Simple Ways to Remember Where You Parked

You drive, you park, you leave—and hours later you can't remember where you left the car. Does this happen to you? It happens all the time to me. Here are a few tips to help you get back to your vehicle in a timely manner.

Write down the location in your datebook. If you carry around a calendar on your person, mark down which row and level you parked on in the corner of today's entry. This is a great way to keep track of your car on a day-to-day basis.

Snap a picture. Carrying a cameraphone? Shoot a picture of the "You Parked in Row 5 of the Bluebird Level"-type sign nearest your car.

Note the landmarks. No signs? Look where you are in relationship to the major landmarks around you. For example, are you about 2/3rds of the way down the row that starts with the T in Target? Let the landmarks be your guide.

Tell a friend. When you involve other people, chances increase that one of you will remember where you parked the car.
 
Tag your car. It may be dorky. It may be something your Dad would do, but adding a unique-looking ornament to the top of your antenna can help you pick your car out of a sea of vehicles. My dad uses an old yellow tennis ball.

Unlock and relock. Got a keyless remote? Go ahead and press the lock/unlock button a few times. Your car should beep at you when you lock it.

Use GPS. Have you ever visited the Renaissance Festival with its converted fields and acres of cars and no signage whatsoever? Thats when a GPS unit really comes in handy. Just "mark" your location when you get out of the car and follow the little arrow back when you're ready to leave. Sure, you have to carry around a several-ounce special-purpose gadget, but consider the convenience, not to mention the geek factor!

Once you start paying attention to where you parked, it soon becomes an easier-to-remember habit. Dude, there's your car!

Source: lifehacker

Rod Millen has sights set on electric-vehicle record at Pikes Peak International Hill Climb

Father of overall Pikes Peak record-holder Rhys Millen thinks Toyota will be challenged in electric class

Rod Millen is coming to the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb with one goal in mind -- setting the electric-vehicle record for the run up the mountain.

Millen, the 61-year-old father of Pikes Peak record-holder Rhys Millen (09:46.164, set in 2012), will be driving an electric-powered TMG EV P002 from Toyota Motorsport GmbH.

The record for an electric car of 10:15.380 was set by Japan's Fumio Nutahara in a Toyota Motorsport TMG EVP002 in 2012.

The cars went through technical inspection and Monday, and the drivers are ready to go.

Here are some of Millen's thoughts heading into June 29-30 climb weekend, courtesy of Toyota Racing:

What do you enjoy about the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb?

Rod Millen: “I think what makes it unique and a little special for me is I started my motorsports career in New Zealand doing hill climbs and moved on to doing other forms of motorsports, but perhaps like a lot of things you do for the first time it's always a great memory. Over the course of the years, I had read about Pikes Peak as a young kid and perhaps being the ultimate hill climb and never did I ever realize that one day I would hold the overall record. You could sort of say it has a special place to me in my motorsports career.”

How did you get involved with the Toyota TMG EV P002 project?

RM: “My relationship with Toyota goes back all the way some 20 odd years ago I was driving for them in the Off Road Stadium Series and then moving not only to Pikes Peak but to touring cars and working with Toyota on designing some of their production cars -- so a working relationship that we had for a long time. When the opportunity to work with Toyota even last year with the electric car, the folks at TRD called me up and asked me if I could share some of my background knowledge and experience at Pikes Peak with the TMG (Toyota Motorsport GmbH) entry and so we worked with the team last year and after that TRD said, 'You know what, we'd like to up the ante a little bit and have a shot for ourselves.' So, in 2013 they called me up and said, 'We'd like to have you be the driver if you're up for that.' And I said, 'Yeah, sure. I'd love to be part of that program with you.'”

What has been your impression of the Toyota TMG EV P002 electric race car in testing?

