Motor Greater Galena (9/29-9/30)

We have a great set of drives and events planned in beautiful Jo Daviess County and the historic city of Galena the last weekend of September.

WHEN: September 29 & 30 2007

Saturday or Sunday? Why not both? Plan to join us for our first CMMC overnight event. Staying overnight is of course optional. We have a great set of events planned for each day that can be experienced individually or as a package.

Saturday’s events start with a scenic and very twisty drive out to Galena and the Chestnut Mountain Resort. There we’ll enjoy lunch overlooking the Mississippi River and conclude with some seat time sledding down the 2,050 ft. “terrain-tailored track to the banks of the Mississippi.”

We have optional organized events after leaving Chestnut Mountain. If you still have some energy left there are more great roads to drive or explore historic downtown Galena. Those who are staying overnight may want to have dinner together and enjoy the evening in downtown Galena. There are several great places to eat in Galena!

We have something special planned for those staying till Sunday. This is the day of our grand tour on some spectacular roads in the Galena area.

If you are interested in staying overnight, please make your reservations NOW. Rooms fill up quickly. Two motels with rooms available (and not requiring a two-night stay) are the Grant Hills Motel and The View Motel. Great prices are available at these two motels! There may be other rooms available – check out the Galena Travel Information and www.galena.org to book rooms. Many of the B&B’s have two night minimum, but if you call the week of Sept 24th you may find one night deals.

This is a two-day event, but designed to allow anyone that can only make it one day to still enjoy some great roads and a great time.

We will meet and depart from Winnebago (just west of Rockford) Saturday morning. Starting here will make it convenient for everyone from Chicago, Rockford and Wisconsin to join us.

Important times to note;

Sat 10am meet at McDonalds in the rear parking lot, west of Rockford at Route 20 and Winnebago road. We will leave promptly at 10:30am.

FYI, there is no pit stop on the leg from Rockford to Chestnut Resort. Why you ask? Because we are driving back roads with no services, so get the small coffee.

Sat 12:30pm Group Lunch and slide at Chestnut Mountain Resort.

Sat 4pm group photo at The Long Hollow Tower.

Sat 5pm optional late afternoon run from group photo.

Sunday September 30th, 1pm meet at Galena Recreation Park

This event is open to ALL MINIs. Please reply below what day/s and event/s you plan to attend to allow us to prepare the best possible event for YOU!

  • Dustin

    Love the coffee link, LOL ;)

    Karen and I will be there for both days and all events. Hope to see many of you there too.

  • Cecilia

    George and I will be attending the trip and overnight as well. can’t wait! We love Galena!

    Cecilia

  • Jeff

    Looking forward to it. Rhiannon and I will be there for both days.

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  • john & tommy

    hey, for once in y sorry life kids’ soccer and MINI’s coincide. We will be in Muscatine on Friday and Saturday, but go east and will try to hook up on Sunday!

  • The Seeker

    It’s unfortunate that the date picked for this event conflicts with a previously posted activity. Perhaps this can be an annual event with no future conflicts.

  • Dustin

    The date was picked based on Galena event weekends. It was the last weekend before weather risks that there was not something going on in Galena. We wanted the roads for Coopers, not a ton of RV’s :) . The other event was a “non-CMMC” event, and few more hours away. The dates also worked well for the team working on the event. We wish anyone going down for the Route 66 event a safe and fun time. See Ya in Galena next year.

  • Jeff

    Turns out Rhiannon and I can’t make it. Heading to a concert Saturday night. Maybe we can drive out and meet up with y’all Sunday night.

  • Dustin

    I know there are more then a few driving out for the Sunday 1pm drive, it will be worth the effort. ;)

  • Maria

    I would love to go to this event! It would be our first event, and I was curious if it costs anything?? We live in Davenport, IA, and there are no MINI clubs around here :( I know that Marty would have a great time on this little trip :)

  • http://www.chicagominiclub.com Steve
    I was curious if it costs anything??

    There is no charge for the event itself, but meals, hotel, and any activies (like the sledding) would be on you.

    Hope you can make it out. More cars=more fun!!

  • Jeff

    Concert has been postponed. We’ll be there Saturday and Sunday

  • Rob

    Wife and I plan on being there coming from the Iowa side. Meet you all out at the ski resort.

  • Paul

    Looking forward to this weekend – we have some great roads planned.

    I hope everyone who is planning to stay overnight has made reservations!

  • Steve

    My wife and I and kids will be joining on Saturday and I will be joining on Sunday.

  • Dustin

    Iowa MINI’s if you want to enjoy the last and best 30 miles of the AM Sat Drive, please jump in line while we pass though http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Loran+il&ie=UTF8&ll=42.235969,-89.910092&spn=0.006974,0.014462&z=16&iwloc=addr&om=1 Loran IL. Target time to be in Loran is 11:15 AM. Hope to see some of you there, trust me, you’ll love the last 30 miles.

