I suggested a "Junk Food Rallye" to Dave. Take a look at the top of Page C2 in last Wednesday's STYLE section of the Post (on the web, see http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/07/AR2006030701515.html).

My suggestion goes a bit further -- it's been a long time since we've had a joint event with the Philly folks (see http://www.phillymini.org/) and a tour around Amish territory could make for a fun weekend.

Back in antiquity (Nov '02), the first Mini event Elizabeth & I attended was in that part of the world; pictures can still be seen at http://www.pbase.com/tomcat/minis_in_pa. At that event, we had all of 22 MINIs (I count 11 in this picture -- that's me on the far left-hand end):


BTW -- It was at that event I first met Krut (who was already on his SECOND! Mini) and Eric (of Helix fame) and Katie & Paul (kgdblu) and Jeremy (Sarcux) and John (jlm of pulley fame) and a bunch of other neat people. Great memories! This picture shows Krut & Eric chatting away:

 

And everyone is always welcomed to attend National Capital Chapter, BMW CCA events.

I have some past driving tour events here if anyone would like to use.
The overnights have worked out real well.

Anyone thinking about a TSD rally, it is a lot of work. TSD rallying is pretty much dead in our area. Besides creating the route you need a lot of checkpoint workers. Fun rallies are the way to go. Lots of work planning the route but you don't need as many workers so more can participate.

 

TSD rallye... why not just call it: "Beat'ya to the Bay". has a nice ring to it. :p

 

I remeber it was cold and windy that AM...LMINI was in a bare midriff shirt...and Jeremy nearly plowed into another car, showing off in the parking lot. Ah..memories

 

Most of the "fun" rallies I've participated in during years gone by have combined features of both the Time/speed/distance (TSD) and treasure hunt type rallies. This makes them logistically much more simple, but still requires navigational, driving, and puzzle-solving skills.

We also put one together that utilized digital cameras, where participants had to take photos of themselves at the waypoints. This worked out well, because we didn't need to have human wardens at the waypoints, the digital photo was the evidence that you made it there. On the other hand, it became a logistical nightmare for the rally officials at the end of the rally, as we had to review something like 240 digital photos while tallying up stats to determine the winners. It took a bit more time then we bargained on (although everyone got a lot of great snaps!).

It seems like the best balance of all the factors is to mix time and distance directions with cryptic clues and/or treasure hunt and/or a digital photo. That is, have perhaps 10-12 waypoints. Give TSD and a cryptic clue for each one, require a digital photo at three of them and a treasure hunt object at two of them. Launch cars from a common area at two minute intervals, have the Rally Directors just sort of monitor the teams throughout the course of the rally (easy to do as you know where the waypoints are), and then get to the end point before the first participant to give valid time hacks and to read the odometer of each team as the come in.

In order to place they have to have the correct three digital photos and two treasure objects. Results are then based on:

1. Closest to official time--first place.
2. Closest to official distance--second place.
3. Second closest to official time--third place.
4. Second closest to official distance--fourth place.

This kind of ordering let's you avoid the math, although there are formulas for for averaging time/distance to come up with a combined number. I can try to dig it up if people'd rather do it that way.

BTW--I like to emphasize time rather than distance...you can make up the former but you can't change the latter.....

Anyway, I've done a few of these, usually with only two people as Rally Directors, me and a friend. Others are then in charge of the social aspects of the rally, i.e., dinner arrangements, etc. It's pretty do-able that way.

Despite being an American, I've never done one of these in the USA. Anyone know if there are insurance/liability questions?

 

There are insurance/liability issues whenever you do an event.

 

Yes. Part of the club membership fee goes towards the club liability insurance. I, however, can not answer when personal insurance ends and club insurance begins. But, there's a few members than can answer in minute detail!

Anyway though, by the end of the day, we have the insurance needed, and we certainly can do an event like this! About the only events we can't (and won't) do are events that promote reckless driving and speeding, for obvious reasons.

-Paul!

 

Isn't this where we're supposed to flood the person asking about insurance with too much information to get them to never mention it (insurance) again?

 

Yikes!

 

The insurance we use for the BMW Car Club protects the event organizers and participants. It does not replace personal insurance. If something was to happen on the road, people are on their own.

 

that's the way it works for DCMM, too..

 

Steven -- I like the idea of the Mountain Summer Thunder train ride trip a lot.

 

That is a nice trip to do in the summer because the train is air conditioned. I have found if the destination is outdoors it can be real hit or miss with the weather. Sometimes it's too hot to do anything. But you guys plan a lot more trips than I. Only thing is you need to be ontime so you don't miss the train. The route pretty much parallels the highway. I timed all the route instructions and if we fell behind schedule we could just jump back on the highway. I didn't want anyone racing to catch the train. It's a nice drive and close enough to return home via highway or back track.

Edit: I posted the route directions if anyone is interested.

 

I would like to do the first one around DC as we are a DCMM club.... but that is only just a suggestion... what do you all reckon of that ???

 

All of the ideas sound great! I think I would like the TSD one. We'd actually have to drive in DC? I'm a horrible driver when it comes to DC/VA

 

MINIS on the orange line!

 

Whens the next Go-karting event .. i want to come back up and be a ringer again =)

 

If anyone is interested, I just completed a 2 hour drive from Centreville, VA taking all back roads to Washington, VA. Lunch ran around $20/person.

Details and route instructions are at
http://www.nccbmwcca.org/index.php?id=92,705,0,0,1,0
if you should want to use them.

 

Hmm, I know a couple of those roads, and they're a lot of fun! This looks like a great route that DCMM could stea.... err, borrow!

-Paul!

 

Please, steal them. Anyone who has put together a driving event knows how much work goes into them.
All anyone would have to do is precheck them.
We generally have 3 tours a year. I have been uploading all of them since 2000.
http://www.nccbmwcca.org/index.php?id=92,0,0,1,0,0
DCMM members are always welcomed on our drives.
We always use our MINI for the drives. That's the only time I get to drive it.

 

Your wife LETS YOU DRIVE IT! We had a buy a second MINI so Michael could get some driving time in

 

She did question me, slow down, is this how I drive? Yep.

I thought about a Mini for me, just can't get used to the drive wheels being at the wrong end.

 

Awesome!! Thanks!

-Paul!

 

Go to Arundel Mills as a group and have a sweet time @ David and Busters or Medieval Times?

 

Medieval Times was suggested to me a long time ago by a DCMM members who went for someones birthday and had a cheesy, but great time. Dave and Busters is good too.