RM: “It is very unique. Of course, it's only got one gear and it does have a lot of torque. It does have some limitations in terms of recharging and also the amount of stored energy, so we've been practicing at the mountain and you can't do multiple runs like some of the other guys can -- they can just come back down and top off with gas and go up and do another run. We need more time to charge the batteries. We aren't getting quite as many runs as some of the other gas-engine competitors, but it is definitely a unique powertrain. It has a lot of future opportunities -- I'm sort of saying it's also early days for this technology -- there's going be a lot to be gained out of refinements and maturity of the systems.”

Do you think an electric car can one day take the overall title at Pikes Peak?

RM: “I've thought for a long time that there's an opportunity, a possibility that an electric car could do well at Pikes Peak given the duration of the race -- approximately 10 minutes -- was quite feasible with an electric car. Having said that, we've experienced several unique challenges of running an internal combustion engine car at Pikes Peak where as you climb the mountain you tend to lose horsepower -- even with a turbocharged engine you're still losing horsepower -- so those issues not being apparent for an electric car, I've always thought that was great. When TRD (Toyota Racing Development) did call me and said, 'Would you like to be in the car?' I said, 'Absolutely.'”

What do you expect from the electric class competition?

RM: “The Mitsubishi team is very strong. They were a little quicker than us at the practice. We haven't run at full power yet, but they've certainly got our attention and our team is working until official practice starts to figure out if there's anything more we can gain in speed and performance and I'm sure there is, so it's exciting. It's very unique and different and keep in mind we're practicing in shorter sections early in the morning when the temperatures are much cooler than what they will be on race day. The thing that is unique and different about Pikes Peak is you only get one chance on race day to place a time with the one run from start to finish to the top of the mountain.”

Does your experience provide an advantage at Pikes Peak?

RM: “Having been down that road many times before -- we get a lot of information during practice and testing and we need to apply that to race day -- that whole strategy. Experience plays a big part as to the decisions you make and how you drive the vehicle.”

What is it like racing against your son, Rhys, at Pikes Peak?

RM: “The first time Rhys (Millen) and I competed at Pikes Peak in different classes -- which we are again this year -- was about 20 years ago, so it's been going on for a while. We share ideas and thoughts and we have a lot of chuckles over situations and instances that happen during practice and we each try to turn in a faster time, so it's been a really fun rivalry.”

Source: AutoWeek

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Throwback Thursday

It's interesting to see what Toyota thought we would be driving today. 

Goodbye, Party Mode.

The 2014 Toyota 4Runner will no longer feature this exciting button. 

Good news, you can still get a party-enabled 4Runner on our website!

Toyota's DIY sports car

Some assembly is definitely required for this one.

The Toyota Camatte57s is an electric sports car designed for the whole family, even the kids.

The three-seat car features interchangeable body panels that can be mixed and matched to create the tiny little roadster of your dreams.

Toyota fittingly revealed it at the Tokyo Toy Show this week.

The centrally-located driver’s seat and pedals can be adjusted to allow children to take the wheel, while a parent helps out with steering and brakes from the rear.

The idea behind the car is to build enthusiasm for driving, especially in Japan where people have been increasingly shunning car ownership in recent years.

Unfortunately, this off-highway ride won’t help out there just yet as there are currently no plans to put it into production.



Source: Fox News

Did you know?

Sylvanus Bowser built the first gasoline pump on September 5, 1885.

Happy Flag Day!

What does the American flag mean to you? Share with us in the comments!

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Introducing the all-new elevated 2014 Toyota Corolla.

Toyota RAV4 "Baby Translator"

The 10 Best Road Trips In America

The open road beckons with the potential for adventure, and the editors at ShermansTravel.com have presented their favorite American road trips from the West to the East. Some are well-known destinations and others are off the beaten path. Several are steeped in history, while a few pursue remote, wild beauty. Best of all, most of these routes make for splendid drives all year long, so you can get out and explore their bounty whenever the mood strikes. So rev your engines . . . and hit the road.


