When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
After meandering through the threads and not seeing anythread related to vacation/road trips I thought I’d make one. In 2013 I took my 350z on a roadtrip specifically to drive some of the roads in Utah and Arizona.I know you’re thinking, “why post this crap two years later?” Well, I plan ontaking another road trip with my Z this fall to Arizona to drive some of the roads Ioriginally cut out of my first road trip for time and money reasons. So, why would a country boy from Indiana drive 24ish hours… to drive a few roads all by himself?Because why the hell not!? This was a trip I had planned for months and hadresearched using Google maps street view to find roads that didn’t suddenlyturn into gravel and the internet (turns out there’s more than just pornography on it… who knew!) to find what roads car sites and the locals whisper about. So, my 2003 Touring 350z was sitting on new rubber, serviced, prepped and ready to go. This trip began in the wee hours of Halloween morning. My goal for the first day was to make it into Oklahoma. So, that firstday entailed 10-12 hours of monotonous mind-numbing interstate driving. Themost exciting events that day were several fuel stops and mistakenly taking an exit ramp into the streets of St. Louis. Towards the end of the first day, I’d made it though Tulsaand decided I’d had enough for one day. I’ll check into the next hotel I come across. Simple. Right? Wrong. I seriously believe nothing exists between Tulsa and Oklahoma City. Eventually I see a sign for an Econo-lodge.“That will do,” I think to myself. Upon entering the lobby, I was greeted by a mustachioed fellow in an Econo-lodge polo with a great many number of stains that I sincerely hope were chocolate. I book a second floor room and drive my Z around the back to park near by it. This place was all kinds of sketchy; I’m surprised it didn’t charge by the hour. Walking to my room I had the distinct feeling that my next step would result in me plummeting through the floor. Thankfully, to my surprise the room wasn’t as disgusting as I’d expected. Istill chose to sleep on top of the comforter in my clothes and would proceed to jump out of bed at the noise of any car that resembled mine. After that many interstate hours I was exhausted and wanted to rest no matter how filthy the place was. However, this did spur me to research and book hotels the day before I arrived.After a few hours of sleep and a nice hotel booked in Albuquerque, it was time to roar through Oklahoma City at 3am. Hours passed by filled only with boredom, wind, road and tire noise. On interstate 40 east of Amarillo I see a hazy light brownish cloud hanging very low in the distance. I think, “There’s no way Amarillo’s big or dirty enough to producesmog.” Guess what? I was right. The cloud was actually dust and dirt beingstirred up by thousands of cattle at a livestock operation. The smell wasenough to turn me into a vegan… nearly. Eventually I arrive at my lovely, clean, non-dilapidated hotel and make a decision. I was going to remove Arizona’s famed Route 666 from my trip. It would have added an extra day or two to my trip and after so many interstate hours and miles in the Z, I was feeling the affects. I do love my car, but it does leave much to be desired in cabin refinement, especially sound insulation. Because prolonged interstate driving in the Z gives me amajor headache I even wore ear plugs.
I booked my next hotel in the drytown of Blanding, Utah; with my route altered I resolved tolive with my decision. Upon leaving Albuquerque,I was filled with the satisfaction of knowing this is where my driving vacationstarts. Only an hour or two of interstate driving felt like pure bliss. Highway491 and 160 took me shortly through Colorado’ssouthwestern corner. While driving through this lonely part of Colorado only one radiostation was received. Through the stereo truecountry and western music sadly wails as I made my way through this desolateland.
Driving though that scenery and hearing TomRussell’s “The Sky Above, The Mud Below” is something I’ll never forget.
Braking for horses is highly advised.
Later that afternoon I reached myhotel and checked the weather report for the Bryce Canyonarea. Snow.
Later that night, while watchingthe Indianapolis Colts vs. the Houston Texans on Sunday Night Football, at 6pmoddly enough, I decide the possibility for snow in the higher elevations is toogreat a risk for me to take. Exposing my Z car riding on summer only tires tosnow and slush on an unfamiliar mountain road is something I’m not willing todo. Doing so would be the equivalent to leaving a child to spend the night atNeverland Ranch. I make an executive decision to drive north on 191 to Moab, Utah.Here in this little town resides Route 128; a stretch of tarmac that is encasedby red rock cliffs as the road follows the meandering flow of the Colorado River.
After enjoying the wondrous andbeautiful drive along the Colorado River, Iwas left to ponder my next step. Residing once again at the same hotel inBlanding for a second night I was fortunate enough to stumble upon a websitewith traffic cameras in the Bryce Canyon area. Thisvaluable bit of technology revealed the fallen snow in the mountains hadlargely melted in the afternoon sun. With my next hotel booked in Torrey, UtahI was prepared and eager to resume my trip, this time along route 95.
