An Atom Across America - Again!

[maverick1]

Do you use a radar detector?
I've got the Valentine 1 and it has saved me so many times.
Not 100% if the cops use Laser, instant on.
Terry, you mentioned you had a back problem. My lower back goes out quite often and I find that the Recaro seats have no lumbar support. I use an extra pad just to support my lumbar area, works very well.

[Terry Kennedy]

Do you use a radar detector?
I've got the Valentine 1 and it has saved me so many times.
Not 100% if the cops use Laser, instant on.

I don't use any radar detector in the Atom. My BMW has a V1 that displays on the navigation screen.

In 35 years or so, I've never had a moving violation that stuck, nor an at-fault accident.

Terry, you mentioned you had a back problem. My lower back goes out quite often and I find that the Recaro seats have no lumbar support. I use an extra pad just to support my lumbar area, works very well.

Actually, the Recaros have an optional pad kit which Tom & Dan installed for me when I picked the car up at Brammo in 2006. That helps a lot - but even the BMW (which has massaging lumbar seats) doesn't keep my back from acting up.

[Terry Kennedy]

I'm in Cheyenne, Wyoming tonight. So I'm less than a day behind my original schedule. If the weather holds, I'll probaby be caught up in another day or two.

Speaking of weather, it was quite warm today - until I ran into a hailstorm in the west of Nebraska. I had been driving under massive dark clouds with no bad weather, but when I got to much lighter clouds and a lot more sun, the hail started falling. I stopped under an overpass to put on my jacket and decide if I needed to put my luggage into the heavy-duty plastic bags I brought for this purpose. While I was under the overpass, the hail rapidly changed to rain and became much lighter - almost as if there was one defective cloud that sprang a leak. About 50 miles further on, there was a brief period with just a few raindrops.

[NormLarson]

More power to you Terry!  Last time I was in Cheyenne, the roads were not exactly what I would call Atom friendly and were very torn up by semi traffic.  The deep semi ruts were my lasting memory of Wyoming.  I hope that they are not that bad still

[Terry Kennedy]

[quote="Norm"]
More power to you Terry!  Last time I was in Cheyenne, the roads were not exactly what I would call Atom friendly and were very torn up by semi traffic.  The deep semi ruts were my lasting memory of Wyoming.  I hope that they are not that bad still
[/quote]

The roads weren't that bad. Some parts of I-80 are one lane in each direction on one side, while they completely tear up the other side and rebuild it.

Today was pretty brutal, though - within an hour of leaving Cheyenne, I ran into heavy storms - so bad that tractor trailers were pulling off to the side of the road to wait it out. Unfortunately, there are hundred-plus mile stretches with nowhere to take shelter in the Atom.

Then the rain would stop, but it would still be overcast and I'd suffer from wind chill from being wet. Then it would rain again. Repeat for 4+ hours.

I'm in Evanston, WY tonight - about 3 miles from the Utah border, 900 or so miles from the track. The weather forecast calls for clear weather for the rest of the route. Hopefully it is correct this time...

[Terry Kennedy]

I'm at the Embassy Suites in Seaside (where the Sector111 dinner is).

On the 7th I'm driving to Salinas to get the new tires mounted. Then I'll drop in at the track to see if CalScot is set up yet.

[DarthChicken]

Leaving the house in 30 minutes, cya in 13 hours or so

[Gage]

[quote="Terry Kennedy"]
Then the rain would stop, but it would still be overcast and I'd suffer from wind chill from being wet. Then it would rain again. Repeat for 4+ hours.

I'm in Evanston, WY tonight - about 3 miles from the Utah border, 900 or so miles from the track. The weather forecast calls for clear weather for the rest of the route. Hopefully it is correct this time...
[/quote]

We are cheering for you Terry!

We get on a plane in a few hours and take the quick boring way out. 

[Radowick]

[quote="Terry Kennedy"]
I'm at the Embassy Suites in Seaside (where the Sector111 dinner is).
[/quote]
I am glad you made it.
Have a great time!

[Terry Kennedy]

[quote="Spanky"]
I am glad you made it.
Have a great time!
[/quote]

Having a blast so far. This is from yesterday:

[WorkingOnIt]

[quote="Terry Kennedy"]
Having a blast so far. This is from yesterday:
[/quote]

Great picture.

Wow, in all the times I've seen pictures or movies of the Golden Gate Bridge, this is the first time I noticed there is no median.
San Francisco drivers must be very attentive and courteous.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/c ... affic.jpeg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/e ... Bridge.JPG

[Terry Kennedy]

Great picture.

Thanks!

Wow, in all the times I've seen pictures or movies of the Golden Gate Bridge, this is the first time I noticed there is no median.
San Francisco drivers must be very attentive and courteous.

There are yellow rubber things that are maybe 18" tall that they plant between the lanes to allocate more lanes to northbound or southbound traffic. They tend to pop out and roll around if someone hits them, though - there was one rolling around when we came back over the bridge.

Some places back East do that, while others use what we call the "zipper machine" that picks up a long string of concrete dividers (like half of a zipper) and shifts the whole string between lanes.

[Terry Kennedy]

Last night I was in Half Moon Bay.

Today I'm heading into the woods (2 days in Yosemite, 2 in Sequoia, and 2 in Death Valley) so I may not have access to post updates for nearly a week.

[atomathics]

Safe travels Terry – keep it cool in DV!

[Terry Kennedy]

Here are a couple pictures from Yosemite:

Half Dome and falls viewed from Glacier Point:


Upper Yosemite Falls:


They have the most inept road construction crews ever - they have actually removed the paved Highway 41 / Wawona Road and replaced it with a rutted dirt trail for around 10 miles, with other bad patches as well.