So, off to my yearly trip to Vegas. For $200 less I could fly direct on the way home, but had to have a layover in North Carolina on the way there. Ok fine. I was looking forward to getting some sleep. Before the plane even took off some guy sitting next to me offered me some gum and then proceeded to talk my ear off for four straight hours. He was nice though!
The Grand Canyon from the air.
My good friend Marc lives in L.A. Remember last year when I got to meet Gary Sinise? So, like last year, I rented a Mustang convertible and off I went. I made a few stops along the way. First, I made a stop in the Mojave desert. I just wanted to take a few pictures and soak in the scenery. 
A bit later, I saw a sign that read "Early Man Archaeological Site." I drove a couple of miles down a rocky, dirt road. As I approached the site, I got this eerie feeling as if I was suddenly thrown into the horror movie The Hills Have Eyes. There was a old wooden building with an old park ranger and NOBODY else around. I also realized I had no cell phone signal. No one to hear my screams!
A survey of the local rocks. I guess this interests archaeologists.
Next stop. Calico Ghost Town. From their official website:
The weather was beautiful. Only 97° F (36° C) which is a beautiful temperature in the desert. Last year it was 114° F (46° C).
So, there I am, ready to make up for lost time and I floored it. The car had awesome acceleration, 60mph...65...70... 80....80...80...wtf? The car won't go any faster? Turns out the rental company put a governor on the speed AND the radio volume! So, there I am in a cool Mustang, only to find that I can't hear the radio with the top down and I can't go over 80mph. The speed limit on the I15 is 75mph. What the hell? I put in a complaint to the rental company. We'll see what happens.
Update: Finally received a reply after 2 weeks:
The Grand Canyon from the air.
A bit later, I saw a sign that read "Early Man Archaeological Site." I drove a couple of miles down a rocky, dirt road. As I approached the site, I got this eerie feeling as if I was suddenly thrown into the horror movie The Hills Have Eyes. There was a old wooden building with an old park ranger and NOBODY else around. I also realized I had no cell phone signal. No one to hear my screams!
A survey of the local rocks. I guess this interests archaeologists.Next stop. Calico Ghost Town. From their official website:
Calico is an old West mining town that has been around since 1881 during the largest silver strike in California. With its 500 mines, Calico produced over $20 million in silver ore over a 12-year span. When silver lost its value in the mid-1890's, Calico lost its population. The miner's packed up, loaded their mules and moved away abandoning the town that once gave them a good living. It became a "ghost town."Lastly, the famous Zzyzx Rd. sign. I made the same stop last year but couldn't resist. The name Zzyzx was given to the area in 1944 by Curtis Howe Springer, claiming it to be the last word in the English language. It is pronounced "zy-zicks".It is the name of a great Stone Sour song. It is also the name of a dreadful horror movie starring Katherine Heigl and Tom Sizemore. It only grossed $30.00 at the box office!
Walter Knott purchased Calico in the 1950's architecturally restoring all but the five original buildings to look as they did in the 1880's. Calico received State Historical Landmark 782 and in 2005 was proclaimed by then Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to be California's Silver Rush Ghost Town.
Today Calico is part of the San Bernardino County Regional Parks system visited by people from around the country and all over the world. The park offers visitors an opportunity to share in its rich history and enjoy the natural beauty of the surrounding desert environment. Along with its history and attractions, Calico Ghost Town has shops,restaurants and offers camping and outdoor recreation not available at most of our other park facilities.
I also stopped in Barstow and the famous Route 66. Route 66 was one of the original US highways established in 1926. The famous highway known as "Main Street of America," or "The Mother Road," ran from Chicago, Ill., through Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, & California ending in Los Angeles. It covered a total of 2,448 miles (3,940km).
The weather was beautiful. Only 97° F (36° C) which is a beautiful temperature in the desert. Last year it was 114° F (46° C).
So, there I am, ready to make up for lost time and I floored it. The car had awesome acceleration, 60mph...65...70... 80....80...80...wtf? The car won't go any faster? Turns out the rental company put a governor on the speed AND the radio volume! So, there I am in a cool Mustang, only to find that I can't hear the radio with the top down and I can't go over 80mph. The speed limit on the I15 is 75mph. What the hell? I put in a complaint to the rental company. We'll see what happens.
Update: Finally received a reply after 2 weeks:
August 1, 2011
Dear Ms. Cotturo;
On behalf of Payless Car Rental Las Vegas, we are in receipt of your comments regarding a recent rental. I have reviewed this issue with our mechanic and upon inspection of the vehicle it was found that there is a mechanism in the Ford Mustang, as well as other Ford products called "Mykey Set". This system control safety device was set for a driving speed of "80-MPH", which is set by the operator of the vehicle at the time of renting. Whether it was set by the previous renter or not, the vehicle does come equipped with an owner's manual for anyone to review. This manual provides the driver with all necessary information regarding the operation of the vehicle as well as the optional features the vehicle comes equipped with. We do apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused, however, it is the renter's responsibility to become familiar with the rented vehicle by reading the provided manual, if for no other reason, but for safety.
We have applied a 5% discount for this inconvenience and would like to offer you a complimentary upgrade the next time you are in Las Vegas. Simply make a reservation one week in advance and provide a copy of this dated letter upon arrival.
Rental requirements: All renters utilizing this offer are required to meet Payless Car Rental standard driving and financial responsibility qualifications and must present proper I.D. prior to renting the vehicle. Renter will be responsible for all taxes, airport imposed access fees, optional service and any additional charges over the daily rate referred to as œtime and mileage. Standard rental and mileage restrictions apply. Offer is not transferable, cannot be exchanged and has no cash value. Offer is valid in Las Vegas, NV only. Offer is valid for (1) one year from the date of this letter.
Thank you very much for the opportunity to review this matter. Please feel free to contact me directly with any further questions or comments.
Sincerely,
Station Manager
Payless Car Rental
What??!! Seriously? Pull over on the I-15 and read the manual? I found something on the internet that says you need an "admin. key" to change th settings. I doubt I had an admin. key. And besides? What "previous operator" would bother to set anything? That makes no sense and sounds like b.s. to me. Oh well, at least they finally did something.
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