I departed Blanding the nextmorning after treating my Z to a car wash. After all, the vehicle had usheredme across many miles safely. Taking the time to clean the car seemed the leastI could do. Route 95 proved to be the great white whale of scenic drivingroads. The road its self was not overly mesmerizing, but when that enjoyableroad is flanked by awe inspiring views it becomes something unforgettable.
The cliffs that towered over the road feltlike a portal to another time and place; one where man had existed only longenough to build a road before being consumed by the vastness of such a land.
I drove approximately 4 hours onRoute 95 and journeyed through more climates than I’d seen in my life. Cliffsand plateaus of red rock, in a shadow drenched canyon lined with trees in theirfall colors of red, yellow and amber.
Once I had unloaded the car at myhotel I took a trip around Fish Lake, a very small lakenot terribly far from Torrey. The lake sets around 8000ft above sea level. Whenexiting the car to take a picture, the wind and temperate hit me like abaseball bat to the face. The temperature readout on the Z informed me it was27 degrees. The morning I left Blanding It had been in the 40’s.
My final day in Bryce Canyonwas christened by an orange morning sun that silhouetted the eastern landscapein blackness. Of course there was the minor setback of my car’s fuel doorrefusing to open. Spending twenty minutes walking back and forth between thefuel door button and fuel door is a mishap I’d gladly repeat, with allpossibilities considered. With a new day and a new hotel toreside in, I put Utah’sRoute 12 in my sights. This road took me the highest I’d ever been in my life,just shy of 10,000ft above sea level. The view from the scenic-lookout was likethe world unfolded before you from the very spot you stood upon.
At this lookout, several people stood there lookingat the view and taking pictures. No one spoke. Not even to people in their ownparty. Everyone stood their, staring out in silence as if human noise hadbecome a sin in this holy-place.
Continuing westward, the decentfrom 10,000 feet was through a high alpine forest and eventually brought me toa stretch of road called “the hogback.” Along this bit, the two lane road wasflanked by straight drops that would make the bravest drivers change down agear.
When the road became… less deadly Idecided to pick up the pace and use the Z for what it was made for, canyonblasting. The sensation of the Z’s roll-less body and pinpoint steering inspirednothing but confidence. The note from my DE reverberating off the canyon wallsshould have required a concert ticket that any car guy would’ve gladly paidfor.
However, this fun was too much forDoctor Murphy and as I took a sweeping right turn there was a thud and squealfrom the left front of the car. After a few seconds the noise subsides. Myimmediate thought was “Great, I’m going to have a break down in the middle ofno where, literally.” At least the Donner party had its own members to eat; allI had was some water and a few 90 calorie protein snacks.
I find a place to pull over andinspect the front left wheel well. I’m no mechanic, but everything lookedkosher. The car stopped, steered and rode like it had before. The next 10-15miles are covered gingerly. The Z didn’t object to any of the twisty bits againand my worries quickly melted away like yesterday’s morning snow.
With my phone again receiving asignal in Kanab, Utah, where that night’s hotel was, I locateda local service shop and dropped by. After a quick inspection on the lift, themechanic located the culprit. A rock had become wedged between the rotor andback-plate. With the rock removed from the Z’s hoof and the nagging wonderexpunged from my mind, I stopped by a local eatery only to find it had closedfor the winter a few days before. With this setback I retired to my hotel andawaited the arrival of my pizza.
And so ends the more enjoyableparts of my trip. The following morning I left Kanab for a hotel east of Flagstaff in Holbrook, Arizona via 89 Alternate. Aportion of this road was good fun. A drop in elevation along the road isachieved by a series of switchbacks with an impressive view on the oppositeside of the valley floor.
The trip was concluded in thefollowing two days, traveling from Holbrook to Edmond,Oklahoma and Edmondto east central Indiana.The two day long return journey was very much a blur of fuel stops and type 2diabetes inducing snacks; the only two lasting memories of that leg are anevasive maneuver to avoid a tumbleweed somewhere in Texasand a large gas station in Missourithat also housed a hair salon. Ironically, when I think of well groomedindividuals, long-haul truckers don’t automatically jump to mind.
The car performed flawlessly. Duringthe course of 67+ driving hours and over 4100 miles the little Datsun neverfaltered or disappointed. The only hiccup was a freak occurrence with a tinyrock.
