MINI USA released full MTTS route details recently including dates and locations for the full cross country trek. This is exactly the information that quite a few MINI owners have been clamoring to get before planning their local club events around this nationwide event..
But how do individual US based clubs get in touch with MINI USA about working their events into the official MTTS schedule? MotoringFile and MINI USA are teaming up to help answer that question.
MINI Clubs: MINI USA Wants You!
MINI USA wants all those who help run MINI clubs, and are interested in participating in MTTS, to post their final plans in the comment section of this article. Be sure to include your email address and club name so that the folks at MINI USA can reach you to discuss how your plans can match up with official MINI Takes the States itinerary.
For full details on each leg, check out each of the following PDFs from MINI USA:
– Leg 1 / Monterey to Santa Barbara (pdf)
– Leg 2 / Santa Barbara to Las Vegas (pdf)
– Leg 3 / Las Vegas to Flagstaff (pdf)
– Leg 4 / Flagstaff to Albuquerque (pdf)
– Leg 5 / Albuquerque to Armarillo (pdf)
– Leg 6 / Armarillo to Dallas (pdf)
– Leg 7 / Dallas to Memphis (pdf)
– Leg 8 / Memphis to Nashville (pdf)
– Leg 9 / Nashville to St. Louis (pdf)
– Leg 10 / St. Louis to Indianapolis (pdf)
– Leg 11 / Indianapolis to Charleston WV (pdf)
– Leg 12 / Charleston WV to Charlottesville (pdf)
– Leg 13 / Charlottesville to Washington DC (pdf)
– Leg 14 / Washington DC to Jersey City (pdf)
– Leg 15 / Jersey City to Lakeville (pdf)
Please refrain from posting anything other than firm plans regarding MTTS and your MINI club in the space below. Let’s try to keep everything as on message as possible!
There’s a thread on nemini.org that has been buzzing. [here](<a href="http://www.nemini.org/ForumsPro/viewtopic/t=3859/finish=20/start=0.html" rel="nofollow ugc">http://www.nemini.org/ForumsPro/viewtopic/t=3859/finish=20/start=0.html</a>)
The route is pretty far from Florida, but we have at least one member planning to join the tour in Nashville. Sunshine MINIs has a <a href="http://www.sunshineminis.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=8750" rel="nofollow">discussion thread</a> for our planning.
There are some SCMM’ers planning on going. There is a discussion going on the SCMM message board <a href="http://www.clubscmm.com/board/index.php?topic=2930.0" rel="nofollow">here</a>.
Metroplexmini will be represented. Our thread is here: <a href="http://www.metroplexmini.org/forum/showthread.php?t=14422" rel="nofollow ugc">http://www.metroplexmini.org/forum/showthread.php?t=14422</a>
DC Metro MINIs hopes to come down to Charlottsville and do the drive back through Richmond to DC. We are in the early planning stages. There may also be a group of us who do DC to NJ.
I’m not sure what you are looking for here from the clubs. I signed up to go from Vegas to Flagstaff, but is MINI looking for the clubs to host events in the stopover cities? Lead the groups from city to city? For the Vegas to Flagstaff run, there could be three groups from the description posted, one group direct to Flagstaff, one via Route 66, and one going to the Grand Canyon, then Flag.
Steve – MINI just wants a central place where they can easily see what clubs are planning in conjunction with MTTS. In doing so they’ll be able to work with clubs to better accommodate their plans with the official event.
<b>That’s why it’s important to not only post your club’s activities but also a way to get in contact with a point person to discuss planning. </b>
Well, in addition to MrV’s post, here are the <a href="http://www.metroplexmini.org/" rel="nofollow">MetroplexMINI</a> contacts.
<a href="http://www.metroplexmini.org/forum/member.php?u=811" rel="nofollow">MattG</a> – Prime MINIster
<a href="http://www.metroplexmini.org/forum/member.php?u=532" rel="nofollow">movieman</a> – MINIster of Promotions/Vice-President
<a href="http://www.metroplexmini.org/forum/member.php?u=1249" rel="nofollow">Rex1</a> – MINIster of Mirth
Hopefully this communication will clear up some of the mystery about this event.
Right now, we as a group, would love to do something. However, we are at a loss as to how involved we must be in the planning process. We’re full of some great ideas, but may need the help of MINIUSA to help execute them.
Thanks for teaming up with MINIUSA and creating this thread to facilitate that communication.
The Ocean State MINI Club will be attending the last leg(15) and the closing event at Limerock.
Club contact: <a href="mailto:rich@oceanstatemini.com">rich@oceanstatemini.com</a>
Event info on our website: <a href="http://oceanstatemini.com/forums/showthread.php?t=637" rel="nofollow ugc">http://oceanstatemini.com/forums/showthread.php?t=637</a>
The Sin City MINI Club wants to be involved. I’m planning on at least doing the leg from Vegas to Flagstaff.
