Back from the USA

[Six-cylinder]

In case anybody noticed my lack of middle class drivel recently, it is because I have been away for the last month in the USA. I bought a tablet to keep in touch but could not make it work until the end of the trip so I have been out of communication.

 

What a trip - New York, Toronto, San Francisco, Las Vegas and Phoenix AZ. I went with my friend Paul and after the city stuff we picked up a rental car in San Francisco. I had ordered a Chevrolet Equinox SUV to drive but they did not have one so tried to give us a Dodge Journey saying it was in the same class and that was there rules. We looked at it and excuse me if you have one but it was just awful, small, cramped and poor quality. After incessant grumbling they gave us a Dodge Darango for the same price that another customer had just returned. That did the job well 3000 miles in just over 2 weeks we had it and we liked the toys like the electric tailgate and keyless entry., but the 280 bhp V6 felt more like 180 bhp and the 8 speed auto gearbox always wanted to change down before I was ready. I came away thinking it did its job but I have no desire to buy myself one.

 

Once on the road we drove part of the Pacific coat highway from Bodega Bay to Santa Maria inland to Yosmite National Park and after Vas Vegas to collect my wife, onto route 66 “The Mother Road†down to Arizona.

 

There is a fantastic collection of old American cars in peoples yards if you go to the “wrong side of the tracks†in small towns. I keep a good look out but I could not find anything I wanted to bring home.

 

Williams Az Route 66