3 weeks, the 2012 road trip begins! Something new!!!

[heySkippy]

Almost every year since I bought my NSX in 2005, I have used it to make a road trip from Florida to my ancestral stomping grounds in Kansas. If you take the most direct route, it's an approximately 2,900 mile round trip. Of course, I almost never take the most direct route...

My wife never goes with me on these trips, it's just me. Some years, I route the trip to see old friends or internet friends. More often, I have routed my trip for maximum twisty road miles. I could write a book about driving through western North Carolina, Tennessee, and southern Missouri. Not this year.

The thing in common about all my trips to Kansas, is somewhere along the way I must cross the Mississippi River. It can't be avoided, it's gotta be done. This year, I am incorporating that crossing into the trip. I am planning to cross the Mississippi River as many times as is practical starting south of New Orleans and ending at Cairo, Illinois.

By my count, that's 21 times. 17 bridges and 4 ferries, about 1,000 miles. I think I can very comfortably do this in 4 days. I would love input from anyone with knowledge of the things I'll find along the route.

Here's a rough map of the whole route.

http://goo.gl/maps/0KHHb

I have individual maps of each leg of the route also. This is a listing of the crossings along the way.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_crossings_of_the_Lower_Mississippi_River

So anyway, wish me luck! I've got new tires, will have fresh oil, and looking forward to driving as many levy roads and scenic byways as possible in those 4 days!. Look forward to pics and stories when I'm done! If you live along this route, speak up, I'd love to stop for coffee/tea/beer/etc along the way.

 

[4cruizn]

Thanks for sharing this. Sounds ridiculously fun! I love that you've got a tradition of making this trip annually and that you're changing up the route each time. That part of the country is largely uncharted territory for me but your route looks like it'll bring you some fun times. I'm especially interested in hearing how your ferry arrangements turn out.

Also viewed your '72,000 miles of Smiles' video - very nicely put together. I appreciate people who document their vehicle ownership histories and share their memories with the rest of us. Hope you'll plan on taking a lot of pictures on your 21-Mississippi-River trip. Pretty sure you'll be the only NSX owner to have ever undertaken such a feat.

I do a similar annual trip each year (in fact, since 2005 just like when you started yours) but it's to different city each time - whichever is hosting the NALM (Nat'l Acura Legend Meet). Dallas, Tulsa, Vegas, Branson, Chattanooga, Salt Lake, Morristown, Milwaukee. And I've had a blast each and every time. Good luck and safe travels on your adventure!

 

[davidf]

Im going to copy/paste and print this to show my wife. I always tell her I need to make a road trip by myself and she always grins and rolls her eyes.
So do you just stop and grab a motel room at the end of each day are you pre-booked beforehand. Basically, do you just wing it all?

 

[heySkippy]

I just wing it. I'll have a rough idea where I want to be at the end of each day, but that's it.

 

[davidf]

I just wing it. I'll have a rough idea where I want to be at the end of each day, but that's it.

I like that. Planned trips rarely go according to plan. Winging sounds more fun. Just a man and his car and his gas card.:biggrin:

 

[Oldduffer]

HeySkippy; I'll be starting my NSXPO road trip,in a week. This will be my third long road trip in the NSX. Anyway I'll be crossing the Mississippi on I70, after Kansas City I'll leave the interstate, and travel some more scenic roads across Kansas and New Mexico. I don't have any plans that aren't changeable, except getting to Boulder 9/13. Do you have any suggestions for scenic tour of Kansas?
Howard:smile:

 

[blue_myriddn]

Sounds like a great run, I am planning a similar 3000 mile round trip trek to Austin TX with my wife. Unlike you though this will be my first multi-day NSX adventure so the fact that you have done it year after year gives me a good chunk of confidence (it must be fun or you wouldn't keep doing it, right? )

 

[mskrotzki]

This does sound like great fun. Too bad you can't extend the trip and join us at NSCPO 2012

 

[heySkippy]

HeySkippy; I'll be starting my NSXPO road trip,in a week. This will be my third long road trip in the NSX. Anyway I'll be crossing the Mississippi on I70, after Kansas City I'll leave the interstate, and travel some more scenic roads across Kansas and New Mexico. I don't have any plans that aren't changeable, except getting to Boulder 9/13. Do you have any suggestions for scenic tour of Kansas?
Howard:smile:

I considered traveling up to St Louis before turning west, but it's just too far out of the way. Kansas is a mixed bag. The central and northern areas are vast stretches of rocky pasture. There are a lot of back roads, but not much I can recommend. The Flint Hills are scenic, I guess...

Southeastern Kansas is better. Hills, woods, streams, etc. It gets better as you pass into northeast Oklahoma and then Missouri and Arkansas.

Southwest Kansas sucks. Stay on the interstate.

