put me in the driver's seat of a brand-new 2011 Mazda MX-5, a car I still call the Miata.

Mark delivered the car to me on a Wednesday, and at 10:00 that Saturday morning, I took off on a long-delayed trip for the German website run by recent contributor Armin Reindl. The MX-5 is the first convertible I've had since last summer. Knowing it would deliver almost 30 m.p.g., I figured it was the right car at the right time.

The trip took me first to Julian, California to check out an RV resort for an upcoming article. By late afternoon, I pulled into Borrego Springs where, with a sense of adventure, I decided to have dinner at the Italian restaurant at the Borrego Valley Airport. (I have an affinity for airport restaurants.) Funny thing was that Assaggio Ristorante Italiano is owned and operated by a charming Chinese couple, and I can tell you that the veal picatta was excellent.

Next, because it was along the route back through Palm Springs, I stopped in Salton City just at sunset. The place--population less than 1,000 and shrinking--gets a bad rap. I had never been there before. Yet as bad as I had heard it is, it may actually have been worse. The Salton Sea is dying, and apparently all it touches as well. (This two-day trip will also be an upcoming Automotive Traveler feature.) Still, something about the quality of the light at dusk compelled me to shoot there.

Driving into the mecca of Mid-Century Modern architecture, I pulled into the Orbit In and spent the night in the Rat Pack Suite. When in Palm Springs, with its Fifties vibe, I almost always stay here. It feels like home to me.

I rose early on Sunday, loaded up the MX-5, and headed west to Orange County. Instead of the quickest route on the freeways, I chose CA 73, better known as the Ortega Highway. It was then I realized why Mazda has shifted more than 900,000 Miatas and MX-5s since 1989. Driving the retractable hardtop version, I had to wonder why GM ever thought the overweight and overwrought Pontiac Solstice or Saturn Sky could compete with this paragon of top-down motoring?

Able to easily induce oversteer, the MX-5 remains a joy to fling around corners, something that also put a wide smile on my face on Saturday on the leg between Julian and Borrego Springs.

Winding its willing 170-horsepower two-liter four up through its six gears (manual, of course) reminded me of what a great car--costing a reasonable $31,000--it has evolved into.

During more than 800 miles of highly spirited driving over my week with the MX-5, it turned in more than 28 miles per gallon--a fact that doesn't hurt its case. It's the perfect enthusiast's car for these very challenging times. Now in its 21st year, the MX-5 remains the world's most popular roadster.

Changes at Automotive Traveler

We're making some changes here at Automotive Traveler. First, we now have an intern to help us pull things together. Heather Buskuehl, an English major at the University of California at Irvine, starts her duties at Automotive Traveler by compiling our new international events calendar.

The second addition is Publisher and Advertising Director Nancy Matthews, who will be heading efforts to build a sustainable business plan for Automotive Traveler. Both Robyn Larson McCarthy and I had the pleasure of working with Nancy in the past, when Robyn was editor of the B2B magazine Mobile Electronics and I was her editor-at-large.

Please join me in welcoming Nancy Matthews and Heather Buskuehl to the Automotive Traveler team.

And then there is one change I am especially thrilled to announce. As I will be dedicating a great deal of time from now on to two new publishing initiatives for our parent company, Robyn is moving into the position of Editor. Her new title fully reflects all of her contributions to Automotive Traveler, especially over the last four issues and in her coordination of our exclusive coverage of the 2011 Gazelle Rally.

Together, she and I will be setting the editorial calendar and tightening up Automotive Traveler's editorial package. Starting next month, we will be slimming down each issue into a more focused read while increasing the frequency of publication.

As for me, I will be making an announcement shortly on our new magazine. If you know where I've been over the last two years, you shouldn't find it too hard to figure out what I'll be doing next.

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