So, we’re heading out on the open road in just a few days and are pleased to say that American Honda Motors Inc. has come on board with us as the official vehicle sponsor of “In Your Car: Road Trip through the American Automobile.” They’re generously providing a 2009 Honda Pilot, Touring model. Given that we’ll have it for a month and put more than 5000 miles on it, this is not an insignificant investment and we appreciate it! Thank you, Honda!
We went to the dealer in Beaverton, OR to check out the model we’ll pick up at LAX later this week. Mustang Sally can move on over because this is officially a Great Ride! In addition to the spacious interior, road hugging Honda feel, and just plain good looks, this edition is tricked out with so many features and electronics, we needed a 90 minute overview just to appreciate, let alone learn them. We only had 60 minutes, so I’m sure we’ll spend the first week making friends with the entertainment system, programming specs into the automatic seat controls, and learning how to make the Navigation Lady quit flirting with Steve. I kept waiting for the seat to take my weight and compliment me: “Hey, Kelley, looks like you’ve shed a quarter pound this week” just to be interrupted by Navigation Lady saying “Dairy Queen, 6 miles ahead. Steve, if you push my pedal a little harder, we can get there in 3 minutes or less.” Hmmm.
In 1984, when I met Steve, he had the cutest truck. You should know, he would strongly object to this vehicle being called both “cute” and “truck” as this was a Ford Bronco II and we were in Texas, where this hardly counts as a truck. And, he hates being called “cute” on the principle that men aren’t cute. What I didn’t know at the time was that he had the cutest car we’ve ever owned under wraps in a garage. A 1977 Honda Civic he drove from New Jersey to Arizona for college more than once, that after rebuilding the engine piece by piece with his Dad on their knees on the garage floor. This was the first Honda I’d ever seen up close and it was small. It looked like a toy. Officially cute.
Soon, the truck was sold and Steve was driving the baby Honda full time. There were a couple of other Hondas in Steve’s family, so the legacy was assured. When that car was on its last cylinder (1988), we replaced it with a new Honda Civic. It was bright red and a little bit larger than the ’77. It was supposed to be donated to the Leukemia Society, but Steve talked the dealer into selling it to us instead – a shameful case of reverse charity you could say. We drove that car all over the Eastern Seaboard and well into the Midwest for more than 20 years. In the end, we gave it to a friend rather than sell it because it had so little value on the market and so much value to her. To our knowledge it’s still kicking around Dallas, bright red and feisty.
Having added children to our nest, we bought a Honda Accord – 4-doors and a little rear seat headroom are more attractive when you have little heads hauling around in the back seat with you. During that same period of time my sister had a Civic and my parents went through two Accords.
So, with this trip, our Honda family legacy keeps going on strong behind the wheel of the Pilot. Off we go to L.A., Dallas, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Freehold, Detroit, Chicago and beyond! To the Cadillac Ranch, Texas Motor Speedway, Tulsa’s Spider Bug, and Detroit’s Big Tire. To the Grand Canyon, Liberty Bell, Blue Ridge Parkway and Route 66. Strap on your belts, it’s an epic journey and it’s about to begin T-minus 48 hours and counting!
We went to the dealer in Beaverton, OR to check out the model we’ll pick up at LAX later this week. Mustang Sally can move on over because this is officially a Great Ride! In addition to the spacious interior, road hugging Honda feel, and just plain good looks, this edition is tricked out with so many features and electronics, we needed a 90 minute overview just to appreciate, let alone learn them. We only had 60 minutes, so I’m sure we’ll spend the first week making friends with the entertainment system, programming specs into the automatic seat controls, and learning how to make the Navigation Lady quit flirting with Steve. I kept waiting for the seat to take my weight and compliment me: “Hey, Kelley, looks like you’ve shed a quarter pound this week” just to be interrupted by Navigation Lady saying “Dairy Queen, 6 miles ahead. Steve, if you push my pedal a little harder, we can get there in 3 minutes or less.” Hmmm.
In 1984, when I met Steve, he had the cutest truck. You should know, he would strongly object to this vehicle being called both “cute” and “truck” as this was a Ford Bronco II and we were in Texas, where this hardly counts as a truck. And, he hates being called “cute” on the principle that men aren’t cute. What I didn’t know at the time was that he had the cutest car we’ve ever owned under wraps in a garage. A 1977 Honda Civic he drove from New Jersey to Arizona for college more than once, that after rebuilding the engine piece by piece with his Dad on their knees on the garage floor. This was the first Honda I’d ever seen up close and it was small. It looked like a toy. Officially cute.
Soon, the truck was sold and Steve was driving the baby Honda full time. There were a couple of other Hondas in Steve’s family, so the legacy was assured. When that car was on its last cylinder (1988), we replaced it with a new Honda Civic. It was bright red and a little bit larger than the ’77. It was supposed to be donated to the Leukemia Society, but Steve talked the dealer into selling it to us instead – a shameful case of reverse charity you could say. We drove that car all over the Eastern Seaboard and well into the Midwest for more than 20 years. In the end, we gave it to a friend rather than sell it because it had so little value on the market and so much value to her. To our knowledge it’s still kicking around Dallas, bright red and feisty.
Having added children to our nest, we bought a Honda Accord – 4-doors and a little rear seat headroom are more attractive when you have little heads hauling around in the back seat with you. During that same period of time my sister had a Civic and my parents went through two Accords.
So, with this trip, our Honda family legacy keeps going on strong behind the wheel of the Pilot. Off we go to L.A., Dallas, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Freehold, Detroit, Chicago and beyond! To the Cadillac Ranch, Texas Motor Speedway, Tulsa’s Spider Bug, and Detroit’s Big Tire. To the Grand Canyon, Liberty Bell, Blue Ridge Parkway and Route 66. Strap on your belts, it’s an epic journey and it’s about to begin T-minus 48 hours and counting!
See http://www.inyourcarroadtrip.com/ for study information. And, www.flickr.com/groups/inyourcar to upload pictures of the contents of your car!
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