MTTS DC to NJ Alternate Route
#76
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Woo-Hoo!! Thanks to Dan for mentioning this, thanks to Robyn for organizing the Nutt's stop, thanks to Jacob, Adonis and whoever else helped lead into Jersey City...and thank you to you all for not getting upset about the change of route, u-turn, crazy traffic, etc etc! Makes me proud to be part of the MINI community. I loved going through New Hope even if it took forever...because everyone on the street had something to say, so positive and worthwile!!!
If anyone is ever up in the area (Lehigh Valley, Jersey) drop me a line and I'll show you all those awesome roads I promised but couldn't deliver on!!!
If anyone is ever up in the area (Lehigh Valley, Jersey) drop me a line and I'll show you all those awesome roads I promised but couldn't deliver on!!!
#77
I'd like to say thanks to the folks who helped put this together and guide us around. We had a great time.
It was good to meet new people and nice to hang around with old friends. Wish I'd have gotten more peoples' names. <sigh>
No doubt in a few weeks some exec at MINI will be scratching their head trying to figure out a reason for a spike in orders from New Hope.
Thanks also to our small caravan getting back home. Good radio chatter to keep me awake.
I've posted some pics.
Hope to see you all again soon,
-James
It was good to meet new people and nice to hang around with old friends. Wish I'd have gotten more peoples' names. <sigh>
No doubt in a few weeks some exec at MINI will be scratching their head trying to figure out a reason for a spike in orders from New Hope.
Thanks also to our small caravan getting back home. Good radio chatter to keep me awake.
I've posted some pics.
Hope to see you all again soon,
-James
#78
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James, those are some great pictures!
My family and friends have been asking me my fave part of the whole deal....and I don't really have one. I know New Hope and the people in the town were awesome...but I think one that is at the top, is when we were all pulled over after New Hope waiting to regroup, and as the cars went by, they were all honking and hooting. It definatly added to the excitement I already had! I also heard from a friend today who's father was in New Hope, saw all of us, took a pic and texted my friend "MINI's in New Hope...do you know these guys?"
I hope that even if MINIUSA never does anything like this again, that we can (at least on the east coast) plan something awesome like this!! I know I would be up for the challenge!!!
My family and friends have been asking me my fave part of the whole deal....and I don't really have one. I know New Hope and the people in the town were awesome...but I think one that is at the top, is when we were all pulled over after New Hope waiting to regroup, and as the cars went by, they were all honking and hooting. It definatly added to the excitement I already had! I also heard from a friend today who's father was in New Hope, saw all of us, took a pic and texted my friend "MINI's in New Hope...do you know these guys?"
I hope that even if MINIUSA never does anything like this again, that we can (at least on the east coast) plan something awesome like this!! I know I would be up for the challenge!!!
#79
Man all those pics of new hope makes me homesick. I really wish I could have done the NJ leg of the trip. If they do it again I'm not missing the NJ leg. If
they go through NJ the next time.
they go through NJ the next time.
#80
I had a blast on the alternate route, even with the slow parade-style traffic through the towns and the unexpected U-turn... it just added to the variety! And Nutts was a great place to stop - awesome!
I do have two constructive suggestions for next time... first of all, 695 around Baltimore is MUCH slower than either staying on I-95 or using the I-895 harbor tunnel. The only downside is the $2 toll for those methods... but I think we would have saved a whole bunch of time (to be later used on fun NJ backroads) if we had avoided 695.
Secondly, ditch channel 5, subchannel 0, and use the defacto MINI standard of channel 7, subchannel 21. Besides being far more convenient for the majority of MINI people who already have their radios set to 7/21, it would have reduced some of the staticy interference we heard.
Case in point - after we split up into smaller groups to head directly to Jersey City, my group (about 6 or 7 MINIs) kept having more interference problems. I suggested switching back to 7/21, and presto, it was clear again.
Sure, some people out there may not have 2-way radios that are capable of subchannels, but if that's the case, it's time to upgrade! They are cheap... and it's always easy to justify when it's MINI-related.
In any case, I want to say that I plan on keeping Nutts in mind should I ever be in that area again. Good stuff.
