Subaru Crosstrek - Subaholics

May 11, 2023May 11, 2023

Web3: Revolutionizing the Car Buying Experience

Digital Subaru Crosstrek Abstract Art Style

Web3, also known as the decentralized web, is a term used to describe the next evolution of the internet, which is focused on creating a more open, transparent, and decentralized web experience for users. This new web architecture relies on blockchain technology, smart contracts, and decentralized applications (dApps) to provide a more secure, private, and user-centric experience for individuals and businesses.

The concept of Web3 is still relatively new, and its applications are still being explored. However, some of the potential use cases of Web3 include decentralized finance (DeFi), non-fungible tokens (NFTs), decentralized social media, and decentralized marketplaces.

One area where Web3 could have a significant impact is in the car buying process. The traditional car buying experience can be a daunting and stressful process for many customers. It often involves haggling with salespeople, dealing with financing and insurance, and navigating through a complex network of dealerships and manufacturers.

Web3 technology has the potential to revolutionize the car buying experience by making it more transparent, secure, and user-centric. Here are a few ways Web3 could impact the car buying process:

Decentralized Car Marketplaces

Web3 could enable the creation of decentralized car marketplaces where buyers and sellers can interact directly without the need for intermediaries. These marketplaces would use blockchain technology to create a transparent and secure platform where buyers can browse, compare, and purchase cars from different sellers without having to worry about fraud or scams.

Smart Contracts

Smart contracts are self-executing contracts with the terms of the agreement between buyer and seller being directly written into lines of code. Web3 could enable the use of smart contracts in the car buying process, which could automate many of the complex and time-consuming tasks involved in purchasing a car. For example, a smart contract could automatically transfer ownership of the car to the buyer once the purchase price has been paid in full.

Decentralized Financing and Insurance

Web3 could also enable the creation of decentralized financing and insurance options for car buyers. Decentralized finance (DeFi) platforms could provide car buyers with access to low-cost loans, while decentralized insurance platforms could provide buyers with more transparent and flexible insurance options.

Privacy and Security

Web3 technology could also provide car buyers with greater privacy and security. By using decentralized networks and protocols, car buyers could maintain control over their personal information and data, while also reducing the risk of identity theft and fraud.

In conclusion, Web3 technology has the potential to revolutionize the car buying process by making it more transparent, secure, and user-centric. While many of these applications are still in their infancy, the future looks bright for a more decentralized, user-driven car buying experience.

November 8, 2020November 8, 2020

Roy Bean Visitor Center: A Beautiful Hidden Garden in the Colorful Blooming Chihuahua Desert

When we left Marathon, Texas on September 27, 2020, we expected to be in Del Rio, Texas in 3 hours. Instead, after 1 hour of driving, we stopped the car, first in the middle of the Chihuahua Desert, and another hour later, at Judge Roy Bean’s original “Opera House/Town Hall”, Law West of the Pecos.

Our original plan for the day was to drive 3 hours non-stop so we could have time to do some sightseeing in Del Rio. Amistad National Recreation Area, Val Verde Winery, and Whitehead Memorial Museum looked good in pictures. Also, as a border town, I assumed the commercial areas in Del Rio would be interesting to explore.

The highway from Marathon to Del Rio is incredibly clean and scenic. So clean and white, I tried to put my sunglasses on and realized that I had them on already. At the end of September, the Chihuahua Desert did not look anything close to a desert. Instead, you could see an ocean of pink flowers, covering layers of mountains, near and far. The colors were so vibrant and impressive, and the thought of all these flowers being native and wild made us in awe.

We had to pull over the car to have a closer look at the natural beauty, which could be once of our lifetime of being in the Chihuahua Desert in September, during the blooming season of the pink flowers. Even today, I still don’t know the name of these plants. But I am glad I seized and enjoyed the moment on September 27.

We resumed our journey, still thinking of visiting some sites in Del Rio.

