#The 2020 Ford Explorer ST

[things-about-cars-in-posts]

And speaking of baffling combinations of fake exhaust tips and real exhaust tips, check out the 2020 Ford Explorer ST's!

"Oh, so those exhaust tips I see are the useless, fake tips only put there for show and pretend?" Yes. "So where are the actual exhaust tips that exhaust gases actually come out of?" You're looking at them.

(Apparently this was done to prevent soot building up on the exhaust tips and making them dirty. Which, like, okay...)

Links in blue are posts of mine explaining the words in question - if you liked this post, you might like those!

went to a sim racing facility for the first time!! having never raced or driven in my life, I set a somewhat ok 58.1 in a Fiat Abarth 500 Assetto Corsa around Brands Hatch Indy.

In honor of this, do you have any Fun Fiat Facts?

Whipped out me sim rig to find out how good a time that was, and it must have taken me around ten laps to manage less (a 57.8)! (Gamer excuses for this sessions are a framerate barely at illusion-of-movement levels and some clutch mapping issue that made most shifts crunch.) For someone who never even drove, that's quite good! Now, maybe not "Run get a sim wheel right now for the good of humanity" good... but maybe "Finding out a used Logitech G25 is Christmas-present cheap may enrich your free time" good.

As for the Fun Fiat Fact request, it's denied: not only because I've already written about Fiat -and for my very first post no less- but most importantly because that car is not a Fiat! Indeed, since 2007 Abarth is, officially, a brand unto itself, that sells models like the 500 and the 124, just like Fiat sells models like the 500 and the 124. Now, I don't think anyone is going to try and pretend the similarities are just a coincidence or that an Abarth 500 is in any way not objectively a Fiat - but it's not a "Fiat 500 Abarth" any more than the one below is a "Chevrolet Cavalier Toyota".

That's right, there once was such thing as a Toyota Cavalier. Oh, brand engineering.

This is a rare but not completely isolated arrangement - see for example Ruf, German brand that makes vehicles based on Porsches, best known for the Ruf CTR -nicknamed "Yellowbird"- that bested the Ferrari F40's incredible top speed record.

Be careful who you call ugly under the 200mph barrier.

But yeah, all that is to say, I am not going to give you any fun Fiat facts. >:(

Let's give you fun Abarth facts then! Let's talk about fake exhausts. Big engines move a lot of gas -that's kind of the point- so they have big exhaust pipes for all that gas to leave, and high-tier exhausts are made of fancy materials that shine.

This -and our love for fancy shiny things in general- makes people like big shiny exhausts. But exhausts are very long, and making them big and shiny is costly. So people figured, what if we only make it wide at the end, where you actually see it?

After all, if the tip is large enough, it will satisfy regardless of what the rest of its length is like - sure, people may think it looks a bit weird when you take it out, but if that happens you've already scored, haven't you. But now, back to exhausts.

If you can just attach a bigger tip to the end of your exhaust, surely you can attach a tip of a different material and have a bog standard exhaust with a cool shiny tip, that now you can also shape to your designer's content!

(Fun fact: an aftermarket exhaust system that only replaces the components that come after the catalytic converter -which, contrary to the popular misconception that confuses it with the muffler, is mounted right beside the engine- is called a "catback exhaust". Picture unrelated.)

But then, if the tip material is completely separate from the exhaust pipe, you can now just make it a plastic part of the bumper and it doesn't need to withstand temperatures as high and is even cheaper and easier to style!

And now that they're not mounted on the tip of the exhaust, they don't have to coincide with it, so you can split the exhaust into two tips, which is cooler because they're more! Hell, you can also do that by just making the exhaust coincide with one tip and have the other blanked off!

But at that point, why even have the exhaust show up back there at all? Just make the tips blank and make the exhaust go down behind them!

And at that point why not just fuck it up to the point where you need this exhaust evolutionary biology 101 course to even recognize it is meant to be an exhaust, if we can kill God who's left to stop us from dancing on his corpse.

Well, the Abarth 500, as you might have guessed by now, has fake exhaust tips. But here's the weird thing: the real exhaust tips are not any less shiny and prominent than the fake ones. See for yourself in this sound video.