NOTE: I don't mean my post to sound too negative... even with 695 and the occasional radio problems, I wouldn't hesitate to do it again!
I do have two constructive suggestions for next time... first of all, 695 around Baltimore is MUCH slower than either staying on I-95 or using the I-895 harbor tunnel. The only downside is the $2 toll for those methods... but I think we would have saved a whole bunch of time (to be later used on fun NJ backroads) if we had avoided 695.
Secondly, ditch channel 5, subchannel 0, and use the defacto MINI standard of channel 7, subchannel 21. Besides being far more convenient for the majority of MINI people who already have their radios set to 7/21, it would have reduced some of the staticy interference we heard.
Case in point - after we split up into smaller groups to head directly to Jersey City, my group (about 6 or 7 MINIs) kept having more interference problems. I suggested switching back to 7/21, and presto, it was clear again.
Sure, some people out there may not have 2-way radios that are capable of subchannels, but if that's the case, it's time to upgrade! They are cheap... and it's always easy to justify when it's MINI-related.
In any case, I want to say that I plan on keeping Nutts in mind should I ever be in that area again. Good stuff.
NOTE: I don't mean my post to sound too negative... even with 695 and the occasional radio problems, I wouldn't hesitate to do it again!
#82
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being from the baltimore area, i'll say 95 and the two tunnels can get kinda trafficy during the holidays. Usually backs up pretty bad around the tolls. So 695 is a good alternate to avoid the tunnel delay.
But you never know it coulda been clear. 695 is like an extra 15 to 20 min, not that bad.
But you never know it coulda been clear. 695 is like an extra 15 to 20 min, not that bad.
#83
Originally Posted by bluminiboy
being from the baltimore area, i'll say 95 and the two tunnels can get kinda trafficy during the holidays. Usually backs up pretty bad around the tolls. So 695 is a good alternate to avoid the tunnel delay.
But you never know it coulda been clear. 695 is like an extra 15 to 20 min, not that bad.
But you never know it coulda been clear. 695 is like an extra 15 to 20 min, not that bad.
My caravan drove all the way back from CT to DC tonight (Monday night, when everyone was going home), and we took 895 to get past Baltimore... no delays whatsoever... although I suppose since it was around 10pm, it might not have mattered. It also helped that all 3 MINIs had EZ-Passes.
#84
We headed over to Nutts yesterday while we were out on a nice backroads drive. Figured we'd get dinner while we were there but unfortunately, they had run out of propane so their entire kitchen was shut down. Thank goodness that didn't happen on Sunday!!!
Anyway, we spoke to the owner (Mike) and he said Sunday was great and that he would welcome a large group of MINIs back to It's Nutts anytime (with a little advance warning ).
Anyway, we spoke to the owner (Mike) and he said Sunday was great and that he would welcome a large group of MINIs back to It's Nutts anytime (with a little advance warning ).
#85
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Originally Posted by Edge
I had a blast on the alternate route, even with the slow parade-style traffic through the towns and the unexpected U-turn... it just added to the variety! And Nutts was a great place to stop - awesome!
I do have two constructive suggestions for next time... first of all, 695 around Baltimore is MUCH slower than either staying on I-95 or using the I-895 harbor tunnel. The only downside is the $2 toll for those methods... but I think we would have saved a whole bunch of time (to be later used on fun NJ backroads) if we had avoided 695.
Secondly, ditch channel 5, subchannel 0, and use the defacto MINI standard of channel 7, subchannel 21. Besides being far more convenient for the majority of MINI people who already have their radios set to 7/21, it would have reduced some of the staticy interference we heard.
Case in point - after we split up into smaller groups to head directly to Jersey City, my group (about 6 or 7 MINIs) kept having more interference problems. I suggested switching back to 7/21, and presto, it was clear again.
Sure, some people out there may not have 2-way radios that are capable of subchannels, but if that's the case, it's time to upgrade! They are cheap... and it's always easy to justify when it's MINI-related.
In any case, I want to say that I plan on keeping Nutts in mind should I ever be in that area again. Good stuff.
NOTE: I don't mean my post to sound too negative... even with 695 and the occasional radio problems, I wouldn't hesitate to do it again!
