I am trying to get a feel for how many of you are going to be joining me on the trip to Chicago for the MINI Takes The States event. This takes place from the evening of Friday July, 25th then on Saturday a drive North to Road America (Elkhart Lake, WI) and ends on Sunday at that location.

This means lodging for the event would consist of Friday night in Chicago area and then North in Wisconsin Saturday and maybe Sunday night.

Click HERE for a link to the MINIUSA site about the event.

Please register for the event it is just $20 dollars and it all goes to the Motoring Hearts Charity. So even if you can't make it you will have given something to someone in need. Twenty bucks folks what is that just under half a tank of gas?

My thought is that even if you are not going we could do some sort of event on Thursday night before we leave in Omaha. This way even if you can't make it to Chicago you can join in the fun of those of us that can. Sort of a send off of sorts.

So reply here with your questions and I will try to address them as best I can.

Jim
The "Kernel of CORN"

 

I am very much hoping that everything works out for me to go. I won't really know for sure until a couple of weeks before, but I am 100% wanting and planning to go.

I think we should see the Chicago details posted in the next week or so, as Miami and Boston have already gone up.

This should be a great time.

 

I'm about the same way. I'm hoping to also go and trying to work out my plans to do so.

 

Jim,

I had to decide on which one I could go to, MTTS or MITM. The mountain trip is just too close to another trip I need to take back up to Chicago for a wedding (the next weekend) so it looks like I definitely want to go to the MTTS. So keep me informed on what the plans are and what logging arrangements need to be made.

 

I hope you'll let us know when you'll be heading through Des Moines and Iowa City so we can hookup with you.

 

I will get hold of you all soon. Looks like at this time it will be Mike and I. maybe a few others at the last minute.

 

....have decided to go to Chicago.

 

That makes 3 MINIs thus far. Who else is going?

 

Jim,

One thing we need to get info soon on what our plans are is that I tried looking for hotel rooms up around the Elkhart Lake area and the rooms are getting very scarce, so we need to decide soon on weather we are going to stay in Chicago or up in the Elkhart Lake area.

 

Is there another thread people are posting to about this? I just signed up to go last night, and I am looking for some advice on hotels in Chicago. Is there anyone still reading this who can help me?

 

I'm still reading! I'm one of your Iowa MINI friends. I hope to join up with the Nebraska MINIs as you pass thru Iowa. I would recommend a priceline request and pick almost any of the northern suburbs. That will get you close to Lincoln Park for Saturday morning. You're welcome to write to me and I can maybe help you more. I'll be staying in Skokie, which is plenty far from the Friday nite event, but relatively close for Saturday morning. I know some folks are staying near O'Hare, too.

 

How much is the Hotel you are staying at in Skokie? (And what Hotel) That may not be too bad of a location for the Friday night. I was thinking of something up around Plymouth, but that might work better to do Skokie for Friday night and then Plymouth on Saturday night since everything else would be there in Elkhart Lake.

 

I'll be at the Extended StayAmerica in Skokie for $50. That's the Priceline price. It's probably a little more if you do it direct with the hotel.

 

looks like I'm staying in Sheboygan at americas value inn Saturday night. only 15 miles away from Road America. Don't know where I'm staying Friday night in Chicago though and don't know what I'm doing Sunday night. So anybody know the plan for driving there?

 

I'm staying at the Quality In near O'Hare Airport on Friday (in Schiller Park).
Saturday I'll be at the Super 8 in Saukville/Milwaukee Area (on Foster Rd).
I had plan on driving back on Sunday (don't know if I'll stay for the full event on Sunday or will just take off at the end of it).

I'm open for any discussion on the drive there. Would like to get there early enough to be able to check into the hotel first and then go to the Meet and Greet party. Since that doesn't start until 7PM I wouldn't think we need to take off real early, like maybe around 9-10am? But I'm open for suggestions or ideas. Go ahead and PM me and we can call each other and set up something. Anyone else wanting to get in on the drive up can do the same thing also.

 

I hope you won't forget your Iowa friends. We wanna join you as you pass thru.

 

Send me a PM email with your phone number and where you would want to meet. Once we get our departure times set up we can figure on what time to meet you.

Mike...

 

I don't know if this will fit in with your schedule on Friday, but if you can make it, the Chicago MINI club has a caravan route planned for UIC. Check out this post on the CMMC site for more info. If you're staying in the near suburbs of Chicago, there is a meetup point on the Northwestern campus; the caravan will take Lake Shore Drive to UIC from there.

Hope to see you on the caravan, but if not, see you at UIC!

 

Thanks, I'll see what we come up with once our final plans are made.

 

Just over 2 weeks to go. Are there any others confirmed in going yet from the Nebraska area? We will be picking up some Iowa Mini's on the way through but just trying to get an idea on what time to leave our area. Send me a Private Message with any contact information so we can get in touch with each other to work out some plans.

Mike...

 

Now hear this.
I will be making an attempt to attend the event in WI. I have thus far been unable to acquire the days off from work so I will be making the late night Friday run to WI. Plan on packing up during the week and then leaving directly from work to get as far as I can Friday night. Then I will be meeting you at Road America by Noon or earlier on Saturday. Reason? I simply must drive the new Factory JCW. Due to the limited quantity that will be available to MINI of Omaha this may be my only chance to drive this car. So I guess I will see you all on Saturday.

 

Sadly - even with being back in Omaha (for the time being) and after missing the Dragon, and as badly as I want to go - it just isn't going to happen. My next shot will be to take full advantage of MITM - as I hope to be back in CO at that point.

I'm bummed...really.

 

Hey Jim... so you're going straight to RA?? it looks like its a 12 hour trip for you... guess the Dragon Wagon is staying home this time... I'll catch up to you there

 

Ummmm Wellllll if you push all the adjustment of Streets and Trips to the right above average speed it calculates the trip as taking about 10 hours. That said I will probably get to RA before you guys do on Saturday. Also, with gas calculated at $4.50/gal a one way trip will burn through $125 one way so I could not justify pulling the trailer for one night. I may just camp out for the night at the campground across the highway from RA. It is just one night. So if you see a zombie walking aimlessly looking for a JCW to drive show him the way.

 

Here's another Friday afternoon group event on the west side of Chicagoland, https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...d.php?t=140337