Oh also, I hope the devil got some killer stuff from the deal he made with the Abarth exhaust engineer, because if he only got a piddly little soul in exchange for the ability to turn 500 engine noise into this he got majorly screwed over.

Links in blue are posts of mine explaining the words in question - if you liked this post, you might like those!

[a-collection-of-cool-ideas]

Thank you wonderful fanfiction authors! You do a great part to make life wonderful. Recs below the cut (I CANNOT believe I haven't rec'ed some of these before!) Previous recs: 2018, 2020, 2022. Looks like I only do these every two years lol.

Gravity Falls

Feels Like We Only Go Backwards, by @dubsdeedubs / WDW; complete multichapter. A heartbreaking concept with a happy ending. Sad but wonderful and a really fun idea. Working out just what is happening is a great challenge, and watching the pieces fall into place with mounting consternation is awesome.

In Search of Antidotes, by @astriiformes / azhdarchidaen; complete multichapter. An awesome Historical AU, and neither Ford nor Stan go through the portal (there’s still suffering though). Bit of freakiness, bit of funniness, bit of stubbornness, bit of coolness. A very cool read! A much more classic demon-possession story than canon with its modern sci-fi overtones. The gothic sci-fi horror takes the floor here. Jekyll and Hyde, Frankenstein, Dracula, it takes inspiration from all the best roots!

Just a Game, by @nikxation / nikxation; one-shot. Intense! High stakes! Well-written! Doesn’t mess around getting to the point, and hammers its beats into you! LOVE it! Bill holds a gun on Ford, while in Ford's own body. The tension in this is unbelievable!

An Outreached Hand, by @dubsdeedubs / WDW; incomplete multichapter. Something freakishly supernatural happened to Stan during his homeless days. It’s called Ghost Trick AU, and it’s super interesting and utterly engaging! It’ll have you tearing through it wanting to know what the heck is going on! The characters are all so intense in their own ways, and the plot is drip fed to you piece by delicious piece.

Snapshots from an Alternate Reality, by Rethira; one-shot. PORTAL STAN!! Just a short little one-shot about this alternate version of events, but incredibly cool to read. Love the writing style: it takes you through the scenes like a skipping stone, its wake mesmerising.

All Things Go, by @cantica10 / Cantica10; incomplete multichapter. A weird (in the best way) idea of a crossover between Timestuck AU (where Mabel is trapped in the past) and a Wings AU (where, you guessed it, everyone has wings). Adorable Stan and Mabel bonding, but is SO not afraid to get really dark. That being said, it’s also so sweet and fluffy, and explores the effortless love that Mabel feels for Stan, and that (broken, scared, young, sad) Stan feels for her. This is one of those fics I am compelled to keep coming back to. It’s such a full experience to read.

Snow and Pine, by @ancientstone / TheArchaeologist; incomplete series. A great concept!! Loved the idea of these two brothers being forced together by circumstances instead of intention. Some great selective description here, and the plot itself is a very fun ride. WERE. WOLF. STAN. Need I say more?

Lighthouse Keeper, by @impishnature / impish_nature; incomplete series. There’s a lot to this story; the main work is mostly a series of one-shots, with other works sprinkled between. The idea is so eerie and haunting, and the vibes are pretty different to most other things I’ve read. The instigating artwork by @sightkeeper is magnificent and Imp has managed to capture the images very well!

Triptych, by @scribefindegil / scribefindegil; one-shot. A very cool character study on Stan. Great for informing his central motivations. It's kept short and sweet, but the analysis is no less thorough for it. I loved the insight into my favourite character's life and mind. Scribe writes him so well.

Blind Faith, by pinesinthewoods; complete multichapter. Come on, how could I NOT mention this one? It's one of the many here I'm astonished not to have rec'ed earlier. Super dark, super scary, an AU where both Stan and Ford fall into the portal. Ouch, but cool. Really good, but be prepared to yell out loud in horror. This is a doozy, don’t expect a lot of happy feels going into it. That being said, it is INCREDIBLE. The structure of the story is fantastic, perfectly encapsulating the reliance each of the brothers’ needs to have on the other and how one has to step up when the other can’t. Stan and Ford are forcibly tied together in this, and they find they each mean more to the other than expected after ten years of bitterness and radio silence. A STAPLE of Gravity Falls fics.

