If you’re a car person, there are a few accepted responses to owning a new car. You might park it in the garage and refuse to drive it anywhere, for fear of it being scratched or dinged by a careless driver. You might incessantly wash it, waiting for the moment went a speck of dust falls on the paint so you can rush out and dust it off. If you do have to go out, you might park it in the furthest possible spot in a parking lot, far away from the chance of anyone else parking beside you (even if it means a 15 minute walk to the grocery store). Or, you could take it on a road trip.
Having owned my 2020 Acura TLX for a week, my wife and I decided to use it for a journey to upstate New York to attend a family member’s wedding. The 250-mile round trip drive would give us the opportunity to put the TLX through its paces, and see how the car would be to live with on an extended drive.
Of course, this being The Open Road Ahead, beside the long drive and attending a wedding celebration, we also snuck in some great restaurants, an excellent museum, and a historic village.
Let’s begin:
Destination: Albany
Our weekend driving adventure would take us to Albany, the capital of New York.The drive began on a rain-soaked I-287 in the midst of a torrential downpour. The rains were predicted to last all day Friday and much of Saturday.The weather improved only marginally by the time we reached the New York State line. The blinding downpour was replaced by a steady rain. The wet weather did allow the TLX to showcase its all-wheel drive system, as it maintained excellent grip and control in the adverse conditions.Near Albany, we encountered a stretch of road that I would dread when driving my old Accord. This area has large gaps between the concrete slabs in the road, leading to a roller-coaster up-and-down feel with the old Accord. In the TLX, I didn’t even realize we were on this bumpy section of road until we were almost finished. Talk about a difference!Upon arriving in the city, our first stop was to dinner. We easily found parking in an affordable paid lot near the restaurant. (If you’re thinking this photo is just an excuse for me to show off the TLX… you’re right.)Our dinner destination was DP – An American Brasserie, which my wife discovered on Find Me Gluten Free, an app dedicated to highlighting restaurants that are accommodating to patrons who must eat gluten-free.We began our meal with the chargrilled octopus appetizer. While the grilled octopus at Blue Point Grill in Princeton, New Jersey is our gold standard, DP’s octopus was excellent – not overcooked, and well-seasoned, paired with a tasty quinoa ginger salad.The octopus was excellent. The drinks (a glass of wine for my wife, and an Old Fashioned cocktail for me) were terrific. The garden salad we shared was fresh and tasty. We both got burgers, as that is the restaurant’s speciality… but they were the letdown. The patties were overdone, and my wife’s gluten free roll crumbled as she tried to eat it. The fries were excellent, however, helping to redeem the meal. If I was in Albany again, I would definitely return to DP, but I’d probably skip the burgers.After dinner, we made our way to the hotel. The TLX is my first car to feature LED headlights, and the difference in illumination from the old Accord is astounding. These lights turn night into day. I could easily see far down the road, and they cast a wide enough beam to help me keep an eye out for deer on the side of the road.We arrived at our hotel and went to bed early, as Saturday would be a packed day!Saturday morning was overcast, with occasional showers. We planned to tour the USS Slater, a WWII-era destroyer that open to the public along the Albany waterfront. On the way, we made an impromptu stop at the Shaker Heritage Museum, located near Albany International Airport. Shakers were a Christian monastic community who reached their height of popularity in the 19th century. Shakers lived communally, sharing property equally. This is the Trustees’ Office (built in 1830) – the trustees were men and women who were selected by the community to manage interactions with the outside world.Shakers believed in a life of hard work, and of refining their crafts and skills through daily practice. Furniture produced by Shakers is still valued to this day, the simple yet elegant designs being highly sought after.The meeting house was the center of community life, where members gathered to worship, which included both song and dance. Women and men were considered equal in the ability to lead worship, and the strong role of women in the Shaker community would play a part in the emergence of the women’s rights movement in the later 19th century.The Shaker Community has long had an herb garden, and they would