May 1st came and went. This is the legacy?

[myinfernalbmw]

I apologize for your route through MN providing the most boring scenic offerings our state has. I've also only seen like one opossum in my entire life, and it too was dead. Keep up the awesome adventure. Keep that hood forever, even if the car finds it's way to the crusher.

[ELVA164]

This really is an awesome undertaking. I unfortunately can't offer a place to sleep, but let me know when you're in the NY area and you can come by and see the race cars! I also have some extra headlights in stock ;)

[thatphysicsguy]

Such an amazing adventure you're having. I have a feeling you'll be keeping that hood for a very long time!

[Hansel]

not sure what the situation is, but if you needed some headlights and are swinging through Denver, I have some sitting in a box you're welcome to

[Threehz]

Hit me up if you come through Tucson! Beer will be had, E30's will be driven, we can ride up the twisty mountain road and kick it on the edge of a cliff with the best view in town.

[TurboJake]

Thanks for the offers for headlights guys. GunmetalGrey just threw me a pair of DDM 55W HID's to roll around with instead of my silverstars. I'll be getting them back to him when I'm done.

That said!
Had a small party last night


Snuck a picture in.




Colorado has everything I could ever wish for in a place to live.

Seriously. If you find yourself in the Fort Collins area. Take the Poudre Canyon scenic drive. I would qualify it as a "Must drive in your lifetime" road. And I don't take that designation lightly.








And do eat at the Mishawaka Inn. The fish tacos were pretty good.
\


OH! And the A/C Condenser decided it had it today... The bottom hose connection where it meets the core opened up and PSSSHHH. No more A/C. Maybe I'll fix it in cali if I can find a cheap one at a pick-a-part.

[mohamed...]

Where are you headed in California?

[hfabricius]

If you can't manage to find the A/C parts your looking for before you get to Georgia, I may have some parts laying around that I am not using. I should be around if I am not in Canada or en route to Seattle.

[Sean S.]

When are you going to be in the SF Bay area? Some awesome beer joints here in the East Bay. Love to hear tales of your travels.

[TurboJake]

Well guys. Time for an update!
Fort collins was an amazing town. I WILL live there someday.

Sorry I didn't get to meet up with you lambo and Farbin. Another time!

So, anyways. We proceed forward!
DRIVE HIGHWAY 14! From canyon switchbacks, to the top of the earth, then blasting down the plateau.

It's pretty here.




First "Tunnel" Of the trip


Leaving the canyon


Forging ahead


Upwards. She was NOT too enthused about this. This was a learning experience on how to drive in high altitude.



But it came back down. Flat ground, and a 75 MPH speed limit.
So I chased the sunset


Muddy Gap junction WY. Where you get gouged on the price of gas like no other.


Then nothing but the stars heading up 287 in WY There wasn't a soul in sight while I took these pictures. Enjoying the darkness after the moon settled down, and the complete silence.






Camped out in Lander WY


Yep


So, continuing up 287.





Then big things pop out of the earth




And the road winds





Found more of the rockies!




Entering Grand Teton National park


Where the birds pose in line. And get real close waiting for you to drop some food. But you don't, because race car.



And then it gets REAL pretty. So your car, complete with bruises and scars, pose even more with beautiful backdrops.





And the survivor image.


I lost some more pictures. I lost pikes peak. Then I lost the beginning of yellowstone. That card is now retired.

But then I got to old faithful



Climbed the side of a hill because...




A nice couple from Germany was sightseeing and they were genuinely scared of bears! They didn't want to go out into the wilderness without someone that knew about them. I did and know how to deal with bears, so I took them up!




Hehehe. Beaver


Bison. Also, anyone with an Mtech 1. Do you understand when you know it's really easy to accidentally hit the horn in the worst possible situations?
Don't do it in front of bison. They don't like it. And you have to haul ass out of there because you just really pissed them off.





Then you LEAVE Yellowstone, and you still have to worry.


Mountains behind me.



Tonight, I slept at a rest stop just outside of Superior Montana.

And plugged along towards Seattle.



And the corner light is barely hanging on for dear life. I have to put it back in it's home every 4 or 500 miles.



Taking a wrong turn in ID and finding something neat.



Then something SUPER neat. An abandoned mine. From what I can gather Silver and Lead.





Then I kept going.


and followed the power lines. Sat by a river and pondered.



Well that's a problem....






That soon resolved itself. E30's like to do that.

I got to Coeur D'alene




Downtown





Took US2 the whole way to seattle. HIGHLY recommended road to drive.

Rolling hills and pretty colors


To a road I got a kick out of.


Coulee Dam


Got a selfie in there


Looking for a place to rest


Which ended up being Dry falls. Look it up.






And this place had a FANTASTIC hot dog.



Dry falls state park







Great rest. But this place has the ANGRIEST zombie mosquito horde you'd ever deal with. They were seriously aggressive creatures.


More Washington. This state is so diverse.


Graffitti rocks off of US2




Then, out of nowhere in Leavenworth WA pops up little freakin bavaria!







And a crowd forms


Read the sign.






Moving on. BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY


Most expensive speed limit sign ever?


Practically in the clouds







Then. YAY SEATTLE!
Pike place



Gum wall



A sign I approve of.


Yay coffee!


AAAannnd the first legit "Something really may be a huge problem" noise happened. As it turned out, my passenger side parking brake decided to lose the pins connecting it to the backing plate while going down the highway.

Luckly, I was able to bend metal back into place, reinstall, and all is well. That made a HORRENDOUS noise going down the road at 60.






All fixed up. And off to long beach WA in a couple moments!

Jay out.

[eskimo810]

Awesome updates are awesome. I was going to try and do something like this when I got back from Thailand to fill up the rest of my gap year, but money is money is money, and I had none. Seeing these pictures makes me want to do it more than ever. Good luck with the rest of your trip!!

[Wschnitz]

Ah fuck I woulda chilled with you if I had known you already made it here.

[E30 Wagen]

Cool update. I really envy what you are doing and it's inspired me to make time for a drive like this someday.

[deutschman]

This is great! Really cool idea. I need to do this some day. I havent seen enough of the country I live in. Kinda sad really. I think my GF would dig doing this as well. Keep it up man!

[mrsleeve]

I wish had done more of this kinda stuff when I was younger and had more time