Hey TC, just remembered driving around the Houston beltway area a while back and talk about someone riding your butt. Yes, it was a pickup with wheelies . Was driving a '76 Merc I-6 so didn't have much ump to either get out of the way quickly or leave 'um behind. I'm sure didn't help I had out of state tags either. Then again maybe it was good that I didn't have anything under the hood. Young, testosterone and muscle cars are not always a good combo. Clouds judgement at times. I was loaded and my family was with me too.

 

About 8 years ago when hitting rush hour traffic after getting off of that loop onto I45 north while returning from Matamoros on our 1800cc Goldwing I went through the same type of thing... It was a Harley Davidson edition Black Ford Pickup on custom wheels and dropped suspension on us .. I had the advantage on him in acceleration and maneuverability. When the traffic thinned a bit the guy ended up beside on the right us, my wife waved at them when I pulled away.. Dallas is much worse than Houston and I picked up extra money on a Harley escorting funerals and wide loads there when in my early 20s...That was a wonderful gig but the pay sucked or I would have done that forever.

 

Greetings from... a Love's gas station near Amarillo, TX.

They tricked me! I was going to their old gas station... only to find out it had been torn down. Explained why my GPS had two Love's so close together. Lucky I wasn't out of gas.

I have 600 miles to go before i get to my uncle's place in Nederland... but of course I also have an aunt in Dallas, or near, anyway. But I don't remember how to get to her place... last and only time I was there was in `04. Let's see if my cousin responds before i get to Dallas.

Ciao.

 

Greetings from... McDonald, near Vernon TX.

About 20 mins prior as i was exiting the previous town... highway patrol pulled my ass over. I was going about 74 MPH (the needle was to the left of 75)... the problem, as the locals should already know... dual speed limit, day vs night. I completely forgot about it, and my GPS only shows the day limit.

I got a speeding ticket near Chicago the morning I got my windows tinted, but because it had been over 18 months since my previous moving violation, I was able to get "court supervision" to avoid getting a point in my records. Court supervision is as simple as not getting a ticket for three months.

As you can see, me getting pulled over can be a double whammy.

He was friendly, and I, trying to avoid being stupid, replied in kind. After a couple of question, I ended up telling him about me being on a road trip... and he asked how I could afford it with my job. Well, no wife, no major bills... not much by way of a life... not that hard.

He walked away saying he'll be back with a warning for me to sign. A WARNING?!? Count my luck stars man. Now, the question is, does a warning trigger the point on the other ticket? Hum...

 

I think its a year. As long as you don't pulled over again in Texas you should be fine.

 

You're right, it is a year, 18 months is California. This warning is the fifth time I've been pulled over for speeding. *sigh*

 

Buy a lotto ticket Goobs. It's a sign. Be safe!

 

Greetings from... a Best Western near Lake dallas.

Sorry, I remembered, its actually the sixth time (for speeding). I've been pulled over a total of ten times in seventeen years. The funniest time was when i was on my way to pick up plates for the Mirage I was driving at the time. I got pulled over by an unmarked car in Chicago. The officer (also, not in uniform, I thought he was a detective) thought I was driving with "expired" temp plates. They were really crinkled and looked like they were washing out.

I gave him the receipt and he looked it up... still have three more days to go. He admitted it was strange, he'd never seen them that bad unless they were REALLY old. Well, you can blame my dad, he gave the car a soaking wash a few days earlier.

 

Goobers you have been flying low to have gotten that far in the time you have.. Tell me the route you will be taking and maybe I can meet you somewhere. It sound like you will take 1-35 south into Dallas and be cutting over to I-45 south to Houston if that is where you are going...I'm 50 or so miles east of Corsicana which is 50 miles south of Dallas..

 

Goobz is flying low, but not under the radar - luck is with you, buy that lottery ticket! Day/Night speed limits - that's a new one on me...

 

$%&*$$%$#

I'm not happy. Last night i made a reservation for Best Western, and I thought it was for the Lake Dallas location. Turns out, I paid full price for the LD location... AND Irving location, which where that reservation ended up actually being at. The Irving location is refusing to give me a refund.

In f-ing believeable. Arghhhh

 

That's screwed up... If it's on a credit card maybe they can get it straightened out for you.

 

Greetings from... Dallas.

Yeah i stayed longer than I planned. My cousin is going to go visit our uncle with me, so i ended up staying at his folks (my aunt) place for the night. We had dinner at another uncle's place and I saw a really, REALLY old picture... of my family, before i was born, some 40 years ago. @.@!

Where you at TC? PM your address, I'll try to stop by. Gotta meet this old man with a supercharged Fit, ya know. LOL.

 

Hey Goobers, I'm sure sure if you're heading towards MSR Houston (about 40 minutes south on 288) or not but here is the address to the track....