dry and sell the herbs, shipping them to buyers around the country.Much of what is now Albany International Airport was once the property of the Shaker community. The buildings that remain are testament to a community that is fading away. As of 2021, there were only three Shakers still alive in the United States (via Wikipedia).And, of course, no trip to a historical site would be complete without a car “glamour shot.” In this case, the first road trip commemorative photo I’ve taken with my new ride!Our next stop was for a quick lunch in Troy, New York, where we had found Birch Baked, a bakery and cafe that specializes in gluten free sandwiches and baked goods. We also stumbled across a huge farmer’s market on River Street – at least 50 vendors were in attendance! We devoured our gluten-free panini sandwiches as we ambled through the market.After lunch, I made a quick stop at Seasons Cafe and Tea House for an iced oat milk latte. Yum! Yum! Yum!Given the rain, wind, and gray skies, we decided to save our visit to the USS Slater for another trip, and instead explore the New York State Museum. The museum is part of the Empire Plaza, a complex of state government buildings erected between 1965 – 1976 (via Wikipedia). The museum shares the history, ecology, and culture of New York.As soon as you walk in the door and enter the spacious lobby, you are greeted by two motorcycles: a Type 57X Mark I from Fabbro Industries (foreground) and a Yankee Boss from Yankee Motor Company (background). Both were made in New York, by New York-based companies.As the museum is free, we grabbed a map and started exploring the massive exhibition space. My first stop was to check out this 1929 Yellow Cab, built by General Motors. It’s not possible to think of New York City without thinking of taking a taxi!The museum offers several exhibits on the history of Native American peoples in New York, including an installation of numerous modern art works by indigenous artists. Bargain Hunted Heron by Jay Havens is a sculpture made from trash bags, grill tools, and craft supplies.One of the more sobering exhibits was this map of New York, detailing the extensive territories once held by Native peoples. The small, orange shape in the Onondaga territory shows the modern-day reservation where the Onondaga now live.Archeology is a story of layers of history. For instance, a dig in Albany uncovered a trove of shattered 18th-century pottery, dumped into the earth after the city-wide fire of 1797. Check out the designs and the colors – preserved thanks to being buried underground for centuries.New York has a rich geological history. This display illuminated fluorescent minerals under a black light, resulting in an assortment of fascinating colors. It reminded me of our trip to Sterling Hill Mine in New Jersey several years ago.Given its size in the state, Adirondack State Park takes up a similarly enormous section of the museum. The well-weathered sign from 1935, detailing the size of the park, caught my eye.The American elk once roamed free in the Adirondacks but by 1830 had been hunted to extinction. It is one of several species that can no longer be found in upstate New York due to over-hunting.The car has made significant changes to the Adirondacks, with roads opening up sections of the park that had previously been reachable only on foot or by canoe. This couple is standing beside their 1921 Franklin 9-B Runabout, which was manufactured in Syracuse.Even though we weren’t traveling to the ADK this weekend, I really enjoyed these large canvas prints of different scenic views from the park. Second shot from right? The top of Bald Mountain – I’ve taken you there several times, dear readers!During the Ice Age, mastodons and mammoths roamed upstate New York. This mastodon and her offspring, depicted here, roamed the territory near the Hudson River around 12,000 years ago.This mastodon skeleton was found during the construction of a mill along the Mohawk River in the 1860s. It was most likely a juvenile, and was in ill health when it died. When alive, it would have weighed between 8,000 – 10,000 pounds!A recreation of Manhattan’s docks made me think of my great-grandfather, who worked as a longshoreman in the port of New York. The building in the background is a porterhouse, by some accounts taking its name from “porters,” an older term for dock workers. The porterhouse steak was first served by a porterhouse keeper in New York… hence, the name.The story of New York is the story of immigration. I enjoyed this reproduction of an early 20th century citizenship class.And, of course, no New York exhibit is complete with out the subway! This subway car was built in 1940. It remained in operation until 1979.An enormous exhibit dedicated to 