I am trying to put together a drive to the Wild Animal Safari in Pine Mountain, GA on Saturday, March 19th. If you would like to check out their website go to: http://www.animalsafari.com/. Their phone number is 1-800-367-2751.

The drive is approx 140 miles from the Chelsea Hwy 280 area. Admission to the park is $13.50. I plan to drive my Mini through the Safari but if others do not feel safe driving their Babies through the park trial you can rent a van or ride the tourbus through the Safari. I think there is the chance for some excellent photos on the Safari Trail. There is also a walk-through zoo & a petting zoo on site.

Maybe we could all grab a sit down dinner on the way back if we have time. Any good places to eat in Alexander City or Opelika?

Any who are interested in joining me for the trek down 280 please post here or send me an email.

Thanks,
Teresa

 

Babs and I are definitely interested. I recommend the Winn-Dixie parking lot in Chelsea as a staging area; large lot with gas and groceries nearby.

 

My fiancee and I are SOOOO excited about this! We love just about anything having to do with animals and combining wild zoo animals with MINI's sounds fantastic!

We are actually HOPING that the monkeys will climb onto the MINI!

 

ThumbsUp--Winn Dixie in Chelsea sounds like a good meet place to me.

Yukka--I am as excited as u at the prospect of wild animals milling around my Mini. (Giraffe leaning to my roof pic is my goal lol) Love to post that pic in the forums lol.

I would feel more comfortable if we could get this ride a bit more "for sure" by March 5th (before March 12th). The park said they need a 1 week minimum advanced notice but I wanna be safe. My main reason for wanting to go is PHOTOS!!! Killer Photos!!! But how will we get them??? Can we can rely on each other front to back??? I dunno. I have a really good camera (professional photographer quality) with a killer zoom lens. Or if anyone has other suggestions let me know. Maybe the park can help us I will ask.

See ya,
Teresa

 

Oh well, there goes your racing career

 

When it comes to photos, everyone should bring their digi camera and have a passenger ready to pop out the sunroof for a pic if such a thing is allowed.

I have some of the famous vacucams that I can mount on the exterior of my MINI for shooting fun videos until the monkeys decide they want the cameras for themselves.

Greg, don't worry about the racing career. She knows I have a need for speed and appreciates that I do it under mostly controlled circumstances.

 

I'm in too!! I want pictures of a giraffe looking down at Minirva. Talks about a "Kodak Moment"

 

We are thinking about it, the only thing is the monkey's. The last time I went to a drive thur zoo in a friends car the monkey's broke the antenna and pulled piece off the car.

 

I will call the Safari & ask if there are Monkeys roaming. I know monkeys can be aggresive but when I talked to a man at the safari before he led me to think the animals are pretty docile & used to cars travelling through. Since they have a regular caged zoo on the property maybe the more aggressive animals are kept there.

Also keep in mind that when we get there, if you don't feel safe driving your car through the safari trail, you can rent a van for a very reasonable rate or ride the tourbus.

 

watch your fuel door. Mine falls off when I wash the car. I can imagine a monkey taking off with my fuel door. Sorry... a passing thought. It sounds like a BLAST !

 

First I was cautious about driving my car through the Safari. Then I spoke with a guy there, & while there were no guarantees, he made me feel 95% safe to drive my car through because the roaming animals are docile & used to cars.

Now I have spoken with a second lady at the safari & she has me worried. While there are no monkies, lions, or tigers roaming free (they are in the caged walk-through zoo), some of the animals do have horns & there is always the chance of your car getting scratched when the animals come up to feed. The trail is 5 miles long & the speed limit is 5MPH. My main goal was a giraffe pic & the giraffe is midway through the trail. Now I am down to feeling 80% safe to drive my car through.

So we can play it by ear & decide if we should drive our cars through - or - we can rent a vann & drive through - or - those who feel comfortable can drive their cars through & those who don't can rent a van. I am on the fence as to whether I will drive my car or rent a van. I probably will not decide until I get there. Either way I will be taking photos from a van or my Mini of any other Mini's that drive through.

Any thoughts or encouragement or past experiences from others?

 

Right now the weather prediction for Saturday the 19th is 68 degrees & partly sunny It will probably change 10 times before then but lets hope it holds up.

Also does anyone have any ideas on where we could eat on the way home? I have heard **** of the Walk in Opelika is good??? But I am open to anything.

 

Unfortunately, Babs and I will not be able to make the Safari trip as expected. The director of the New Driver Car Control Clinic scheduled the first clinic for the 19th. After a short piece in the B'ham News last week, we have been covered up with requests to attend, and one of the TV stations wants to cover also. Unfortunately, the director and I are the only ones who teach this course so I'm sorta stuck with it.

Have fun!

 

Elizabeth and I are getting really excited. I am going to have to do a bunch of spring cleaning on my MINI for Saturday!

 

I can't wait either. I plan on scrubbing my Mini down Friday afternoon lol!!


Weather still holding out OK at 65 for Saturday. I wish we would get an unexpected heatwave like we did this past weekend.

 

I just checked the weather too and it looks like it is going to be great!

I will be testing my Vacu-Cam kit and hope some enraged babboon does not make off with my fun new toys!

 

According to Yahoo weather as of today the temperature for Saturday has now risen to 70 & sunny. That is top-down weather so I hope it holds lol!!!

 

great ride. Watch for pics at BAMAMINI.com

 

Here's a couple pics until they get posted on the other site!

 

There's my baby, Yucca! What a kool piccie with the zebra! Tell Elizabeth she did a great job!


Clover

 

If you think these are funny, you should have been there. Try to get little food pellets into a cow's mouth with his tongue stuck out and its head is halfway in the window. It was just too funny.

 

head halfway in the window? Try ALL the way!


First thing that happened when we went through the gates:a huge elk/caribou that stuck his head all the way in and grabbed the bag of food from elizabeth's lap!

While she screamed, I fought the beast for the bag since I quickly realized that the food was critical for use as a bribe if we were to survive the trip through the park!

 

Great preview pics!!!

I felt like a kid again. I had so much fun & laughed so hard all the way thru, well mostly all the way thru after I got over my initial panic of seeing about 15-20 large horned animals approach me immediately right inside the gate lol.

Really enjoyed myself & looking forward to our next adventure .

 

Some of the pics for the ride have been posted on BAMAMINI.org. Check it out.