Took the plunge...made my reservations for MINIs in the Ozarks 2011.

For those that aren't already aware, this regional event will be headquartered in Eureka Springs, AR and held 20-23 October 2011 (at the height of the fall colors in the Ozark Mountains). The national MINI magazine MC2 is one of their principal sponsors.

Thus far, I believe bsteig, densan57, HYPRRR06, and I have stated intentions to go from our group. The more the merrier.

Everything you need to know is available here:

http://www.ozarkmini.com/

(I believe 9/23 is the stated deadline for getting a room at the MITO block rate.)

Edit: When registering, the bulk of us thus far are only officially designating the Thursday dinner, the Saturday morning Pig Trail Drive, and the Saturday afternoon Group Photo (along with the $15 official tee) ...we're staying flexible with the rest of the time in case we want to do our own drives.

 

Don't think we will make it But will hopefully go to MITM next summer!

 

Hmmmm...Eureka Springs...That's extremely close to my folks.
Maybe some of you remember meeting them last year.
I'll put a "tenative" hat in the ring and I'll know more as time draws nigh.

 

30 days left (as of today) to complete the online registration, necessary to get a MITO '11 tee and to get the early bird discounts.

Details here:

http://www.ozarkmini.com/index.php?o...opens-for-mito

Should be fun!

 

If anyone is interested, Midwest Living magazine has a great article about Eureka Springs in the September/October issue.

 

Mark your calendar for a fun day of enjoying the Fall Iowa landscape with our Des Moines area MINI friends. Details will be posted soon, but we'll meet in Pella to start our adventure, and you know what kind of treat will be available there!

 

Thanks Daryl...I take it you're referring to the 9th Annual Iowa Fall Tour. Once we get the scoop we can start a brand new thread so we don't confuse the Arkansas folks coming to this one. Thanks!

 

Yes, it is the 9th Annual Iowa Fall Tour (October 29). I posted this in the wrong place I thought I was in Warm Weather Babble.

 

Hello Gary and other Iowans,

Paul from MN here...you may remember me from such drives as "Run for the Hills 2011", and "Run for the Hills 2009". I am also registered for Minis in the Ozarks thie year, and look forward to seeing some of you again!

We may have a couple more cars from MN, but so far I'm the only confirmed MINI I know of.

Which hotel are you folks staying at in Eureka Springs?

 

Hi Paul -- good to hear from you and glad we'll see you in the Ozarks.

I think we have folks in both of the advertised event hotels, the Quality I&S and the Motel 62. The later registrants (like me) in the latter since the first offering filled up.

 

I registered later too, so I have reservations at Motel 62 as well.

I will probably be heading down to Des Moines the Wednesday night before the event, so depending on where and when you folks are meeting up for the drive down, I might try to tag along again...if you don't mind

 

Paul, keep an eye on this thread. We'll try to share travel plans here so we can coordinate.

My plans are still in flux, but I may be heading out on Wednesday afternoon and stopping enroute somewhere along the way. The idea is to allow my wife some quality Eureka Springs time on Thursday since she'll need to fly home on Friday to make a Saturday commitment in Dubuque. If the trip logistics get too hard for her and I end up going stag, I'll just plan on heading out early Thursday and will try to hook up with the rest of our folks. Stay tuned.

 

Update: Jan decided that a half-day in Eureka Springs wasn't worth the eleven hour drive down and the cost of a plane ticket to get back on Friday. So it looks like I'll be traveling solo. Like the last Arkansas trip, I'll plan to spend Wednesday evening at my Mom's place in Washington so I'm pre-staged for the drive south on Thursday. We could meet up Thursday morning at the BP in Ainsworth again.

Now the question is: do we go down cross-country like last time (thru Mexico, Jefferson City, and Springfield) or skip over to I-35? I vote for the former, as it is 75 miles shorter and the roads are more interesting.

 

We agree with you on the route.

 

Cool. Here's the specifics:

http://g.co/maps/2j94g

I'll email this to bsteig and HYPRRR06 to see what they think. We could meet up in Ainsworth on Thursday morning at any time that's most convenient for the group. I'll be bivouacked 7 miles away so nothing is too early for me.

Paul, are we going to be too far out of your way? Maybe you can divert east and join up with us.

 

I got the ol' from bsteig on the proposed route. They're willing to leave as early as everyone else is up to it.

 

We are game for whatever time also. It's only about an hour and a half for us to get to Ainsworth, so whatever you say is good. We want to leave early enough to get to Eureka Springs at a reasonable time.

 

Okay, based on our discussion at the Apple Fest we will target for an 8:30 am rendezvous on Thursday morning at the BP located northwest of the intersection of I-92 and US-218/I-27 (Ainsworth Exit #66).

See you there!

 

I'm still undecided about my route. Your route seems a lot more interesting, but also looks like it will add 3 hours to the trip from Des Moines. If I do just take I-35 south, I might try to meet up with you in Springfield....decisions, decisions...

 

Do you still have the x8704 cell phone? If we take parallel routes we can stay in touch and monitor each other's progress. Fully understand if you'd prefer to stay west coming from MSP...either way is okay.

 

My wife and I are looking forward to being there next week! Can' believe its coming up so fast! We are looking forward to making new friends, as well as seeing old ones that will be there from M2C2! Shouldn't be a hard drive from Colorado Springs!!

 

That sounds great Gary, and yes that's still my phone number.

 

The latest word out of the nearest NWS Forecast Office (Tulsa, OK) for Eureka Springs:

Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 54.
Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 31.
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 63.
Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 43.
Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 70.
Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 51.

 

Here are my pics from our trip to the Ozarks:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gmm57/s...7627969234896/

You could safely say that the mountain views this time around were just a wee bit more breathtaking than they were during R4TO ...with the roads dry and twisty, the skies mostly blue, the temperatures nicely seasonal, the fall colors spectacular, the companionship first-rate, the MINIs omnipresent and in great numbers, and the fun never-ending. What a great trip!

And the thing is, there are so many more Ozark mountain roads that remain to be explored.

 

Beautiful pictures, as usual, Gary. We had a great time with good friends. Can't wait to do some more exploring.