Big Sur, California

 
Iconic Route 1 extends almost the entire length of California, but the best stretch for road trips is through Big Sur, which comprises 90 or so miles along the central coast from San Simeon to Carmel. Big Sur’s beauty is not overrated: Sandwiched between the Santa Lucia Mountains and the Pacific – redwood groves on one side and rocky beaches with sea lions on the other – it’s remarkably unspoiled, partly because the only access is via the two-lane Route 1, or Cabrillo Highway. Devote a long weekend, ideally in May or September for fewer crowds. The road twists along precipitous cliffs and it can be a relief to stop for impromptu hiking, picnicking, or beach-combing (try Jade Cove for its namesake stone).

 
Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina and Virginia 

 
Although old-time Appalachia has been immortalized in song, these days it can be difficult to locate that haven of rolling hills and wildflowers. The Blue Ridge Parkway, which stretches 469 miles along the southern Appalachian Mountains and links two national parks – Virginia’s Shenandoah and North Carolina’s Great Smoky Mountains – hits all the right notes. Drive the entire length if there's time, but for a shorter jaunt, fly into Asheville, North Carolina, and follow the parkway north for about 2 hours to Boone. Instead of gas stations and motels, it’s flanked by picnic areas and hiking trails lined with dogwood, tulip trees, and red maples, with the mighty Appalachians as the backdrop.

 
Million Dollar Highway, Colorado 

Near Telluride but worlds away, a 24-mile stretch of U.S. 550 takes visitors back in time to when the West was still wild (the road trip conditions are not for the faint of heart). Connecting the old mining towns of Silverton and Ouray in the San Juan Mountains of southwestern Colorado, the Million Dollar Highway traverses the Uncompahgre Gorge to the summit of Red Mountain Pass, where a series of hairpin turns – sans guardrails – flank stomach-churning vertical drops. The countryside, decked in wildflowers during the spring, sustains elk, mountain goats, black bears, and deer. In the tiny towns of Silverton (a National Historic Landmark) and Ouray, Victorian buildings from the 1870s evoke the frontier era.

 
Seward Highway, Alaska 

An easy way to enjoy a cross section of Alaska’s massive beauty is to traverse the 127-mile Seward Highway that links Anchorage to the tiny port side town of Seward on magnificent Resurrection Bay. This compact swath encompasses boreal forests, mammoth glaciers, and majestic fjords. Starting in Anchorage, the road leads south across the Kenai Peninsula, hugging the base of the rugged Chugach Mountains and overlooking the Turnagain Arm of Cook Inlet as it winds past waterfalls and wildlife. Try to spot grazing Dall sheep on the cliffs, beluga whales in the waters below, and eagles and numerous seabirds above.

 
Sonoma and Napa Valleys, California 

Road trips through the neighboring valleys of Sonoma and Napa can be an entirely chichi experience, but there are also historic spots and quiet nature alongside the luxury standouts. Start in Healdsburg, a sophisticated Sonoma hub brimming with tasting rooms and top restaurants. Next, head further north on 101 to Lake Sonoma for a leg-stretching hike. Then take Route 128 southeast into Napa Valley and stop in Calistoga, to soak in a mud bath or check out the Old Faithful Geyser of California. From Calistoga, cross over to the Silverado Trail, a lovely meander south past some of the area’s most notable wineries including Phelps, Mumm, Stags’ Leap, and Clos Du Val.

 
U.S. Route 1, Maine 

 
In August, when the masses descend on Vacationland, Route 1 is a parking lot winding through a million small towns with schizophrenic stoplights. But in early summer and fall, road trips here offer an unobstructed front-row seat to the state’s hardy coastal beauty. Start this week-long tour of Maine in its south, in the town of Kittery. Drive north through laid-back, gay-friendly Ogunquit before reaching posh Kennebunkport and its seaside mansions. Then head to foodie-friendly Portland and eventually Freeport, home of quintessentially Northeastern clothier L.L. Bean. Further north – or down east, as they say – the landscape turns desolate within the blueberry barrens of Washington County and the sights become more ruggedly striking. The trip ends in the tiny city of Calais at Canada’s border.