Judge Roy Bean Museum

When we were about 1 hour from Del Rio, my husband saw a road sign “Judge Roy Bean Museum” and decided to pay a visit. I went along with him, thinking to myself that it should be a good place for a bathroom break 🙂

Roy Bean Visitor Center Garden — Roy Bean Visitor Center

The visitor center is absolutely a hidden jewel on Highway 90, in between Del Rio and the Big Bend National Park. When it was first opened in the 60s, there used to be 400,000 visitors per year and the center reached its peak with Paul Newman’s movie portraying the legendary judge/bartender. And then a new highway changed everything. Nowadays, there are only about 40,000 visitors to stop by each year. With the current Covid 19 pandemic, there are even fewer people visiting. But all the facilities were kept clean and the ground was kept nice. The employees there were very friendly and helpful. It is worth to pay a visit there.

The opera house

What I found intriguing the way that Judge Roy Bean had a peculiar way to dispense hard liquor and harsh justice in Langtry, Texas around 1880. He fantasized and idolized an English actress until the day he died. He named his residence “Opera House” in honor of this actress, who he never got to meet in person while he was alive. And he even named the town after this actress, who eventually paid a visit to Langtry, after his death. Jersey Lilly Langtry, the English actress, Roy Bean’s idol, was quoted to say: I am happy as happiness goes, for a woman who has so many memories and who lives the lonely life of an actress.

Roy Beans residence the "Opera House" — inside the opera house

I wonder what she really thought after visiting a town bearing her last name.

By the time we finally got to Del Rio, it was dinner time. We ordered some Thai food and called it a day, a day full of spontaneous decisions and wonderful encounters. Sometimes, no plan or “off the plan” could turn out to be the best plan.

Until next time, please take care!

September 22, 2020October 14, 2020

Escaping the Storms, Westbound to San Antonio and Big Bend.

San Antonio, here I come!

We are heading to West Texas tomorrow, visiting Big Bend National Park and the little towns in that area. It will be an 8-hour drive from Houston, a little too long of a drive for laid-back people like us.

To make things easier, I decided to spend a night somewhere in the middle to catch our breath. I am the one in the family to make those arrangements. Good thing is that I have the liberty to choose a place that caught my attention, and bad thing is that I have to do all the research, weighing the pros and cons of a location. I considered Del Rio first, which is a US-Mexico border town, 5 hours from Houston. However, even if the town is reasonably priced for a longer stay on Airbnb, it is expensive for a one night stay. The cleaning fee for one night is normally the same as for three nights, which is a deal-breaker.

Hotel rates in Del Rio are not too bad, however, during the pandemic period, we choose to have a more isolated place to ourselves as much as we can, keeping as much social distance as possible.

a charming place to visit

Almost convinced to have to drive straight to West Texas the same day, suddenly it occurred to me that I should take a look at San Antonio’s accommodations. To my delight, San Antonio, which is 3 hours from Houston and 5 hours from the West Texas area, has a lot of properties to choose from, a tourist town after all. I patiently read property descriptions and reviews from other travelers, taking these elements for consideration: rating, neighborhood, facilities, price, and parking. Since we have been to San Antonio many times, we don’t need to be right by Alamo and River Walk area. With that said, I don’t want to be too far away, just in case we are in the mood to hang out in the River Walk area. It is always a charming place to visit.

With our car parked at our nearby Airbnb home, we could get Uber rides and San Antonio is a good place to get around that way. Maybe we will have a couple of Margaritas on River Walk, lol…

I found a perfect loft in San Antonio for our tomorrow’s stay: highly rated; in a nice neighborhood, not too far into the outskirts; free parking and reasonably priced!

A tale of two crosstreks

Another choice we have to make for tomorrow’s trip is which car to take. We have two Subaru Crosstrek, one white and one red. The white one has fewer miles on it, even though a 2018 model, while the red one is 2019 model, having more safety features, such as a eye sight, adaptive cruise control, blind spot detector etc… We are still undecided at this very moment.

I am excited about staying in San Antonio Each time I find something new there. Oh, I have not been to the Pearl Brewery yet and the Mercado. I am looking forward to visiting both.

Until next time, please take care!

September 20, 2020September 21, 2020

Immersed in America’s Hot and Bubbling First National Park

My August Subaru Adventure in Hot Springs Arkansas

I don’t know if you have had similar feelings and experiences.