Like They Were a Perfect Fit, by @sensitiveowl / hapful; one-shot. Aw, ow, cries. Love! Lots of tangled-up emotions and scenes that will tug at your heartstrings thinking about Ford’s life journey. Speculations on the importance of the photo that Ford is implied to have carried around with him for 30 damn years.

30 Seconds Later, by @invisibletinkerer / shayera; incomplete multichapter. Loved this to death! A really great concept executed fantastically. An AU where while it took Stan thirty years to rebuild the portal, Ford was only gone for thirty seconds. The characterisation of paranoid Ford and his interactions with the rest of his family are perfect, as is his reaction to finding himself in the future and his relationship to Stan. And Stan is wonderful in this too! A very good examination of age, aging, and the associated changes in perspective.

1 Step Forward, 20 Years Back, by @infriga / Ppleater; complete multichapter. An AU where Stan is turned into a kid in the midst of Ford’s pre-portal paranoia over Bill. It adopts the wonder and innocence that comes with youth, but still retains the darkness of Stan’s adulthood - wait, actually, his entire life has been kinda dark in this fic. This is one of those fics you can tell the author had a lot of fun with. It’s palpable in the chapter titles and the art :) The illustrations are beautiful, the story is heartfelt, and it is not at all afraid to go into some dark places. A very enjoyable, loveable, read!

The Road in Front of You, by @nicnacsnonsense / Nicnac; complete multichapter. Ford falls through a portal potty and gets dumped in Stan's path. MAN!!! This fic has a really great concept, and Nicnac’s writing is impeccable as always. A great look at Ford and Stan’s relationship post-high school, how their personalities have developed and changed, and most importantly how they reconcile the changes in each other.

Nothing a Little Sleep Can’t Fix, by AkitaFallow; one-shot. Oh MAN. WOW. Okay. A heavier look on the mark Sock Opera leaves on Dipper, featuring repercussions throughout the rest of Dipper’s summer. Absolutely, heartbreakingly, entrancing. The slow build up of the plot perfectly mimics the rising emotions that poor Dipper is struggling to keep a lid on until they inevitably explode, and watching the people who love him pick up his pieces afterwards is just golden.

Ad Infinitum, by @nicnacsnonsense / Nicnac; one-shot. My first read of the Same Coin Theory and it was awesooooooooome!!! There are so many repetitions of phrases that spark in my mind because of how great they were, and the aspects of Stan contrasted with Bill that thread through it are incredible. Kind of an unsettling concept. I couldn’t get enough. For a fic that’s all about cycling around, you'd think it'd get repetitive, but every paragraph is rich with novelty. A FEAST.

Some Sunny Day, by @anistarrose / anistarrose; complete multichapter. Another Same Coin Theory fic. The beats of the plot in this are stunning, with some truly awesome lines that left me reeling and thinking Oh SHIT that did NOT just happen!!! In the best way possible. A highly interesting story and some excellent takes on the Pines family and the world of Gravity Falls.

Towards the Sun, by @notthistimespock and pinesinthewoods; complete multichapter. EXTREME BROTHERLY FEELS. Incredible! Love the in-depth examination and speculation on Ford and Stan prefinale. A different ending for Weirdmageddon, following Ford’s journey through Stan’s mind. It gets sad, it gets scary, it gets freaky, you shed tears. Another one of those staple fics for the fandom. The story is a wild and heartrending adventure, full of imagery that stuck in my brain for years after the first time I read it.

Fisherman’s Knot, by @scribefindegil / scribefindegil; complete multichapter. MORE EXTREME BROTHERLY FEELS. Deals with postcanon adventures on the Stan’O’War II, including some reeeaaaally bad mental states/situations. Have tissues handy. I think this is generally regarded as the be-all-and-end-all of Stan twin angst. It is long, it is HEAVY, but it is also heartwarming and hopeful, and full of adventure and magic, and the kind of love it's made with really comes through.

Mob Boss Stan Pines, by Capricious_Passions; complete multichapter. A fic that you HAVE to read over again to get the complete picture. Complex and well-thought out, incredible attention to detail, but the first read will baffle you! A lot of fun trying to figure out what’s happening, and even more fun on the re-read picking up all the details you missed the first time!

