1998 Mercedes-Benz SLK230

1998 Mercedes-Benz SLK230

This little black SLK was a fantastic car, but my experience with it didn't start out all that warm and fuzzy. I bought it at an auction without really looking it over first, and my initial attempt to pick it up was unsuccessful.

My girlfriend at the time gave me a lift, and it's a good thing she waited around for me. First, they couldn't find the key - no fault of the cars, but still not a good start. When they did finally locate the key, the car had a dead battery. Still probably no fault of the cars - people at auctions leave things like lights on all the time so it's not uncommon to have to jump a vehicle if it's been out there overnight. After hooking up a jump box it turned out that the car was out of gas as well! A lot of annoying issues, but all solvable. Finally, after addressing all of the aforementioned issues we started the little Merc up only to discover that it wouldn't run over five miles per hour.

I was leaving town the next day for a few weeks so I had the car towed to a shop and waited for the bad news. Fortunately, the news was better than expected and the car was back on the road long before I got back to the US.

It ran fantastically from then on and was in excellent cosmetic condition to boot. All SLKs in 1998 in the US were pretty much the same - supercharged 2.3-liter engine connected to an automatic transmission. The car would do 0-60 in just over 7 seconds - not blazing but it felt quicker than it was.

The interior was comfortable and functional. It had carbon fiber dash trim that was an exceptionally nice and sporty touch. Everything was well designed on the SLK - I even found a place to hold a super-sized soda.

With all the attributes previously listed, the best feature of the SLK was the power hardtop. With the touch of a button it would fold into the trunk in a matter of seconds. It was quick enough that you could actually do it at a stoplight. With the top up I almost didn't fit in the car, but with the top down I was quite comfortable. I didn't keep this car too long - less than a year. I sold it on ebay and some guy from New Jersey bought it. 

They don't cost much today, but if I were looking at one I would limit my search to the newer models with larger engines. I would especially recommend the AMG models with some real horsepower and future collectability. 

(PS - I don't know what I was using to take pictures back then, but I apologize - these are the best I have.)

Whispering Lakes Ranch

Whispering Lakes Ranch

This post is only going to be of interest to my neighbors in Whispering Lakes Ranch (and maybe not even interesting to them). None of this is meant to be complaining, just some random things I was thinking about this evening when I saw the community association board meeting notice. We've lived in the hood now for about two years and we really love it.

1 - The Fountains

This is something that amuses us when we pull in just about every day. In the two years we've been here, I can't recall a single occasion where all of our fountains were functioning at the same time. It's always a different combination of some kind or another between the fountains flowing and the lighting. It's especially noticeable at night when you can see lights out in some combination. It's like owning an Alfa Romeo - you know multiple things are going to malfunction, but you never know what combination of malfunctions you're going to get.

2 - The Stop Signs

I'll be the first to admit that I wasn't crazy about the stop signs being added recently. If I lived on Lake Landing I would absolutely want them, but since I don't I would have prefered that they not be added. That said, it's no big deal. It took me about a day to get used to them and I don't really mind stopping an extra time on my way in or out.

I did kind of question the way they were just added without discussion. Perhaps they were mentioned at a meeting that I didn't attend, but it seemed a bit arbitrary, kind of like some of the other things that get added such as rocks and signs. Our community is unique in that it's all private property. My understanding of the streets from a legal perspective is that it would be treated like a giant driveway. The police don't enforce traffic laws within our gates so the signs are really just suggestions.

Sadly, since they've been put in I have witnessed them being ignored on an almost daily basis, whether by ignorance or indifference. Either way, it's a real issue. Now that they are there, you MUST acknowledge them and stop. Whether you agree with their placement or not, it's extremely unsafe to roll right through a stop sign when other people are expecting them to be acknowledged. It's not just the usually to blame "kids" either. I've noticed a number of adults repeatedly blow right through the Lake Landing signs. If you don't like them, fine - come to a community association meeting and voice your displeasure, but please stop being inconsiderate (and dangerous) by ignoring them.

 
3 - The Gates

I know - touchy subject. "The vote" was going on right after we moved in. As a matter of full disclosure, we voted FOR the 24-hour guard shack. I hear it's a long shot to get this done anytime soon, but I thought I would weigh in with a few thoughts just in case.

