorry for your loss Kevin. Glad you made it there and back safe. That's a haul. When ever you get some time, if you ever want to grab a tall drink let me know.

[Echonova]

I'm free most weekends. M-F is always hard to gauge because I travel for a living... Well, after I get the injector replaced on the diesel truck I will again. The same day I got the news about my pops an injector went out on the 'ole diesel truck. It runs like shit and gets 10mpg right now. It's why I didn't drive in 650hp, heated leather seat luxury.

[D3UC3S]

Welcome back. Anytime you are around the gay ass mall of GA, hit me up and we can grab a beer or 6.

Or just grab me outta the bushes in the front yard, I'm usually lurking there as well...... :ninja:

[Nemesis]

Really sorry for your loss Echo

[Echonova]

I appreciate all the well-wishes guys. We all are going to have that day when our time card is punched.

It's like I told QD, dying is the easy part.


It's having to live that scares the shit out of me.

[quickdodge®]

It's like I told QD, dying is the easy part.

You did tell me that, didn't you? Glad you made it back safe, my friend.

[Echonova]

You did tell me that, didn't you? Glad you made it back safe, my friend.Indeed I did.


Still have this Three Dog Night 8-track in my car, we need to meet up soon brotha.