It’s Good To Get Away, But Nicer To Be Back Home

A weekend in and around New York City is enough to either drive you crazy, or leave you wanting more. I am in the latter category as I love New York!

We saw a ton of sights, including Chinatown, Little Italy, SoHo, Times Square, Fifth Avenue, the MOMA, and more!

The worst part of flying out to the East Coast is the high air traffic. Our flight out on Thursday was delayed about an hour but we miraculously made it to Newark on time. Our flight back was delayed more than a hour…

Without giving you all the boring details, I’ll just talk about some highlights…

Our first foray into The City took us to the Staten Island Ferry to get a close look at the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.

Then we went into Chinatown , Little Italy and SoHo, which is where we found The Cupping Room Cafe. There were a lot of eating choices in the area but we decided on the Cupping Room because their menu looked like it had the best choices. The nest item, according to Vikki and Rick was the pesto mayonnaise. I enjoyed my burger and their fries were out of this world: cut in-house and fried to a nice crisp…not too dry and tons of flavor. A little like Cobo fries if you’ve ever had them in Detroit…or like Penn Station fries.

The second day, Saturday, we headed for The City and walked around Times Square until showtime (more on that later)!

If you’ve ever been to NYC and Times Square, you know how many people there can be walking around. For a little respite and peace and quiet, our group stopped in Colony Music and had a good look around. They specialize in sheet music but also had a lot of CDs, DVDs, commemorative plaques and even karaoke discs! LIke any other place that specializes in all things music, there was plenty of Michael Jackson memorabilia and such.

The real reason we were in Times Square that day was to see “Rock of Ages”, the new-ish Broadway show that features the music I grew up with…Hair Metal!!!! Songs form Poison, Bon Jovi, Whitesnake and more. The story is one of love, urban decay, eminent domain and, of course, everyone learns their life lesson by the end of the show. It was campy and didn’t take itself too seriously, which can’t be said of other Broadway shows.

After the show, we headed for the upscale Utsav, which serves Indian cuisine in a bright, comfy space not too far from Rockefeller Center. Our food was awesome and the six of us shared and delighted in trying each other’s dishes and feasting on bread and desert. What a great place!

On Sunday we ventured out into the foothills west of NYC and found the highest point in New Jersey, marked by a Washington Monument-like obelisk. Built in the early 1900s, the monument features a wide patio for viewing three different states and two distinct mountain ranges.

You can see New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania and the Poconos and Catskills mountain ranges. And what a view…

Here’s the wife and me, with a view of nearby Port Jervis, New York.

Our last day in The City was spent at the Museum of Modern Art, where we fond some very interesting displays and kitschy artwork. The most prominent display was of a Chinese artists take on the packrat; his mother kept everything, from food containers to rusted out car parts and even the wood frame from her old house.

We had a a lot of fun hanging out in NYC and can’t wait to go back. Next time, we’re thinking we need to hit some of the other boroughs to get a better feeling of the vibe in the rest of The City.

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My cousin’s husband, Rick, had a Honda Ridgeline which reminded me of the Cadillac Escalade, without the luxury and with a lockable trunk not found in the GM products:

2002 Cadillac Escalade EXT

What a $50k luxury truck should be

by James E. Bryson

If you are someone who is a little short on stature (altitudinally-challenged?), then almost any 4X4 can be considered a monster truck. But trucks come in many shapes and sizes, as well as configurations; short and long beds, extra/king/extended cabs with or without four doors, quarter-, half-, and three-quarter-ton and towing options for anything from a small flatbed trailer to a mobile home. And, of course, many different variations on which wheels are driven: 4X2, 4X4, full- or part-time all-wheel-drive and a few variations in between.

As most large SUVs go, they don't get much bigger than the Chevy Suburban/GMC Yukon XL. Sure, Ford has Excursion, but the Excursion doesn't have the history or heritage of the General's twins, which dates back over half a century.

There's nothing like piling all your gear into the cargo hold of one of these beasts of burden and heading out of town to the campsite or a week's worth of travel. And don't forget that boat or camper 'cause you got to have some fun while you're out and about.

