Photos From the Trip!

You create high expectations when you name a trip "The Amazing Ride", but for eleven members of the Mass Miata Club, not only was every expectation met, but many were surpassed. This was truly an amazing American adventure.

Six Miatas left on Saturday, May 7th in a drizzling rain. Three weeks later, those Miatas each had an additional 5700 to 7000 miles on their odometers. And with each of those miles came the realization of childhood dreams, a greater appreciation for a beautiful country, and more stories and memories than can ever be effectively shared.

To look objectively at our group, a rational person might suggest that we were too old, our cars were too small, and the trip was too far. They might ask what makes intelligent, mature men and women decide to do such a thing. Of course, a rational person might not buy a Miata to begin with, so we weren't about to listen to them! But we each had our own reasons for joining this marathon road trip. We had dreams to chase and discoveries to make.

Some of us viewed ourselves as Martin Milner or George Maharis, traveling the American highway in a convertible in search of adventure and enlightenment. We had dreamed of doing this since the 1960s when as youngsters, we watched the adventures of Buzz and Ted on the black and white TV show Route 66.

For others in the group, this trip was about bringing postcards to life. We saw the spacious skies, the purple mountain's majesty, the amber waves of grain, and much, much more. We took hundreds of pictures and we will tell you hours of stories, but unless you were there, you can't fully understand the impact of standing in jaw-dropping awe of some of Mother Nature's most creative handiwork. You can't imagine the height of the mountains, the depth of the valleys, the color of the rock, the size of the sky, the hue of the sunrise, or the depth of the snow in May! Especially in Utah, every curve brought a sight even more amazing than the last turn. Desert fauna, rock formations that were hundreds of millions of years old, and a snow capped peak in the background. It was every western movie you ever saw, every memorable car ad, and the finest display of American beauty. Could you appreciate the view in the family sedan? Perhaps, but you would be missing so much. The ability to look up and look around put it all into perspective, it's a big wide, wonderful country; and we are just a small part of it.

This was about more than beautiful country and great weather though, it was also a confirmation that there are some wonderful people across this country. Everywhere we stopped we met friendly, helpful, interesting people who reaffirmed our belief in humanity. Of special note to me personally were the members of the Utah Miata Club who came to my rescue when my windows decided to stop working. It's been proven again; the Miata brings out good people and the good in people.

I could write volumes more about the scenery, the roads, the food, but if you want a real sense for what a great trip this was, ask one of the eleven brave souls who set out to find America in a two-seater adventure vehicle. Listen to the stories and sense the excitement and appreciation. If you ask, be prepared for a long story and the final realization that you missed out on one of the opportunities of a lifetime. But don't despair; Miatas in Moab 2007 is only two years away!