[gabe]

When: Saturday July 12th 8:00 am

What Type of event is this? This will be a very casual drive through the city of Chicago along the lake to the northern suburb of Lake Bluff. We'll follow the Lake Michigan Circle Tour that goes all the way up the coast. You'll find great old neighborhoods as well as some of the best twisty roads in the region. This will be a great way to see what the Chicago MINI Motoring Club is all about and meet some of the people involved.

Where: We'll be meeting at E. Solidarity Dr. on the Chicago Museum Campus. It will offer us a great place to meet in the city while also giving us great views of the skyline. The only thing we'll have to remember is to bring 1-2 quarters for feeding the meters. You'll also want to pay very close attention to the directions on how to get to the Museum campus as it can be a little confusing if you haven't done it before - especially coming from the north.

Directions:
From the North: Take Lake Shore Dr. south. You'll want to take a right onto Roosevelt Rd. This street is the last right before you get to the Field Museum and actually happens just as Lake Shore Dr. starts to turn slightly right itself. Immediately after you turn onto Roosevelt you'll want to take a left onto Columbus Dr. At the next light the road will split with the right side merging onto Lake Shore Drive and the left side turning left onto McFetridge Dr. Take McFetridge Dr. (this is the street between Soldier Field and the Field Museum). From there you'll follow the road past the Museum and then take a left. The road will then curve to the right and become E. Solidarity Dr.

From the West: take the Eisenhower Expressway into the city until it becomes the Congress Parkway. From there take a right on Columbus (one block after Michigan Ave.). At the 3rd traffic light (after Roosevelt) the road will split with the right side merging onto Lake Shore Drive and the left side turning left onto McFetridge Dr.. Take McFetridge Dr. (this is the street between Soldier Field and the Field Museum). From there you'll follow the road past the Museum and then take a left. The road will then curve to the right and become E. Solidarity Dr.

From the South/Southwest:
Take I55 east to Lake Shore Dr. North. After being on Lake Shore drive for no more than an 1/8 of a mile look for McFetridge Dr (the street just to the north of Soldier Field). Take a right onto McFetridge Dr. and follow it past the Museum and then take a left. The road will then curve to the right and become E. Solidarity Dr.

For more detailed directions take a look at this map.

The Route: We'll start out from the Museum campus in Chicago and take a brief detour onto Lower Wacker and then back to Lake Shore drive via Madison St. From there we'll head north on Lake Shore until it turns into Sheridan Rd. We'll follow Sheridan Rd. until we get to Plaza de Lago in Wilmette where we'll take a short break for some socializing and some coffee (Starbucks and Jewel are just a 30 second walk away).

Once on our way again will continue on Sheridan Rd. winding our way through Winnetka, Glencoe, Highland Park, Lake Forest, and finally Lake Bluff. From there we'll turn left onto 176 and look for the http://=http://www.silopizza.com/ass...wmap1.GIF]Silo which is on the right about 2 miles down the road. We should get there around 11:00.

Who: Anyone is welcome to join us. If you're from the Chicago area, or anywhere else in the midwest you're more than welcome to come with. This will be a great way to check out the Chicago MINI Motoring Club and see what we're all about. You won't have to worry about dues at this point but we will start collecting first years dues at the event should you decide to become a member right away. We'll also be announcing something very special for our next event at this drive!

Things to Bring: FRS Radios, a full tank of gas, all your best Mini apparel, and a smile.

For more information visit the drive section on my site:
http://www.bridger.us/mini/?Y=2003&M=07&D=02&TitleID=TheChicagoMINIMotoringCl ubJulyDrive

Please respond here or email me directly to RSVP

You don't have to be a member of the club to attend this introductory event but we will be accepting dues for the first time at this drive.