Mini-Coopers Take the States
When I awoke Saturday morning I went about my weekend morning routine of getting up, brushing my teeth and hair, and then taking Roxi (my Jack Russell terrier) out. It was a beautiful morning and I was looking around the yard as I walked the dog.
I noticed immediately that traffic was backed up in front of my house going to the Square. This is not uncommon as it was Saturday in Monticello, and there are typically people out going to the Market on the Square or just out riding, enjoying the day.
I made a small mental note to let Caleb, my boyfriend, know that there were a lot of cars out front and they appeared to be “match-box” cars all headed toward the Square. Once Roxi was done and we were back inside I told Caleb to look out the window at a handful of mini cars riding by. He did, and we stood there for about 10 minutes just watching and commenting on all of the different paint jobs and how many that there actually were.
Once we realized that our “handful” of cars had actually been passing for over 20 minutes, we dressed and went out front to sit on our porch swing and watch them drive by. Little did we know that over an hour, and about 1,000 Mini Cooper’s later we were enjoying the beginning of a road trip called “Mini’s Take the States.”
While we sat enjoying the “parade,” cars passed with single drivers, families (old and young), pets, friends, and a lot of GoPro cameras to document the event. The drivers were friendly waving, asking us to go along, and chatted about their 14-day trip from Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, to Palm Springs, California.
It was quite a sight for our little town. We learned from the drivers that the trip would start in Georgia and go north and travel through Pittsburgh eventually heading west. There will be stops along the way and that it was the 10th anniversary of the trip.
Upon doing a bit of Googling after the cars had gone on to their next destination, I found out that the trips began in 2006 and that this trip would take the drivers through 18 states. The organization also took on a new mission this year on their “scenic tour across the states,” in which they raised money and awareness to Feeding America and #defyhunger, taking on the challenge of providing food for those families in need.
Caleb and I enjoyed the impromptu treat of Mini Cooper’s driving right in front of our house on Saturday. I’d heard of car clubs, and this was by far the one with the most members that I’ve seen yet. We got an unexpected treat for our Saturday morning— right from our front porch. Thank you Minis!
