Cross-Country Roadtrip in the S2000
06-14-2016, 11:03 AM
#12
Thread Starter
PART 2:
... The last time I lost traction on standing water, the rear violently snapped around (so I always have a chuckle when I see guys on here claim that snap oversteer is a myth in our cars and is only really found in old 911s). This time, however, I'm not sure if it was the good rain tire tread or the 200 lbs of water, engine oil, tools, and luggage in the trunk, but when the rear started to float, I somehow managed to keep the car pointed straight. Being completely surrounded by semi-trucks on I-40 would have led to a very, very bad ending otherwise, and I'll chalk this save up to divine intervention and not driver skill.
Day 5-6: Memphis
What can I say about Memphis? It has an amazing food and beer scene, the people are friendly, the women are beyond gorgeous, and there's a ton of culture that you just don't see on the West Coast. We briefly hit the tourist hotspot of Beale Street in Downtown Memphis, but quickly moved on to the local gems — there's so much more to see and explore once you leave the touristy stuff!
The food highlight of my Memphis visit was a group of restaurants that share the same owners (also James Beard finalists) called Hog & Hominy, Porcellino's Craft Butcher, and Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen. Gibsons Donuts are also said to be Alton Browns favorite, and super soft and flavorful. And of course, we stopped by a neighborhood hole-in-the-wall for good pulled pork and coleslaw at Central BBQ. Lastly, we grabbed beers at Wiseacre Brewing — perhaps the first brewery I've seen where the male to female ratio was a solid 50:50!
Day 7-9: New Orleans (400 miles)
After my near-crash experience, I decided to start taking the weather far more seriously than I have in the past 20+ years of my life. The tropical storm warning on TV got my attention, and we opted to drive down in Stephen's 2013 Acura TSX wagon instead of the banana, which I instantly fell in love with. Super smooth, great response and fun to drive, with a good amount of pep and torque — an hour into this drive and I'm starting to feel silly driving across the county in the s2000 — what a night and day difference in comfort.
It was an easy 6 hours from Memphis to Nola in the Acura, and we checked into the JW Marriott right as the storm hit — water up to wheel wells and flooded streets all over town.
Here's what you need to do in New Orleans:
The beignets and chicory coffee at Café Du Monde are required — go at 8am to avoid the crazy lines. Other requirements also include po'boys, oysters, shrimp and grits, and the appropriate cocktails (hurricanes, grenades, sazerac, bourbon, etc.). We also hit an upscale restaurant called Bayona, by the famous chef Susan Spicer, and got the prix fixe four-course lunch menu for under $60 (not including going overboard with our cocktails). Check out the Rodrigue Studio [Blue Dog] and the art galleries and local shops, find some jazz musicians, soak it in.
Take a nap after the inevitable food coma. Wake up at 11pm and head out to Bourbon Street for all kinds of debauchery... Now everything you've heard about Bourbon Street is probably true, so I'll leave it at that. My favorite part? Walk past the rainbow flags and the lights start to fade, the crowds disappear, and you stumble upon one of the oldest bars in the country, lit only by candlelight.
Inside there's a piano man. Order yourself a purple drank or a hurricane, sit back and relax and watch the hours unfold while people sing along and request piano covers to the likes of "Rocket Man" or "You Can't Always Get What You Want" or even "Bohemian Rhapsody.'" Stumble out at 3am and find an even crazier Bourbon Street than you left it.
Next time: make sure to get reservations at the famous Commander's Palace, and bring a damn suit and extra shoes. And get the Café du Monde beignets twice.
On our third day in New Orleans, we packed up and headed northbound back towards Memphis. We took the scenic route and followed the winding Mississippi River up the delta — windows down, sunroof open, blasting Naughty by Nature, Salt N Peppa, and other 90s hip hop classics. We drove through bayou country, big towns and small towns. We saw poor and rich, plantations and shacks and trailers and estates. Lots of different people and new faces and a chance to see a different side of America that most of us will never know.
This trip forged new friendships and memories, and strained and tested others. I'll be forever grateful to Stephen and his wife for the love in which they welcomed me both into their beautiful home and their beautiful city — thank you!
And I'm not sure when it happened — it might have been sitting in Stephen's backyard under the shade of the pecan trees, mosquitoes buzzing about, on an ordinary humid Memphis evening, when he pointed out the fireflies or lightning bugs that I had only ever read about in books as a little boy — but I think I left my California heart somewhere in The South.
Stay tuned for Part 3, my return trip to California!
Skip to Part 3:
https://www.s2ki.com/forums/s2000-ta.../#post24014432
... The last time I lost traction on standing water, the rear violently snapped around (so I always have a chuckle when I see guys on here claim that snap oversteer is a myth in our cars and is only really found in old 911s). This time, however, I'm not sure if it was the good rain tire tread or the 200 lbs of water, engine oil, tools, and luggage in the trunk, but when the rear started to float, I somehow managed to keep the car pointed straight. Being completely surrounded by semi-trucks on I-40 would have led to a very, very bad ending otherwise, and I'll chalk this save up to divine intervention and not driver skill.
