Driving across America in a Roadster

[psulja]

I'm sure there are others that have done it and thought I would post up here to share my experience and hear some other people's experiences, maybe even encourage more people to try it out.

Last March I found a Mariner for sale in California that seemed like a good deal. After talking with the owner and having a friend check it out to make sure it was okay for the most part I bought a one-way ticket for my brother and I and flew out within the same week of selling my previous car in the middle of my semester, hoping this one would be worth buying. Flew into LAX at 10:30PM and drove down to San Diego in our rental Fiesta to stay at a friend's place for the night. The next morning we drove about an hour to go see the car. After a lengthy test drive I decided to buy it and start planning the drive back. After taking care of everything at the DMV we dropped the rental off at the airport, packed up the Miata and headed on our way.
http://i611.photobucket.com/albums/tt194/paulsulja/The%20Smurf/199261_10150159755034462_648204461_7979715_2062096 _n.jpg

Since it was March we wanted to stay south as much as possible to avoid any snow. The route we planned out would go through Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, and finally Michigan.

To keep it short I'll just post a few pics and give a general impression of driving a little Roadster 2,500 miles.

Some of the scenery:
http://i611.photobucket.com/albums/tt194/paulsulja/The%20Smurf/194082_10150195855834462_648204461_8080051_1413160 _o.jpg
http://i611.photobucket.com/albums/tt194/paulsulja/The%20Smurf/192345_10150195855954462_648204461_8080055_2991269 _o.jpg
http://i611.photobucket.com/albums/tt194/paulsulja/The%20Smurf/191236_10150195855894462_648204461_8080053_7449847 _o.jpg

Side of the highway in Arizona to put the top down:
http://i611.photobucket.com/albums/tt194/paulsulja/The%20Smurf/IMG_0198.jpg

Mandatory gas station shot:
http://i611.photobucket.com/albums/tt194/paulsulja/The%20Smurf/IMG_0243.jpg

Up in the mountains. Snow in Arizona?
http://i611.photobucket.com/albums/tt194/paulsulja/The%20Smurf/IMG_0450.jpg

End of day 2:
http://i611.photobucket.com/albums/tt194/paulsulja/The%20Smurf/IMG_0375.jpg

Starbucks in Albuquerque, NM:
http://i611.photobucket.com/albums/tt194/paulsulja/The%20Smurf/IMG_0576.jpg

Oklahoma City:
http://i611.photobucket.com/albums/tt194/paulsulja/The%20Smurf/IMG_0668.jpg

Overall it was an awesome roadtrip other than getting sick from having the top down so often. Earplugs are almost a necessity. But I would definitely recommend the drive to anybody, even in a little Miata. I would actually rather do it in a Miata than something bigger or more comfortable. We drove 10 hours a day with multiple stops to reload on Arizona Iced Tea and Beef Jerky.

My favorite states to drive through were probably Cali, Arizona, and New Mexico. I can't wait to go back sometime.


So who else has driven across the country? Any highlights, things you'd do differently, places you recommend to check out?

[The Driver]

I drove my Merlot from L.A. thru AZ, NM and stoping in San An Tx to reaload when moving back to Tampa. The Montego Blue got picked up in Indianapolis In, driven thru KY, TN NC and GA, before getting to FL.


When I moved from NOLA to Tulsa, I drove it from LA thru N. TX and then OK. I LOVE ROADTRIPS!

[whaap]

I love road trips and when I can I create a few. I bought my Miata on ebay from a dealership north of San Diego and flew there to drive it back. I bought my last motorcycle off ebay from a guy in Cookeville, Tennesee, flew there and rode it back. I never considered those expenses as part of the vehicles cost. I figured they were the cost of a neat mini-vacation/road trip.

[kung fu jesus]

5 times here. I've used a few different cars.

San Jose to Detroit. (BMW) 1989

Detroit to San Diego (and back) (BMW) 1990

Richmond, VA to LA (Ford) 1999

Charlotte, NC to LA (Honda) 2006

I think everyone should do it at least once.

[chavy]

@psulja so you didn't like driving through texas?

[concealer404]

Noice!!!

I picked up my MSM in SoCal in July... drove it 3,000 miles home. :)

I need to move that thread over here.

[Rogue]

I'm getting ready for a drive out Route 66 to CA., and then on to "Viva Las Vegas" in April.

Not in the 93LE though, taking the 1959 Edsel Wagon.

Looks like we will be going the other way in 2013 for MATG.
It will be the 20th year for the 93LE's, so planning a reunion.

[The Driver]

I'm getting ready for a drive out Route 66 to CA., and then on to "Viva Las Vegas" in April.

Not in the 93LE though, taking the 1959 Edsel Wagon.

Looks like we will be going the other way in 2013 for MATG.
It will be the 20th year for the 93LE's, so planning a reunion.


Holla when you cut thru Okieland!

[psulja]

@psulja so you didn't like driving through texas?