9/11 takes up a significant section of the museum. Several girders from the collapsed World Trade Center are on display. While 9/11 remains seared in my memory, it’s hard to fathom that it occurred almost a quarter-century ago.Engine Company 6 was a specially built fire engine capable of pumping water to the top of the World Trade Center’s 102 stories. It was one of the first fire vehicles on the scene, and was destroyed by the collapse of the Twin Towers.Much of the rubble was taken to the Fresh Kills landfill on Staten Island, where debris, human remains, and evidence were sorted and cataloged. This flag, which was flying at the World Trade Center on the day of the attacks, was found within the rubble, and has been at the museum since 2002.Before departing, we headed up to the fourth floor of the museum to check out a carousel that was made in New York in 1914. The carousel traveled to different fairs around the nation before finding a permanent home at the museum in 1975.The animals on the carousel are actually older than the carousel itself – they were carved in 1890. Far from being a museum piece, the carousel still runs, as long as a minimum of ten riders are present (necessary to balance the weight distribution and ensure that the carousel rides evenly).Suspended from the ceiling near the carousel is this bi-plane, which was operated by the state of New York to spot wildfires in the Adirondacks.Before heading back to my black Acura TLX, I checked out another cool car in black… this 1910 Sears Model K. As noted on the nearby placard, this 14-horsepower car was billed as having “All speeds from 1 to 25 miles per hour!” It was available to purchase through the Sears Catalog – the Amazon Prime of back-in-the-day. After taking in our fill of the museum, we headed back to the hotel before driving to the main event of the weekend.The rain stopped and the sun came out in time for a wonderful wedding celebration. These decorative bowls made for a very creative wedding favor! After several hours hanging out with family and friends, it was time to head back to the hotel.The next morning, we awoke early but then delayed our departure from the hotel due to a thick fog that had settled over the area, significantly impacting visibility. It made for a relaxed morning before a three hour drive home.By midmorning, the skies had cleared and we began the drive back to New Jersey. With little traffic and dry roads, the TLX was able to stretch its legs a bit, proving itself to be a comfortable, luxurious highway cruiser.We arrived at home around lunchtime, and as I pulled into the garage, I noticed that the 20,000 mile mark is fast approaching. Onward!
Mileage Update
Well, that escalated quickly… in a little over a week, I managed to put 1,000 miles on my car. I have nothing but good reviews of my new ride. I’m looking forward to seeing where the next thousand miles take me, and then all the miles after that!
Wrapping Up
A drive to upstate New York was an excellent way to get to know my new car. From its capability of tackling highway miles with ease, to its cavernous trunk that swallowed all of our luggage, to its relative frugality as the gas pump (for a nearly 300-horsepower V6 motor, 30 miles per gallon is an excellent result), the TLX so far has checked all the right boxes. I am looking forward to continuing to test the car during upcoming road trip adventures!
Thanks for coming along on this test drive down the open road ahead!
I’m really glad you love your new car.
I looked up a size comparison between the 2020 and 2021 models. Do they look noticably different in person or would they have to be next to each other to be able to tell a size difference?
I think if you park the two cars beside one another, the 2021 is noticeably bigger than the 2020 (length and width). I think the 2021 looks massive when I see it on the roads, whereas the 2020 looks a bit smaller.
The Open Road Ahead 
I’m really glad you love your new car.
I looked up a size comparison between the 2020 and 2021 models. Do they look noticably different in person or would they have to be next to each other to be able to tell a size difference?
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I think if you park the two cars beside one another, the 2021 is noticeably bigger than the 2020 (length and width). I think the 2021 looks massive when I see it on the roads, whereas the 2020 looks a bit smaller.
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Sounds like a good trip! I am glad ur car stood up to ur expections. You packed slot of visits into a short time,
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Thanks for reading! And you’re right – it was a jam-packed weekend!!
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