Scrapbook, by Shyeye; complete multichapter. The complicated weight of grief hangs heavy over everyone in the story, and the difficulties in dealing with it are at the forefront of everyone’s minds. The depth each of these characters are written with is very much appreciated, not-so-pretty parts and all. This was a wonderful, touching, read.

Rescind, Reset, by @endae / endae; one-shot. Canon divergence where Mabel temporarily lost her life during Weirdmageddon, and the aftereffects on her and the rest of the family. It is one of the most beautiful things I’ve read, very emotionally raw. I cry every time. This incredible story is wrought with a filter of broken hearts being pieced back together as the characters live through the aftermath of their happy ending. It’s a shining, nuanced take on Mabel and how someone with her personality deals with the plot premise. I love the complexity of the emotions in this, not only from Mabel but also from the rest of the Pines as they work through their own traumas.

Safe as Houses, by @beastenraged / Beastrage; complete multichapter. If I could whistle I would! An entrancing read about the Pines family’s adventures from the perspective of their home. Some great and not too far-fetched ideas about how the Shack may have come across to its inhabitants over the years.

Greyscale, by @impishnature / impish_nature; one-shot. OH MY LORD. Incredibly touching and heartbreaking, I can’t look at this directly for fear of being emotionally blinded. Loss, and gain, and loss. Striking, powerful, so, so beautiful and painful. The aftermath of Weirdmageddon: another canon divergence where Stan lost his life. Except... Reverse Portal AU Stan stumbles across this sad dimension soon after. I swear, no fic has made me cry so hard and left me so much in shock of what the heck just happened to me. I love the look at how loss has affected the characters, and I especially love the path to recovery that is laid out for them.

Buying Gold, by @dubsdeedubs / WDW; incomplete series. Veeeery intriguing. It’s not really Same Coin Theory, but it’s a great read about the similarities between Stan and Bill and some cool speculation on Stan post-defeating Bill.

Any Family You Choose, by @nicnacsnonsense / Nicnac; incomplete multichapter. So sweet! Portal Dipper finds a young Stan Pines and decides to help him out. This concept is so wonderful, and the characterisation is blindingly clear. Keeps you guessing at the backstory!

Across the Universe, by Queen_Mab; one-shot. SUCH a great set of adventures. The multiverse really tries to hammer in its lessons sometimes, whether they stand a chance of sticking or not. Extremely well-written and fun, I devoured every word ravenously. Some scenes of Ford's portal time, with some VERY interesting encounters.

Star Wars

Anything Brighter than Even the Sun, by @hamliet / Hamliet; complete multichapter. The Rogue One crew survives and continues rebelling, as does Galen! The main focus is on Jyn and Cassian's characters and relationship, and how they navigate growing into a family. I love Jyn's character especially in this, with all those hard edges guarding a deep, deep well of passion.

Chirality, by @niobiumao3 / Niobium; complete multichapter. A Tech was CX-2 fic! It's great to see this fan theory explored, and Niobium writes so well! The plot is entrancing and has you hooked on the edge of your seat waiting for all the pieces to fall into place for our poor brainwashed guy. The way CX-2 thinks and melds with the personality of who Tech once was is beautiful and his interactions with his family and Phee are a sight to behold.

Crash Landing by @returnofahsoka / delightwrites; complete multichapter. Another Tech is CX-2 fic, can you tell this idea has a hold of me. The characters' voices in this come through SO clearly, it's insane, and the writing style is perfection. Jumbled and pained and confused and grieving, all threaded through with that little bit of hope. Wonderful.

I'll Keep You Safe (You Keep Me Strong), by @miadeardn / sheikahs; oneshot. An AU where Crosshair's chip never activates and he is as embroiled in adjusting to being on the run with a new little sister as the rest of the Batch. Just a sweet little moment between the two. Both of them are written very in-character, and it's great seeing a side of Crosshair that never came to regard his brothers as his enemies.

Talking in Defence, by @buskuta / buskuta; oneshot. An awesome look at all of Hunter's complicated feelings regarding Omega and Crosshair's relationship post-Tantiss. He's not a paragon of perfection, he's human. I can't emphasise enough how much I love this and how well he's written here.

Unyielding, by Face_of_Poe; complete multichapter. The scene immediately post-reunion between Omega, Hunter, and Wrecker, with some speculation on Crosshair's internal strife at that moment. There's a chapter for each of the remaining Batch and Wrecker's is EXCEEDINGLY well-written in my opinion. We don't get nearly enough exploration in canon or fanon about the depth of his thoughts and feelings.

