Terry Goes To Bimmerfest

Originally Posted by Cliff3

It protected my car both nights at the hotel, Jon That's why I was hot to get it from you on Friday. It's pretty easy to roll it up over the car and stuff it into the bag, too. It's a very nice cover. I probably ought to consider picking up the locking cable for it.

???

BMW cover? Or aftermarket?

I'm looking for a new one, after melting my BMW cover in the dryer.

It's the BMW cover, Dave. Do you think Jon would buy a cover somewhere other than from the parts dept? This one needs washing too, but after talking to you I think I'll just string a line up in my garage and dry it on that...

Originally Posted by Terry Kennedy

I could - I'll be driving from Lake Havasu to Albuquerque around the 5th.

Hmm, Scottsdale/Phoenix isn't exactly on the way (assuming you're taking the I-40 to Albuquerque). Still, if your plans bring you this way, PM me. You could raise the number of 325xit's in Phoenix to 2, and I'd get a chance to see your mods (maybe over cold beverages).

For the record, the drive down the I-17 to Phoenix is a hoot (and you pass close to Sedona , a pretty amazing place itself)

-Uter (Andy)

Originally Posted by Cliff3

It's the BMW cover, Dave. Do you think Jon would buy a cover somewhere other than from the parts dept? This one needs washing too, but after talking to you I think I'll just string a line up in my garage and dry it on that...

Actually, you'll be fine to air dry it in one of those jumbo industrial dryers at the laundromat. It'll just take a trunkfull of quarters

I got impatient after two hours of "fluff" on the dryer setting, so I bumped it up to "delicate" for a third hour of Georges. That was the fatal blow.

Originally Posted by RKT BMR

Actually, you'll be fine to air dry it in one of those jumbo industrial dryers at the laundromat. It'll just take a trunkfull of quarters

I got impatient after two hours of "fluff" on the dryer setting, so I bumped it up to "delicate" for a third hour of Georges. That was the fatal blow.

I don't really need a car cover much (between having a garage and covered parking at work) so I'm cool with letting it cure in the garage for a week or two...

Terry:

I have enjoyed your internet journal very much. Sounds and reads like a blast.

Safe drive, and keep the updates coming...

Originally Posted by audiophilia

Safe drive, and keep the updates coming...

Well, today I managed to not damage the car and not get mauled by a bear, so it was a good day .

I did a nice long drive through Sequoia, entering on 180 (up north) and coming out on 198 (in the south). Particularly in the south, the roads are very twisty, with many 10MPH hairpin turns. And they don't believe in guardrails (or even curbs!) in many places.

Here are a few shots, selected from the 263 I took today:





































Tuesday is Death Valley Day...

Originally Posted by uter

Hmm, Scottsdale/Phoenix isn't exactly on the way (assuming you're taking the I-40 to Albuquerque). Still, if your plans bring you this way, PM me. You could raise the number of 325xit's in Phoenix to 2, and I'd get a chance to see your mods (maybe over cold beverages).

For the record, the drive down the I-17 to Phoenix is a hoot (and you pass close to Sedona , a pretty amazing place itself)

-Uter (Andy)

Hey Uter, did you make it to bimmerfest this year? if not, theres always next year! not to post ***** another forum on here, but the SouthWest forum on www.bimmerforums.com/forum has a great AZ crew and we would love to hear from you and see you at some local meets!
-- Matthew

I'm surprised nobody posted with "Hey, we haven't heard from Terry since he said he was going to Death Valley - I wonder if he's Ok", or at least "Let's go find his car and collect his mods."

In any event, I spent the night in Stovepipe Wells (an amazingly good bargain considering the location - in fact, I'm paying more for the Super 8 in Barstow that I'm staying in tonight).

To get you caught up, here are 30 shots from yesterday and today. These are straight out of the camera except for the occasional crop, and re-sizing for my slow uploads. As always, larger images and prints will be available on request after I get home.

Being buzzed by the fighters was interesting. Oddly, their radar doesn't set off the V1

Hope you've got plenty of air in those tires...

Keep the pictures coming!

We're just quietly watching your progress and assuming the best. After all, you've got BMW Roadside Assistance if something goes wrong with the wagon.

Did the roadrunner go "Beep beep" as it ran past? I know what sound the FA-18's made! Nice dusk shots, btw.

Originally Posted by Spectre

We're just quietly watching your progress and assuming the best. After all, you've got BMW Roadside Assistance if something goes wrong with the wagon.

Did the roadrunner go "Beep beep" as it ran past? I know what sound the FA-18's made! Nice dusk shots, btw.

This was one of the coolest shots in the latest batch. I want the full-res version, Terry!

Mind if I use it for an avatar?

Originally Posted by Spectre

We're just quietly watching your progress and assuming the best. After all, you've got BMW Roadside Assistance if something goes wrong with the wagon.

