one more thing

Felix finally made it home after a long, long ride back on an auto transport.  He deserved it after logging 5549 miles of motoring across America.

2 baths, a clay barring and waxing later...  Today he's getting his tires rotated and re-acclimating to the chaos of Los Angeles traffic.  Can't say this enough, regardless of how weird it may sound, "I love this car!"

He made it all the way.  And for that I'm very thankful.

what now?

It feels so strange to be back in Los Angeles, cooking my own meals and washing dishes.  For the last  15 days or so I was being fed, responsible in some cases only to "bus" my own plate and cup to the nearest waste can.  It's while I stand, soap suds up to elbows at the kitchen sink that the finality of being home sinks in.   MINI Takes the States 2014 - the epic road adventure is over.  It's over!

Now what?

Well, there is still laundry to be washed, gear stowed, photographs to sort and be resized for web posting.  And the love bubble of the rally still thrives on Facebook, where participants continue to post their daily musings of life as we all settle back into what we were doing pre-MTTS.  There is that job I need to find...

I have a palpable feeling of life never being what it was before.  That somehow this journey was magic and I am changed forever.  I was touched by so many amazingly wonderful, kind people:
from Kevin, who waved us in each day with the biggest smile and the happiest, most polite greetings;  Justine always cheerful at check in; Jodie egging me on to "confess more" in the Cab Chronicles; John, Claude and Matt (Coyote) Wolf making sure broken down cars got immediate attention; Caryn who waited for me to catch up to the gang headed to Canada - really all the MINI USA staff and the gang from TPGevents - you rocked it.   And to my fellow merry band of motorers that I fell in line with - I just have to keep pinching myself at the luck, at the serendipity as the journey unfolded.  If this road trip is a metaphor for living - the lesson I take away is this - read the map, but be willing to take the side roads, follow someone in the wrong direction for a little while, but be brave enough to change course and set out on your own.  You will always be surprised and delighted.

In the days to follow, my plan is to update posts with more recaps, recollections and photos of the events along the way.  Bear with me, it could take awhile.  I will be talking about this for the rest of my life.  Or 2016 when I do all again.  Thanks for reading.

photo courtesy of MINI USA news

the party is over

And just like that, 15 days of road travel ended.  More than one of my new MINI family members remarked that the wait for this journey seemed to take forever - but the actual trip went by in a flash.  What remains are photographs, videos, buttons, swag, memories and now life long friendships with folks who came together for the love of a little car that I think has a sense of humor and joie de vivre like no other.   I'm so very lucky to have gone on this adventure.  It's been a ride of a lifetime!

A parade-like ending with confetti and the placement of the final star on the map by David Duncan.

Our official road photographers celebrate the finish with a chance to be on the other side of the lens.

A marriage proposal that left not a dry eye in the "house" - congratulations to Mike and Steph!

Me and Julie on the "victory" stage - this was kind of like running a half marathon every day only without UnderArmour or BodyGlide... whew!  done!

highway to hell

or what will be forever known as the hellish drive to Boston...

Post for August 9, 2014  Bethlehem, PA to Boston MA

I vaguely recall AC/DC on the iPod, rocking out to Highway to Hell because it's a good tune and fun to drive to.  Not because we thought the drive would be of a traffic jam packed nature.

M. Sitbon took the wheel, as I was feeling very sleepy (and grumpy) after staying up well past midnight chatting with one of my new motoring friends.   Absolutley no one in our little caravan was in a chipper mood that morning.  Is this what happens when the end is near?

A long long line of MINIs was already in the queue waiting for the Rise and Shine festivities to commence.  After a little coffee, I felt better.  Even more so when I found this guy...

Everyday is a holiday with a PEEP, a fantastic cure for the grumpiest of travelers!

As we prepared to follow the crowd out of Bethlehem we discovered that Alex had misplaced the key to Felix.  No worries, I had a spare and was confident that the missing key would turn up in DB and Todd's car (Alex had been helping to repack luggage in their car just prior to launch - jeez sounds like we were departing in space ships...).  Anyway, I remained amazingly calm - we radioed our travel companions ahead, requesting a stop to find the missing key and viola! It was found.

And then the stupid traveling began.  Can you say traffic jam?  We played the game What is Worse?  

A) Being buried alive enclosed in a room of brick?

B) driving your manual transmission MINI while stuck in stop and go traffic?

This while attempting to navigate our way across the GW Bridge.   

Following the White Roof Radios gents was somewhat comical - as their nav system rerouted us away from traffic only to send us into more traffic.  After multiple gas stops, bathroom breaks and a wonderful lunch that our resident food guide found for us it was lights out for me.

My deep thanks and appreciation to Alex Sitbon for motoring us into Boston.  The nap was essential, there was still a party to attend...

please pass the bacon

Day 13 -  Buffalo, NY to Bethlehem, PA

How many miles have I traveled?  I honestly do not know.  Perhaps tomorrow I'll remember to check the odometer.  I do know that Felix hit his milestone 75,000 mile mark today somewhere along the route.  At this point I'm over photographing such events.

