[MiniDD]

This year is not possible but I am trying hard to put it together for next year.

[Ferroequine]

Just got word from Agro (AMVIV organizer) that Route 66 is BACK ON due to popular demand!

Quote: Originally Posted by Agro on NorthAmericanMotoring

Ok...updates...due to popular request, we have added the Oatman/Route 66 run into the schedule for Thursday all day. You guys won't get lost now, coz you'll have someone to follow.

[Ferroequine]

Morten, have you signed up at AMVIV yet?

[AprilWhine]

Hey guys, if any of you don't have hotel reservations yet, better get on it. Palace Station is out of AMVIV tower rooms, only garden rooms left. And those are in short supply.

[beken]

Recent updates to the AMVIV site includes a link to this video of some things from AMVIV 4 (last year's AMVIV).

My car does show up a few times on this video

.Mac Web Gallery

[Ferroequine]

That's a great video.

Got me all pumped up now...

[beken]

Seeing as there's a thread on winter driving, I thought I would throw in a tangent topic here for those who are going to make the trip.

It gets very warm during the day in LV. Night time can dip down to around 10C. However, on the way there, you will hit some 6000ft elevation. But it's mostly dry that time of year. So if you plan on going down in your winter tires, the is the possibility you may shred them.

The only snow I hit last year was at Snoqualmie Pass in Washington state, though the highway was bare, there was a small amount of black ice. I hit a pretty wicked wind and rain storm in northern Oregon also. Otherwise, my trip through Arizona, Utah and Idaho was a great drive. The mountain passes are great fun


I went with my summer high performance tires only.

[Ferroequine]

So the current plan is to leave Calgary very early Tuesday morning, and arrive in Provo, Utah on Tuesday evening.

Some nice folks from the Salt Lake City MINI club have offered to meet us in Provo to "pick us up" on Wednesday morning, allowing us to all travel to Las Vegas together as one group, arriving on Wednesday afternoon. Sound like a plan?

[dorkboy]

Well, Morten and Vince (plus wives), it is sad for me to announce that I will not be able to attend this years AMVIV.

The 1st problem was my friend backing out on me and still having no luck finding someone to take his seat.
The 2nd problem is that the great canadian government has figured out that I owe tons of money to them and by March 31st. Enough money for a nice down payment on a new MINI.

So with those two crappy problems, I have canceled my room at the Palace and received my refund from SinCityMini for all the things I wanted to do while I/we were down there.


So there we go, as crappy as this is (plus I had to cancel my 2 week vacation in Europe this summer), I still have my MINI, I received my new summer wheels last week and I will be attending every MINI run that comes around.


Cheers,

Scott.

[AprilWhine]

Hey guys

There are only 15 rooms left at Palace Station. And it looks like we'll have the registration desk open on Wednesday evening.

[Ferroequine]

Quick update.

Trip down was pretty good, with a big rockchip in my windscreen being the only casualty. The State of Nevada also gave me a nice postcard for "going a bit fast", and subsequently want some of my money.

Today we had the Route 66 run to Kingman / Oatman AZ, and it was AMAZING. Awesome twisties also. We also got to drive across the Hoover Dam. MINI Artist took lots of pictures, and we also got some good video.

Tomorrow Morten and I are going on a run to the Valley of Fire, should be pretty nice also. And then tomorrow night is the Las Vegas Strip Cruise. 400+ MINIs going down the Strip at the same time, 3 lanes wide!

[mark-o]

Glad to hear you made it safely. Enjoy the sunshine, we're getting dusted with some snow!

[AprilWhine]

I met MiniVee and his extremely talented wife yesterday.

[Stella 25]

Wow, what a great time at AMVIV 5!!!! I could have used super, fantastic and wonderful just as interchangeably.

480+ Minis in the same spot all modified, decalled and coloured just a uniquely as the people who drive them is quite a spectacle to see. Had a chance to meet a lot of fun, enthusiastic people from all over the US, our other fellow Canadians, and I understand there were a few from Austrailia as well.

The organizers from Sin City Minis should be applauded for their huge effort in organizing this event. To arrange trips to the historic Route 66, Death Valley, Red Rock Canyon, Wicks Driving School, getting participation from many Vendors, social mixers, the banquet and of course to get 227+ Minis onto the Las Vegas Strip for a drive between the Mandalay Bay and the Sahara, on a Friday night, is no small task. Go to A MINI Vacation In Vegas Home for further details. I assume that the organizers are now busy editing video and organizing pictures to put onto their webpage for all to see how much fun we had.

All the clubs which attended were even given an opportunity at the banquet to say a few words about their club and the events they do throughout the year. I know that "Stella" is more than eager to take Heather and I to some of these so keep your eyes open for the Checkered 25. We even got a chance to tell about the fledgling "Calgary Mini Motoring Club" and our annual Mini Run Calgary. So hopefully some of our new Mini family will come up and see us in Sunny Alberta as well.

I would like to thank MiniVee for coming along on the trip, it is a nice lead in and follow through to event like this to travel there in a group, even a pair of Minis attracts smiles, waves and thumbs up from drivers passing by and at the places we stopped.

As the Amazing Race " 4950 km, two countries, 1 province, 5 states, driving in sun, rain, snow and a blizzard, we completed AMVIV 5"

Hope to be back again in the future.

Stella 25

[Stella 25]

Also, thanks to Mini Artist for her photo journalism on the trip. I forget that "Seamus" with the dragon scars is represented by two people.

Stella 25

[beken]

That is so cool. Glad to know you had a great time and made it home safely.

[MiniDD]

I'm glad it was as much or more fun than expected and no accidents.

[beken]

Would you go again?

Maybe I can meet up with you folks from Calgary in Utah or East Oregon or something....

I got WAF (wife acceptance factor) to make the trip next year. at first I was just going to fly down, but my wife told me it would be more fun for me to drive. Starting to make plans already : )

[MINI Artist]

Quote: Originally Posted by beken (original)

Would you go again?

Maybe I can meet up with you folks from Calgary in Utah or East Oregon or something....

I got WAF (wife acceptance factor) to make the trip next year. at first I was just going to fly down, but my wife told me it would be more fun for me to drive. Starting to make plans already : )

In a heartbeat!
But getting the grandparents to agree to take the kids again will be the question I guess that would be the GAF for us
So right now it's a bit maybe?
T

[Stella 25]

We are thinking about going back, as we had so much fun this year and would like to try the Death Valley Run. Maybe they can crack the 600 mark next year.