Kansas City MINI Enthusiasts

First of all, we'll need somebody to lead the convoy up from KC. Greg?

UPDATE: We'll meet in the parking lot of Flowers Bank, just down the road to the East of Toot-Toot and on the North side of the street. The address is 3601 Miller St, Bethany MO and here is a Google Maps link: http://goo.gl/maps/JQCNp

At the bank parking lot we can hand out maps and do introductions and wait until 11:15 for any stragglers, then break for lunch. Most of us will go to Toot-Toot if it isn't too crowded, there is also a Sonic nearby that many have dined at in the past. I suggest you dine lightly and leave room for dessert in Lamoni. Some of these roads are quite hilly and we've had some motion sickness casualties in the past!

We'll plot on leaving the restaurant around noon unless either the KCME or CIMC convoy is late, and we'll line up in the Wal-Mart parking lot as per usual. Here's another link to that location: http://goo.gl/maps/LqqCz

There will be a FAST group and a SLOW group, identified by placards on the back of the cars at the rear of the line. Fast group will be on the left, slow group on the right, same as previous years. If you're comfortable working out your suspension in the curves, line up in the fast group. If you'd rather drive in a relaxed manner, pick the slow group. If the person in front of you is driving slower than you'd like, feel free to pass them when it's safe to do so and you'll probably both have more fun. This is a scenic drive and we will wait at every major stop/turn for the last car in the slow group to catch up, so there's nothing wrong with hanging out at the rear! If you'd like to volunteer for rear car duties, I will have a spare FRS radio for you.

We'll probably try to leave Wal-Mart by 12:15 and start the drive.

Everybody should bring a FRS radio AKA walkie-talkie if they have one. We'll use them to communicate hazards on the route and such. Channel to be given out in Bethany.

Also, the rough road that we've driven on the past few years has received some attention from MODOT finally. It's still dirty in places due to agricultural use so you've got to be careful, but there are far fewer large patches of gravel and potholes.

I look forward to seeing you all there!

Gravel??????

Don't remember any gravel last time, just fun roads!

Looking forward to it!

More like dirt, dust, and broken up blacktop.

It has been brought to my attention by Greg that meeting at Toot-Toot on a Sunday morning may be a poor choice.

Indeed, at 11AM this morning it was pretty packed. I don't know how much of that was due to Mother's Day since most of the area churches hadn't let out yet, but better to be safe!

Flowers Bank's new location (don't look them up on Google Maps, it's out of date) is closed on Sunday and has a generously sized parking lot having been a Country Kitchen Restaurant until recently. The address is 3601 Miller St, Bethany MO.

I am happy to help coordinate the KC to Bethany leg of this trip.

I was thinking this year maybe we just cut right to the chase and head up I-35 from Liberty and do it in 60 minutes. Give people a chance to sleep in and do something else with their early Sunday morning.

So I propose to meet at the Panera in Liberty...
Panera Bread
8580 N Church Rd
Kansas City, MO 64157

...arrive as early as you want, but we will leave at 9:45am to head to Bethany to get there at 10:45.

Thoughts?

I know we've met at the ChikFila -- but they are closed on Sundays, so that won't work. I also know this is like 3 left turns to get on to I-35 north, but with a small contingent of MINIs, it shouldn't be too bad on a Sunday morning.

Who you calling small? We will be there for a good drive--- Thanks Greg

Who is joining us for the caravan to the KCME-CIMC Joint Drive in Bethany?

Meet up at the...

Panera Bread
8580 N Church Rd
Kansas City, MO 64157

...any time before 9:30am. We will be leaving Liberty (well, Kansas City), at 9:45am and heading directly up I-35 to Bethany.

Show up as early as you like -- have some coffee and breakfast, enjoy the morning! Or arrive at the last minute -- your call.

But we do want to know how many people we are expecting...so please reply so we know if we are to expect you.

After we leave Panera, we will arrive at the meet up location (Flowers Bank -- site of the former Bethany Country Kitchen) right around 10:45am. No planned stops en route.

Dang, last minute events mean I won't be able to go - I missed last year's drive too!

Sorry folks, maybe next year......

There may not be a next year unless y'all want to follow a Tacoma through hill country... Somebody may need to pick up the torch on this.

"Goose" is going.

Time lapse as promised, switch it to 1080p if you can! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyTdi0XLB_c

James the video was excellent YOU guys were a lot faster than I apparantly. I was trying to but just couldn't catch up .On one of those roads I didn't want to catch up with you because the road was ,to me,too rough. Thanks for a great time. we'll do it again next year.

Now that drive was fun but my back was sore afterwards. We had a great time and thanks James for a fun filled event

BLUGOOSE wrote:James the video was excellent YOU guys were a lot faster than I apparantly. I was trying to but just couldn't catch up .On one of those roads I didn't want to catch up with you because the road was ,to me,too rough. Thanks for a great time. we'll do it again next year.

The old guy needs a driver and Cadillac .

At least I went bob

And complained about the wear and tear on your bushings for over an hour.

What race is a Mini Cooper S famous for winning, anyway?

I own my car , not lease it .Big difference

I think I need to take a detour to that Leon / Nine Eagles loop next time I head up to Des Moines. Wow, what a wonderful stretch of 2 lane.

Last month Baron told me the front brakes where 'this close' to being eligible for replacement. Our little jaunt on Sunday was just the trick -- on Tuesday the brakes were considered to be worn down far enough to get them replaced for free under extended MINI Service. New front pads and rotors!

I debated doing the stretch south of Leon twice, but it would have meant going the "wrong way" from my perspective.

The bends straight out of Leon are some good ones and somehow I feel better speeding out of Leon than into it, if that makes sense?

Hwy 69 on that loop is trafficked by the SO quite frequently, and sometimes the local PD as well (they go back and forth to the courthouse.) Plus it only has a couple good sets of curves. Skip it and catch Hwy 2 over to I35.

Spart wrote:
Hwy 69 on that loop is trafficked by the SO quite frequently, and sometimes the local PD as well (they go back and forth to the courthouse.) Plus it only has a couple good sets of curves. Skip it and catch Hwy 2 over to I35.

OK - I see what you mean. Heading north on I-35, exit at IA 2 and head east to Leon. Then run the loop from downtown Leon to Nine Eagles then over to US 69 -- then just head back west on US 69 over to I-35 and be on my way.

Might have to consider that next time!

If you're headed north I'd take the second Lamoni exit and take 69 over. Then use 2 to get back to 35. Just be careful coming into town on those esses... The 35mph speed limit comes up on you in a hurry.

Spart wrote:If you're headed north I'd take the second Lamoni exit and take 69 over. Then use 2 to get back to 35. Just be careful coming into town on those esses... The 35mph speed limit comes up on you in a hurry.

That would be counter-clockwise and opposite of how we went - but I bet it would be just as fun!