• It's important to realize that in our current configuration, we don't live in a "gated community", we live in a "community with a gate". It's more like an apartment complex than a true gated community. It's not really keeping anyone out and it's primary contribution is inconvenience. 
• My main reason for favoring a guarded gate isn't safety at all (which was the primary point of discussion when it was up for consideration). I do think having a guard would increase our safety levels to a degree though. Having the gates closed now isn't going to stop targeted crimes (i.e. a certain house, car, or person) but it definitely limits crimes of opportunity. Adding a manned station out front would up the protection for both, probably eliminating opportunistic criminals all together. 
• The best argument for me to add a guard is convenience. We have experience with property ownership in a true gated community. It's great! You can pick up the phone and let the guard know that you have friends that will be using your place for the week, or that you're having a party that night, or that you have contractors coming over. The guards will earn their money, but it's like having a concierge up front. 
• Adding a guard shack would take our community to the next level. It would increase property values quite a bit in my opinion, and if it's designed and built right it would finally add the dramatic entrance that we lack. The landscape committee has done a wonderful job beautifying the entrance, but what we lack is hardscape. Our entrance and our community pool - which is the first thing you see past the gate - don't really do our unique community justice. I believe we live in the premier neighborhood in the fastest growing city in America. Our entrance should be commensurate with that standing.
• If we vote on this again, let's make it a simple YES-NO option. Our board does a great job, and a thankless one (you couldn't pay me to deal with what they must have to). Last time we voted on this I felt like the board were going out of their way to not push or promote one of the 4 options. They are elected members and I feel like it's absolutely fine if they make recommendations and support a course of action when we have to vote on something. They have a lot more time invested in the issues our community faces than anyone else and I value their opinion on subjects pertaining to WLR. If the board members support the guard, they should tell us so.
• I have a hard time imagining that the vast majority wouldn't support this, even though it didn't pass last time. It can't be a money issue, right? I mean let's be honest, you don't move to this neighborhood to be frugal. So if it's not a NO for financial reasons, what possible way are we better off without a 24/7 guard?        

4 - Trees

When we moved in we had someone come and prune some of our existing trees and the growth rate variance between the ones we trimmed and the ones we didn't has been remarkable. We should budget for the care of our community trees to promote growth and canopy. Imagine how great this place will look when all of our oaks and elms and cypress have matured! If we spend a little money on the trees it will speed that process up quite a bit.

1996 Land Rover Discovery SE7

1996 Land Rover Discovery SE7

I bought this thing back in 2002 if I'm not mistaken. It was a curiosity purchase but I needed an SUV at the time. When I think of a 4X4 "safari" vehicle, the Discovery is what I picture. This one was actually quite nice as well.

This one had every option you could get at the time I believe, including dual sunroofs, dual AC, rear jump seats, etc. I liked the black and tan combo and it was just a really nice used truck.

I never noticed how many of these things there were in Houston until I bought one. I didn't like driving it at first to be honest. The seating position is very high, and there is about an eight inch drop from the roof to the top of the windshield which was great for headroom but meant that I had to bend down to see traffic lights unless they were far off in the distance. 

The engine was another problem. It had a V8, and it's not that it was underpowered really, but it just wasn't designed well for city driving. It was way too sluggish and really felt like it struggled to achieve any type of speed. It handled towing my SeaDoos fine, but you wouldn't want to tackle anything major with it.

The interior was very nice, but also had some odd design features. I won't get into specifics here, but British engineering makes me scratch my head sometimes.

So should you buy one? I think there's a reason to have one of these, and I've almost bought a newer one on many occasions. Here's the thing - the Discovery in general is a bit of an enigma. The people that tend to buy these things are the urban yuppie types, but the truck is really lacking when it comes to city life. Most of these probably never see extreme off-road conditions, which is most certainly what they were designed for and best at. As an SUV the Discovery is too limiting for my needs, but as a cool retro 4X4 I really like it. 