Day 5-6: Memphis
What can I say about Memphis? It has an amazing food and beer scene, the people are friendly, the women are beyond gorgeous, and there's a ton of culture that you just don't see on the West Coast. We briefly hit the tourist hotspot of Beale Street in Downtown Memphis, but quickly moved on to the local gems — there's so much more to see and explore once you leave the touristy stuff!
The food highlight of my Memphis visit was a group of restaurants that share the same owners (also James Beard finalists) called Hog & Hominy, Porcellino's Craft Butcher, and Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen. Gibsons Donuts are also said to be Alton Browns favorite, and super soft and flavorful. And of course, we stopped by a neighborhood hole-in-the-wall for good pulled pork and coleslaw at Central BBQ. Lastly, we grabbed beers at Wiseacre Brewing — perhaps the first brewery I've seen where the male to female ratio was a solid 50:50!
Day 7-9: New Orleans (400 miles)
After my near-crash experience, I decided to start taking the weather far more seriously than I have in the past 20+ years of my life. The tropical storm warning on TV got my attention, and we opted to drive down in Stephen's 2013 Acura TSX wagon instead of the banana, which I instantly fell in love with. Super smooth, great response and fun to drive, with a good amount of pep and torque — an hour into this drive and I'm starting to feel silly driving across the county in the s2000 — what a night and day difference in comfort.
It was an easy 6 hours from Memphis to Nola in the Acura, and we checked into the JW Marriott right as the storm hit — water up to wheel wells and flooded streets all over town.
Here's what you need to do in New Orleans:
The beignets and chicory coffee at Café Du Monde are required — go at 8am to avoid the crazy lines. Other requirements also include po'boys, oysters, shrimp and grits, and the appropriate cocktails (hurricanes, grenades, sazerac, bourbon, etc.). We also hit an upscale restaurant called Bayona, by the famous chef Susan Spicer, and got the prix fixe four-course lunch menu for under $60 (not including going overboard with our cocktails). Check out the Rodrigue Studio [Blue Dog] and the art galleries and local shops, find some jazz musicians, soak it in.
Take a nap after the inevitable food coma. Wake up at 11pm and head out to Bourbon Street for all kinds of debauchery... Now everything you've heard about Bourbon Street is probably true, so I'll leave it at that. My favorite part? Walk past the rainbow flags and the lights start to fade, the crowds disappear, and you stumble upon one of the oldest bars in the country, lit only by candlelight.
Inside there's a piano man. Order yourself a purple drank or a hurricane, sit back and relax and watch the hours unfold while people sing along and request piano covers to the likes of "Rocket Man" or "You Can't Always Get What You Want" or even "Bohemian Rhapsody.'" Stumble out at 3am and find an even crazier Bourbon Street than you left it.
Next time: make sure to get reservations at the famous Commander's Palace, and bring a damn suit and extra shoes. And get the Café du Monde beignets twice.
On our third day in New Orleans, we packed up and headed northbound back towards Memphis. We took the scenic route and followed the winding Mississippi River up the delta — windows down, sunroof open, blasting Naughty by Nature, Salt N Peppa, and other 90s hip hop classics. We drove through bayou country, big towns and small towns. We saw poor and rich, plantations and shacks and trailers and estates. Lots of different people and new faces and a chance to see a different side of America that most of us will never know.
This trip forged new friendships and memories, and strained and tested others. I'll be forever grateful to Stephen and his wife for the love in which they welcomed me both into their beautiful home and their beautiful city — thank you!
And I'm not sure when it happened — it might have been sitting in Stephen's backyard under the shade of the pecan trees, mosquitoes buzzing about, on an ordinary humid Memphis evening, when he pointed out the fireflies or lightning bugs that I had only ever read about in books as a little boy — but I think I left my California heart somewhere in The South.
Stay tuned for Part 3, my return trip to California!
Skip to Part 3:
https://www.s2ki.com/forums/s2000-ta.../#post24014432
06-14-2016, 05:58 PM
#14
This sounds like you are having a wonderful trip. Thanks for taking the time to write about it. I dream of extended trips with the S. Yes, it's not the most comfortable ride in the universe, yet it is certainly tolerable with enough stops.
06-15-2016, 08:46 AM
#15
06-16-2016, 06:13 AM
#17
I love long trips in the S2000. I'm pining for another trip to the southwest (I live in the Chicago burbs).
Funny that you should mention the trip in the TSX wagon. My wife has a TSX wagon. It is excessively comfortable. The seating, the stereo (tech package), the cooled center cubby to keep your drinks cold, you can put an inflatable matress in it and sleep in it, etc.
I still have a mental fight on which car to take on long trips, despite the S2000 being a sardine can haha.
Funny that you should mention the trip in the TSX wagon. My wife has a TSX wagon. It is excessively comfortable. The seating, the stereo (tech package), the cooled center cubby to keep your drinks cold, you can put an inflatable matress in it and sleep in it, etc.
