Category Archives: MTTS 2012

The After of MTTS2012

  By epminis | July 22, 2012 - 11:40 am | , , , ,
Leave a comment

MTTS2012 has come and gone.  I can’t believe how much we did in such a condenced amount of time!  Our family bumped a California trip at the end of the Rally as well.  That was 4 of us in the Clubman over a period of 7 Days, through 3 States and sleeping in 5 different hotels!  A MINI Adventure indeed!

We came home with hundreds of photos and a couple of Go-Pro Time lapse shots of parts of the route.  I’ll be sorting through all the media and sharing as time permits.

DSC02912

The John Cooper Works version of the MINI Countryman. Taken in ABQ NM during a stop on the MINI Takes the States 2012 Cross Country Rally.

UPDATED: Rally! Thursday July 12th Meeting up with MTTS 2012 in ABQ

  By epminis | July 6, 2012 - 9:55 pm | , ,
3 Comments
The Unofficial Logo for epMINIs Takes the States!

 

****UPDATE: Breakfast starts at 9:00 am not 9:30 as previously stated****

****This is a “STICKY” post! There are most likely newer posts below this one!****

The Unofficial Logo for epMINIs Takes the States!

MINI Takes The States 2012 launched on July 4th from MINI USA Headquarters in NJ. The caravan of MINIS is currently making its way west and  epMINIs will rendezvous with the rest of the MINIS in Albuquerque on Thursday July 12th. We plan on hitting Phoenix on the 13th, and Los Angeles on the 14th as well!

Anyone that is planning on joining this event is welcome to drive up with us on Thursday the 12th.  MINI of El Paso will be hosting a Launch Breakfast starting at 9:00 am.  MINI of El Paso is located at 6318 Montana Ave., El Paso TX 79925 Come out and join us, drive with us or just stop by and say hello before we go!

Thursday’s Itinerary

  • Meet at MINI of El Paso in the morning. Breakfast Starting at 9:00 am
  • Roll out by 10:30 am
  • Break at around 12:30 pm around or after T or C, NM
  • Roll into Albuquerque by 4 pm (mas o menos)

Once in Albuquerque we’ll let MINI USA take over the planning and drive routes!

There is still room to register for the Destination City evening events and the LA Wrap Party.  Head over to www.minitakesthestates.com for registration, route and event info.

See you all SOON!

(For more information about hotels, citys, events etc, click the MTTS 2012 tab on the top of this page or visit www.minitakesthestates.com)

Instagram Takes over EPMINIS !

  By epminis | July 4, 2012 - 8:54 pm | ,
Leave a comment
Instagram Takes EPMINIS

Instagram Takes EPMINIS

You may have noticed a sudden flood of Instagram’s on epMINIs today.  I’ve set up our site to aggregate Instagram photos “hashed” with the MINI Takes the States 2012 tag.  The Instagrams are being posted Auto-MAGIC-ally and with no intervention on my part. (For the time being anyway).  The next post can be at any time from just about any one on this HUGE cross-country MINI adventure. All at once its exciting and unnerving not knowing what will pop up next on the blog.  But its an awesome way to get taste of the adventure before we hit the road on the 12th.

Until then, enjoy the photos and we will post our own photos as soon as we hit the road!

MINI Takes The States Hotel and Route info for July 12th to July15th

  By epminis | June 1, 2012 - 4:59 pm |
Leave a comment
MINI Takes the State 2012 logo
MINI Takes the State 2012 logo

official MTTS 2012 Logo

epMINIs will be leaving El Paso on Thursday July 12th to connect with the rest of the MINI Coopers in Albuqurque. Time,and meetup to be announced. In the meantime, with only a few weeks left to go, its time to start planning! Hotel Rates and routes follow. Hotels listed MINI options, but not mandatory. And don’t forget to register!