Going-to-the-Sun Road, Montana 

In an epoch of climate change, it’s more satisfying than ever to make a pilgrimage (albeit by car) to witness the awesome beauty of glaciers in idyllic northern Montana. In Glacier National Park, the Going-to-the-Sun Road runs east to west for 50 miles. The Sun Road, as it's also called, crosses the Continental Divide at a breathtaking elevation of 6,646 feet (keep an eye out for mountain goats and bighorn sheep) and passes by Jackson Glacier Overlook, which, as the name suggests, is a good place to spot glaciers. A huge feat in engineering when it was created 76 years ago, the parkway includes portions carved into a sheer vertical cliff known as the Garden Wall.
 

Hana Highway, Hawaii
 

Driving Maui’s serpentine Hana Highway on the rural east side of the island provides a feel for Hawaii’s early days, when wild beauty and sleepy surf towns ruled. The famous road, also called the Road to Hana, starts in the town of Paia and wiggles east along the coast for more than 60 miles. Rent a convertible, slather on sunscreen, and start before dawn to catch the sunrise. With the route incorporating some 600 hairpin curves and dozens of one-lane bridges, the driving is as taxing as the sights are stunning. Leave some time to check out a few of the following: Keanae Arboretum, with an exotic botanical garden; Waikani Falls, a trio of crashing chutes; and Ka’eleku Caverns, an ancient site created from lava flow.


Red Rock Scenic Byway, Arizona 

While the city of Sedona’s growth may have resulted in a bit of a commercial sprawl, its captivating rock formations still stand guard right outside town on the Red Rock Scenic Byway (also known as Route 179), a 7.5-mile little slip of road trip heaven. Clearly marked trailheads and off-road bike paths are scattered along the way, so bring hiking boots or a mountain bike. Spend at least half a day exploring the red rock formations, which seem to change shape and color with every shift of light. Most of the drive cuts through the diverse Coconino National Forest, full of hills and washes covered in yucca, juniper, cacti, and piñon pines. Hawks and eagles swoop overhead and elk, deer, coyotes, and quail roam the terrain.


Sea Islands, Georgia

Island hopping along the Georgian coastal barrier islands provides a glimpse at historic blue-blood enclaves that also beckon birders and naturalists. Over a long weekend, gain an introduction to intriguing island outposts, connected by causeways and bridges, and, in some cases, only reached by ferries. Start in St. Simons, one of the four Golden Isles along with Little St. Simons, Sea Island, and Jekyll. The largest of the populated islands, upscale St. Simons is known for its golf courses, historical sites, and long, white-sand beach. Bird watchers should head to Gould’s Inlet on East Beach, while Sea Island is synonymous with the luxury Cloister resort. Finally, drive to Jekyll, once a playground of Rockefellers and Pulitzers, it today serves as the stomping ground of travelers who frequent its pristine beaches, golf courses, marshes, and maritime forests.

Source: Huffington Post

Gaulding looks to do Doughnuts on National Doughnut Day

Coming off a solid top-10 finish at “The Madhouse” Bowman Gray Stadium, a 0.25 mile flat asphalt oval in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Gray Gaulding and the Krispy Kreme TruMoo Milk Toyota team do a 180 degree turn and head to the 0.875 mile, 14 degrees of banking, fast D-shaped Iowa Speedway in Newton, IA.

“It’s night and day difference that’s for sure,” explains Gaulding talking about the transition from Bowman Gray to Iowa Speedway. “At Bowman Gray it’s all about survival but at Iowa both the technology side and the driver’s stamina really come into play.”

On June 7, 2013, Gaulding and the Krispy Kreme Racing team will hit the track for the opening 90 minute practice session from 11:00 to 12:30 p.m. Final practice will begin at 1:30 p.m. and continue through 2:30 p.m. Fans are encouraged to come meet Gray during the 45 minute driver autograph session which is scheduled for 3:15 p.m. Qualifying is set for 5:00 p.m. with the green flag dropping on the Casey’s General Store 150 at 8:00 p.m. all times are Central Standard Time.

A lot of people compare Iowa Speedway to Richmond International Raceway.

