Roger, our Des Moines Area MINI friend provides the following information:

Saturday, October 29, 2011 – the Ninth Annual Fall Colors Drive.
This event will officially begin with lunch in Pella at 11:00, after which we will explore the back roads of Marion, Warren, and Madison counties. There will be some photo ops, and we’ll visit some interesting locations before ending the day’s drive at Willis MINI of Des Moines for refreshments provided by the dealership. Owners unable to do the driving portion of the event are welcome to join us at the dealership as we finish and enjoy socializing. Further details on this event will be distributed as they are finalized. As has been the case in previous years, we anticipate significant participation from our friends in the Eastern Iowa MINI group.

 

Excellent. I updated the calendar entry with this info and activated the sign-up link.

Daryl, at one time you and Greg had leadership roles as the creative "belly-buttons" for planning this annual event on behalf of the original MINICooperIowa Yahoo! collective. Has CIMC decided to inherit the planning responsibility for this drive? Do you still have a role? Just curious.

Edit: Here's a link to the EIM Calendar Entry ---> https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...day=2011-10-29

 

Over the years it has worked out to have Greg organize the event one year, and me organize the following year. Last year was my year, so Greg has done the planning for the 2011 event. Roger has also been instrumental in this event, so I think it will become a CIMC sponsored event. My primary allegiance will always be to EIM.

 

We have not had an opportunity to visit Willis Auto Group's Des Moines dealership as of yet so I am super excited to do so on this drive!

 

Our 9th Annual MINI Cooper Iowa Fall Tour route has been established.

The event this year will be held on Saturday, October 29.

We will be meeting up in Pella at 11am for lunch. After lunch, our drive will take us thru Pleasantville, Indianola, south to New Virginia, then up to St Charles and on to Winterset. We will head from there to Norwalk, then into the Des Moines metro where we will finish our drive at MINI of Des Moines around 4:30-5:00pm.

MINI of Des Moines will be having their Motor-tober event that day, and we will have some supper at the dealership.

This year really looks to be a grand time, especially with the partnership with MINI of Des Moines!

Looking forward to seeing you all there!

If you are on Facebook, click on over to our event page and let us know about your plans to join us: https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=111349568970994

More details as they become available...

-Greg
MINI Cooper Iowa Yahoo Group moderator

 

If you would like a free button to commemorate the 9th Annual Iowa Fall MINI Cooper Drive, please send a picture of your MINI to

darylha@hotmail.com

Please tell me if you want one or two buttons.
I will need your order prior to October 15.

This offer if for EIM folks who will be attending.

Hope to see you on the 29th!

 

All -- FYI, the following is an excerpt of info sent out by CIMC on this event:

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HISTORY:
Beginning in 2003, MINI owners state-wide have been invited to join the annual Fall Colors Drive – this year will be the Ninth consecutive year we’ve taken our cars out for some exercise amidst the glories of an Iowa fall.

ROUTE:
The starting point in 2011 will be Pella, where everyone will assemble for lunch. Following lunch, we’ll meander by way of several twisty and curvy back roads west to St. Charles to view the Imes Covered Bridge (with time for photos), then head over to Winterset to visit the John Wayne home (touring the home is an option – those who elect not to tour the home may visit the Cutler-Donohoe Covered Bridge instead), and finally end our drive at Willis MINI of Des Moines where the dealership will provide us with refreshments and some entertaining MINI-related challenges as part of MODM’s participation in the national MINI “Motor-tober” promotion. The total distance we’ll cover between Pella and MODM will be about 150 miles.

CARAVAN DES MOINES TO PELLA:
For those in Central Iowa, there will be a caravan from Des Moines to Pella. This will be the easy way for you to make sure you connect with the group for lunch in Pella. The caravan will leave from the McDonald’s in Pleasant Hill (official address: 1055 Sherrylynn Boulevard) which is pretty easy to find – either: Follow University Avenue east past the Fairgrounds and look for the McDonald’s on your right just before the intersection with U.S. Rte 65; or, Take U.S. Rte 65 to State Rte 163 (which is also University Avenue), go west on University Avenue a little less than half a mile, and turn left (south) when you see the McDonald’s. There’s a left-hand turn lane where you need to turn. Departure from the McDonald’s will be at 10:00 a.m. because lunch in Pella is scheduled for 11:00 a.m.

DRIVE TO PELLA ON YOUR OWN:
For those owners who would be backtracking to get to Des Moines for the caravan, or for those who want to leave earlier than 10:00 a.m., you’ll probably find most of our cars parked around the central square in Pella. We plan to be on the road after lunch about 12:30 p.m.

CAN’T MAKE THE DRIVE? JOIN US AFTERWARD AT MINI OF DES MOINES:
Those of you who can’t make it to the drive are invited to join the rest of us at MINI of Des Moines – we expect to arrive there between 4:30 and 5:00 p.m. If you’re unable to join in the drive, please come meet your fellow MINI owners for some refreshments and conversation.
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Don't forget to click the Sign-Up link in the EIM Event Calendar Entry so we can help CIMC give a good head count to MODM. Thanks!

 

Hey guys im a new mini owner and interested in joining your club? What does it take to participate on this drive coming up?

 

It takes a MINI and a fun-loving personality. If you have both, you're in!!! We'll love to meet you

 

Sign-up with deanman, or sign-up on the link, and you're in!

Here's the one for the Pella/DesMoines run:
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...011-10-29&c=21

To learn about the Ozarks run:
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...to-2011-a.html

 

The Marion MINIs will leave CR at 9:00 AM on October 29. We’ll stop at the rest area west of Iowa City, just west of Exit 237 on I 80, at 9:45. It would be fun to have a caravan of EIM MINIs pull into Pella together if you can meet us at the rest stop.

Hope to see you on the 29th.

 

I will plan on it

 

We will be there! We will be going right past C.R. on our way so perhaps we will pass you on I380.

 

We are hoping to catch you at least at the rest stop.

 

Do you want to meet us in CR??????? Can you be here at 9:00? (This goes for anyone else passing our way.)

 

We just ran into an unavoidable conflict, and will have to look forward to the next activity.

 

The Annual Fall Tour was my very 1st MINI adventure back in 2008. I don't have pictures but I do have a memory of a 90mph cruising speed and suggested speed of curve signs had no meaning except double it!
Regretfully I can't make the event this year. I hope everyone has a wonderful time. I'll be waiting for pictures.

 

We are totally bummed!!! Are your priorities out of whack? How can this be? You are going to be at the final EIM event of the motoring season in Balltown, aren't you??????

 

$$$ is what's out of whack. Plus I'm due for Oil/Filter, Tire rotate, spark plugs...60k/mi check-up stuff.

It's in my heart to attend the last event but even that's up in the air at this point.

The Powerball drawing is tonight...maybe I'll get lucky.

 

Sure! Where?

 

Do you remember where Larry lives? He is going to come to my house, but his is easier to find, I think.

 

Don't forget your radios! We want to keep in contact with each other for all the fun tomorrow!

 

I can GPS it. If that works for you guys I will be there at 9:00.

 

I'm confused... (Nothing unusual LOL) Are you coming to our place or Daryl's? We plan on leaving here (for Daryl's) at 8:45 AM. If you're using a GPS you can come in on 10th Street to Daryl's. We're all psyched for tomorrows ride!

 

My plan is to be at Daryl's at 9:00am sharp.