mini-mini-mini-MINI Meeting in San Diego

[Vanwall]

Hey! MINI owners in the San Diego area or there-abouts - a few of us are getting together at Dave & Buster's in Mission Valley this Sunday, the 23rd, 8:30 - 9:30. Then we're off fo drive thru the scenic countryside. MINI owners and list waits welcome.

BCNU,
Rob in Dago

[erazo]

I'll be there...even though I won't pick up my MINI until the following Tuesday. I'd like to meet the other owners though.

A.M., right?

[Vanwall]

AM is right. I'll look forward to meeting you, altho no drooling aloud, as it might stain the leather.

BCNU,
Rob

[Vanwall]

Well, it was a little overcast, but my MINI Brooksie, my wife Chris, and I popped on down to the parking lot at Dave & Busters, a local eatery-cum-game-spot, for the mini-mini-mini-Meet here in San Diego. It was pretty deserted at that time in the morning, we waited a bit, and Rick Erazo showed up, with a grin. He didn't have his MINI yet, it's due in this coming Tuesday, but he was glad to see us. We chatted about various MINI-things, and then Mark Maunu drove up in his Red & White Cooper! Mark has had his a little over a month, and loves it.

We four Mini nuts yakked about lots & lots of MINI stuff, compared features, I showed Rick & Mark the sunroof operation, we talked about dealer horror stories AND dealer hero stories, and generally had a great time. I took some photos, they're on my Personal Gallery page, under Vanwall, and Rick & Mark took some, as well. We were expecting a coupla more MINIs, but alas, they were no-shows. Hopefully next time we'll get more turn-out. We all agreed to have a next time, so Rick can show off his new S! Right toward the end, a Frog-eye Sprite, just finished mechanically by Rick's son-in-law Chris, crashed the party. Nifty!! Just what we needed, a reminder of the glorious past! Well, more fun next time!!

BCNU,
Rob in Dago

[ches]

Oh damn, I just found this thread and I'm sorry I missed the Mini fest.

[erazo]

I posted a couple of shots on my Gallery (click below). Thanks, Rob, for setting it up. I'm sure that next time there'll be much more response.

I'm picking up my car on Thursday instead of Tuesday. A shipment delay at the VPC.

[Vanwall]

Don't worry, ches, We'll keep in touch with this thread - more mini-mini-mini-Meets to come, I'm sure. Do you work in Sorrento Valley? I spotted a Blue S there-abouts on the very day I was going to get my BGR Cooper!

BCNU,
Rob

[Coati]

Quote:

Originally posted by ches
Oh damn, I just found this thread and I'm sorry I missed the Mini fest.

Me too! Next time, folks.
When the engines are all run-in, be sure to drop by the stadium on 7/6 for the autocross.

[Vanwall]

Comin' outta the woodwork!! MINIs all over the place.

Rick - nice pics, I don't look like a bozo - too much
Now we gotta get a group shot with yours, and ches's & Coati's too!

Coati - break-in period is about three miles away , so I'll try to be at the Q 7/6 - I'll surely spectate.

BCNU,
Rob

[ches]

Quote:

Originally posted by Vanwall
Do you work in Sorrento Valley? I spotted a Blue S there-abouts on the very day I was going to get my BGR Cooper!

BCNU,
Rob

Yep, I bet that was me.

[erazo]

I picked up my MINI on Thursday and have almost 300 miles already.

On Saturday, Chris & I went on a fam ride to the East County, looking for twisties. We got on Wildcat Canyon Road (love that name) in Lakeside and headed north toward Ramona. There was a fair amount of traffic on the road, but they all turned off at the Barona casino, and the remaining stretch to Ramona was wide open! It was a great opportunity to test the handling and shifting of both car and driver.

We drove through Ramona, and the Julian road ahead looked enticing so we stayed on it. We spotted a newly-opened restaurant in the shade next to a creek and stopped for a burger. We asked the proprietor where more twisties were and he recommended Old Julian Highway which runs through Hatfield Canyon that nowadays only locals use. Lots of hairpin turns.

Switch drivers and head on out to Old Julian Highway. He was right! We must have gone 12 miles without encountering a single car. Once back in Ramona, we got back on Wildcat Canyon for the return trip, and made it almost all the way to Lakeside before caming upon a wildfire in the Indian reservation. Tribal police were turning motorists around, so we had a third pass through the canyon and made our third visit to Ramona. We took the 67 (Julian Road) to El Cajon and I-8. The 67 is a nice 4-lane twisty route which the MINI also handles superbly at freeway speeds.

I recommend this circuit as way to get to know your MINI.

I posted a few photos in my gallery.

[minimaster]

RALLY!
RALLY!
RALLY!

So Cal Start Point! San Diego MINI's! Break in your ride's it's going to be a party!


www.mightyminiz.com

Check that out!

[ches]

Quote:

Originally posted by erazo
I posted a few photos in my gallery.

Wow, thanks for the tips regarding the east county roads. I'll have to venture out that way myself. For those of use who can't make the LA-NYC rally, perhaps the San Diego folks will have to make a Mini pilgrimage out to Dudley's Bakery in San Ysabel to pick up some bread. We'll take the long way there.

In the meantime, I wonder if we should try to organzize a midweek lunch meeting somewhere central in SD?

Nice photos, BTW. I really like that color combination. I snapped some shots of mine this weekend as well, and they can be found in my gallery. I also have a shot of the very first Mini Cooper S I ever saw, at the Tokyo Motor Show last November.

Cheers,

Dave

[erazo]

Quote:

Originally posted by ches
...Mini pilgrimage out to Dudley's ... try to organzize a midweek lunch meeting somewhere central in SD?

Dave:
I'm all for both the Santa Ysabel pilgrimage and the lunch. I work in Coronado, so any place in town for lunch is fine by me.

I like your gallery. Could that be Plumosa Park in Point Loma?

[ches]

Quote:

Originally posted by erazo

Could that be Plumosa Park in Point Loma?

I think it could! I always forget the name of that little park, and I don't have a map handy, but yes, I think you're right. I live in OB (hence the OB sticker in the back window) and I had just finished washing the car and wanted to take a photo in a nice place, and it was hot, and I knew that was on the way to Jamba Juice. Just to disambiguate, from OB, you take Catalina to Lytton to Rosecrans, and it's along the Catalina/Lytton stretch. (I forget what the street is called when it passes the park).

As for lunch, perhaps something in the Mission Valley (or Old Town/Hillcrest/North Park) region would be fairly central. Besides having good food, we should pick a place that has ample parking so all the Minis can be parked together so as to cause as much of a stir as possible.