“It was an Elan. A delightful little thing famously made of Kleenex and unicorn farts.” ~ Sam Smith
DAY FOUR – The forecast for rain was wrong thankfully. I did put the top up and tucked everything away so as to keep things as dry as possible so it was a nice surprise to find an overcast but dry day when I looked out at 6:30 am. Knowing that rain was forecast throughout the day, I left the top up and it never rained all day. The respite from the wind was welcome though. With earplugs it was almost serene at 65-68 mph.
Since I was in eastern Mississippi for the night it was only about an hour to Alabama and the best part was how I went around the northeast side of Columbus, MS on some really nice winding parkway type roads thus avoiding all the stoplights and truck traffic on the main route. As I noted in my planning post about day four in leg one, “The only real concern I have with my little Elan is the stop and crawl of city traffic. This day looks ominous.” My worries were well founded.
I sailed around Tuscaloosa on the perimeter road, US 82, without any real trouble and after outsmarting Columbus and zipping through Tuscaloosa, I was feeling pretty smug. You know what happens next, right?
The first test of my patience was Montgomery, and because I made a navigation mistake, again, by continuing straight when I should have turned, I found myself on the Alabama River Parkway. It was beautiful and serene until I crossed the Alabama River Toll Bridge and found myself way northeast of town. I get directions from a guy who pointed me to the east ring road called US 231. It had stop lights every quarter mile each with a long turn arrow and all of them red. Drivers looking for the coffee kiosk or the muffler shop poked and meandered while the temp went up and the driver got hotter by the minute. It was horrible. The traffic engineers are still employed I assume though if I were boss, they would be looking for work cleaning fish!
Then the scene repeated not only in Dothan, but also in Troy which I had never even contemplated. If this sounds as though I had a horrible day, I’m sorry. These spells were bad but most of the day was smooth roads and light traffic with the overcast keeping it pretty comfortable even with the top on. It was a good day, but rain is again in the forecast for tonight and tomorrow and this time I can see it coming!
Impressions from the fourth day:
• I got an early start which worked well. I was ahead of the school/work traffic until after Columbus so it was easy driving and very pretty.
• Alabama has hills!! It feels like a southern version of Iowa as I was always going up or down in complete contrast to Mississippi flatness. Also there is a nice variety of trees and other vegetation.
• Why does an elephant seem to be without ivory in central Alabama? It’s Tuscaloosa.
• I am already in Florida, but, like Kansas, it is a long, long state and I will be in it for four days!
About Me
Hi, I’m Ross and I’m a tripoholic. I love driving especially in my old cars and then writing about the adventure that always follows. I’m old enough to know better but that doesn’t stop me. If you like stories of the road, every word true no matter how far fetched it may seem, then grab a beer or a cup of coffee and join me!
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Cross Country Elan 
Great start to your journey Ross. I keep wondering why your having so much of an issue with the wind buffeting around you as I have owned a couple of Elan’s and never had that problem (and I’ve taken them on multi day road trips spending 6+ hours in the car). Then I remembered how tall you are and that you probably have the seat adjusted all the way back. That is probably the reason (?). Enjoying your daily updates!
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You nailed it, Glen! My ear is just at the top back of the side glass so the wind funnels right to it. If I could lower the seat a couple of inches I think it would be much better, but there is no adjustment for height possible as there was with my M 100 seat.
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Leaving aside the awful (and not in a good way!) “Tuscaloosa” joke, the photos are most welcome! Don’t go wandering off into the Everglades. You don’t want to bump into some of the hungry wildlife…gators…pythons…etc…etc…
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Looks like SUN and low 80s through Sunday down here. Hope that is some incentive for your long haul to the tip of Florida and back. I cannot guarantee lack of long stop lights. However, you should pass a variety of beautiful areas. Hope you are sleeping well and feel rested when you begin each day. Long walks and fresh air will hopefully be your ‘desert’ after hard days. LOVE the pictures! Keep em coming! 😎
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Ross, inspiring. Thank you and safe travels along the way. It is hard to tell from the map whether you will be near Perryville, MD on your route North. Don Butler, Union Jack Exotics would be a great stop esp is you need anything for the car – he has helped with mine and does a lot with our local club. His number is (. I am in Delaware near Wilmington and happy to meet/support if you need anything near here. My number is . Thanks Ross!
’67 Elan S3
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Am enjoying your reports these nights with maps in hand. In Florida now, and not Georgia? A find start.
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