Complete with the wrong phone number on the sticker inside the hatch

Did the roadrunner go "Beep beep" as it ran past?

No, it went "click click" with its beak. But maybe this one was defective

Originally Posted by RKT BMR

This was one of the coolest shots in the latest batch. I want the full-res version, Terry!

Mind if I use it for an avatar?

Feel free, though I don't know how well it will come out when sized down to an avatar.

Terry, you take some fantastic photographs btw...

Originally Posted by marvelphx

Terry, you take some fantastic photographs btw...

Thanks! It is often said that "it isn't the equipment, it is the photographer", but a bunch of my shots just wouldn't be possible with lesser equipment. A lot of the more exciting shots (jets, moon, roadrunner) were taken with a 70-200mm f2.8 lens with an image stabilizer, with a 2x extender for a 400mm effective length. The camera body is a Canon EOS 1Ds 11.4 megapixel. I'm shooting on 2GB Compact Flash cards. In Sequoia I actually overflowed onto a 3rd card - the other days I've only used one or two.

Here are today's pictures from Amboy Crater, in the modern ghost town of Amboy, CA. Since I have a high-speed link tonight I'll post a few more pictures than usual. Amboy crater is a recently (500 years or so) extinct volcano.

























The sign at the bottom of the last picture reads "Town for sale - approx 700 acres with businesses". There is no sign of life whatsoever in the town. Many other towns along Route 66 have been abandoned and are in a much more advanced state of decay.

Terry - you are indeed a good photographer. Are you anywhere near as talented as a writer?

You should do an article about your trek and bimmerfest and submit it (with your great photos) to the Roundel.

Originally Posted by Terry Kennedy

You made it! Many years back we made several trips out to Amboy, staying in Roy's Hotel, climbing the crater, and digging trilobite fossils in the foot of the mountain ranges nearby. You can't see it from the road, but on the other side of the crater there is a breach that makes climbing in to the crater much easier! (If I get a chance to scan in the photos I'll post them)

Did you make it to Chambliss to see the UFO Repair Station? Chambliss might not even exist any more given the decay rate of towns in that area.

Originally Posted by scottn2retro

Terry - you are indeed a good photographer. Are you anywhere near as talented as a writer?

You should do an article about your trek and bimmerfest and submit it (with your great photos) to the Roundel.

I'm going to write something up when I get back. I still have many thousands of miles to go and pictures to take. If you read the January (I think) Roundel they had an article on the Colorado Grand, and I'll be retracing that route later in my trip.

Originally Posted by operknockity

You made it! Many years back we made several trips out to Amboy, staying in Roy's Hotel, climbing the crater, and digging trilobite fossils in the foot of the mountain ranges nearby. You can't see it from the road, but on the other side of the crater there is a breach that makes climbing in to the crater much easier! (If I get a chance to scan in the photos I'll post them)

Did you make it to Chambliss to see the UFO Repair Station? Chambliss might not even exist any more given the decay rate of towns in that area.

The whole area is abandoned - the whole town of Amboy is for sale, and even the post office has closed. Someone is still there (but hiding) as there was an air conditioner running in the back of the hotel office, and one of the gas pumps was powered on (the light in it was on) and it had a price of $3.429 posted.

I couldn't even find Chambliss - I think it has dried up and blown away (or is that blown up and dried away)?

Cool trip. Nice pictures.

Originally Posted by Terry Kennedy

Thanks! It is often said that "it isn't the equipment, it is the photographer", but a bunch of my shots just wouldn't be possible with lesser equipment. A lot of the more exciting shots (jets, moon, roadrunner) were taken with a 70-200mm f2.8 lens with an image stabilizer, with a 2x extender for a 400mm effective length. The camera body is a Canon EOS 1Ds 11.4 megapixel. I'm shooting on 2GB Compact Flash cards. In Sequoia I actually overflowed onto a 3rd card - the other days I've only used one or two.

Just think how good they could be if you had a Prime lens. As someone who used to just point it at the horizon alot I have really enjoyed this great trip and pics.Thank you very much!

Here are pictures from yesterday and today. Yesterday I took it easy and visited Lake Havasu City (and London Bridge), as well as photographing the sunset on I-10. Last night finding a hotel room in north-central Arizona was impossible - apparently the university up at Flagstaff was graduating and all rooms were booked. I finally found a fleabag motel which charged me $50 for a room that should have been condemned. It didn't even have grounded outlets, so I couldn't recharge my computer.

Today I visited Meteor Crater on my way to Albuquerque. I also stopped in a rather odd service station on Route 66 where they had a boozy stuffed armadillo (see the picture). I'm in a nice hotel now (the Doubletree, downtown) to make up for last night's abomination. I may stay here a second day and sightsee.

Awesome pics!!!