DAY 9 – THURSDAY, JULY 12
Start Location: El Paso, TX
End Location: Albuquerque, NM
Drive Details: 264 miles
Host Hotel: Hotel Parq Central
806 Central Avenue Southeast
Albuquerque, NM 87102
http://hotelparqcentral.com/
>>  VIEW MAPConsumer Rate: $115 + tax based on availability
Reservation Phone Number: (505) 242-0040
Reservations: Click here to make your reservations or call with group code MINI
Parking: Free
Other Hotel: Drury Inn & Suites Albuquerque
4310 The 25 Way Northeast
Albuquerque, NM, 87109Consumer Rate: $109.95 + tax based on availability
Reservation Phone Number: (800) 325-0720
Reservations: Click here to make your reservations or call with group code 2146850
Parking: Complimentary
Rise & Shine Rally: 7:30 AM – 8:30 AMEnjoy bagels, pastries, juice and coffee from Panera. We will be taking a group photo in the 29th Street Mall parking lot, before motoring onto the next destination.
Evening Event: 7:00 PM – 9:30 PMSandia MINI
6001 Pan American Freeway Northeast
Albuquerque NMWestward Go! MINI TAKES THE STATES 2012 makes a tour stop! They’ll be LIVE MUSIC – FOOD AND DRINKS – MECHANICAL BULL RIDES courtesy of Sandia MINI.

Click here for more information.

 

DAY 10 – FRIDAY, JULY 13
Start Location: Albuquerque, NM
End Location: Phoenix, AZ (Scottsdale)
Drive Details: 418 miles
Host Hotel: The Saguaro
4000 N Drinkwater Blvd
Scottsdale, AZ 85251
>>  VIEW MAPConsumer Rate: $75 + tax based on availability
Reservation Phone Number: (480) 308-1100 or (877) 808-2440
Reservations: Click here to make your reservations or call with group code MINI TAKES THE STATES
Parking: $14
Rise & Shine Rally: 7:30 AM – 8:30 AMSandia MINI – Parking Lot
6001 Pan American Freeway Northeast
Albuquerque NMGet up and enjoy a southwest flavored breakfast with MINI of Sandia. After breakfast we’ll motor with Albuquerque’s finest leading the way. We’ll make our way to cactus country, Phoenix.
Evening Event: 7:00 PM – 9:30 PMSaguaro Hotel
4000 N Drinkwater Blvd
Scottsdale, AZ 85251MINI Takes the States comes back through Phoenix, and MINI of Tempe and MINI North Scottsdale are here to welcome 300+ MINI enthusiasts! MINI of Tempe and MINI North Scottsdale are proud to host this year’s MTTS at the Saguaro Hotel in downtown Scottsdale. Don’t forget your sunscreen, as Arizona’s only two MINI dealers are throwing the ultimate pool party with live music, food and drinks, and plenty of sun!

 

DAY 11 – SATURDAY, JULY 14
Start Location: Phoenix, AZ
End Location: Los Angeles, CA
Drive Details: 375 miles
Host Hotel: Chamberlain West Hollywood
1000 Westmount Drive
West Hollywood, CA 90069
http://www.chamberlainwesthollywood.com/#index
>>  VIEW MAPConsumer Rate: $235 + tax based on availability
Reservation Phone Number: (310) 691-7938
Reservation Email: hlafountain@thechamberlain.com
Reservation Code: MINI
Parking: $20 Valet
Other Hotel: Hotel Angeleno
170 North Church Lane
Los Angeles, CA 90049Consumer Rate: $169 + tax based on availability
Reservation Phone Number: (310) 476-6411
Reservations: Click here to make your reservations or call with group code MINI
Parking: complimentary valet
Rise & Shine Rally: 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM
Saguaro Hotel – Parking Lot
4000 N Drinkwater Blvd
Scottsdale, AZ 85251Fuel up and get energized for the final rally drive. Join MINI of Tempe and MINI of North Scottsdale for a ‘Grab and Go’ breakfast. Let’s motor.
MINIcross: 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Rose Bowl, Pasadena, CADrive like you’ve never driven before, like you never knew you could. This amazing closed course track staffed by our professional drivers and designed by our engineers comes fullly loaded with hairpin turns, and slaloms built specifically to challenge and test MINI enthusiasts.
Evening Event: 7:00 PM – 10:00 PMLA Wrap PartyHouse of Blues West Hollywood
8430 Sunset Blvd.
West Hollywood, CA 90069
(323) 848-5100