While we smile at the fun we could have with the Suburban/Yukon twins, we are reminded that they are but one example of the ingenuity of the General's engineers.

As a matter of principal, the design prowess of GM engineers is what drove us to a frothy mouth over GM's more recent big, bad truck; the Avalanche.

Once Chevrolet let the Avalanche out of its cage, it became the baddest of the bad: The mid-gate design is a world-leader; a tonneau cover that can support up to 250 pounds is worth its weight in gold; and clever packaging ideas like using the rear fenders as a storage area is pure genius.

Chevy had the coolest, most domineering truck in America...until Cadillac decided to enter the foray with its own version: the 2002 Cadillac Escalade EXT.

The EXT is a luxurious vehicle by anyone's standards. It coddles its passengers like no other SUV (outside of GM) can. With many of the same features as the Avalanche (including the near-famous Mid-Gate) the EXT offers more luxury and bigger bragging rights derived from the Cadillac emblem on the grill.

Our first impression of the EXT was one of awe. We loved the stance and lack of body cladding on the EXT. The black on black paint job was exceptional and intimidating all at once.

The EXT's clean exterior flowed into the interior as well, with comfortable seats all around, luxurious appointments and an air of class that the Avalanche could only dream of.

Our few minor complaints centered around the exquisite interior accoutrements; no person in their right mind is going to open up the cargo hold to load anything dirty for fear of getting the nice leather and carpeting dirty as well.

There is also no convenient bumper step set on the rear corners like that Avalanche. This deletion says volumes about the EXT's target customers, who will most likely not need to hop up onto the tonneau cover to secure cargo or what have you. Also, speaking of the rear of the Escalade EXT, we seemed to have trouble getting the tailgate closed on a few occasions. On one particular ride, the darn thing actually fell open, startling us into thinking we ran over a VW Beetle or something.

In the engine compartment sits a muscularly tuned 6.0-liter V8 with 345 horsepower and 380 pound-feet of torque. That bests the 285 horses found with the 5.3-liter in the Avalanche and the 300 horses found in the Lincoln Blackwood. This is Corvette territory, folks!

And, unfortunately, this large engine sucks the gas like there's no tomorrow. But, if you're part of the target group for this truck, that probably won't matter much to you. (But 12 city and 15 highway miles per gallon really strikes a sour chord, don't it?)

By now, you're asking yourself "why is the Escalade EXT $15,000 more than the Avalanche?" Well, we're pretty sure a lot of the extra cost has gone into noise deadening material and to making all the doors and tailgate close with a reassuringly quiet 'thunk'. Also, noise from the engine and road are discretely subdued, only coming into play at highway speeds and full-throttle applications. The interior is filled with rich, supple leather, Zebrano wood trim and nice touches for everything from the many storage cubbies to the heated seats, which are almost mandatory with the leather seating surfaces.

It is the Cadillac of trucks and it will not let you forget that easily.

Our Escalade came with no options to speak of; everything was standard from the six-disc in-dash CD changer to the ultrasonic rear park assist. This thing was fully loaded with not much room to spare. The as-tested price of this vehicular behemoth came to $49,990.00, including a rather large destination charge of $745. The only thing we could have wanted in this truck was a DVD player, but that could always be added on later, which Cadillac engineers might have had in mind since our truck had two sets of headphones in the rear center armrest.

As Cadillac's go, this is one bad mama-jama that should help keep the Cadillac brand alive with the possibility of attracting a younger clientele. As trucks go, the Escalade EXT is king of the ranch; a title the EXT will likely hold on to for a long time.

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And the car of the day:

The Pontiac Solstice Coupe!

Take away the convertible top and add a distinctive superstructure behind the seats and you get an attractive, well-designed small car.

One of the coolest features is the removable “targa” top. The biggest drawback of the “targa”top? No way to stow it in the car!

“Vacation, all I ever wanted…”

So today has been fun. Just hanging with the misses getting ready for the flight tomorrow that will take us to the East coast of our great country. I’ve been really looking forward to this trip for a while now.

