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We're still formulating the drive's specifics but I wanted to let everyone know that it seems like we've got the basics down.
I think we'll be starting from the Krispy Kreme in Gurnee. From there we'll do some road work and twisty bits to the Jelly Belly Factory, just over the line into Wisconsin where we'll take the free 30 minutes tour.
After easting our fill of free Jelly Bellys we can drive thru Petrified Springs Park (maybe along the lake front south), and end up at THE SPOT drive in for huge burgers and frosty mugs of root beer served carside by car hops.
The Spot can hold about 30 cars on the drive in lot, so lets shoot for 30 plus MINIs.
Jelly Belly tours run after 9am, and The Spot opens at 10:30am. I would think we should start in the morning and end up at The Spot sometime around 12-1.
How does this sound to everyone? (thanks Jeeves for most of the text!)
<p>Sounds great.. We can get a group together from the city/near north suburbs for a scenic drive to Krispy Kreme.. We can meet somewhere convienient for all who want and maybe either shoot up Sheridan or go more westerly.. Saunders to Riverwood to Bradley to St. Mary to OPlaine.. Let me know</p>
<p>Count me in (weather permitting), but I will probably meet you in Gurnee.</p>
<p>I'm working on the route from the Jelly Belly to THE SPOT drive in. Gabe, if you come up with the part from Krispy Kreme to an entry point into Wi; I will match the rest of the route to that point.
I have some contact with the local print media, so I'm wondering if we would like some coverage of the MINI invasion at THE SPOT? In Kenosha, Saturdays are slow news days…</p>
<p>Just realized, belatedly, that I'll have an out-of-town guest who needs to get to the airport between noon and one…so a firm itinerary would be appreciated! Good news is she's game for just about anything, and I think at least the early part of the tour will work well for me still.</p>
<p>D'oh! I'm getting senile in my old age.</p>
<p>Steve – maybe you and I could figure out some drive ideas from Gurnee to the WI border. I don't know that area too well and you did a great job with the last drive in that area.</p>
<p>Nevermind my last post…I was a day off. I'll just need to book it back to the city around 1 or so. Double D'oh! Good thing, too, because I'm NOT missing this drive!</p>
<p>Steve, Let me know your starting point and time, and I'll be there. Sheridan sounds like a good route to me and Max (my Mini). To me, Gurnee is Great America and Gurnee Mills, so I need a guide to Krispy Kreme.</p>
<p>How about those of us coming from the city or the near northern suburbs meet in Evanston or Wilmette and head up Sheridan Rd. to Gurnee. We could go over to Highway 41 somewhere around Lakeforest and go from there to Gurnee. Any thoughts?</p>
<p>gabe.
i'd be down for that! i don't know if i'd be able to head up to wisc. but to gurnee, i'm down!</p>
<p>Gabe, didn't you want to start at Gillson Park across from Bahai'i that other time? Think there are Park Dist. probs with that idea in the winter?</p>
<p>I thnk those of us coming from the city or the near northern suburbs should meet at
<a href="http://www.plazadelago.com/" rel="nofollow">Plaza De Lago</a> in Wilmette. It's right on Sheridan road and offers plenty of parking and a Starbucks. I'm thinking we should plan to be there around 8am. I know that's a bit early but I want to make sure to have enough time for the Jelly Belly tour as well as get to the Spot around lunch time (1pm?). We would probably be meeting at the Krispy Kreme around 10am or so for those who live up that way or aren't into early Saturday mornings. These times are guestimates at this point of course. Thoughts?</p>
<p>Sounds good to me… I'll be there</p>
<p>Sounds great, the Krispy Kreme is just minutes away from where we live. Look forward to meeting you all for the first time.</p>
<p>Hey, I'm a new MCS owner and this drive sounds like a lot of fun. I live in Rogers Park and would love to meet up with some of you guys in the Near North suburbs to start the drive. This sounds like fun!</p>
<p>Re Plaza del Lago: Should we meet at the southeastern parking quadrant, then, near the Starbucks itself? IIRC, there's an entrance to the lot directly south of the Starbucks, so gathering there should be pretty easy.</p>
<p>Hi Singapore Jim, Was that you I saw this morning near Knauz?</p>
<p>This sounds like a great plan. Perhaps the Michigan MINI Motor Club will make this our monthly get-together. I am almost certain that we will come down from Flint. Sounds like a lot of fun! Can we have an address to get Mapquest directions?</p>
<p>Ryan: 1515 Sheridan Road, Wilmette, Illinois 60091 is what Plaza del Lago says its "address" is. If you were to take the Skyway in from Indiana, head up Lake Shore Drive, and keep right to take Sheridan Road through Evanston, you'll find Plaza del Lago on your left about 2-3 minutes after you pass the Bahai'i Temple. The temple itself is this huge, intricately carved alabaster dome with a bit of zigzag roadway below. Can't miss it.</p>
