OMG..........what a rush! Had no idea what our little crossie could do till we followed a few leaders. Thanks to all of you, we are now hooked. We rode that baby hard and put her up wet when we got home...............since our trip was delayed several hours. We blew a rear tire close to Carthage MO. After a tow into town, and waiting on tires from Springfield (I always replace 2 @ a time - like to keep mileage even), we got home late evening. Total mileage 2,581. P.S. turns out the other rear tire was showing steel belt as well, so good thing we replaced both. Kinda expected this after the Dragon and other runs and long highway miles. But....I did not care....I was still on a high and it was worth every penny!


Thank you Gary for taking us newbies under your wing and then letting us fly. You are a wonderful, thoughtful leader and we appreciated all your help.


You crossie people are a blast and so welcoming.....thought we were at a "family reunion". All your tips were invaluable and much appreciated. Loved meeting you all.


Our next trip will be to Eureka Springs, AR for the CAA in June 2015. We look forward to seeing you all again.


P.S. We ended up with Michelin Pilot Sport AS 3 - non-directional tires on rear. Previously had the Pilot Sport Plus - directional. The front tires are the Sport Plus - directional. Is this difference okay? How does it affect driving the car?