Sounds like a great run, I am planning a similar 3000 mile round trip trek to Austin TX with my wife. Unlike you though this will be my first multi-day NSX adventure so the fact that you have done it year after year gives me a good chunk of confidence (it must be fun or you wouldn't keep doing it, right? )

Oh hell yes it's fun. My car has never yet failed me far from home. The worst that's happened is it threw a CEL on the start of the trip home a few years ago (turned out to be an O2 sensor).

That said, I never forget it's a 17 year old car with 140,000+ miles. I make sure I've got sufficient combinations of phone, insurance, AAA, plastic, etc in my pocket to deal with a problem if it arrises. I believe in the odds, and the odds are someday something will break on the road. Until then, though!

This does sound like great fun. Too bad you can't extend the trip and join us at NSCPO 2012

Colorado this year? Too much going on in the fall for us. Three weeks after I get back, we're off to Key West for Fantasy Fest. Hopefully, it will return to the SE soon.

 

[sahtt]

Im going to copy/paste and print this to show my wife. I always tell her I need to make a road trip by myself and she always grins and rolls her eyes.
So do you just stop and grab a motel room at the end of each day are you pre-booked beforehand. Basically, do you just wing it all?

This may sound nuts to some people but since the NSX has a decent trunk you could easily bring camping gear along. Camp grounds are all over the place and cost $10. That usually cuts hundreds out of the cost of the trip and IMO much more enjoyable.

 

[heySkippy]

This may sound nuts to some people but since the NSX has a decent trunk you could easily bring camping gear along. Camp grounds are all over the place and cost $10. That usually cuts hundreds out of the cost of the trip and IMO much more enjoyable.

I would have totally done that 20 years ago. Now, not so much.

 

[heySkippy]

And here we go, I leave in the morning. I plan to stop at the battleship memorial in Mobile for a couple hours and be in New Orleans early in the evening.

Car is clean as a whistle, serviced and ready to go.

I see it conveniently rolled over a nice round number to start the trip with.

Wish me luck! Pics to follow.

 

[docjohn]

.Good luck,I always enjoy the time to you take to document your journeys......esp your cruises:wink:

 

[jcbadcura]

Subscribed. I enjoyed you're miles of smiles also and good for you taking and enjoying these annual adventures.

 

[Meeyatch1]

If you happen to be near Indianapolis, we have your room available, and a garage spot ready.

Also, if you have one, I would take an extra Main Relay and the 10 mm socket and wrench to put it on if needed.

 

[4cruizn]

Safe travels! And take plenty of pics to share with the rest of us who wish we could be there, too.

 

[RJD1022]

Have a great trip!
I also enjoy reading your posts about your driving, walking or other adventures.

 

[heySkippy]

Day 1 is in the bag. I drove almost exactly 700 miles and am well positioned for tomorrow. Got 28.8 MPG on my first tank, car is running great. Stopped in Mobile to visit the Battleship Alabama Memorial Park, one of my favorite roadside attractions. There was an NSX in the parking lot!

But seriously, if you like WW2 ships and subs or combat aircraft of all ages, lots more pictures are here.

http://techquarium.com/gallery2z/v/alabama2012/

Lots and lots of good stuff.

The real trip starts tomorrow morning. Stay tuned!

 

[heySkippy]

Earlier today, somewhere on the backroads of Arkansas.

Yes, I know, my chin spoiler is missing. The old one was shot, and the replacement I'd ordered hadn't arrived. To tell the truth, I'm glad. I would have scuffed it hard a dozen times in the last 800 miles.

I just finished Day 3 of the Mississippi River Tour, and day 4 of the trip overall. Tomorrow I must complete my trip upriver and turn west towards my final destination in Kansas.

I'll get posts and pictures up in this thread in the next few days, but you're welcome to peek in on my blog if you want a preview that has fewer pics of my car, but more details of what I've been doing in it..

Mississippi River Tour - Off To A Rough Start

Mississippi River Tour - Day 1

 

[gt_nfr]

Awesome blog!

 

[heySkippy]

The Great Mississippi River Tour of 2012 is complete! About 11 AM this morning, I drove my car onto a ferry in the middle of nowhere Kentucky and crossed the river to the middle of nowhere Missouri. In a little over 3 days, I drove a bit more than 1,000 miles up the river and crossed every bridge (plus a couple ferries) along the way.

I'm still writing on the blog, but here's a picture from this morning. NSX on the river!

 

[heySkippy]

Day 2 post is up.

http://www.shallowleisure.com/2012/09/mississippi-river-tour-day-2.html

 

[4cruizn]

Day 2 post is up.

Great pics! I'm enjoying following your travels. Love that you're not afraid to take the car on a little side trip on a gravel road for a view of the river.

 

[robbiedawg]

great pics and descriptions of a part of the country i haven't seen.your good taste and judgement are confirmed by the color and year of your nsx.

 

[1SlowNSX]

I like that. Planned trips rarely go according to plan. Winging sounds more fun. Just a man and his car and his gas card.:biggrin:

Winging it is the only way I know how to travel.

Last December drove from North Carolina to California in 3 days. Was so fun. I find myself day dreaming about this trip more and more.