  • Terri

    Count me in for the overnighter…..can’t wait. Will try and catch up in Rockford Sat.

  • Tim Meegan

    If all the planets align that will be the weekend I pick up my new MCS. I live down river in the Quad Cities and would love to join all of you. A favorite stop in Galena for a great meal is the Perry Street Brassery.

  • Dustin

    Hey Terri, you may want to meet us in Loran, but would always be good to see ya in Winnebago too.

    Tim, we will keep your toes crossed for new MCS to show up. Where are you picking it up?

  • Maria

    We’re planning to come up on Saturday around 1 or 2, so see you all then :)

  • Dustin

    9-17-07 Notes from Dustin.

    A few of you have asked if you can only come one day which day is the better driving day? I would say come on Sunday for the 1pm start in Galena. We will have two legs around Galena and one fun leg back to Chicago area.

    If you do not have a room yet for Sat night and the places you have talked to have a two min. Call them back the week of the 24th and you may find some of them are more willing to give you one night, you must ask for it, they don’t do it if you don’t ask.

  • Terri

    Hey Dustin, where in Loran, what time? Just want to pick up the group somewhere. Looking so forward to the run.

  • Dustin

    See my above posting for the Loran details.

  • Matt Train

    All:

    I have family in Galena, and I am friends with Blake (BBQ Drive). I will be coming along on the drive as a guest, bringing my wannabe-MINI, a black ’02 Focus ZX3. It has the SVT suspension kit, Pirelli P-Zeros, and a driver with track time under his belt, so hopefully I qualify as a corner-carver. :)

    Anyway, I am very familiar with the area and would be more than willing to help out with the event. If anyone has any questions regarding where to go, where to drive, or what to see, I would be happy to provide that information.

    I also have a very good “A List” recommendation of restaurants in the area.

    Let me know if I can help!

    Matt Train SHO220Z@yahoo.com

  • Troy

    Dustin, my sister and I will be there for both days.

  • Blake

    Matt, you are my HERO!!!

    Troy, a sister? What is the deal with her? Is she single? Does she like MINI’s?

  • Troy

    Blake, Yes. She’s recovering from a sex change operation!…joke (her words not mine) I have no recollection. She loves MINI’S!!!!

  • Terri

    Dustin, i’ll meet you guys in Rockford. easier for me to get there, 10:30. MOTOR ON…..

    Terri

  • Dustin

    I can see it now, Galena 2008 Drive to the Chapel. :)

  • Matt Train

    In case anyone needs any good restaurant suggestions:

    Downtown:

    I highly recommend Fried Green Tomatoes. I also recommend Vinny Vanucchi’s. (sp) Both places are italian, and VERY good. There’s a new hamburger joint that opened up near Fried Green that has some really good burgers. THe Log Cabin is a steak house and has great food as well. Cannova’s is a good place if you are looking for homemade pizza. The Market House Tavern is a little hard to find, but serves AWESOME fried pickles and cream of portabella mushroom soup.

    The Territory:

    Spikes is just off Route 20 in the Territory and has great food.

    Side culinary trips include Galnea Canning Company (I understand they have been on the Food Network), Galena Wine and Cheese, Great American Popcorn Co (DO NOT LEAVE GALENA without going here) and the chocolate place right next door. Kaladi’s Coffee Bar is not to be missed, and Jamie’s Wine Cellar (I might have that name wrong, but its close) just opened up a year ago and is a great place to enjoy wine and live music on a Saturday night.

    Don’t forget Galena is only 15 minutes from Dubuque IA and the river, and for those feeling lucky, Diamond Joe’s Casino is right off Route 20 on the River (you would need to be blind to miss it). There is also the Mississippi River Museum, and Dyersville IA is only about 35 minutes away. For those who don’t know, Dyersville IA is where they filmed Field of Dreams, and yes the baseball diamond is still there.

  • victor

    damb blake keep the pants on. she might look like troy. no ofence troy. and the focus guy comon man does this say small hach back get together? lol. just messin around guys ill try to make this trip sounds like fun…oh ya is there any racing event on this trip?

  • Matt Train

    There are no racing venues to my knowledge in the area.

    Also, I know Dustin will be briefing you all pre-drive, but I want this to be known now so we don’t have any balled up MINIs:

    I know these roads pretty well, and some are not to be taken lightly. Do not go out on this drive expecting to set new speed records. Almost all of these roads in Galena are rural farmland with lots of ridges and hills, with a lot of undulating blacktop and blind corners. There will be lots of tourist traffic near Route 20 and downtown, and there will be lots of farmers in pickups everywhere else – some of whom have never even SEEN a MINI.

    I realize this is pretty obvious, but it needs to be stated:

    Please, drive within your comfort limits.