The event is on our website at <a href="http://www.SinCityMINIClub.com" rel="nofollow ugc">http://www.SinCityMINIClub.com</a>
and the email contacts are:
<a href="mailto:President@SinCityMINIClub.com">President@SinCityMINIClub.com</a> – Me
<a href="mailto:Events@SinCityMINIClub.com">Events@SinCityMINIClub.com</a> – Mark
MINICCI is looking forward to it. Indiana club site is <a href="http://www.minicci.org" rel="nofollow ugc">http://www.minicci.org</a>
email
<a href="mailto:waylen@waymotorworks.com">waylen@waymotorworks.com</a> ME
<a href="mailto:minitencan@sbcglobal.net">minitencan@sbcglobal.net</a> Cheryl President
Several members of the Milwaukee MINIS are looking forward to the trek, but most of us are starting at various points of the trip and then plan to meet in St. Louis and/or Indy for an “midwestern” gathering. Once we know more about times for the St. Louis and Indy events from MINI USA, we’ll be posting an exact meeting spot on our website.
We’re also encouraging the The Milwaukee MINIS (and any other midwest clubs)to book hotel rooms at:
Memphis: The Heartbreak Hotel
Nashville: Loews Vanderbilt Hotel
St. Louis: Adam’s Mark Hotel St Louis
Indianapolis: Radisson Hotel City Centre
Contact: <a href="mailto:theresa@milwaukeeMINIS.com">theresa@milwaukeeMINIS.com</a>
Website: <a href="http://www.milwaukeeMINIS.com" rel="nofollow ugc">http://www.milwaukeeMINIS.com</a>
I am planning on going the Ironman-route..start to finish. I’m from NJ-if there are any NJ clubs or MINI owners that plan on doing this please get in touch with me. I am not part of a club as of yet. Thanks.
<a href="mailto:Stevegti8@yahoo.com">Stevegti8@yahoo.com</a>
Patrick MINI, in conjunction with Chicago MINI Motoring Club – will be conducting a drive from South Holland Oasis near the Illinois-Indiana border (time TBA) to Indy on August 30th to see off the MTTS procession.
The plan is to all drive together down I-65 (hopefully with some aerial coverage from the media) to Indy. Once there, we’ll rendezvous with the MTTS group (TBD) and break-out our picnic baskets. We’ll mingle, take photos, and have a raffle for various items (gas cards, swag, etc.). Last but not least, plans are being set in motion to arrange a Motoring Hearts pledge drive (cents/mile) so anyone participating would get a MH Grille Badge as well!! The proceeds will benefit Pediatric Cancer.
Stay tuned to either the CMMC or Patrick MINI site(s) for further details as they become available…
Tally-Ho, Y’all!!!
Southern California MINI Maniacs (SCMM) has several members going on the MTTS route. In addition to those members, other members will be hosting a MTTS Pitstop on day-two. We’re looking for a location in Barstow to accommodate a large number of vehicles that is close to gas stations and restaurants.
Barstow is about half-way between Santa Barbara and Las Vegas and the MTTS group should be coming through there around noon. We figured a lot people will be exiting I-15 for lunch at that point, makng it a good location for the Pitstop.
At the Pitstop members of the MTTS caravan will be given ice cold water/sodas, get their windshield washed, meet SCMM members, takes photos, grab a souvenir for the road, have some fun, etc. before continuing on to Las Vegas.
I would like to speak to someone from MINI USA as soon as possible before we make any plans with any restaurants in Barstow. So if you’re reading this, please contact me!
Thanks,
George
george(at)scmm(dot)org
So…nothing for 2 weeks on this?
I think it’d be cool if MINIUSA / BMW could open up the Oxnard facility for us to tour during the Santa Barbara to Vegas leg. 🙂
Gabe…you might want to update the link on the MF homepage back to here. It’s pointing to the wrong date and gives a 404 error.
I am now involved with planning the Dallas event and I’ve been in contact with the MINI rep. Here are a couple of new threads regarding this:
<a href="http://www.metroplexmini.org/forum/showthread.php?t=15231" rel="nofollow">Who’s Coming and What To Do</a>
<a href="http://www.metroplexmini.org/forum/showthread.php?t=15232" rel="nofollow">Alternate Route Ideas</a>
Here’s an update on SCMM’s Barstow Pit Stop.
Date: August 22, 2006
Time: 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Location: Barstow Outlet, 2552 Mercantile Way
Directions: Exit the I-15 North at the Outlet Center Exit. Follow the signs to the MINI Parking Area which will be the middle parking lot at the Barstow Outlet off Mercantile Way.
Description: The SCMM Pit Stop is a place to take a break, half-way to Las Vegas. At the Pit Stop drivers can pick up free bottled water, snacks, refill coolers with ice, clean their windshield, get free swag, eat at In-N-Out Burger, meet other MTTS participants, shop at the Outlet stores, etc.
The Pit Stop location will be inside an air conditioned building. The Outlet manager has given us a vacant retail store to use.
Registered MTTS participants will also find a Pit Stop flyer in the “Get Lost” bags being given away in Monterey.