It’s been too long since I’ve traveled east of the Ohio River and into the Big Apple. The most exciting part is going to my first Broadway show! It’s called “Rock of Ages” and it’s a love story set in 1987 on the Sunset Strip in LA. What’s not to love?? I’ll let you know how it is once we actually see it.

The rest of the time will be spent with my cousin Nancy, her husband Rick and his daughter and son-in-law and their kids…and anyone else who wants to hang!

In other news, GM is out of bankruptcy and is leaner and meaner…I think. It’s hard to get excited about Buick…but the rest should bring GM many happy quarterly earnings; Cadillac and Chevy and GMC truck. It will be very interesting to see how Chevy and GMC get along, and how many models overlap now throughout the whole company.Hopefully the days of making five “different” vehicles out of one are over for the General.

I truly am sad to see Saturn and Pontiac go. They had some of the most interesting cars the past few years from GM. Who will sell the Solstice/Sky now? I suppose they could make it a Chevy…maybe a new Corsair or Monza? Or maybe Cadillac can make it more luxurious and call it a Brough-ham Roadster or something.

Then there’s the G8; which is the best sedan GM put out this century, this side of the CTS. Road-rippin’, gas guzzlin’ V8s aren’t in vogue these days but boy are they a hoot!

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For nostalgia’s sake, here’s a review of another long-lost GM orphan:

2002 Oldsmobile Bravada

Oldsmobile's Swan Song

by James E. Bryson

No matter who it is, whether teacher, professor, parent or boss, they always say the most important thing is the first impression. A good first impression can get you in the door. A bad first impression might ruin a relationship for its duration. Our first impression of the redesigned for 2002 Oldsmobile Bravada was mixed to say the least.

Its shape is not unlike its cousins, the Chevy TrailBlazer and GMC Envoy, but it is not as distinctive or striking as the other two. The Bravada is more rounded on the edges and is cleaner but its Olds derived nose and plain tail keep it out of the running for beauty queen. The front end treatment follows the current, and last, Olds styling theme that bears a familial resemblance to the Aurora, Intrigue and Alero. The new Olds logo at the center with the head and turn signal lights to either side with no traditional grill, just a lot of plastic covering the front bumper.

Comfort for a vehicle in this class is an important attribute. The Bravada is comfortable, but you have to work for it. It took about three days before we found a really comfortable driving position, and the jury is still out on that one. We found the seats to be more bench than bucket in feel; we thought more than once that we were sitting "on" the seat rather than "in" it.

In the rear folding the back seat down is a two-step process. First, you pull up on the tab at the rear of the bottom seat cushion then lift the lever on the side of the seat and pull it forward. This causes the headrest to fold back, resulting in a neat and tidy appearance and no storage issues for the headrests.

Opening the rear liftgate is an easy affair as well. Lift up on the handle and it opens effortlessly, with the help of gas-filled struts. The glass opens separately with a push button just below the handle. The button will not work if the vehicle is locked, and there is no keyhole in or near the button, making it necessary to unlock the vehicle either from the inside or a hit to the key fob.

The best rear seat feature is the combination audio and climate controls. When you hit the power button for the radio control back there, the rear speakers cut off for better listening with headphones. The unit gives freedom to the rear seat passengers to listen to what they want, as long as it isn't what the front seat passengers are listening to. For example, if the front seat wants to listen to a CD then the rear seat has to listen to the radio or vice versa.

The rear seat climate control unit is like a "mini-me" version of the main controls. Fan speed, direction and temperature setting are chosen by pushbutton, an intuitive design that makes life a bit easier to cope with in the back seat.

There are two cup holders and one power point in the center console geared toward rear seat occupants. Appointments in the rear seat are well thought out and make the rear as comfortable as the front, as long as no one sitting in front is over 6-feet-tall. The rear door openings are on the small side but seating space is more than adequate for mid-size adults.