Not as much as the first 3 states, Arizona was probably my favorite out of all of them, but that might just be because of the roads we took.

[NAautoxer]

i will be doing this some day... it's in the books. was supposed to go to FM's open house last year, but that didn't happen..

[miatasaint]

Dude im jelly. Awesome shots though! Very cool!

[phillyb]

i did the same thing basically...i took 40 across the country starting in socal. the only picture i took of my trip was this

http://i52.tinypic.com/2ed8328.jpg

a bag of blunts to be smoked.
my alternator broke in texas, but i was back on the road the next day.
driving a miata across the country ftw!

[yosh95m]

i did the same thing basically...i took 40 across the country starting in socal. the only picture i took of my trip was this

http://i52.tinypic.com/2ed8328.jpg

a bag of blunts to be smoked.
my alternator broke in texas, but i was back on the road the next day.
driving a miata across the country ftw!


lol nice man

[ChrisJuliano]

Longest trip I have taken was from PA to TN which was 10-11 hours. Was SO awesome such beautiful roads!!! Made me realize how much I love my miata so much!! One day I will do a trip across america:)

[imperfekt]

drove mine home to niagara falls after buying her from west virginia... about 500 miles on temporary registration, and then got sad cause the trip was over in a mere 9 hours =(

hopefully a longer trip is in the near future :)

[Rogue]

Holla when you cut thru Okieland!

We will be going panhandle west, but I am in Ttown from time to time.

[concealer404]

i will be doing this some day... it's in the books. was supposed to go to FM's open house last year, but that didn't happen..

Kansas sucks BAD. Just fair warning.

[Silver92B]

Flew to Tacoma and Seattle, visited my sons and drove my old '92 Silverstone from Tacoma to Atlanta via LA... over 3500 miles (the majority of it seemed to be through Texas :eek:). It was a nice trip although I could not camp along the way as I had planned. I camped out one night in Las Cruces NM and it was too cold and dark in the morning :p. I ended up staying in motels, B&Bs and hotels along the way. Great lodging in most places except LA... Actually my short stay in LA was one of the low spots of the trip. Great adventure and I'd do it again for sure!

http://www.fotomecanico.com/t2a/sunsetmiata.jpg

http://www.fotomecanico.com/t2a/wolfcreek1.jpg

http://www.fotomecanico.com/t2a/pch1.jpg

http://www.fotomecanico.com/t2a/grantspass3.jpg

http://www.fotomecanico.com/t2a/beach-b&w.jpg

[Exhondaman]

5 times here. I've used a few different cars.

San Jose to Detroit. (BMW) 1989

Detroit to San Diego (and back) (BMW) 1990

Richmond, VA to LA (Ford) 1999

Charlotte, NC to LA (Honda) 2006

I think everyone should do it at least once.

AMEN.

Just recently moved from San Diego to Florida and decided to drive my miata with 218,045 miles on it.

My co-workers and friends thought I was insane driving "that piece of shit" across country. Mostly because it's lowered (not slammed), but rides stiff, no passenger seat, roll bar, Sparco bucket, no cat, loud (to them) exhaust,ect,ect. But then again, within the last year and a half, my car has broken down on me twice....and I've facebooked it each time, so I can understand the concern,haha.

But the breakdowns were a blessing in disguise. First was for timing belt. No biggie, got that and everything included replaced. A few months later, I dropped a burnt valve, ouch. But thanks to the miata community, I found a rebuilt head for $50, and since the head was off, replaced piston rings and other little bits.

So with all the major engine work done, I felt very comfortable driving cross country. I took a detour to Vegas for 4 days, but after that I only drove between 600-700 each day, stopping for one night in Albuquerque,NM, one night in Dallas, TX, one night in New Orleans, then straight to Palm Bay Florida.

I took my time the entire trip, stopping if I saw a truck-stop restaurant that looked interesting, or driving in a few miles to avoid higher gas prices right off the freeway. The driving into small towns was the best part. On the freeway, I drafted every 18-wheeler and moving truck I could. At an average of 80-85mph, my best MPG was 34!

It was one of the best experiences of my life. Get out there and see your country, you'd be amazed.

How to pack everything you own into a miata.

13961397

[The Platypus]

This summer, my friends and I plan on doing a group drive from SF to NY, then back, taking the most scenic routes possible. It's gonna be awesome.

[kung fu jesus]

http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff166/force_mccocken/DSC01885.jpg

shot at a gas station near Nashville in early November 2006 when we were moving to LA. Had my wife and our retired greyhound in the car. First day we drove from Charlotte, NC to Little Rock, AK. Second day we drove to Flagstaff, AZ. From there we slowed to enjoy the sites in the southwest, like the Grand Canyon, Sedona, etc. It was a fun trip. My other cross-country trips were balls-out. The drive from Detroit to San Diego I did with one other driver and we drove in shifts, never stopped except for fuel, a little under 30 hours IIRC.

It still blows my mind when you drive west into the desert of NM how expansive it is.