  • Matt Train

    Oh, and FYI: I need to follow up on this, but supposedly there is some sort of hot air baloon event in the area during that weekend, for those who are into that sort of thing. :P

  • http://www.chicagominiclub.com Steve
    Please, drive within *your* comfort limits.

    Amen.

    Nothing spoils a day quicker than a busted up car or person.

  • Dustin

    This will be a SAFE and FUN event with 7 leaders that have already driven the routes to then lead like minded drivers on the routes in small groups.

  • Bruce

    We’ll be 2 cars strong:^)

  • Dr. Paul

    Look for Austin and I on Sunday. We’ll be leaving early and driving the Saturday section before the Sunday meetup.

  • Brent

    This sounds like a great event. I am not a club member, but can I still join in? I hope to make it for both days but will have to see if I can find accomodations. I will have 1 Mini and myself.

  • Blake

    Brent,

    Yes you can come!!! Your MINI is your admission ticket and in some cases you don’t need to have a MINI (just a Focus.)

    See you there.

  • JPM

    Hi, Both myself and my wife ,Brenda plan on driving from Clinton to Rockford Sat morning to meet up with everyone on route 20.

  • Dustin

    INFO ABOUT SUNDAY DRIVE

    Some of you have asked about timing for Sunday and when you might get home. The 1st leg starts at 1pm, will take about 30 mins to drive, then the 2nd leg will be about 30 mins back to the starting line in Galena. The 3rd leg out of Galena back east to Rockford area will start about 3pm and put us back in the Chicago area by 530pm. If you want to skip the 3rd leg, you may and get back to Chicago area about 430pm. Hope that helps.

  • http://www.jbmotorsports.net Rich

    Oh geez…Speed & Accidents??? We sure don’t need a repeat of Starved Rock!!! Should I pull the Demo Derby car off the trailer and hope it’s not necessary?? I’ll be there on Sunday, but PLEASE, I really don’t want to NEED to show up on Saturday!!! Watch out for those Blind Curves, they catch you quick!!

  • Paul

    Looks like we’ll have a really nice group of MINIs this weekend :) See you all there!

  • Susan

    Hi y’all! This is Matt Train’s GF. Thanks for letting us tag along with our wannabe-MINI. ;) We’re really looking forward to meeting all of you!

  • pan

    i’ll be there on sunday

  • Frank

    I will also be joining the group at the Rockford stop for this fun drive!!! C-ya saturday!

  • Dustin

    Did all the test driving today and have all the turn-by-turn and maps ready to go. It’s Great back-back road Fun for all. See YOU this weekend.

  • Matt Train

    THanks for letting me tag along Dustin!

    The routes rock, people. Check all your tire pressures before you leave, and bring Dramamine, GPS, and a Valentine One.

    The test drives went well. We only killed 1 bird and 1 brake rotor. :) The tires are a little worse for wear, I’m afraid.

  • Dustin

    Gang, if you have ever thought about getting a GPS, NOW is the time, you will enjoy this drive, and any drive more with a Garmin GPS. Buy one, borrow one, you will love it and enjoy “seeing” the road ahead like never before.

  • Jeff

    WOW!! Drove it with Matt and Dustin yesterday. Got a little lightheaded through one down-and-up. Defintly a can’t miss drive. Also, a sure fire way to wear down the run-flats :-)

    Bad news, Rhiannon won’t be able to make it due to audit time at her company. So i’ll be driving solo. Major bummer.

  • Matt Train

    …and if your runflats still need help…hell, give me the car for an hour. :)

  • http://www.taylorsmith.biz/mini.htm Taylor

    I will be joining you on Sunday! Yippee.

  • Blake

    Very Cool Taylor!!!

  • Tim Meegan

    The delivery of my new mini has been a cliffhanger but I am heading out the door to pick it up right now! Ihope to join you all for lunch. Tim

  • Dustin

    A Brand NEW MINI, that will be great, looking forward to seeing Tim and his NEW NEW MINI.

  • Jeff

    Tim’s going to be crazy having to stick to the break in period. OUCH!!

  • Dustin

    Hey Jeff, we’ll have him follow you, LOL :) ;)

  • Dustin

    Cubs WIN, MINI Clean, Tires at 40 each, bags packed, route sheets and maps made, back to the Brew Crew Game. GO Padres!

  • Blake

    Good times!

    Thanks Dustin, Paul, Matt and Jeff for the great routes!

    See you all at the ROCK.

  • Bruce

    Here, here!!! You guys did a GREAT job!!! Thanks for all the effort. It showed!! :^D

  • Rob & Lisa

    Thanks for putting on the event. I had a great time and hope to make some of the driving routes next time. See you all at the next meet I hope. Ill have some pictures up soon for you to view. Thanks!

  • Maria

    You guys did a great job and thank you so much for letting us join in on the fun! We had a blast and if any other events come up near Iowa, we will try to be there!