 Cross Country in a Mini
As an introduction I am a 68-year-old Brit who has lived in MA for the last 38 years. I bought a 2006 PW/B Mini Cooper S in August and two weeks later took a test drive via Routes 91, 84, 81, 70 and 68 to West Virginia and back, covering over 1,000 miles.
Then in September I took another drive via NYC, Atlantic City, Cape May (a great place to visit) NJ, Ocean City MD, Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, Virginia Beach VA, Edenton NC (another great place to visit), Wilmington NC to Myrtle Beach SC. The return route was via Fayetteville NC, Greensboro NC, Roanoke VA, Blue Ridge Parkway VA, Skyline Drive VA, Harper's Ferry WV, Harrisburg PA, Scranton PA, and Routes 84 and 91 back to MA. Besides the above other highlights were a visit to a plantation, a wine festival, Natural Bridge off the Blue Ridge Parkway and Luray Caverns, off the Skyline Drive in VA. I declare that Route 211 from Luray Caverns across Skyline Drive must have been built for a Mini, an amazing drive. I had to take it twice. The entire trip covered 2,208 miles at an average speed of 45 mph and fuel consumption of 28.2 mpg.
Now to the point of all this. I am now planning a coast-to-coast trip in the Mini from Massachusetts to Oregon and I’m looking for route and side trip suggestions. My present plan is to go via Buffalo NY, London Ontario, Ludington – Manitowoc Ferry, through Minnesota, South Dakota, Montana, Washington and down to Oregon. Then on the return via Boise ID, Salt Lake City UT, Cheyenne WY, Omaha NB, Des Moines, IO, Chicago IL, South Bend IN, Cleveland OH, Erie PA, Buffalo NY, Syracuse NY and then MA.
So, any suggestions? I will be leaving in April/May 2007 and be gone as long as it takes. It will be about 3,000 miles each way and take a minimum of 7 days and 50 hours of daylight driving each way without side trips but I will only do this once so don’t want to miss anything worth seeing so am likely to be away about a month.  | 
