By popular demand, Eastern IA MINIs will be gathering for the First (annual?) Iowa River Views Run on Saturday, November 3rd. Please reply to this thread if you can join us, so we can formulate a MINI tally.

We will meet at the River View City Park in Clinton, IA at 10:00 am (Update: see alternate Clinton departure info below). The first portion of the route is along the Great River Road to Dubuque and is generally more scenic than technical. North of Dubuque, several stretches of nice twisties will come into play along the planned route. Visibility permitting, there are multiple spots with breathtaking views of the Mississippi and Turkey Rivers and surrounding countryside.

Lunch will be at the historic Breitbach's Restaurant in Balltown, IA, where the proprietor Mike has agreed to keep the neighboring Wine Shack open past its normal end of season just for us! (Drivers will moderate their tasting, please! ) The view from the overlook here has got to be one of the best in the state.

We will finish at the River Walk in downtown Guttenberg, IA at approximately 3:30 pm.

Attached you will find a description of the route and information on Breitbach's. I'm also including a link below to a companion Google map of the entire route.

Hope you can join us for the fun, views, and twisties!

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?f=s&i...70801&z=9&om=1

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?f=s&i...8c4516013d3b19

 

Thanks for all the leg work on this!!


I will be there come hell or high water!

Should someone post this to the Yahoo groups from Iowa and Madison Wisconsin?
Also lets throw up a link in the Chicago and Milwaukee sites as well?

 

Ditto. I'll be there, too!

How should I have the Yahoo MINIs contact you?

 

Either have them post here or an e-mail to myself would work I can coordinate getting the infomation out...

 

D3m0N -- all good recommendations. I'll depend on you to circulate the link to the neighboring groups.

I will also send the link by conventional email to the addresses I've collected thus far to alert them to the NAM thread.

Prepare to motor!

 

This is a decidedly PW-centric run thus far...

 

You got a Dark Silver heading out with ya too. I'm officially in for this day. Sounds like a lot of fun.

 

You have Chili Red too!!! Don't forget us
Thanks you guys sooo much for getting this all planned out and we can't wait to see you all again!! Motor on

 

and then there were 5

 

I have sent invitations to Yahoo groups in Iowa and Madison WI and posted to the Chicago and Milwaukee boards

Hope to see them here soon!!!

 

We plan to be there. Add one CR/B MCS to the roster

Mineartg, thanks for all the road time, and more, setting this up!
D3M0N, thanks for getting the word out!

73

 

If nothing else comes up I plan on being there too, with my wife.

 

I hoping to do some video / GPS work on the ride

what I hope to do is have a laptop / Web Cam / GPS reciever in the car

Map with current location open
Video with current view open
Speed and location (text) open

all this recording with camstasia so it will be 1 AVI of the whole ride.

I have yet to test this but who knows

 

Unfortunately we're having a bonefire that night and I need to set it up during the day. You're all welcome! Even that morning , all you guys/gals can swing on by for a visit ,we're right off hwy 67 ,sort of.

 

Well atleast stop by and see us off to increase the MINI count!!!

 

We could do that

 

and heck maybe we can confuse you enough to follow us

 

Actually you'll probably have to follow us,out of town anyways ,because if you're going north (heading to hwy 67?)from the river front, you can't get there from there All the N/S bound roads are tore up. A real mess and not very fun. We could lead you in a route around it that would show some of the old 1800's lumber baron's mansions and the historical English Tudor section of town. And a little kicker through Andover to hwy 67.

 

JP -

Nice of you to offer leading us on a smoother way out of town to hook up with US 67 N. We take you up on your offer!

Could you PM me with the new directions so I can update the route description for everyone?

 

I'll have to drive it to make sure there are no blockages, maybe this afternoon.

 

atleast 3 more coming from DesMoines so far possibly more!!!

 

Swweeeeeett!!

 

My wife and I are planning to make it. We look foward to meeting you.
Tim & Jan

 

Tim & Jan, glad you can join us!

I've edited the initial announcement post to include a description of our new, alternate Clinton departure (thanks JPMM for the guidance!) as a PDF attachment, as well as a new link to a companion city map with waypoints.

I also managed to pick up a pair of FRS radios for our group over the weekend, so we can keep both ends of our motoring MINI convoy in contact throughout the run.

So far, the weather looks like it will be cooperative, and the first in a (hopefully) continuing series of fun-filled Eastern IA MINIs events will kick off in grand style.

I'm psyched!

 

Got my EIMC business cards today Cant wait to have a fun drive this weekend.