They don't cost much at all these days. You can buy one for less than $5000, but don't! Look at a well cared for and slightly newer example for closer to $10K. It's sort of a cheaper alternative to buying a classic Blazer or Bronco. That said, they can get expensive to own. Electrical problems are common...almost expected, and parts can be expensive as well. The headliners always sag and are complicated and pricey to replace. The list goes on. All that said, I would totally get another one but I'd probably look for a lower mileage example and probably around a 2004 model.  

Stonehenge

100 Places To See (and take a selfie at) Before You Die:

Stonehenge

Wiltshire, England

Stonehenge is one of the most interesting, and mysterious, prehistoric sites in the world. It dates back to over 3000 BC, and to this day very little is known about its origins or purpose. Everyone is familiar with it and it's on most lists like this one. My wife and I visited last fall so here is a practical account of our experience - as always I'm not going to hit you with a Wikipedia history lesson.

I imagine that most tourists will see Stonehenge on a day trip out of London. It's located out in the middle of what seems like farmland about 90 miles west of the city. It's not a bad drive, but it will take nearly two hours, most of which is getting out of London because it's just a congested mess. There are all sorts of tours that go there and many combine other locations as well. We took one of these day tours that visited Stonehenge first followed by Bath and then Windsor Castle. I recommend it. You don't need a ton of time at Stonehenge, unless it's just a very special location for you and then by all means make a day of it. You could drive yourself, or take a train, but for us the tour was perfect.

They opened this new visitor center in 2013. You park conveniently a hundred yards or so from here and then walk. It's a nice facility with a neat gift shop and a rather underwhelming cafe. You buy your tickets here as well and then board a tram out back that drives you right up to the site. If you find a pair of carbon Ray Bans, let me know - I left mine here.

They don't let you just walk amongst the stones anymore on regular visits. They have a roped trail that circles the site and they give you an audio guide that will explain all the points of interest on your lap. They do allow a small number of people on certain days at dawn and dusk to walk in and around the stones. We wanted to do it but nothing was available during our visit. 

I'm not sure exactly what the guy on the tractor was doing, but he was just going around in circles. The new visitors center location is designed to make the stones seem isolated. I think they even moved a highway to help with that as well. It kind of works. You don't really notice much when you're looking at the stones themselves other than fields. That said, you can see them clearly from the highway when you're driving up so it's not like they're in the middle of nowhere.

As you lap around you actually do get fairly close to the stones and you can get a feel for their size - some are over 20 feet high. The lap can take as long as you want it to, but honestly it's really something you only need to spend about 30 minutes up close with. 

So should you go? I have friends that have told me they found it to be a disappointment, but I would say you should go. It's really unique, and I always like the feeling of visiting such an iconic location - kind of like I'm in the club now. I would have liked to do the up close and personal tour, but our standard tourist visit was great. I wouldn't fly to England just to visit Stonehenge, and there's certainly no shortage of things to see and do in London, but if you're visiting and have time for a day trip out of the city make sure Stonehenge is on the itinerary. 

Some practical notes:

• We enjoyed perfect fall weather, but England isn't know for those kind of days. The lap is mostly gravel and it's completely exposed so come prepared.
• There are tons of tours so shop around. I didn't really care for Bath, but Windsor Castle was interesting. 
• I think it's accessible for just about anyone. There is some walking, but it's not that bad or lengthy. 
• We were there off-season (as always by design). As is almost always the case, crowds would make this place less enjoyable. If you can afford to go places when other people can't, do it.   

2001 GMC Yukon XL Denali

2001 GMC Yukon XL Denali

This will be a quick one. For one thing, it's not that interesting of a vehicle to write about. For another, I've already covered the 2001 GMC Yukon XL Denali in a previous post:

http://srod23.blogspot.com/2017/06/2001-gmc-yukon-xl-denali-3.html

I've owned three of these and they were pretty much all the same other than the color. This black one was the first of my three.

I loved these when I had them. I had always thought they looked great and when I finally bought this one I was even more impressed with how well it drove. I kept this one for a long time and especially used it for road trips.

Third row seats had to be stored in the garage, and GMC didn't correct that issue until the current gen Yukon. I used to keep the 2nd row seats down as well and let my dog have the run of the entire back. Great truck - I'd still buy one today as a rather cheap option to keep around for an extra vehicle.