Plan 100, by Face_of_Poe; complete multichapter. An awesome canon-divergence speculating on Omega and Crosshair's escape from Tantiss. The action is great, the strategy and coded communication is so sharp, and the feeling of desperation as Omega and Crosshair fight to evade recapture is fantastically taut. I especially love the small moments in this showing just how close these two have grown, and, in Crosshair's case, how little he's realised it happening. It feels very true to their characters.

Through Darkness Unknown, by @stardustandash / StardustAndAsh; complete multichapter. Holy shit the stakes are so high in this. A Tech Lives canon divergence of Omega and Crosshair's stay in Tantiss, and you can really FEEL just how helpless they all are to Hemlock's control. I absolutely love how this fic does not pull its punches, really forcing Crosshair and Omega into relying heavily on each other. There's so many great scenes in this that are seared into my brain!!

Ask Yourself, by StoneSage; complete multichapter. Omega is captured by the Empire while Crosshair's still working for them. I freaking love the complicated messiness of Crosshair's response to this- he's constantly challenged to act on the callous persona he projects, and constantly comes up short realising what he's actually willing to do to his family when it comes down to it. Very true to his character, and the quandaries Rampart presents him with a subtly terrifying. A fantastic examination of character and a great plot to go with it.

The Space in Between, by Misvet; incomplete multichapter. A series of stories focusing on the complications and dangers involved with Omega joining the Bad Batch. The writing style is great, the plots are great, the characters are great! It's all great! Just read it!

Maybe Fate Has Different Plans, by hanged_albatross; complete series. God I love this so much. Some incredibly touching and well-written moments of the Bad Batch protecting each other in a dangerous galaxy, with Omega, of course, at the centre. She is characterised so well in this, and constantly written with the idea of despite being so young, she is also no less protective of her brothers than they are of her.

Modern Batch, by kaydear; incomplete series. DUUUUDES just read this. It's such a sweet collection of stories about an alternate universe of the Bad Batch in a contemporary setting. Life is tough and complicated and full of pain, but also there are others right beside you to lean on when you need it, and so life is also full of love. I have cried multiple times while reading and re-reading this.

Skulduggery Pleasant

I Will Lay Me Down, by mcginnis; oneshot. This is perfection. A rewrite of the aftermath of the Lord Vile reveal in Death Bringer. I wish this was canon. Valkyrie and Skulduggery are PERFECTLY characterised in this scene, and the nitty-gritty of how they're both feeling is thoroughly explored and explained, and the tone of the story never once diverges from canon's- it is complicated, dark, and interspersed with ridiculous levity.

Pride and Prejudice

A New Addition, by @ralkana / Ralkana; oneshot. A great fic about Elizabeth and Darcy and childbirth, various moments in this are imprinted in my mind permanently. High emotions all over the place, incredible tension and wonderful dynamics between the two main characters and the rest of the family.

Mr Bennet Travels Through Time, by AMarguerite; oneshot. A truly great fic with a wild concept that totally works. Mr Bennet is actually from the 1990s. Weird and funny, but also touching and sad, and goes leagues towards explaining a lot of this man's quirks and contradictions. I was fully invested in this all the way through reading, and it did not disappoint. Utterly satisfying.

Once Upon a Time

The Worst, by @alchemistc / alchemistique; oneshot. The real-life dynamics of these ridiculous fairytale people had me grinning ear to ear. The mortifying ordeal of your family of fictitious characters helping you move into your college dorm as told from Henry's perspective. Love it to death.

[davesdailyfinds]

Hey y’all I traded for this 2020 Explorer ST recently! Rapid Red Metallic. 33k miles. 1-owner locally owned. They took amazing care of it! $45,990. These always sell fast come see me 865-679-0322 (at Ted Russell Ford Parkside Drive) https://www.instagram.com/p/ClPGpBAJbLJ/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[superautoreviews]

2021 Ford Explorer ST Price, Specs, Release Date

New Post has been published on https://www.dennyfordlm.com/2021-ford-explorer-st-price-specs-release-date/

2021 Ford Explorer ST Price, Specs, Release Date

2021 Ford Explorer ST Price, Specs, Release Date – One of the many top-rated vendors in the US is able to be provided around the world. This is the entirely new 2021 Ford Explorer ST. The latest Ford is trapped while in its screening in Michigan. In spite of the hefty conceal, we have been able to notice some fascinating changes in virtually every portion from the motor vehicle. There are several gossips that this may appear with the 2017 L.A. Car Show. Even so, it can be more inclined that this is likely to make the world`s best in Detroit Automobile Show the coming year.

