Can you say Kansas anyone?

So with an excellent forecast and 4500 km of road ahead, Nick and I headed to Kansas on the weekend of October 23 - 26, 2009.

First a short hop to Cedar Rapids Iowa to pickup some parts then a slight southward trip to Stilwell Kanasas to get a car; and finally back to Ottawa.

Nick had his eye on a 1976 Ford Fiesta SCCA Vintage Showroon Stock Racecar on eBay and what do you know, he won it.

The trip was fairly uneventful by Team00 standards!

We left early Friday morning, figuring we would stop in the left part of Indiana. Ended up going all the way to Davenport Iowa.
Did you know the Mississippi River flows North East here?

On the I90 somewhere in Ohio we hit a deer. I was in the left lane, passing yet another tractor trailer when the rig we were driving around slowed right down.
He saw the deer coming out of the bush we didn't.
Broadsided the poor animal at better than a 100 kph, hell of a shudder through the truck.
Last thing I saw of it was it sliding lifelessly across the grass in the median.
Slowed down, pulled over, had to check the damage.

As I was slowing down what was left of our signal marker lamp fell off the truck and was lying in the roadway. I told Nick he should grab it quick before someone drove over it.
As he was heading back down the shoulder, I heard a CRACK. Next thing was a spray of yellow plastic bits shooting down the Interstate. Had a good laugh about that one.

Nick figured the driver of the SUV aimed for the part on the road! I'd expect that the river simply fioxated on it and that's why he hit it. As Bugs would say "What a maroon".

Surprisingly not too much damage to the trusty F-150; busted left lights, broken trim work and now a bumper that's sitting a little wonky. Considering the deer probably weight a few hundred pounds we came out of it OK.

The trailer lights had been acting up all day, flashing in the most annoying manner. Bad ground in the seven pin plug. The Fix? A Most Excellent Kludge; ended up using some jumper cables to ground out the trailer body to the truck bed. Problem solved.

Also had a nasty bit of wind noise from the passenger door, been really bad since coming back from Targa NF. After the deer strike I think it was worse. This time a tried an true method of repair. Shove a 2x4 into the door jamb, apply two grown men at the correct angle, Et voilà !
No more wind noise.

And this was all in the first 1600 km of our trip.

Saturday was the Iowa drive, all day, field after field, of you guessed it, Iowa Corn!
There is an ethanol plant run by ADM outside Cedar Rapids that's simply huge. Apparently when this monster is in full swing it will produce 10% of Iowa's ethanol, and they are the #1 state in the US for this stuff. Tax Subsidies at work here folks.

Saturday night after getting the 'new' car in Stilwell, south of KC, we stayed in Columbia Missouri.
Had a hell of a time trying to find a room. And after Columbia there really is not much for some time in the Missouri Interior.

Turns out that the Missouri Tigers had a big homecoming game against the Texas Longhorns. The Mizzou as they are know where in a delicate turn of phrase, creamed, 41-7.

Nick and I were having an excellent bite to eat at Applebee's (2601 E Broadway, Great Food and Service) and I'll tell you, I never seen such a bunch of dejected football fans. Probably felt a little like that unfortunate deer the day before, creamed by 10000 pounds.

Sunday was the big push, all the way back through Ogdensburg to Ottawa, 1900 km.
 
Only one hickup on Sunday, got pulled over for only have one working headlight by a state trooper on the NY Thruway at about 2 in the morning.
Not a biggy, we were going back home we said, hit a deer we said, nope no report we said.
No ticket, just a 'take it easy' admonishment. We really appreciated not getting a fine, thanks Trooper!. And it's been fixed since.

Got to the last I81 rest stop before the New York Ontario border at about 04:30 am.
Snoozed until just before 07:00.
Amazing sunrise by the way, very cool yellow - orange colours with a breathtaking image of the sun lighting up this rock-walled valley on Highway 12 on the St. Lawrence River.

Hit US CBP just after 08:00. Cleared US OK, Cleared Canada Customs OK, yada yada yada.
Dropped the new toy in Merrickville and home by 11:30 am.

Some stats on this nice weekend getaway:

4500 km
77 hours
$1300.00 in gas
$200.00 for hotels
$130.00 for food

Cheers, SteveG