“Iowa Speedway and RIR do have a lot of similarities,” said Gaulding “Iowa is a little bigger but you race them both the same with the semi-banked corners. We were fast last month at RIR and hope to keep the momentum rolling at Iowa.”

Doug George on Iowa Speedway
Doug George crew chief of the #20 Krispy Kreme TruMoo Milk Toyota Camry has chosen chassis 1888 for the Casey’s General Store 150 at Iowa Speedway. “We raced this car earlier in the season at Bristol Motor Speedway and it showed a lot of speed. The guys have spent a lot of hours in this car to have it ready for Iowa.” 

Visit KrispyKremeRacing.com to find out when Gray Gaulding and the #20 Krispy Kreme Toyota Camry will be at a Krispy Kreme Shop near you.

For live updates from Gray and the #20 Krispy Kreme TruMoo Milk Toyota team through out the 2013 NASCAR K&N Pro Series follow @GrayGaulding or @KKDRacing on Twitter.

Source: Short Track Motorsports

Happy Throwback Thursday, fans!

Did you know: On June 6, 1933, the first drive-in movie theater opened in New Jersey!

Oil Change Special

Oil is the lifeblood of your car. It keeps hardworking engine parts running clean, smooth and cool. In the summer, your engine is more likely to overheat, making oil changes extremely important.

Don't skimp on your oil! Bring in our coupon for a great deal. Also, don't forget to check our Facebook offers whenever you come in for service!

California Science Center Unveils Giant Lever Exhibit Featuring the Toyota Tundra Used During Space Shuttle Endeavour Transport

The California Science Center, in partnership with Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc., unveiled the Toyota Tundra full-size pick-up truck used to tow the Space Shuttle Endeavour over the 405 Freeway Manchester Boulevard Bridge during its journey through Los Angeles and Inglewood Streets. The Tundra is on display as part of the Giant Lever Exhibit, located in the California Science Center/California African American Museum parking structure adjacent to the science center entrance. The unveiling commemorated Endeavour’s last flight STS-134, which launched May 16 and landed in the early morning hours of June 1, 2011.

Taking part in the unveiling were Jeffrey Rudolph, president, California Science Center; Michael Rouse, vice president, Diversity, Philanthropy and Community Affairs, Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.; Lynda Oschin, chair of the Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Oschin Family Foundation; and former astronaut Garrett Reisman, Ph.D., who flew aboard Endeavour and rode in the Tundra at the time of the Endeavour tow.

Five year-old “future astronauts” Noah Lara and Samantha Comiskey, dressed in orange jumpsuits, demonstrated the science behind the Giant Lever Exhibit. A lever consists of a rigid beam pivoting on a fulcrum. By standing further away from the fulcrum, the two applied less force and were able to lift the Tundra full-size pickup truck.

“We are thrilled to unveil the Toyota Tundra as an addition to our Giant Lever Exhibit, as we commemorate the anniversary of Endeavour’s last mission,” stated Rudolph. “We are grateful for Toyota’s longstanding commitment to science learning.”

In addition to the donation of the Tundra, at the unveiling, Rouse presented a check from Toyota’s Tundra Endeavour Tweet Drive to the California Science Center Foundation. Toyota organized a tweet drive during Endeavour’s transport from LAX to the California Science Center, where twitter followers re-tweeted to raise $401,300.

“Toyota has been a supporter and partner of the California Science Center from the very beginning,” said Rouse. “We are honored to continue our partnership through this fun, interactive exhibit.”

Source: Toyota

It's the first week of June, and the first Motivational Monday!

Make this month amazing!

Another great review on DealerRater!

ahlevine85 
Denver, Colorado 
Jun 02, 2013
Overall Score: 5
"This is the 2nd Toyota Tacoma that I have purchased here. I have been equally satisfied with each experience, and purchased the exact truck that I wanted. Their staff was very helpful and went to bat for me to find the exact truck that I wanted and at the monthly price I could afford."

Check out our DealerRater page to read more guest feedback!