The Chicagoland M.I.N.I. (Minis In Northern Illinios) Club would like to invite all interested Mini/MINI owners to join us December 14th at Bill Jacobs MINI in Naperville. Please join us in on the Holiday Cruise & Dine meant for sharing some holiday spirit, enjoying some motoring and meeting old Mini/MINI friends and new!

Come meet fellow enthusiasts, share some holiday cheer and see what the M.I.N.I. club is all about. This club has been around for nearly twenty years and loves both the classic & new Mini. The M.I.N.I. club holds events year-round and is even hosting with the St. Louis club (the M.A.D.M.E.N.) the Mini Meet West Meets East in 2004 (a multi-national Mini meet of Mexico, the US & Canada held approximately every 5 years). There will be coffee and donuts at the meeting. You're welcome to sit in on the club meeting or just arrive in time for the cruise. The cruise should last 60-90 minutes and lunch is at your leisure.

The morning will start with the December meeting of the local M.I.N.I. club at 10 am (with coffee & donuts). You're more than welcome to sit in on the meeting and hear what we do. After the club meeting, around 11 am, we will go for a cruise over to the Fox River and end with lunch on the Fox. There is no cost for the meeting or cruise, but you'll need to cover your own lunch.

Even if you don't have your MINI, if it's in storage for the winter or your Mini is in storage, you're more than welcome! You can drive any car or grab a ride with someone. My MINI has 3 empty seats and I love to make new friends!

Contact me for more information at NekoWoman@aol.com

 

Howdy,

If all works out I should be able to show up for this. I live in the Chicago area (NW Burbs) and was looking for a MINI club to join. Do you guys have a website?

 

Here's the skinny on the mini club situation in Chicago

There has been a classic mini group in Chicagoland for sometime. They have recently started welcoming in new MINIs starting this summer.

Since this summer there has been a group of us new MINI owners that have organized drives and get-togethers as well. We remain an unaffiliated group at this point.

Enter the MINICCA. In a perfect world my hope is that this group of unaffiliated MINI owners would join the club and we would expand the scope of our activities greatly. At the same time it would be wonderful if the classic/new mini group that has been around awhile would consider becoming a part of the MINICCA. Hopefully the national club will offer compelling reasons for that switch. Until then I would suspect that they would probably remain an independant club.

Hope that sheds some light on the situation. I'm sure that Nekowoman could further explain some of this as well since she's involved in both clubs. I'm only involved in the MINICCA.

>>Howdy,
>>
>>If all works out I should be able to show up for this. I live in the Chicago area (NW Burbs) and was looking for a MINI club to join. Do you guys have a website?
>>
>>

 

>>Do you guys have a website?

Yes, we do. We just moved it from a free host to real service provider. We're busy expanding it, but hopefully it will tell you all you want to know.

M.I.N.I. (Minis In Northern Illinois) Website

_________________
NekoWoman

 

Hey Neko, that sounds great, but I have a couple of questions:

1. What's the general route you will be taking. Does it include some twisty and/or scenic bits?

2. Where's lunch?

 

Soopa,

The bulk of the route is along Rt 31 by the river... so we'll head west from Naperville. There are some farmland twisties that are pretty, but I really want to see the weather that day before I commit to taking us on backroads. There are lots of really cool old houses on Rt 31 -- too bad it won't be dark for prime holiday decoration viewing!

I had originally wanted to do the Mill Race Inn in Geneva for lunch, but I decided it's too pricey. It's right on the river. If you ever get the chance though -- it's great especially in the summer. I don't know if you've been to the Praire Rock Brewing Company (in Elgin), but it's nice and not too expensive. We'll end there. It's on the east bank of the Fox in Elgin -- down by the casino boat. It's then a pretty easy shot up Rt 31 to I90 (~10 minutes) to get everyone home again.

 

Is anyone from Indy going? I've been asking all over the place...

 

Thanks for the link!


ZM

 

Hi NekoWoman - thanks for the invite to the gathering on 12/14. I am bummed that I won't be able to attend, as I am returning from a business trip that day. Please continue to post any future get-togethers. Thanks! :smile:

 

That is such a gorgeous drive. I did it the other day. The homes are beautiful!
I wish I can take a MINI and go with but I will be working. I hope you all have an amazing time. Once my sister gets her MINI I might ride along with her on the next drive

 

Sounds like a great ride. Unfortunately I have to work til noon that day. Maybe see you all on a future drive. Can only seem to get away on Sundays though.
Also, Davasio, I'm from NW Ind.
Motor On. :smile: :smile:

 

I'll be there.. I should be a great ride.

 

How's the weather there tomorrow? It's snowing in Indy right now (really sleet, but soon to be snow). Barring any great snow storm to the north, I'll be there.
'03 MCS IB/W, chrome grill

 

How was the event at Bill Jacobs MINI on Saturday? Good weather and little traffic for a MINI-RUN? B.J.MINI is my dealer of choice as I've got my MCS on order on 19th and the initial experience has been great.

Even though I'm now a MI resident, I did grow-up in Lisle so maybe I can particpate with M.I.N.I. over the summer as a honorary member.

 

Here are some pics. I wasn't able to do the drive but I was able to drive out to the meeting. Acouple of us met up in Rogers Park and drove through the city from there…

Here are is a photo site i whipped up.
www.bridger.us/mini/pictures/december_drive