I woke up too early (hence my hello goodbye post this morning.)  Made the Rise and Shine and had the interesting experience of parallel parking my car into the lineup.  (Yesterday, I had the opposite experience of having to get myself out of the rally line to hop ahead with the group leaving for Canada.)  Call it a full circle experience.

In any event - the day began with full plate of BACON!  I love Buffalo - how can you not love a city that loves meat.  And how can you not love a breakfast that isn't a burrito or a sandwich?  Sorry, no photos of the bacon plate.

The first stop on today's route was LeRoy, NY - the birthplace of JELL-O brand gelatin dessert.  What an amazing welcome the town gave us!  I felt like I was driving a parade.  Literally the whole way folks were sitting along the road waving at us, taking photographs and making videos.  It was very heartwarming.    The JELL-O Museum was quite fun and educational.  And I scored a box of my favorite flavor GREEN (lime).

From the museum, we set off with the Philadelphia MINI car club on a very nice over the hills drive... which turned into a fail when we lost our friends in the last car.  Not lost in the permanent sense but lost in the "can't find group, please come save us" - so Todd and DB in the F-56 and Frenchie and I in Felix formed a search party.   The lost party was found conveniently located in the parking lot of Wegmans in Corning.

Those of you familiar with my Paris escapades know I'm a sucker for giant food emporiums - Wegmans fit that bill and then some.

After a refueling of the motorers and a little shopping in Wegmans, we headed off for a brief stop at the Corning Museum of Glass

After the backtracking adventure our merry band decided to skip the Steel Stacks evening for a quiet evening of cocktails, followed by a robust Italian meal.  Alex Sitbon of the White Roof Radio crew gets major points for his dining selections.  I don't know how he does it - the man has some extraterrestrial skills at finding excellent food.  Maybe it's a French thing? 

hello goodbye

Good morning Buffalo,

Today we jet off to Bethlehem, PA -it  hardly seems fair that we just met and are now leaving each other.   The party at the Riverworks was divine.   I will remember the scent of your cereal factory, the groovy Brit band and the Canadians who invaded our parade.

xo AJ

Holy shit!  Only 2 days left to motor.  2 days.  2 DAYS!!!!!
Like life, nothing on this adventure went completely by the book.  I couldn't seem to write here everyday.  Some photographs were never made.   Food and drinks and nights on the town were often eschewed for sleep.  This has been a driving marathon - one I hadn't trained for.   And a time to reflect and rejoice upon all the surprises life can give to you if you just relax.

A funny thing happens when you venture off by yourself - you find your people.  Every time I travel it happens.  Here now are just a few of those I found.

don't look now, we're being invaded...

Day 12 - Cleveland, OH to Buffalo, NY

Or the day I almost missed my chance to go to Canada...

Ahem.  Sometimes, despite the best laid plans things can go awry.  Prior to leaving on MTTS I had received an email from the MINI Takes the States people notifying me of my selection as an "ambassador" to Canada (I entered a contest) - I thought cool, I get to go hang with some Canadians for their own MINI Invasion of the US.  The email said I'd get more details in St. Louis, but SL came and went and nothing.  I asked around, but being somewhat sleep deprived, hot lap high and just plain  stupid from all the motoring I didn't ask the right people and found myself in the line up for the regular rally on this sunny morning.

Todd Pearson to the rescue!  Todd notices I'm not lined up with the gang going to Canada and inquires why.  Making it happen is what this man is about - he quickly gets help and lucky for me, my position in the rally line has an escape exit.  I get moved over to the line headed for the border and minutes later madly scramble my way to Canada.

My thanks to Todd and the guys lining us up that morning for setting me straight.  And to Caryn Grun from MINI USA for waiting for me to catch up on the highway so that I wasn't motoring alone into Canada.

This was a terrific experience!   I finally got to see Niagara Falls.   MINI Canada threw an awesome party complete with delicious food truck fare, a cannon blast launch, photo ops, a MINI Cooper roof to sign and the poshest outhouses ever.   And thankfully, I didn't have to even mention the crazy speech I wrote for the contest...

A few notes about getting into Canada... odd traffic lanes funneling cars into the border patrol - takes what seems like forever!   Very friendly border guards (I told 3 jokes to the one checking my passport); all speeds are noted in kilometers per hour - which to all my running friends will make for easy conversions; it is not ok to speed in the Canada; once inside it was pretty smooth sailing, er I mean motoring.  

A few notes about getting back into the United States.  Much faster process, but very sourpuss like border agents who make you feel like you are sneaking back into your own country.  WTF!  I swear I want to write the President and say really?  It might be easier to swim across...  

After we collected our entire party just inside the US border, we hightailed it to Buffalo for the party going on at the Riverworks.  Cool venue, great atmosphere and way to end a day that could have gone completely wrong, but didn't due to the help of many friends.   Jackpot!