From a Miata ’06

My father purchased his brand new, dark blue 1997 Mazda Miata convertible in autumn of that year. For years, he pined after the car and for his 50th birthday, he bought himself one. Since Miatas are two-seaters, I only rode in it a handful of times. One time in particular, he had me along for the ride at around 15 years old. The speakers in the car were located in the headrest of the beige leather seats. He brought along Dave Alvin’s King of California album and played the title track to find out if I was interested in attending an upcoming Dave Alvin concert with my folks. (I did and to this day Dave Alvin is one of my favorites.) My dad also promised me that I could use the vehicle for prom my senior year (this he conveniently forgot when the time came). This summer though, almost 20 years later, I asked for a ride so I could see the back roads of Norwich, Connecticut from a Miata ’06.

Another Miata

Unfortunately, his prized Miata was totaled while parked in front of the house one evening years later. After much back and forth, he decided to purchase a new, albeit a secondhand, one. This was a newish model, an ‘06 and was a bit beefier than the ‘97 car. The Mazda Miata is a very small car, and one has to bend down to be seated. At over 70 and with arthritis pains, my dad was thinking of getting rid of this car. (It also doesn’t have a gas gauge but that’s another story.)

In hearing about him selling the car, I immediately thought (1) I should learn to drive a stick to buy it or (2) my parents should keep the car to tool around in only on nice days on back roads. They chose option 2 and purchased a Subaru Crosstrek as an everyday vehicle. 

Miata Ride

Through this process, it dawned on me that even though my dad has probably had this “newer” Miata for 15 years, I had never had a ride in it. During a recent visit spending a few days at their house in Norwich, Connecticut, I asked for a ride. Just the previous day, my folks came with me to North Grosvenordale and beyond so my dad didn’t want a marathon ride. 

We decided on a short journey on the backroads of Norwich. We drove up Plain Hill Road, where my mom grew up. As we passed by farms on the way back to Norwichtown, we took a detour to Dodd Stadium, home to the former Connecticut Tigers, now Norwich Sea Unicorns who may never get to play a game under this moniker due to the closure of minor league baseball this year. 

Poppy and Rye Bakery and Cafe

To culminate the ride, our last stop was Poppy and Rye Bakery and Cafe in the Taftville section of Norwich. The cute bakery is located inside an old train station. We picked up breakfast sandwiches and coffee for the family. Poppy and Rye (pre-epidemic) has been my place to conduct interviews for Norwich Magazine. They have great breakfast sandwiches, pastries, and bagels. On the way home, we passed the always impressive Ponemah Mill which has been recently rehabbed into beautiful apartments. It was a beautiful June morning to venture out in the Miata for a ride around the backroads of Norwich.