4k miles in 8 days...Michigan to Colorado and back + more!

[KEM IA]

So I just got back from an 8-day, 4k mile road trip that began in Michigan, went through Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Iowa.

I intended on this being a road trip with no specific agendas other than at some point visiting the Badlands (been planning that since reservation day) and also incorporating storm chasing into this too, weather permitting.

I accomplished those goals and more...Including some off road time at Bunce School Road in Allenspark Colorado. It is rated as easy, and I agree, but it was still fun as hell!
Here are some highlight shots from the trip, including mine next to a matte black Bronc at the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park..Anyone here?

The shots of me (except at the Badlands) were shots my girlfriend took
I'll amend this post with more details soon, or if anyone has specific questions. Just got home and am editing photos still and am EXHAUSTED!!

UPDATE:

So I mentioned wanting to storm chase...So I did. Twice...Once in S. Dakota near Hot Springs where I mostly shot cool clouds and ended up driving through pea-sized hail that ended up laying down over an inch in about 10 minutes....The next chase was several days later just south of North Platte Nebraska on June 9th.
That is where the rainbow photo was shot....That is where my hood got some battle scars from near golf ball-sized hail about 15 minutes prior to that shot. MOST of the hail was about marble sized or slightly larger...But at least 7 hail stones that hit my hood were more than 1.25" in diameter.
The last photo was the supercell that produced the hail....I'll update more later...I'm tired as hell LOL!


IMPRESSIONS:

Impressions from MY GIRLFRIEND, "I can't believe how comfortable the Bronco is for such a long trip."
Impressions from ME:
1: I was surprised that we could do a 6 hour stint and not be dying at the end. It really is pretty comfy for what this vehicle was designed to do.
2: The windshield was CONSTANTLY covered in bugs! LOL!!! But it is nearly vertical so..Yeah
3: I get my best mpg at like 75mph.
4: When cell service was bad, it seemed like my phone would disconnect from Sync a lot. Coincidence? idk....Was annoying at times but nothing major.
5: My first experience off-roading at Bunce Schoolhouse Road in Colorado was BADASS!!
I will post a video of me going through a "puddle" that pushed water nearly onto the hood and it was not a problem at all. I went over stuff that my F-150 would have fell apart on. And the G.O.A.T. modes...Are LEGIT! I was in Baja Mode on sandy (deep sand) roads in Nebraska FLYING down them chasing storms and hit this sort of rhythm section and it just absorbed every bump so damn smooth. It made chasing SO MUCH better than anything I've ever owned.
6: EVERY DAMN STOP I was answering questions about my Bronco! LOL!!

What a small world I was at the Badlands Monday. I was in Rapid City during the hail storm. I had bit of a pucker affect when my Bronco got pounded on but no damage. Had a good trip with the family. I also grew up in Colorado and used to 4×4 in same area you hit up.

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[TigerBronco]

So I just got back from an 8-day, 4k mile road trip that began in Michigan, went through Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Iowa.

I intended on this being a road trip with no specific agendas other than at some point visiting the Badlands (been planning that since reservation day) and also incorporating storm chasing into this too, weather permitting.

I accomplished those goals and more...Including some off road time at Bunce School Road in Allenspark Colorado. It is rated as easy, and I agree, but it was still fun as hell!
Here are some highlight shots from the trip, including mine next to a matte black Bronc at the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park..Anyone here?

The shots of me (except at the Badlands) were shots my girlfriend took
I'll amend this post with more details soon, or if anyone has specific questions. Just got home and am editing photos still and am EXHAUSTED!!

UPDATE:

So I mentioned wanting to storm chase...So I did. Twice...Once in S. Dakota near Hot Springs where I mostly shot cool clouds and ended up driving through pea-sized hail that ended up laying down over an inch in about 10 minutes....The next chase was several days later just south of North Platte Nebraska on June 9th.
That is where the rainbow photo was shot....That is where my hood got some battle scars from near golf ball-sized hail about 15 minutes prior to that shot. MOST of the hail was about marble sized or slightly larger...But at least 7 hail stones that hit my hood were more than 1.25" in diameter.
The last photo was the supercell that produced the hail....I'll update more later...I'm tired as hell LOL!


IMPRESSIONS:

Impressions from MY GIRLFRIEND, "I can't believe how comfortable the Bronco is for such a long trip."
Impressions from ME:
1: I was surprised that we could do a 6 hour stint and not be dying at the end. It really is pretty comfy for what this vehicle was designed to do.
2: The windshield was CONSTANTLY covered in bugs! LOL!!! But it is nearly vertical so..Yeah
3: I get my best mpg at like 75mph.
4: When cell service was bad, it seemed like my phone would disconnect from Sync a lot. Coincidence? idk....Was annoying at times but nothing major.
5: My first experience off-roading at Bunce Schoolhouse Road in Colorado was BADASS!!
I will post a video of me going through a "puddle" that pushed water nearly onto the hood and it was not a problem at all. I went over stuff that my F-150 would have fell apart on. And the G.O.A.T. modes...Are LEGIT! I was in Baja Mode on sandy (deep sand) roads in Nebraska FLYING down them chasing storms and hit this sort of rhythm section and it just absorbed every bump so damn smooth. It made chasing SO MUCH better than anything I've ever owned.
6: EVERY DAMN STOP I was answering questions about my Bronco! LOL!!

Awesome trip! Thanks for sharing.

 

[MacDonald_Photo]

Leather or MGV?

MGV...High Package

 

[Svanhildr]

AWESOMEEEEEE! Thanks!

@CO-Bronco i forgot to include the Facebook page https://facebook.com/groups/michiganbroncoclub/?ref=share

We have a standing monthly Holly Meet-up and try to do an additional trail ride each month. Several of us are going to the August Bronco invasion at Silver Lake and we're currently putting together a trail ride through the Grayling system and also a kayak event, potentially 02JUL.

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