**Eastern Iowa MINIs Drive to Taste of Madison

[R56MINICooper]

Thanks for the heads up

[R56MINICooper]

We'll Im working on hotels still for this trip so far I am trying to block about 6 rooms for the people who have spoken up about coming. I'm sending an email out today to the MadMINIs and CMMC seeing if they are interested still.

As a little gift for making the drive I am having some vinyls made up to commemorate the event ;)

[AutoXCooper.com]

It's me, Dustin, here's a link from our side to yours.

http://www.northamericanmotoring.com...d.php?t=149016

I look forward to joining this event.

[R56MINICooper]

Thanks Dustin we look forward to having anyone interested along.

[deanman]

Count Shirley and me in. Maybe you have, already.

[D3m0N]

I am in!!

[D3m0N]

Let me know as soon as you can as to hotel locations so I can book!!

[R56MINICooper]

I have been looking for Hotels left and right, unfortunately a lot of the well priced ($70-90) hotels are requiring a minimum two night stay due to the holiday and taste of madison, which leaves us with a lot of $120-190 hotels that are fine with one night. In any case I am going to make some calls here right now to the places that have the two night minimum and see if with a group we can bypass that two nights stay. Ill have updates shortly hopefully!

I guess I should check if $100 is reasonable for those attending? If you'd prefer something less expensive please shoot me a PM. Thanks!

[R56MINICooper]

Ok I just got off the phone with three hotels. One is calling me back but here is the breakdown of pricing and the links to their sites. Some of these prices are based on a group of 5 rooms which I think we can probably do, some have no basis on group it's just a normal rate so in any case here they are.
(Lisa and I will scout these locations out this weekend on our test run to see if any of them are scary..)

Country Inns & Suites Madison $129/night(KING) $119/night(Queen)
Country Inns & Suites Middleton $99/night
Baymont Inn & Suites Madison $115/night
Extended Stay America West $80-90/night

Middleton is slightly northwest of Madison and I think probably the best hotel out of the ones so far for room quality and price, but we'll see what the other Country Inn comes in at.

[R56MINICooper]

Update route map:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=e...9&ie=UTF8&z=12
Lisa and I will be driving this this weekend and checking on the hotels, so we will let you know how it goes. Should be a pretty fun drive. The Iowa side of the drive is intended to be fairly quick to get us up north to meet up with the Chicago and Hopefully Madison group (Still haven't heard anything from our Wisconsin brethren) Once in Wisconsin though the driving should be plenty of fun

[D3m0N]

let me also check a Mariott and see if there is anything my connections can pull for us

[D3m0N]

Originally Posted by R56MINICooper

Update route map:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=e...9&ie=UTF8&z=12
Lisa and I will be driving this this weekend and checking on the hotels, so we will let you know how it goes. Should be a pretty fun drive. The Iowa side of the drive is intended to be fairly quick to get us up north to meet up with the Chicago and Hopefully Madison group (Still haven't heard anything from our Wisconsin brethren) Once in Wisconsin though the driving should be plenty of fun

did you e-mail the madison MINI group on there yahoo groups?

[R56MINICooper]

^^ I emailed the Madison Yahoo group and had PM'd one of the Madison MINI people here.

Thanks for checking on the Marriots online and such they were a little expensive for what I was trying to keep the rooms around

[AutoXCooper.com]

Since it's a 3 day weekend maybe we could do a wine tour on Sunday, theres 4 or 5 in the area that I've been too and would take about 6 hours to visit each one with great roads between each.
I'd be happy to lead that event. People could stay over Sunday night and drive home Monday or late afternoon on Sunday. I can setup the Sunday Vineyard tour to start in NE Madison and head north, then west, then south to get those that want to head back to Iowa Sunday afternoon closer to home and those staying can hit some more fun roads back to Madison area. I also think staying just outside Madison will reduce your room rates, I like Middleton area too.
Could even make Sunday a Poker Run with prizes too. Just let me know.

[R56MINICooper]

^^ Sounds like a fun time. I won't be able to make to much on sunday as we have dogs to get back to.

I am going to be calling the Country Inns and Suites in Middelton tomorrow to ask them to reserve a block of at least 5 rooms for the event at $99 a night. If we need more I'll see what I can get.

You can contact the Country Inns & Suites at (608) 831-6970 I'll post tomorrow after talking to them if there is a group code or anything you need. Thanks

[AutoXCooper.com]

I found the Marriott in Middle on Priceline for only $85 a night, it was NOT the name your own price, it was the straight up res price.

[TwistySister]

A winery tour sounds fun, Dustin. I'll keep an eye on the thread and see if it happens. I'll sure try to make it if it does. Be sure to contact MadCityMINIs and try to get us involved too. I'm out the door headed for NM (in the van) for art shows right now.

[R56MINICooper]

Please see the updated first post. There will be a vineyard tour on Sunday for those interested. That drive and tour will be hosted by AutoXCooper(Dustin) so hopefully there are some interested parties for that!

Thanks again Dustin for your help.

[D3m0N]

ok I can, if 5 people get back to me asap get the Residence inn Marriot Middleton for $69 a night for the 30th may be able to do 31st night as well

Let me know asap as the closer this gets the less likely this will happen

[D3m0N]

e-mail b.cramer@mchsi.com
PM here

Probably best by e-mail I will book the rooms as long as you are confident to show up (holding with CC in my name)

let me know by august 4th or 5th

Thanks

Brian

[R56MINICooper]

Thanks Brian thats a great deal, I shot you an email as that is a great price.

[D3m0N]

and then there were 2

if demand out strips supply here I might be able to work some more

[D3m0N]

3 down

[AutoXCooper.com]

email sent for room

[D3m0N]

1 remaining then I shall book and estimate if we need more