There is nothing brash or harsh in driving the Bravada. The transmission shifts smoothly and there's never any bad vibrations coming from the new engine. The only strange thing we encountered was a big-truck-like whine coming from the engine when the air conditioning was on full blast. The strange thing about this noise was that its pitch lowered as engine speed increased and then cut out after a few minutes. Since the air coming out was cold and this didn't adversely affect performance too much so we didn't think much else about it.

For those that have an "active" lifestyle, Olds put an air pump in the rear cargo area. As well as serving as the pump for the load leveling rear suspension, it comes with attachments for blowing up inflatable rafts, sporting equipment and car tires, to name a few uses. We didn't get a chance to use this neat little feature but appreciated it being there.

We averaged 16.3 miles per gallon with the Bravada, which isn't very good for this class, considering that full-size 'Utes are comparable in this department and the new engine has been touted as a gas-sipper.

Our onyx black Bravada had no options, which means our as-tested price of $34,767.00, including $600.00 for getting the truck to the dealer, is at the upper end of the mid-size SUV category. We're not sure this vehicle is really worth the price when there are many great SUVs available today for much less money.

In a few more years, Oldsmobile will be going the way of Plymouth and cease to exist. From what we've seen with this Bravada, bland products like this will not stay the execution. We can wholly understand why GM is sending the oldest carmaker out to pasture.

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And now, the car of the day:

Here’s the 2010 Buick LaCrosse. It’s actually quite a nice looking car with crisp lines and chiseled features.

It’s very sharp, indeed. Where was this car 10 years ago??

The rear looks a bit like a Lexus…which might not be a bad thing for a Buick!

In case I haven’t said it before…Thanks for stopping by!

The Monsoon Season Hits St. Louis…

Yes, the rains have come to the “Lou”. It sure beats mid-90s heat with high humidity…though I’m prepared, now that the air in my truck got a recharge and is blowing cool again.

So last week, the wife and I had some trouble figuring out what to do for breakfast. It was so nice Sunday morning we thought it’d be great to go out, but where was the problem.

The last time we were in Maplewood, we decided to try out a new coffee shop, Foundation Grounds, but since we’d never been, and yours truly was quite hungry, we decided to start off at Schlafly Bottleworks for a breakfast made from local ingredients, including Match meat alternatives, local produce, and even locally grown, free-range bison!

After a most-satisfying breakfast (I had the biscuits and sausage gravy made with Match sausage) we decided to head to Foundation Grounds and are we ever glad we did!

As a coffee shop, Foundation Grounds has a lot to offer coffee-wise, including cappuccino, espresso and other coffee-based drinks, as well as free wi-fi, live music and even a few books lying around.

We were happily surprised with their menu of in-house baked goods and sandwiches, including paninis, quesadillas, salads and much more. We each had a “little” bite…I had a quite large Russian tea cake and the wife had a coconut chocolate cookie thing. Both were scrumpdili-icious!

They also had a good choice of infused tea and lemonade. The wife had the mango-infused tea, which was superior to the one served at Schlafly (sorry Schlafly peeps…). I had the honey/lavender-infused lemonade which was delicious and truly quenched my thirst.

The most interesting thing about our drinks, aside from their deliciousness, was the cups. They were corn cups…biodegradable and even compostable! Too cool!!

So, yes, we will definitely be back to Foundation Grounds. It was a great place with a great atmosphere and friendly, knowledgeable staffers. What more could you ask for?? (Except maybe joining St. Louis Originals…)

To keep the original intent of this blog intact…here’s a “classic” review:

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2001 Ford F150 King Ranch

King Of The (Luxury Pickup) Hill

by James E. Bryson

Over the years, the automotive industry has worked closely with designers in different industries to define new ways of presenting the automobile. In fact, before World War II, most luxury brands were one-off autos with signature names from the people that helped design them.

Today, those signature vehicles are almost a thing of the past. In the 1970s, fashion designers like Bill Blass and Cartier had the privilege to help make something different with a few cars but with the oil crises during that time, the automakers had to invest in other areas.

Ford Motor Company is continuing a long tradition of making specialty models with famous names like Eddie Bauer and more recently Harley Davidson. The company has now paired up with the largest livestock ranch in the U.S. to bring us the 2001 King Ranch F150 SuperCrew.