2021 Ford Explorer ST Redesign

Exterior And Interior Design

To begin with, 2021 Ford Explorer ST is going to not any longer drive on D4 program. Now, it will be underpinned together with Ford`s brand new D6 program manufactured for larger sized versions. It comes with an entrance-tire travel structured design, nevertheless AWD could possibly be recommended way too. This system employs light in weight supplies for example aluminium that will have an effect on Explorer`s bodyweight. Consequently, this new version will probably be less dense than before in spite of the high dimension. The result will likely be better productivity and standard performance.

2021 Ford Explorer ST Exterior

About outer style, 2021 Ford Explorer ST could sustain its well-known boxy look. Even so, we can easily count on numerous changes throughout the body, especially in the front-end. So, we shall discover a different hood and also fender. The actual headlamps will probably be improved also. The backstop will undertake a few changes too. Everything we know to date is it will need different characteristic taillights.

2021 Ford Explorer ST Interior

Talking about the interior, as a result of the new program, the latest Ford will offer you more room on the inside. It would have about three series of secure seating. The cabin will give far more go along with legroom. Moreover, we can easily assume a lot of safety plus infotainment characteristics. Regrettably, as a result of insufficient details, we need to hang on the corporation recognised news for more information.

2021 Ford Explorer ST Engine

2021 Ford Explorer ST is predicted to become operated with 2 kinds of motors. Typically the basic can be a 2.3-litre a number of-tube turbocharged generator. This can make 280 hp as well as the torque regarding 310 lb-toes. The following solution will, almost certainly, be considered a 3.5-litre V-6 EcoBoost vehicle. This kind of device can help to make 290 horsepower along with 255 lb-ft of torque. When it comes to transmission, the existing product is combined with a 6-velocity automated. Even so, the newest media claim that it could get yourself a new 9-pace mechanical gearbox now.

2021 Ford Explorer ST Engine

2021 Ford Explorer ST Release Date And Price

2021 Ford Explorer ST is definitely timetabled hitting the marketplace during the summer time of 2020. When it comes to price, there are not any established details. But, it can definitively are more expensive compared to starting up cost involving titties forerunner which can be all around $32,000.

[chadscapture]

2020 Ford Explorer ST

[supercartube]

2020 Ford Explorer ST

2019 New York Auto Show

#NYIAS2019

[toyotaautoes]

2020 Ford Explorer ST Review United States – Ford is expanding its 2020 Explorer line at both ends, with the introduction of a 2020 Ford Explorer ST performance model at one end and the addition of one hybrid on the other: two distinct performance expressions for those who want higher doses of adrenaline or efficiency of fuel.

[carssuvreport-blog]

The new 2020 Ford Explorer ST features the very modern-day and special outside design. As any other Ford's ST variation, this set likewise looks sporty.

[sajid2163-blog]

The 2020 Explorer has been completely redesigned — inside, outside and under the hood. In addition to capability enhancing features like rear-wheel drive, there are also two available trims. Ford now offers a commanding, no-compromise Explorer Limited Hybrid as well as the most powerful Explorer to date, the Explorer ST. With 400 horsepower, 415 lb.-ft. of torque and top speed of 143 mph, an ST brings the adventure to you.

[itshotcars]

The 2020 Ford Explorer ST Is a Fast Family SUV https://ift.tt/2M0iz5e

[havekiddoswilltravel]

A Comprehensive List of Homeschool Days

Homeschool Days 2019 – 2020

 -          Connecticut Historical Society Museum and Library – Location: Hartford, CT

o   The museum offers a variety of educational opportunities designed for homeschool families. Homeschool Days at the Connecticut Historical Society feature programs specifically designed for homeschool families.

