Miata Mailing List: January 1995, Message #80
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   From: dquara@encore.com (Doug Quara)
Subject: Re: Red Devil Goes to the Florida Keys
   Date: Wed, 4 Jan 1995 09:10:10 -0500

Rosemary Thorpe, On Jan 3,  4:37pm, writes:
> Subject: Red Devil Goes to the Florida Keys
> 
> December 25th - Packing up to leave.  Realize our pretty small camping gear takes
> up the ENTIRE trunk of the Miata.  Go into deep funk at thought of taking the Ford
> Probe instead.  As last ditch effort, make phone call to cheapest hotel in our Rodale's
> Scuba Diving magazine.  Book room, sight unseen (actually hotel had on-site diving boat
> so total package was not bad).  Remove camping gear from Miata.  Add clothes to Miata.  

Cool!  Changing vacation plans based on what would fit in the Miata!  Now
there's a dedicated Miataphile.

My wife and I were in the Florida Keys this weekend, but we couldn't fit
what we wanted to take in nelli, so we packed up the Volvo 940 Turbo Wagon.
(Heresy: I hate to admit it, but the Volvo travels better than the Miata;
it's quieter by far, and more comfortable.  OK, the sunroof is NOT a drop-top,
but for any trip longer than a few hours, it's usually the vehicle of choice.
:-(

> around Palm Beach.  Take side trip at Homestead after the Florida Turnpike 
> (motto - pay us or the Miami folks will slit your throat) tolls 
> begin to seriously impact the vacation budget (or at least the Super Big Gulp budget). 

You probably jumped off the Turnpike just as the tolls ended.  Oh, well,
I'm sure you got a good look at Homestead.  Did you pass by the 
construction of the new oval/roadrace track that Ralph Sanchez is building?
It will house future NASCAR races (Busch Grand National in November '95,
maybe Indy and maybe even F1 in the future?!?).

> Get to Keys - wow it's nice down here.  See hundreds (about 20% of all cars) of 
> LameBarons and Mustang non-GT Convertibles.  Almost no Miatas.  Finally realize 
> they are mostly rentals.

Yup, it sure is nice down there.  I somewhat prefer the Fla. West Coast to
relax, but the Keys to do 'stuff'.

> 
> December 28th - Scuba Diving - wow it's nice down here.  Car gets strange whitish film
> on it and in absence of a do-it-yourself car wash or a hose, we live with it.  Hey, it's
> better than road salt and gravel !!!
> 

Um, the strange whitish film is salt from the sea spray.  But since it doesn't
get underneath much onto unpainted surfaces, it doesn't hurt.  When I wash
nelli after it's been coated with the stuff, I ensure that I really rinse
it well to wash as much of the salt away.  I'm sure it's not nearly as
caustic as road salt.

> club and heads into the Ocean Reef Club.  Driver says "Nice Car", we say 
> "We like yours too" and spend a few moments in deep envy at living in paradise with 
> the perfect car.  

It's nice top-down weather, but to enjoy the handling of the car, I wish
there were more CURVES in South Florida.  Just about the only place to enjoy
the car performance-wise is on a track, at an autocross, or on the occasional
entrance ramp.  Those in mountainous areas I'm jealous of, but there is
the wonderful top-down weather year-round . . . .  Can't get too greedy.

> tissues, etc.  Fog hits and then ......  Florida's finest saves our lives from certain 
> death due to reckless speeds and awards Rosemary her first speeding ticket in 12 years for
> 77 mph in a 65 mph zone on the interstate.  Cop had followed me for about a mile

I've noticed that they are pretty forgiving.  I suppose you were pressing
your luck just a bit doing 77 in plain sight of him.

Glad you had a good trip.  Look us up next year!

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