You are impressed when passing by a place and at the time, you think you will visit again in the future. However, with the passage of time, this only visit gradually becomes a vague distant memory; while other places are quite plain at first, you think that you would turn around and quickly forget about them, but this place is so magical that you go back again and again. . .

Hot Springs Arkansas, is the second kind of city. In August this year, we came to Hot Spring for the third time.

This kind of magic reminds me of the song “Fairy Tale” lyrics:

In that misty morning
When I saw your smiling face
You only looked at me
and I was yours

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One of the main purposes we visit Hot Springs is for its naturally heated springs. Not only we would bathe in the famous bathhouses established in the 19th and 20th centuries in hot springs, but also we would fill some containers with hot springs as drinking curing water, which is common practice even for the Hot Springs locals.

The mineral waters of Hot Springs are my magical elixir:

In that misty morning
When I tasted your sweet drops
You only winked at me
And I was yours

Each time we are in Hot Springs, we do something different from the previous times too. Hot Springs has never failed to impress us.

This time, with our Subaru, we explored the mountains and stayed at a lakefront condo on Lake Hamilton.

Boardwalk at the Condos
Lake Hamilton — Boardwalk at the Lake Hamilton Condo

Hitting the courses

To our delight, we found some very nice golf courses in the mountains.

On August 11, 2020, we played the 18-hole course at Diamondhead Country Club and by the time we were on the 9th hole, a thunderstorm hit the golf course: thunder and lightning…we were thinking about following the other players, meaning: QUIT! However, we came all the way from Houston and the course is so beautiful and we hadn’t played golf for really really 1000 years and we prepaid for it already…we made a brave and foolish decision to continue on.

Luckily the storm was brief. Not only we did not get soaked, but also we got the whole golf course to ourselves until the very end of the game.

Fairing the weather

On August 12, 2020, the forecast predicted storm all day. We stayed in the condo looking at the lake and clouds.

In the afternoon, we decided to take some chances and went to the Lakeside Golf Country Club, which is nestled around a gorgeous environment that sits on the banks of Lake Catherine. The road to get there is full of twists and turns. Our Subaru did an amazing job.

Threatened by a sudden storm any minute, we only played 9 holes. No other players anywhere around. We lucked out again: the sun showed up.

Each time I visit Hot Springs, I feel rejuvenated, maybe because of the natural springs baths, maybe because of the mountains and the fresh air, maybe because of the mineral water, maybe just because of my special bonding with the place. Hot Springs is truly a magical place for me.

In a couple of days, I will take another road trip with my Subaru Crosstrek. We are heading to the Big Bend National Park, for the first time! Is it going to be an one time visit or a spiritual home for me to go back to over and over again? Let’s wait and see!

Until next time and please take care!

September 18, 2020September 21, 2020

Starship Crosstrek Achieves Warp Speed at SpaceX Boca Chica, Texas

Sand Dunes and Subie 2 in South Padre Islands — Sand Dunes and Subie

In June, despite the ongoing pandemic, the wandering spirit or the adventurous traveling bones got the better of me. I decided to take my Subaru Crosstrek for a road trip. I set off to the beautiful South Padre Island. It is just a 6-hour drive from Houston.

The ocean environment and sand dunes of the island are absolutely amazing.
Not only my Crosstrek drives nicely on the beach, but it also looks cool and photogenic.

Sand Dunes and Subaru Crosstrek at the South Padre Islands — Sand Dunes and Subie Close up

The South Padre beach and sand dunes are mesmerizing each time I visit.

However, my real focus changed and I decided to visit SpaceX Boca Chica, Elon Musk’s new base for the Starship near the US-Mexico border.

Although the trip was brief, I was marveled by the various projects that are expanding the progress of space travel, exploration, and technology. We continued on to the beach and decided to drive down the coast in our Subaru. There was an interesting text message on my phone. It said, “Welcome to Mexico”. Seeing the Rio Grande River in front of us, we decided we should stop driving south and turned the car around and headed back toward Boca Chica.

This June trip got me back to the American phenomenon called road trip. I will write more about my Subaru adventures.

Until next time and please take care!