Since the day I brought home my Mazda 3, I had been planning for a long drive. I was waiting for the running-in period to be over, which has been mentioned in the manual as 600 miles. However, I was gradually getting impatient to complete the 600 miles and could not wait further.
It was the 4th of July long weekend nearing and I was not ready to let that go. Hence, started planning for a drive which should be considerably long, allow the Mazda to stretch its legs and offer something for its occupants.
Browsing the net, I came to know that the Independence Day fireworks held at New Orleans, over the mighty Mississippi river, is ranked as the 5th best in US, by American Pyrotechnics Association.
Started the detailed planning. It would be a trip from the state of S Carolina to Louisiana, crossing 5 states in the process. My journey would start from Greenville, S Carolina, cross the states of Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and then into New Orleans, Louisiana. The primary objective was to see the 4th July fireworks and also the famed Mardi Gras world and the French Quarters of New Orleans. To add a little more fun to the trip, we planned to tuck in a cruise and a day trip to an island called Ship Island, off the city of Gulfport, about 70 miles from New Orleans. We would have to cover a total distance of around 1450miles and I was the only driver. This was a matter of concern, but, we brushed it aside.
July 4, 1:45 AM
Left my apartment at Greenville and picked up a couple of my friends. Soon, we were on the I-85 travelling towards Atlanta. The target was to drive through the night and reach New Orleans by 12 noon and take some rest, before we catch up on the fireworks at 9pm, by the New Orleans riverfront. The route would be I-85, I-65 and I-10.
Being the sole driver, we decided to take frequent breaks and the first one came up after crossing Atlanta, about 180 miles from Greenville. The Mazda seemed to be giving good mileage and we decided to fuel-up after about 300 miles from start.
The first fuel stop came up around day break. The sky was gradually lighting up and we stopped at a pump.
Calculated the mileage, it was a whopping 34mpg. We were 4 adults and the boot full of luggage. All this while, I had been doing around 80mph. Indeed, it was good mileage, considering the new engine.
As we returned back to the Interstate, there was a thick veil of fog. Had to slow down, but still managed to do around 70mph, as the visibility was not that bad.
On the way, there was an accident and we were held back for some time. Gradually, the road cleared up and traffic was sparse in the early morning hours. The Mazda behaved very well at high speeds, extremely planted on the road. Occasionally took it up to 95mph, and everytime, I was amazed by its handling.
It may not be the fastest car off the block but, the mid range is awesome. A slight tap on the accelerator and the car zooms from 70 to 95mph in no time, without needing to downshift.
July 4, 9:00 AM
We stopped at a rest area for breakfast. It was bright and sunny. Took a break of around 30mins and started off again. On the way, we decided to checkout the town of Gulfport, to find out about the details of the cruise for the next day. Hence took a detour to Gulfport.
Its a small port with a nice little beach. We would have to take a ferry out of this place on 5th to the Ship Island. After gathering all the information, we were back on the I-10. Had another fuel stop in between and reached New Orleans by 11:30am.
The evening fireworks were good, but only lasted for 15 mins.
July 5, 6:30 AM
Left for Gulfport. Had to start early as the ferry leaves by 9am and we should get the tickets by 8:00am. It was a frantic rush along the I-10 to reach Gulfport on time. Rarely did the speedo come down below 90mph. After a brief ferry ride of 50mins, reached the small Ship Island. This island was devastated during Hurricane Katrina and was actually split into two. The ferry takes you to the West Ship Island, which is about 8miles long and 1 mile wide. We spent the rest of day on the beach and returned by 6:00pm.
July 6, 10:00 AM
Checked out of the hotel and took a trip of Downtown New Orleans, exploring the old French Quarters and other sights, We were finally ready to leave New Orleans by 1:30 am. Had the looong drive of 620 miles ahead and we were a bit worried about the homebound traffic that we might face, for all the guys returning home, after a long weekend. Fortunately, did not get held up in much traffic and after a continuous drive, with a couple of stops in between, finally reached Greenville by 2:00 am.
It was a tiring drive, but we enjoyed it thoroughly. As for the Mazda, hats off to it. Amazing ride quality, stability and handling and an engine which is always eager to be revved hard.
The odo reads around 2000 miles and I cannot wait for my next trip..