Bring it all home with a bang at the hottest party on the Sunset Strip. Come celebrate with an evening of good eats, cool drinks, and some great tunes at the famed House of Blues, Los Angeles.
Note: Parking at the House of Blues, valet $15 and is cash only. Alternative self parking can be found at Alta Loma and Sunset for $12.

 

DAY 12 – SUNDAY, JULY 15
Rise & Shine Rally: 8:30 AM – 10:00 AMJoin MINI USA and your friends from the MINI Community as we toast to the end of the epic journey, Cali style. Meet us where Sunset Boulevard meets the Pacific Coast Highway … it’s a place of Southern California legend, Gladstones.
Start Location: Los Angeles, CA
End Location: Home!
Drive Details: Have a great trip!

MINI Takes the States Registration is now OPEN*

  By epminis | April 5, 2012 - 9:54 am | ,
Leave a comment
MTTSLive

Registration is “OPEN” as in MINI USA launched the Website this morning.  However, the servers are being SLAMMED so you will need to check it out later. The image below will take you to the site when its functional again!  (www.minitakesthestates.com) The interest in this is very HIGH so I imagine this is going to be one heck of a road trip!

I’m still thinking our group can make July 12th the travel date to ABQ NM.  We can join the rest of the group there as we make our way to Phoenix and LA.  MINI USA has host hotels with group discounts available. Judging from the server traffic, you will probably need to decide a lot sooner than later if you are going to go on this trip and be able to take advantage of the deals.

More details to come!

MINI Takes the States Update

  By epminis | April 4, 2012 - 3:27 pm | ,
Leave a comment
MTTS 2012 Map

Thanks to White Roof Radio for getting this poster out a bit early-www.whiteroofradio.com

Registration for MINI Takes the States 2012 Starts Thursday, April 5th, 2012. Just about all the details for the cross country road trip should be available at that time. You can get details HERE.

If you’ve got about 10 minutes, you can head over to White Roof Radio and listen to an exclusive interview the guys had with Caryn Grun, MINI Events Manager for MINI USA. She reveals some insight on track days, routes and other tidbits that just a hint of what to expect!

 

February Events for epMINIs and MTTS 2012 update!

  By epminis | February 4, 2012 - 10:48 am | , , , ,
Leave a comment

Sunday February 19th will be the next Rally! This rally will be sponsored in part by Craven Speed.  They have donated two $40 gift certificates as raffle prizes for our meet up and have some discount codes for us to use as well.  We’ll send an email with the discount details to those of you who get the newsletter and or the website updates in their email.  For the Rally Route, we will head east to Sierra Blanca, then north to Cornudas.  Lunch, photos and Raffle in Cornudas.  Montana Avenue will bring us home.  More details to come!

Wednesday February 8th will be “MINI at the DON” sponsored by MINI of El Paso.  We’ll be at the UTEP Don Haskins center to support the Miner’s Men’s Basketball team as they battle the Tulsa Hurricanes!  MINI of El Paso has a LIMITED supply of FREE tickets available.  If you would like some tickets, please contact Victor at the dealership, 915-778-9381, to reserve your spot!

Who’s planning on doing some MINI Takes the States?  As I understand it, our best opportunity to join the rest of the MINI “Motorers” would be around July 10th or 11th. The route should drive through some cities just North of here! Although the routes are still being finalized, it’s a pretty safe bet you could block out some time from work between July 10th and July 16th.  Official route announcements later this month or the beginning for March.

Working on more things behind the scenes-Hopefully some new t-shirt designs and a non-rally nighttime MINI meet-up.  Keep up with our Site and Facebook for details to come!