Yet, upon pulling into the driveway,there was a multitude of feelings: relief, joy, success, satisfaction, andsadness that the journey had come to an end. For 10 days I dined on a coursethat many of us consider or had considered a delicacy at one time… adventure.As children, adventure is the force that got us up in the morning and sent usto bed exhausted. Somewhere in life that fire is extinguished by the desire toplan and control; to simply exist in a life of routine and repetition. Nolonger do we hear the child-like voice inside us ask, “What adventure does theworld have to offer?” instead we become intent on what we can offer the world.
That senseof adventure and the powerful feeling of insignificance when driving though alandscape so large has stuck with me during the two years since my trip. So, thisfall I’ll be returning to the southwest to enjoy the portion of trip I had originallycut out.
And I can’t think of many better ways to see it then fromthe driver’s seat of a Z.
To improve your experience, spend two hundred bucks when you can and buy some Luxury Liner Pro, glue it AND use aluminum tape on ALL edges in the doors, hatch, rear fenders (on top as much as you can as long as plastic trim still fits over it, and in the rear storage area behind seats...Z will be much quieter. Well worth the money and time, takes a day or two but just do it in sections and then do another section later in the day or the next day.
Makes city and highway travel a much more refined experience, and if you want to splurge you can put the material in the fenders too to cut down on tire noise. I haven't done that yet but plan to later. Can also use "sludge" to do that, but personally I think sludge and some sound blocker will be better...will be a project unto itself I'm sure, but not too bad...results will last the life of your ownership so it's worth it and you'll benefit from it every day.
Hope this helps, and if you want to go cheap as possible you can also use carpet padding layers, some are better than others, but it won't block as much as luxury liner pro and you have to worry about it getting wet and then mold. Could layer it up in hatch and rear storage though, and put down some closed cel foam as well to help. It DOES make a difference when it's done right.
Saved
Last edited by savedbygrace; 08-13-2015 at 03:21 PM.
Thanks! It was damn good fun. Anyone can feel free to chime in and share similar trips you've taken or hope to take.
Thanks for the tip savedbygrace about luxury liner. I'll definitely check that out. Especially since I'll be upping tire sizes soon.
Well done story of a long trip! I admit that I like those Utah shots since I'm a local meself. You should post pics of Bryce Canyon; for those that don't know about it look it up online as it' as awesome views are unique to the planet. I'm not too far from Kanab which is a cool town/area; "many" famous movies were filmed there (mostly westerns). That would be fun to take a long cruise like that.
I tried to sort of start a "travelogue" thread some time last year and always enjoy reading about "Z Adventures", particularly from areas of the country I've never been to (or at least driven the more scenic/fun roads in the proper car).
I mean, "How-do-I..." and "What-do-you-recommend-for..." threads are the bread and butter here but nice to see the "This is me driving my Z" posts. Kind of why I wrote this: https://my350z.com/forum/2003-2009-n...drive-a-z.html
Inspiring!! Would love to do this kind of trip with my Z sometime. But I do wanna start off with the mountains of here first. No nature drives yet, only took it to LA for an mma show so far.
Thanks, I'm glad you're enjoying everything. Bigblue, you're lucky to live in such an awesome area. Visually, it's beautiful and it all feels so isolated and remote. I really felt like a cowboy venturing out on my noble steed ha ha ha. I'll round up a few more pics from the Bryce Canyon area soon.
Mic, I checked out your "this is why" thread. Awesome. Nice to see others enjoy driving their cars this way and I'm not just an odd duck.
Last edited by frivoloushobby; 08-13-2015 at 04:31 PM.
To improve your experience, spend two hundred bucks when you can and buy some Luxury Liner Pro, glue it AND use aluminum tape on ALL edges in the doors, hatch, rear fenders (on top as much as you can as long as plastic trim still fits over it, and in the rear storage area behind seats...Z will be much quieter. Well worth the money and time, takes a day or two but just do it in sections and then do another section later in the day or the next day.
Makes city and highway travel a much more refined experience, and if you want to splurge you can put the material in the fenders too to cut down on tire noise. I haven't done that yet but plan to later. Can also use "sludge" to do that, but personally I think sludge and some sound blocker will be better...will be a project unto itself I'm sure, but not too bad...results will last the life of your ownership so it's worth it and you'll benefit from it every day.
Hope this helps, and if you want to go cheap as possible you can also use carpet padding layers, some are better than others, but it won't block as much as luxury liner pro and you have to worry about it getting wet and then mold. Could layer it up in hatch and rear storage though, and put down some closed cel foam as well to help. It DOES make a difference when it's done right.
I loved the long trips I've taken in mine. Taken one from Nevada to Texas where I met Stu and a few others. I have also driven it to Colorado then to Wisconsin. Does great
08-13-2015, 01:32 PM
Road Trip Experiences
, and glad you had such a great trip!
