Memorable Events on our First MINI Adventure
First Evening: "We're giving free pizza to anyone that lets us drive their MINI"…Grand Junction pizza shop manager offers us free pizza in exchange for a MINI test drive. After half a second of thinking it over, we pay for our pizza.
First Morning: We are greeted with a business card on windshield inviting us to join www.MINI5280.org. How they spotted us on the first day? Do people motor their MINI from Grand Junction to Denver to get together with other MINI drivers?
Second Day: Volunteer at Ute Indian Museum checks out our MINI while we check out his museum. He comments that he's thinking of getting one also. Spend more time chatting with him about the MINI than we did in the museum.
Second Evening: Hostess at Italian Restaurant overlooking Gunnison River in Montrose comes up while we are waiting for our meal. "How do you like your MINI?" It is parked next to a Prius so guess it had some pretty good company while we dined
Mesa Verde: Ranger Mark sees us Motoring by the scenic overlook to Balcony House and admires the MINI. At the end of the day he recognizes us while we are walking through Spruce Tree and asks us if we drink the British beer, Speckled Hen? Then he describes how Morris opened the Morris Garage and started to customize vehicles for some of his clients. He eventually started to sell them under his own make: MG.
In a particular enjoyable story to Ranger Mark, he goes into quite a bit of detail on how Morris enjoyed drinking beer at a nearby pub and eventually uses the beer name 'Speckled Hen' in naming one of his vehicles. He thought it was great that he, as a native of New Mexico, knew this story and some of his British friends didn't: it was new to us, but we are only driving a car with a British history. Well, after almost 30 minutes we say our goodbyes. We head to Durango to eat the best, most meaty tamale recommended to us by Mark…but no Speckled Hen to wash it down.
Durango: Wake up to find two motel guests plus a worker standing around the MINI discussing if they would fit inside. I assure them that it has more space inside then it appears. We saw 4 other Mini Coopers in Durango as we hung around the city but didn't meet any of the drivers. Well, we're ready to motor back to the Front Range…A little Jimmy Buffet, a little cheeseburger in paradise…
Itinerary
A fun 8-day trip through Wyoming, Utah, and Colorado.
Let's Motor.
Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
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3—April | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
Drive I-80 through Wyoming Sandy, Utah Comfort Inn |
9:00 am Pick-up MINI Cooper at MINI of Murray Colorado NM Grand Junction, CO Comfort Inn |
Description of day's Activities Delta Paonia Curecanti Rec Area Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP Montrose, CO Comfort Inn |
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10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
Ridgeway Telluride Anasazi Heritage Center Cortez, CO Econo Lodge |
Yucca House NM Hovenweep NM Cortez, CO Econo Lodge |
Mesa Verde Durango, CO Econo Lodge |
Durango, CO Econo Lodge |
Pagosa Springs Salida Buena Vista Denver |
Happy Travels,
Pam and Henry
MINI Facts
For more MINI Cooper information please visit the official MINI web page at: www.miniusa.com
Event | Date |
Ordered: | Mon, 01/10/2005 |
Body Shop Started: | Fri, 02/18/2005 |
Paint Shop Started: | Sat-Sun, 19-20 Feb-2005 |
Production Completed: | Wed, 02/23/2005 |
Booked Southampton: | 02/19/2005 07:28 |
Ready to scan at terminal—Southampton: | 02/23/2005 07:03 |
Received at terminal—Southampton: | 02/23/2005 07:05 |
Loaded on vessel 'Manon': | 02/25/2005 13:29 |
Arrives Port Hueneme, CA: | Wed, 03/23/2005 |
Picked up at MINI of Murray - Murray, UT | Fri, 04/08/2005 9:00 |