The plan: drive the 4.8is from Chicago to Seattle for two weeks of work, then have my wife and daughter fly out and drive home together the long way. No hotel reservations, no rigid schedule — just enough time to let curiosity win. And a sign on a two-lane Iowa highway that read "Scenic View" turned out to actually mean it.
The 4.8is was two years in by then — 2011 to 2024 ownership, and this was the summer the car proved it could do everything. It handled 130 on the Nebraska interstate, survived a hailstorm outside a small town, and got a warning from a very polite state trooper. Six thousand miles later, it needed nothing.
First stop: Cubs game at Wrigley
Every long drive needs a proper send-off. A July day game at Wrigley Field was the right one — beautiful weather, the kind of afternoon that makes you want to keep moving. Nose west on I-90 and let the city go.
Back to where the X5 came from
Three years and 40,000 miles after buying the 4.8is, I stopped to visit the dealer I'd bought it from. A strange thing to see the origin point of a car you've come to know this well. They seemed pleased. So was I.
The scenic view that actually was
A sign said "Scenic View — Iowa." Skeptical, I pulled off anyway. Waiting: an abandoned outpost and a perfectly banked circular road carved into a hillside. Ran it six times. Left a small amount of tire evidence. Zero regrets.
130 mph, a hailstorm, and a warning
Hour seven. The speedo was at 130. The date on the GPS screen stayed blurred in the photo — "I don't like to add more information to this kind of hooliganery than is needed." Then the sky turned green outside a small town and hail came down hard. Found an overpass just in time.
Nebraska State Police pulled me over shortly after: 88 in a 65. Issued a warning. Nebraskans are kind people. Mile 1,000 had ticked over somewhere in there.
Old friend, new nephew, mountain passes
The southern detour was to meet my oldest friend's 18-month-old son. I hadn't been to Colorado in years. Stayed through the weekend, then took a mountain pass or two on the way to Salt Lake for a night.
Two weeks of work, then the family arrives
I-90 west was down to one lane all week, day and night — the X5 sat still more than it preferred. After two weeks, my wife and daughter flew in. My sister had moved to Seattle the month before. We got a proper visit in before pointing east.
Glacier, Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, Rushmore
With the family loaded in, we took the northern route back through Montana: Glacier National Park, then Yellowstone, then the Grand Tetons. Stopped at Crazy Horse and Mount Rushmore. School started August 11th. We made it.
"I'm on the kind of schedule that allows for your curiosity to get the best of you." — Xoutpost thread, July 2014