-          New Britain Museum of American Art – Location: New Britain, CT

o   3rd Friday of every month, October – May

o   Homeschool Days at the NBMAA are designed for students in K – 8. A different artistic element, historical period or exhibit is featured monthly.

-          The Maritime Aquarium Homeschool Day – Norwalk, CT

- Stepping Stones Museum - Norwalk, CT

Mondays, 1:00 – 4:00 pm

$5/person

These special programs provide homeschool groups of all sizes and ages with a unique opportunity to investigate our multidisciplinary, hands-on exhibits and activities. Plus, meet other homeschool groups in the area. Come have an amazing, imaginative play date with us at Stepping Stones Museum for Children.

 -          Connecticut Science Center – Hartford, CT

o   Science related educational activities with reduced full access to the entire science center.

- The Adventure Park at Storrs Homeschool Day - Storrs, CT

Attention Homeschool families! We are opening the park early on Friday, October 18 for a special Homeschool Day event!

Join us between 10 am and 3 pm to receive a special 30% off discount off General Admission for Homeschool families.

To participate, call us at 860-946-0606 by Wedneday 10/16 to book your climb at the discounted rate.

 -          Connecticut Trolley Museum – East Windsor, CT

o   In October, this museum offers a homeschool day pumpkin patch ride combination. Participants ride a trolley cart to the pumpkin patch and get a pumpkin.

- Old Sturbridge Village Homeschool Days - Sturbridge, MA

 -          New England Air Museum – Windsor Locks, CT

o   This homeschool day offers a variety of hands on flight related activities, as well as open cockpit at the museum.

- Mystic Aquarium Homeschool Days - Mystic, CT

-          John Madison’s Montpelier – Montpelier Station, VA

o   Click here for a look at the variety of activities offered.

-          Plimoth Plantation – Plymouth, MA

o   Spend the day in the 17th century at Plimoth Plantation. Homeschool families are invited to visit the museum’s Living History Exhibits including the 17th Century English Village, Wampanoag Homesite and Plimoth Grist Mill at a discount admission rate.

-          Hershey – Hershey, PA

o   Bring your kids to The Hershey Story and discover all things Hershey. You’ll learn about the man, his business, the town and chocolate in an interactive hands-on way. The programs sell out early, so make sure to keep an eye out for registration deadlines.

-          Botanical Research Institute of Texas – Fort Worth, TX

o   Check and out and learn in their outdoor classrooms. Their homeschool Day is a custom experienced designed to encourage exploration and discovery in homeschool students.

 -          Fort Ticonderoga – Ticonderoga, NY

o   Spend a day at Fort Ticonderoga and take part in a series of programs designed for homeschool families.

 -          Virginia Zoo – Norfolk, VA

 -          Sealife Orlando Aquarium – Orlando, FL

o   Homeschool families are welcome to enjoy discounted admission rates every Tuesday throughout the year.

 -          Kings Island – Kings Island, OH

o   Homeschool families get to enjoy reduced admission rates on homeschool days.

-          Historic New England Homeschool Days – Various Locations throughout New England  

-          Chesapeake Bay Maritime Aquarium – St. Michaels, MD

-          Mount Vernon Homeschool Day – Mount Vernon, VA

-          Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello – Charlottesville, VA

 -          Dollywood – Pigeon Ford, TN

o   Special rates are available to homeschool students and families during homeschool days at Dollywood. Dates are usually in August and September.

 -          Children’s Museum of Atlanta – Atlanta, GA

-          California Science Center – Los Angeles, CA

-          National D-Day Memorial Homeschool Day – Bedford, VA

o   $5 admission including hands on activities and tours.

  -          Colonial Williamsburg, Williamsburg, VA

 o   During special homeschool days, homeschoolers and their families can enjoy hands on activities at a discounted rate.

-          Wilderness at the Smokies – Homeschool rates for lodging.

o   Homeschool families can stay as low as $79 per night at Stone Hill Lodge and $99 per night for studio suites at River Lodge between October 20th and November 7th, Sunday through Thursday.  Use promo code HMSC19 when booking online of via phone.

