One year today I arrived in California

"Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)" (rduncan5678)
11/10/2018 at 12:45 • Filed to: None

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Here is a photo album marking the final day of my cross country drive with the fitting scenic end in Malibu. Unfortunately much of the areas in these photos are currently on fire so who knows if I will get to see those areas the same for a long time.

Also, here are some highlights for my first year in my new Los Angeles home.

Mere days away from my 1 year of STi ownership! Purchased this car the same week that I had arrived. Went through PPI and making the final arrangements while I was making the drive across the country.

Reached 200k with the Miata shortly after arriving . Currently sitting at 210k.

My first adventure up the ACH to Mt Wilson

From the mountains, to the sea. There were many “winter” adventures.

I did find some actual winter as well but that usually required some flying. I flew to Salt Lake, Boise, and Reno to get some real snow and some excellent skiing.

Met some new Oppos and did fun car things!

Picked up a new hobby by switching over from autocross to full track days. I went to Streets of Willow, Autoclub Speedway, and three times to Buttonwillow. This represented a solid 400 minutes of total seat time on the track this year!

And of course my epic adventure weekend up the PCH to drive through Big Sur, visit Laguna Seca to watch some racing, and then race at Buttonwillow myself.

There were many more adventures this year and I’ve posted about most of them. But I’m sure enjoying my start to this adventure of living in Southern California, 3000 miles away from home in NJ.

Looking forward to some more epic adventures in my second year here. Right now the list includes a winter road trip to Montana, Yosemite exploration, backpacking the eastern Sierras (Mt whitney), another trip up the PCH, more time in San Diego, and hopefully further north in Cali as well.

DISCUSSION (5)

Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street. > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
11/10/2018 at 12:58

One thing I always wanted to do was drive highway 49 from end to end. I've driven every leg, just not in one shot.

PS9 > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
11/10/2018 at 12:58

EWD. ...Existential Wheel Drive?

Fine print: This Miata draws power from the ever present knowledge that compared to the overall universe, it is small and insignificant. The great black vastness of the unfathomable cosmos fills the Miata with an unquenchable well of dread, it’s psyche chained forever to the moment of it’s inexorable reentry into the void.

Ahh. I remember that time Mazda was experimenting with Cthulhu drive cars.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street.
11/10/2018 at 13:23

Is that northern California?

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > PS9
11/10/2018 at 13:26

Damn Cthulhu must be weak as hell if the power harnessed equals what a Miata puts out! Probably one of the lessons learned this year is how slow the Miata is. Sure it's not any less fun but I definitely notice the slow after dailying an STi. And even all the rental cars I've had on work travel still make the Miata feel slow. Sullied by 3000+ pounds and cvts, modern economy cars are still way faster lol.

John Norris (AngryDrifter) > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
11/10/2018 at 13:50

Great story. Lo oking forward to next years update.