MSR Houston; 1 Performance Drive, Angleton, TX 77515

You'll know when you're getting close after you pass the "Alvin/Rosharon" exit when going south on 288. The road to the track (County Road 48) has some caution lights that cross 288, if you pass the lights and see an exit saying "Angleton" then you've gone too far.

If you get to the track after 3 PM, we'll be on the way to Quintana Beach County Park 330 5th Street Freeport, TX 77541 and should be arriving at around 4 PM.


Edit: Here is the link to the thread as well, forgot to put it up a few days ago.

https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/car-...ml#post1010301

 

Greetings from... Beaumont, TX.

Sorry if anyone was expecting me. Its been a "continuous" day. Ya know, not so much busy, but just never really enough time to sit down and peck out a message or do much else.

Spent the day with a bunuch of cousins whom I normally don't see often.

 

Ha ha Goobs... you mean like interacting with real people instead of us FitFreaks on the internet? Have fun bud! Enjoy!!!

 

Goobers, I missed the post where you asked for my address.. I had to crash out for a couple of days... You Beaumont could have easily headed south east from Dallas and driven here and on to Beaumont along a very scenic route through the Piney woods.. I would have loved to hang out with you for awhile. Are you going to be there long?

 

Greetings from... Arkansas?!?

It's been a while, eh? Sorry TC, my timing was really bad. All kinds of family things were going on, and I got distracted. Now, I'm cutting out the second Canada visit. I'm heading for Tellico Plains, hopefully, there'll be a decent motel, then I'm gonna drive through both the Cherohala Skyway and the "Dragon." After that, hit NY for my cousin and a friend, then straight home.

Spent way too much time with family.

 

Greetings from... a Pilot "travel center" off the I82 exit 4 in Tennessee.

Sorry, I should've posted last night and then earlier in the morning. But I kinda broke habit and forget to get back into it, of posting here often.

Well, I had my drive down the Cherohala Skyway and back up the "Tail of the Dragon." For Cherohala, I was expecting a different road, but I chalk that up to confusing it with another road. And running the Dragon was a little disappointing, only because I couldn't go as fast as i would like, kept catching up to a trio of motorcycles that were crusing a little slowly. I learned my lesson from CA 1, so I managed not to go into the ditch again, but you could see the signs where folks that hadn't quite gotten that lesson right. @.@!

Since I don't expect any more scenic/twisty roads... I guess I'll put a quick review/summary of the roads I remember.

Pike's Peak climb is great, if you have a high HP/torque car. Descent is good if your car is agile. Of course, pray for no construction or traffic if you really want to enjoy it.

US24/CR 9 and I70 are nice little scenic drives from Colorado Springs into Utah, especially I70 around dusk. But, it's a total snorefest after that, unless you have nowhere to go, but back.

Mt Rainier... that's a nice one. From the southeast, I climbed 123 to the 410 and took that east and then flipped around and took that right back onto the 123. Has a lot of fast curves, how anyone can decide 55 MPH as an official speed limit on some of those curves is beyond me, the cautious side of me made me go 35 at times! The drive on Paradise Road from the 123 on westward was quite cool, especially at night, very twisty and narrow through the forest. Those trees are right up to the pavement, and there's not much of a shoulder.

US 101 and CA 1... very scenic. Lots of switchbacks. And quite twisty too. Nice mountain to one side and ocean to the other... but it seriously blows chunks near towns. Getting a reduced speed limit is fine, but bumper to bumper stand still traffic?!? WTF dude?

Cherohala Skyway & Dragon loop... I think it lost a little bit of "wow" factor being the last set of twisty roads I went through. But I must say, that really quick snaking bit was really nice. Multiple short but sharp banked turns in quick succession. Just as the turn ends, you have to turn the other way. It really is better than a roller coaster.

CA 36, 3 & 299 loop... gotta be my favourite. They are REALLY long stretches, but 36 alone gives you three experiences. From the west, climbing the 36 gives you some fairly fast turns along a mountain side. Coming down, gives you sharper turns. Then there's a stretch to the I5 that's pretty freaking fun. Nearly all short turns, but included in most are little "hill hop." And I swear if i had been brave enough to go a little faster, I would had me some air time! Yes, it can be done in a Fit!! Hoo-wee.

All these roads are fun... so long as you aren't caught in a slow train or with construction blocking off the road.

Last night I stayed at Econolodge in Sweet water. Positive: inexpensive (though I was expecting $50 not $55 from online). Negative: CHEAP. I had a room with two beds, one of the bed covers had a tear in it, exposing the filling. A fly managed to get it the room and woke me up multiple times during the night (I think I killed it as i was packing). After I showered and packed my things... I managed to walk into a long & thick spider thread, that continued to bother me for a good few minutes. Spider thread, seriously?

 

you forgot the smoothest road you've ever driven on dude!!