Random Shots
Washington state
Photo Essay
Port Townsend: The American dream’s new — and old — end of the road
(EXPANDED FROM 5/28/2021) Some say that the American dream ends in the sun-drenched surf of California. That may have been the case in years gone by, but not anymore. In 2020 California recorded a net […]
Photo Essay
If David E. Davis could do road trips, why can’t Indie Auto?
(EXPANDED FROM 10/18/2023) David E. Davis often wrote about his road trips when he was editor of Automobile. Jack Baruth (2011) suggested that the magazine’s motto, “No Boring Cars!” served as “an excuse, er, reason […]
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Photo Essay
Classic car shop in Port Townsend also functions as a quirky museum
Port Townsend is a great place to hang out if you are into old cars. This is partly because the relatively mild weather and the town’s historic ambience make it a magnet for people who […]
Current Events
Political battles loom on climate policies that increase gasoline prices
When I took a road trip through three West Coast states two weeks ago I found that gas prices fluctuated by as much as $1.53 per gallon. Prices were highest in northern California, where I […]
Current Events
Road rage is on the increase — and some states are worse that others
Today as I was merging onto Interstate 5, a Jeep Cherokee honked while roaring around me into the fast lane. I had been doing the speed limit through an interchange that is regularly tracked by […]
Photo Essay
1962 Ford: Harbinger of stylish trucks rots in the woods
(UPDATED FROM 2/18/2022) Five miles up an unpaved road in the Olympic Mountains is a harbinger of today’s stylish trucks. Slowing decaying in the rainforest is a 1962 F-Series pickup. Rather than trying to cart […]
Editor's Note
The rise of the European van and other musings from a few days camping
Indie Auto is a day late in sending out its weekly e-letter because I wanted to sneak in some camping at a national park before the federal government likely shuts down Oct. 1 (Lunney, 2023). […]
Photo Essay
Why don’t more people customize the paint schemes on their vehicles?
This BMW reminded me of how rarely automobiles in the United States display customized paint schemes. The only time I can remember when this has been a mass-market phenomenon was during the surfer van boomlet […]