Ford produces the most trucks of any other automaker. In fact, the top selling vehicle of any sort is the F150.

With the freedom to create something special, without the constraints of high volume sales looming over the designer's heads, Ford has made the King Ranch a stand-alone product, with many features not found on other Ford trucks.

The King Ranch is based on the F150 SuperCrew, which is a light duty pickup with four full-size doors and a full back seat. The truck has a shortened bed to accommodate the extra cabin space and keep within the length of an extended cab truck. To make the most of this space, Ford has designed a bed extender for these trucks. It is a u-shaped device that pivots on two points placed on either side of the bed walls. With the tubular steel extender in place, the King Ranch is still capable of easily handling most chores.

We were definitely impressed with the height of this rig. It's not as big as a three-quarter-ton dually, but its got an attitude, replete with honeycomb grill that has a touch of snarl and the large tires that make it look able to run over most cars. Using the running boards to get in is almost mandatory for any rider. And standing tall is easy for this 4X4 because it is shod with P265/60R all-terrain tires mounted on 17-inch chromed steel wheels with body-colored inserts, which are exclusive to the King Ranch.

The interior is swathed in natural-looking leather and cream-colored carpeting and plastics. It is a very soothing, comfortable place. Perhaps because the King Ranch has been making saddles longer than Ford has been making trucks.

There is intricate stitching and embroidery in the seating surfaces, with the King Ranch symbol, two offsetting squiggly lines that resemble a bull's horns, or a long snake, in the headrests.

The rear seat in a carbon copy of the front: two captain's chairs and large center console. They are large and supportive and coddle the sitter. The seats are comfortable enough for long drives without worry of a sore back. The only difference between the front and rear seats is the lack of power adjustment on the rears.

The only thing really missing from the interior is wood trim, which would have really set this truck apart and would have made more sense with the whole upscale western theme.

The basic SuperCrew cabin is quite large and lends a comfortable, airy atmosphere to the King Ranch. The power moonroof was a welcome addition. That, coupled with the four large windows and the sliding rear window, allowed a large amount of air to enter the cabin. It is the closest thing to a convertible truck Ford has. Is you don't like the heat that much, the air conditioning worked well, cooling us off in the 90-plus degree heat we've seen in the St. Louis area this year.

The only cabin detail we would we would have changed would be a power option for the sliding rear window. It was impossible to reach form the front seats unless you got up out of the seat and turned around to reach the catch.

A little history about the King Ranch: It sprawls over 1300 square miles of south Texas and is generally regarded as the birthplace of American ranching. It was founded in 1853 by a steamboat captain named Richard King. He found the land traveling north to Corpus Christi to attend the Lone Star Fair. He discovered an oasis of lush trees and fresh water at Santa Gertrudis Creek and decided he should establish a livestock operation there. Over the next seven generations, the ranch has grown and adapted to the technology of the time as well as weathered many droughts, floods, hurricanes, disease and predators to become the leader of the ranching industry.

The story of Ford and his car company is not much different, though there haven't been many hurricanes in Michigan reported in the last few centuries. Henry Ford started producing cars in the early 1900s and automated the assembly line in the teens, making it possible for his workers to own the product they were making because automation helped lower the cost of that first car: the Model T.

Ford has been a pioneer in the auto industry and, with the teaming of these two powerhouses, we are seeing a substantial new idiom in the pickup truck world.

With luxury and comfort, amenities previously not thought of for trucks, Ford has placed itself at the forefront of a new genre of luxury vehicles and has taken the lead against its closest competitors, namely GMS and Cadillac. The King Ranch F150 SuperCrew is the king of the luxury pickup hill...for now.

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The King Ranch package is still being offered, and you can even get it on Super Duty’s as well!

And let’s not forget the car of the day:

 

 

This is the 2010 Ford Taurus.

 

 

 

 

 

Ford is definitely making great-looking cars.

 

 

 

 

 

The best part is they are bringing back the SHO.

 

 

 

Taurus should be available now.