I still have a mental fight on which car to take on long trips, despite the S2000 being a sardine can haha.
07-11-2016, 09:35 PM
#18
Thread Starter
PART 3 OF 3:
I left Memphis just as the sun was rising, with a heavy heart. I ended up driving north, through Arkansas into Missouri. My appetite for BBQ was apparently not yet fulfilled, and I ended up at Bogart's Smokehouse in St. Louis. Now stay calm, but I'm going to say that this was the best BBQ of my trip and of my life, and I've had a handful of Midwesterners approve of this decision! I ordered burnt ends, ribs, baked beans, potato salad, and a legitimate side of food coma.
Honestly, after Memphis the days turned into nights and the nights turned into days — I had brief flings with Kansas City, Denver, and Salt Lake City, and decided I really need to return (via air) and spend more time in each city as there's far too much to see for someone as road-weary as I was; I missed my bed, and the jarring suspension was finally starting to take a toll on my body (and my butt!).
I went on this road trip hoping to meet new people, taste new food, and explore this beautiful country of ours. I went out in search of answers, but I came back with more questions about my life, career, and adulthood. Perhaps true wisdom is knowing when to ask more questions instead of expecting to find answers... I'm probably too young to know what I'm talking about, though.
On heading west from Salt Lake City, I woke up early, long before the sunrise and headed towards the Great Salt Lake and crossed Bonneville Speedway off my bucket list (and for just a second in time, I may have literally been The World's Fastest Indian).
The events of the past few weeks not only in this country, but worldwide, are troubling. Lots of innocent people dying, lots of partisan politics, lots of apathy and hatred and division. So I'll close with this singular piece of advice, e.g. what I learned in these 5,000+ miles of solitude during my search for Americana:
If you haven't visited another state, National Park, or another country — drop everything, and go travel.
Our cars will rust, our possessions will turn to dust, but the people we meet, the food we eat, and the culture and memories we experience through travel might be the only things worth grasping in the end. At 95 years old, Granddaddy was right when he said, "Travel more." Become vulnerable, be an outsider, take risks, and explore the world. And maybe in that process, we'll learn not only about ourselves, but about everyone else around us and finally see that we're more alike than we are different. At the end of the day, that's all that really matters -- we're in it together. The world is a small place. Hundreds and thousands of miles blend into one. All it takes is a single trip, with or without a Honda roadster.
Travel more.
P.S. For the record, if I wasn't smitten with my S2000 before I started this trip, I'm absolutely head-over-heels now. Stockholm syndrome, anyone?
Thanks for reading!
Sincerely,
-Harry, the loose nut behind the wheel
I left Memphis just as the sun was rising, with a heavy heart. I ended up driving north, through Arkansas into Missouri. My appetite for BBQ was apparently not yet fulfilled, and I ended up at Bogart's Smokehouse in St. Louis. Now stay calm, but I'm going to say that this was the best BBQ of my trip and of my life, and I've had a handful of Midwesterners approve of this decision! I ordered burnt ends, ribs, baked beans, potato salad, and a legitimate side of food coma.
Honestly, after Memphis the days turned into nights and the nights turned into days — I had brief flings with Kansas City, Denver, and Salt Lake City, and decided I really need to return (via air) and spend more time in each city as there's far too much to see for someone as road-weary as I was; I missed my bed, and the jarring suspension was finally starting to take a toll on my body (and my butt!).
I went on this road trip hoping to meet new people, taste new food, and explore this beautiful country of ours. I went out in search of answers, but I came back with more questions about my life, career, and adulthood. Perhaps true wisdom is knowing when to ask more questions instead of expecting to find answers... I'm probably too young to know what I'm talking about, though.
On heading west from Salt Lake City, I woke up early, long before the sunrise and headed towards the Great Salt Lake and crossed Bonneville Speedway off my bucket list (and for just a second in time, I may have literally been The World's Fastest Indian).
The events of the past few weeks not only in this country, but worldwide, are troubling. Lots of innocent people dying, lots of partisan politics, lots of apathy and hatred and division. So I'll close with this singular piece of advice, e.g. what I learned in these 5,000+ miles of solitude during my search for Americana:
If you haven't visited another state, National Park, or another country — drop everything, and go travel.
Our cars will rust, our possessions will turn to dust, but the people we meet, the food we eat, and the culture and memories we experience through travel might be the only things worth grasping in the end. At 95 years old, Granddaddy was right when he said, "Travel more." Become vulnerable, be an outsider, take risks, and explore the world. And maybe in that process, we'll learn not only about ourselves, but about everyone else around us and finally see that we're more alike than we are different. At the end of the day, that's all that really matters -- we're in it together. The world is a small place. Hundreds and thousands of miles blend into one. All it takes is a single trip, with or without a Honda roadster.
Travel more.
P.S. For the record, if I wasn't smitten with my S2000 before I started this trip, I'm absolutely head-over-heels now. Stockholm syndrome, anyone?
Thanks for reading!
Sincerely,
-Harry, the loose nut behind the wheel
07-12-2016, 02:24 AM
#19