I do have two constructive suggestions for next time... first of all, 695 around Baltimore is MUCH slower than either staying on I-95 or using the I-895 harbor tunnel. The only downside is the $2 toll for those methods... but I think we would have saved a whole bunch of time (to be later used on fun NJ backroads) if we had avoided 695.
Secondly, ditch channel 5, subchannel 0, and use the defacto MINI standard of channel 7, subchannel 21. Besides being far more convenient for the majority of MINI people who already have their radios set to 7/21, it would have reduced some of the staticy interference we heard.
Case in point - after we split up into smaller groups to head directly to Jersey City, my group (about 6 or 7 MINIs) kept having more interference problems. I suggested switching back to 7/21, and presto, it was clear again.
Sure, some people out there may not have 2-way radios that are capable of subchannels, but if that's the case, it's time to upgrade! They are cheap... and it's always easy to justify when it's MINI-related.
In any case, I want to say that I plan on keeping Nutts in mind should I ever be in that area again. Good stuff.
NOTE: I don't mean my post to sound too negative... even with 695 and the occasional radio problems, I wouldn't hesitate to do it again!
Make ya a deal...you plan and lead next time. I'll be happy to follow!!
#86
I'd like to thank everyone for making this trip so fun. We were expecting about 20-25 cars and we ended up with about 50 so I'd have to say it was a huge success! It was definitely a really impressive sight driving at the front and looking in my rearview mirror at close to 50 MINIs cruising down the highway. This was my first event that I've ever been to since I've owned a MINI and it will be hard to top. But I was really impressed by how friendly everyone was and I had a great time. I can't wait to do more things in the future so keep me posted as to what is going on and we'll have to put more things together both in DC and PA/NJ.
I'd also like to thank everyone for their patience and flexibility. It wasn't easy keeping so many cars together but Cooper Girl and others from NEMINI did a great job rounding everyone up and making our great lunch stop at Nutts a possibility. And I appreciate the constructive criticism. I'll keep those suggestions in mind in helping to plan future events. While this wasn't the first event that I've helped plan for a lot of people, it was the first with a lot of people AND their cars so I didn't quite know what to expect. There were some unexpected factors that affected our trip but everyone was really great about it. And some of those unexpected events were what made the trip so great (like our "parade" through New Hope! ).
Finally, everyone post your pictures! (Those are some great pics JDM!) I have some that I will hopefully get up in the next couple of days and my Dad took some of us all crossing the Washington Crossing bridge so I'll get those as well and put them up!
I'd also like to thank everyone for their patience and flexibility. It wasn't easy keeping so many cars together but Cooper Girl and others from NEMINI did a great job rounding everyone up and making our great lunch stop at Nutts a possibility. And I appreciate the constructive criticism. I'll keep those suggestions in mind in helping to plan future events. While this wasn't the first event that I've helped plan for a lot of people, it was the first with a lot of people AND their cars so I didn't quite know what to expect. There were some unexpected factors that affected our trip but everyone was really great about it. And some of those unexpected events were what made the trip so great (like our "parade" through New Hope! ).
Finally, everyone post your pictures! (Those are some great pics JDM!) I have some that I will hopefully get up in the next couple of days and my Dad took some of us all crossing the Washington Crossing bridge so I'll get those as well and put them up!
#88
Originally Posted by Jerseygirl
Greetings from one of your friendly Nutts parking lot attendants! Well, we did it. We crammed 46 cars into Nutts parking lot... and the adjacent business... and the post office and actually had room to spare!
I'm sorry that I didn't have more shirts made up for everyone, but that's pretty much all the shirts I had available (and I wasn't expecting 46 cars)!!!
I heard quite a few people were disappointed they didn't get one. So.... If anyone would like one of the shirts that I had made, here's the deal. I'll make more, but I'm going to ask that you at least cover my costs.
Shirt + Shipping to your house: $9.50
Shirt + delivery when I see you at a local event in NJ or PA: $5.50
Bear in mind the thread colors will remain the same two shades of blue. With that said, the available shirt colors can be seen HERE:
If you'd like a shirt, please Paypal the appropriate amount to robyn AT njbaglady DOT com. Specify: shirt color & size (S, M, L, XL) when you send payment.