<p>Yeah that sounds great. Michigan people are more than welcome! You may want to make sure you give yourself enough time to get here though. Although I'd imagine you'd be getting here early enough that you'd miss Saturday morning rush hour. Also it's worth noting that we won't actually be leaving until 8:30 or so. If you guys are definately coming I'll make sure to post my mobile number so you can let me know if any are running late. As far as directions and maps I'll post something with links to all the maps and that lists all the addresses. My hope it to get all that relevent info up by Sunday night. But until then I think we've got the basics down.</p>
<p>The last I read, the drive is scheduled for the 8th? 🙁 Saturday's are no good for me since I have to work. Hope everyone has a wonderful time. Let me know how it goes. I will definately make it to the next one.</p>
<p>Anna – yes it'll be the 8th of March. Sorry to hear you can't make it. Hopefully we'll be able to do the next one at a more convenient
time for you.</p>
<p>Sounds too good to miss..Count me in too! I'll be motoring from Minnesota.</p>
<p>i'll see you @ starbucks bright and early….hope i don't oversleep! hahaha</p>
<p>Talk about coincidences..we used to live in Wilmette, same street as the Bahai Temple..our son works at Starbucks..we now live in Gurnee, right near the Krispy Kreme..we were in Minneapolis 2 weeks ago..and I was in Flint, MI just this morning!</p>
<p>..and yes, Donna it probably was me you saw by Knauz. :)</p>
<p>Boy, Jim, you sure get around ;-)</p>
<p>Hey gabe, you planning to pre-drive the route? I've got a nice suggestion for you for the part up to Gurnee.</p>
<p>I was thinking Sheridan to 137 to Green Bay to 132. There are a couple of nice side parts by the boat launch in Highland Park and a spot up in Lake Bluff.. Took mookdoc and vlm on that route last October or a red, white and blue run.. Don't have the map put together yet.</p>
<p>Whenevr I get stuck in traffic on the way home I'd take Half Day Road (Route 22) to Telegraph Road (northbound), turn West on Everett Road, turn North on Riverwoods which becomes Bradley after Route 60. From there, turn West on Old School Road, North on St Mary's Road, turn West on Buckley Road (Route 137) and North on River Road. River road will end at Route 120 (Belvidere) and from there it's only a short hop to the Krispy Kreme on Grand. There are some nice and twisty bits along that route and it's mostly through horse farms and forest preserves. It's more beautiful in the Spring/Autumn though.</p>
<p>I count eleven MINI's commited on this thread. Plus an uknown number of michigan poeple (hope they join in). This will be a great drive. Dump your diet, and bring your appetite.
Has anyone heard from ernesto?</p>
<p>Ernesto would be me on mini2 and minicooperonline.
I am halfway done with the map to Krispy Kreme, hope to have it by tomorrow sometime. Figgured just shooting up Greenbay Road to Jelly Belly from there.</p>
<p>So, Steve and Ernesto will both be there? …I'm confused</p>
<p>Steve – thanks for doing the map. I'd like to put together a definitive source with all the directions, times, and maps tomorrow and Monday. Similiar to what we did for the <a href="<a href="https://www.motoringfile.com/?Y=2003&M=01&D=17&TitleID=AnnouncingTheChicagoJanuaryMINIDrive" rel="ugc">https://www.motoringfile.com/?Y=2003&M=01&D=17&TitleID=AnnouncingTheChicagoJanuaryMINIDrive</a>
">January drive</p>
<p>Count us in! Definitely novices to MINI and group drives but game to go and to meet other motorers. Our JoeGreen lives downstate but visits Evanston almost every weekend. Planning to start at PDL @ Starbucks @ 8 am …</p>
<p>We'll be there. Sounds like a great trip!</p>
<p>Hey Steve, alternate route from to Jelly Belly would be North on Hunt Club Road and East on County Road Q. I'm partial to country driving. :)</p>
<p>That may work, but we did Hunt Club (and River Road) last time.. I am good for whatever the most people want (I never get tired of Hunt Club).
Gabe is not allowed back on River Road until the salt is gone due to drifting in the slimy turns :)</p>
<p>Sorry, I got too excited. I think that we should keep an eye towards our time frame in this part of the drive. I want to make sure we get to "the Spot" in a timely fashion for a late lunch. That being said if those roads aren't too far out of our way I'd be all for it.</p>
<p>The only other bummer on the north part of Hunt Club is a couple of major intersections where cross traffic does not stop.
It will be a handfull to get 15-20 cars across and keep together.
Greenbay we need only worry about the lights. I'm still good for either.</p>
<p>How much longer would it take to go this way. I'm sure there are going to be some people on this trip that didn't experience it the first time and would love to go this route. But if it's too far out of our way I think we might be best taking a more straight path.</p>
<p>What about a straighter (but still scenic!) path up, and a twistier path down? That way people with time for the leisurely country drive can enjoy motoring back from Kenosha at a less efficient pace, while we can still get to the Jelly Belly factory and the Spot at a reasonable hour.</p>
<p>Sounds sensible to me. That being said I'm now told that they are going to be within 5-10 minutes of each other. So I think we don't have to make that consession.</p>
<p>Quick up and slow down sounds nice. By the way, anyone knows who belongs to the blue cooper S, #357 7351 that passed me on 94 earlier?</p>