Hutchinson, MN
May 28-30, 2010
New this year: It may have been my first time, but it certainly won't be the last! What a great group of people and a great event to benefit the National Breast Cancer Foundation and the American Cancer Society!
Thursday, May 27
Departing Decatur AL, 9am.
This would be St. Louis, from I-64.
Friday, May 28
Windmills north of Waterloo, IA where I had spent the night.
Arrival in Hutchinson MN about 1:30, 1056 miles from home.
After washing the Vette, it was on to the games.
That evening was a great 50s Sock Hop.
Saturday, May 29
First activity was a Poker Run; 90+ scenic miles.
Next was the Corvette show on the Library Square.
That's "Mrs. Minnesota 2010" signing my banner.
The day concluded with the Awards Banquet.
Much to my amazement, I received these two.
("Longest Distance" I could see, but "Best in Show"???
At 102,000 miles, I'LL TAKE IT!)
Sunday, May 30
The Autocross!
I hit the road for home about 10am.
Return trip notes:
This was Memorial Day weekend.
There was no way I wanted to be on the road on the Monday holiday! As I left Hutchinson, my Garmin showed that my ETA for home was 12:25am Monday; I can do that!!! Surprisingly, the Garmin route home was totally different from the route up. Where Northbound routing took me by Interstates right through Nashville, Memphis, St. Louis, and Minneapolis/St. Paul, then west on state roads about 70 miles to Hutchinson MN, the return trip routed me straight down from Hutch to skim the South edge of Memphis, then East on US 72 right to a couple miles from my house. Miles up - 1056; miles for the return - 1020. 14 hours 37 minutes, and if this route included 200 miles of Interstates, I'd be surprised it was that much! That's an average of 69.8 mph including all stops. It was by far the most pleasant 1k mile day I've ever done!
Random scenes along the way...
There was only 1 delay: Just before midnight, about 45 minutes west of home,
the Muscle Shoals AL police were out with a holiday weekend roadblock.
It only took about 5 minutes to get through it, and from the number of cars
they had pulled aside, I was glad they were doing it!
At 12:37 I was in my garage. 14 1/2 hours earlier Garmin had projected ETA 12:25.
With 2 gas/pit stops and the roadblock I only missed the time by 12 minutes!
How do they do it? And a terrific route as well - very little interstates.. Gotta love Garmin!
The C5Creations bra filtered lots of bugs that didn't get to my radiator or air filter!
Thanks again to Crow River Corvettes
for putting on such a great fundraiser,
and a ton of fun to boot! I'll definitely be back next year!
And a special Thank You to this wonderful couple for masterminding
this class act, and keeping it all together: Ron & Linda Cleland!