If I get a lot of requests, please bear with me. It will take some time to get to everyone.
I'm sorry that I didn't have more shirts made up for everyone, but that's pretty much all the shirts I had available (and I wasn't expecting 46 cars)!!!
I heard quite a few people were disappointed they didn't get one. So.... If anyone would like one of the shirts that I had made, here's the deal. I'll make more, but I'm going to ask that you at least cover my costs.
Shirt + Shipping to your house: $9.50
Shirt + delivery when I see you at a local event in NJ or PA: $5.50
Bear in mind the thread colors will remain the same two shades of blue. With that said, the available shirt colors can be seen HERE:
If you'd like a shirt, please Paypal the appropriate amount to robyn AT njbaglady DOT com. Specify: shirt color & size (S, M, L, XL) when you send payment.
If I get a lot of requests, please bear with me. It will take some time to get to everyone.
#89
Thanks Alli, Dan, Robyn and everyone else that took part in planning this leg on the run. I had a great time all weekend and it was nice seeing some familiar faces and meeting new ones. It was kinda cool meeting up with a couple of different groups at the rest stop, hanging for a while and going our separate ways. It's nutts was fun and delicious but if I knew I was going to be eating burgers for the rest of the weekend then I would have order chicken. Robyn, Thanks for all the effort and generosity you put out for the tee shirts. You are too nice.
It's always fun driving through New Hope. My favorite quote of the day was the reference to a reverse parade where we are stopped and the spectators walked by.
Sorry I didn't get a chance to say good bye. I came back from the pier and you were already gone.
And Alli my friend really wanted to talk to you!
-Dan
It's always fun driving through New Hope. My favorite quote of the day was the reference to a reverse parade where we are stopped and the spectators walked by.
Sorry I didn't get a chance to say good bye. I came back from the pier and you were already gone.
And Alli my friend really wanted to talk to you!
-Dan
#90
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Originally Posted by minitothemax
Thanks Alli, Dan, Robyn and everyone else that took part in planning this leg on the run. I had a great time all weekend and it was nice seeing some familiar faces and meeting new ones. It was kinda cool meeting up with a couple of different groups at the rest stop, hanging for a while and going our separate ways. It's nutts was fun and delicious but if I knew I was going to be eating burgers for the rest of the weekend then I would have order chicken. Robyn, Thanks for all the effort and generosity you put out for the tee shirts. You are too nice.
It's always fun driving through New Hope. My favorite quote of the day was the reference to a reverse parade where we are stopped and the spectators walked by.
Sorry I didn't get a chance to say good bye. I came back from the pier and you were already gone.
And Alli my friend really wanted to talk to you!
-Dan
It's always fun driving through New Hope. My favorite quote of the day was the reference to a reverse parade where we are stopped and the spectators walked by.
Sorry I didn't get a chance to say good bye. I came back from the pier and you were already gone.
And Alli my friend really wanted to talk to you!
-Dan
#91
Originally Posted by clarkdr81
I don't need a shirt but if someone could just post a pic of one that would be great!
#92
Originally Posted by cooper girl
Make ya a deal...you plan and lead next time. I'll be happy to follow!!
However, if there is a group run event of a similar nature in the future (i.e. DC to NJ), please don't hesitate to ask and I'll be happy to help with logistics!
#93
Originally Posted by Jerseygirl
Will do! I'll try to get you a picture of the one I asked everyone to sign.
#100
Alli, Dan every body who pitched in for the ride to NJ, thanks a lot. It was great. We had a great time, and the best was meeting you all. New Hope will never forget the day the Minis came to town and paraded for free, specially the cop on the bike, he just couldn't believe it.
I hope we can do it again some day, when the roads that Alli wanted to take us through are not closed.
P.S. I let some one borrow a radio but couldn't find the person again, white mini with VA tags.
I hope we can do it again some day, when the roads that Alli wanted to take us through are not closed.
P.S. I let some one borrow a radio but couldn't find the person again, white mini with VA tags.