-          Valley Forge Park – King of Prussia, PA

-          Penn Museum - Philadelphia, PA

-          Digital Harbor Foundation – Baltimore, MD

-          Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum – New York, NY

-          Pats Peak Homeschool Ski Days – Henniker, NH

-          Jamestown Settlement Homeschool Days and Discounts – Yorktown, VA

-          Otis Ridge Homeschool Ski Days – Otis, MA

-          Crotched Mountain Homeschool Ski Fieldtrip Rates – Bennington, NH

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[smoothshift]

I Just went and test drove the 2020 Explorer ST. Here's a quick review. via /r/cars

I Just went and test drove the 2020 Explorer ST. Here's a quick review.

Having owned a 2017 Sport for almost 4 years now and with the 2020s hitting dealers, I thought I would go check them out in person to see if its worth the upgrade.

I drove a black ST with the optional ST Wheel pack pic

Exterior: From the rear ¾ all the way to the side view, this thing looks pretty aggressive. The optional ST wheels look great, but the painted red stock calipers are pretty gimmicky. Moving to the front ¾ view the previous gen post facelift (2016-2019) absolutely wins here. The 2020 isnt very aggressive looking even in the ST trim and just kinda looks like a fish.

interior: For how large the previous gen was, its always felt like the interior space was poorly utilized. The door panels are extremely fat, and the dash comes up really high and back down into the cabin. Sync 3 and the Sony sound system on the Sport is decent, but the B&O in the 2020 is worlds better. The floor in the rear is now flat, and the bucket seats tilt and slide forward instead of completely folding up to make getting in the back seats easier.

The ST seats are much more supportive, and an major upgrade with individually adjustable lower mid and upper lumbar, as well as a massage function which is also a bit gimmicky. The side bolsters are very supportive and hold you in the seat, unlike the previous where there was almost zero bolstering present. The ventilated seats work great and are welcome with the 100F days we have here in Texas.

Compared to the 2017, the steering wheel in the ST is fantastic. Its nice and fat and I found gripping it right where the paddle shifters are was extremely comfortable.

Ford has done away with the mechanical gauges in the ST and Platinum and gone to a single screen. There are several drive modes, and depending on the mode you select the display changes to accommodate. In normal mode, the screen only displays speed, but Sport changes to speed as well as tach. I thought I was going to hate the giant vertical tablet screen but its not actually terrible, and navigation shows a lot more of your route ahead than a landscape style screen. All of the climate controls are pretty intuitive and have mechanical buttons and dials.

The ST and platinum come standard with radar cruise, and start stop traffic as well as blind spot and lane control. I tested it out a bit and works pretty well even when coming to a full stop.

Performance: ST and Platinum come with the 3.0 ecoboost, and 10 speed standard. When comparing this to the 3.5 ecoboost and archaic 6 speed in the previous gen this thing is fast as shit for a large SUV. I cant wait to see what Livernois will do with this thing.

The one major complaint I have with the FWD based 2017 is the massive amount of torque steer you get at anything past half throttle. I always had felt like I had to compensate to keep it from pulling right. With the RWD based AWD its extremely stable and straight and the acceleration is a completely different feeling, its just constant and uninterrupted with the 10 speed. Overall turn in is way better and just feels overall more capable than previous gen.

Price: at around $57k MSRP its certainly not cheap. Given previous pricing trends, these should be going for well under MSRP once dealers get flooded with them. if you don’t care about the extra power or features, I feel the Limited trim will be a really good buy if you need a SUV with a 3rd row.

TL;DR: This is a massive upgrade from the previous Taurus based generation in every single way

[uncrate]

2020 Ford Explorer ST SUV

[davesdailyfinds]

Sold! 🫡 Shoutout to my friend Carrie Hilbert for this referral! Turns out Hanna and Shawn Crawford are crazy for the Explorer ST! 🏁🇺🇸Hanna first saw the Atlas Blue color at Ford’s ST driving experience after buying their 2020 model. Love at first sight I guess 😂 🥰 We had the perfect one in production and stayed in touch all through to delivery day. This wasn’t on the ground more than a couple hours before going to its new home! Thanks again y’all and enjoy your new awesome ride! Come see me again at 9925 Parkside Drive 😎 #tedrussellfordlincolnparksidedrive #upgradeseason #knoxville #tennessee (at Ted Russell Ford Parkside Drive) https://www.instagram.com/p/Ck_IF0juFdh/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[soulsteer]

2020 #Ford Explorer ST

http://namastecar.com/2020-ford-explorer-st/