Josh Wardell’s MINI Cooper S

It’s getting hard to keep track of the many MINI events in the area lately. Partly due to the summer months and the many events that are going on, but also because the number of mini websites and forums that are popping up. Whereas a year or so ago, it seemed every event was formed and posted in the NYNE Region MINI2 Forums, now you have other forums like NEMINI and independent clubs like OSMC. Furthermore there are several motorsports events with multiple dates.

Sometimes MINI events have their own threads or pages, other times they are just mentioned in passing. Some are organized months ahead of time, others just days. Events may be large or small. But they all have one thing in common: they are a lot of fun and you meet great people. The last thing I would want is anyone to miss an event because they didn’t know about it.

A few months ago I found myself wishing there was a central calendar online to place this information. So I decided to make one myself.

The Northeast Motoring Calendar lists any event I can dig up in the forums or elsewhere. These are of course MINI motoring events in which all are welcome. The goal is to list events of interest to those living in the northeast US, mainly NY, NJ, CT, MA, VT, NH, and ME; not just events in those states but also certain large national events like The Dragon that we might consider making the trek to.

If you know of an event that isn’t listed you can submit an entry that will be emailed for me to enter. For the Geeks, this uses PHP iCalendar and reflects a calendar I keep on my computer in iCal. Please let me know what you think, and if you like it, remember to check it every so often for upcoming events.

I started a MOT06 group on flickr for everyone to add their best MINIsOnTop photos to. What you see above is a random selection from that group. Go ahead, reload it!

As I slowly edit my MOT photos, most can be seen in my own MOT06 flickr set.

This weekend was the best MOT yet thanks to the spectacular weather, despite making the trip all the way back from New Hampshire in a tow truck!

This was the first year that I went up Friday afternoon instead of Saturday morning. We met up with several other MINIs in the Area 51 caravan to drive up, and drove the Kancamagus and Bear Notch before heading to the hotel. Friday night was a lot of fun with a great beer swap, and some super fast-paced and challenging trivia! My team tied for 4th.

Saturday went like the past few years, first meeting in the Loon lot, then heading on some curvy drives and a late stop for lunch. Then, we all met again at the base of Mt. Washington for dinner and raffle prizes, before hundreds of MINIs ascended the Mt. Washington Auto Road.

Unlike MINIsOnTop 2004 and MOT 05, the weather was sunny and warm every day. Even on top of the mountain you could still wear shorts and a T-shirt. Of course it was still foggy so no good views but that was a million times better than constant rain or 96-mph winds and freezing temperatures. The only complaint that I had was the area had unusually low winds, so I again could not fly my Kite Camera that I had been working on all week.

Also new for me this year was the Observatory Tour. A few dozen MOT attendees are randomly selected, and head up about an hour before the others to we get a very detailed tour of the weather observatory on top of Mt. Washington. This included an explanation of all the instruments, meeting the resident observatory cat, and even climb the observatory tower all the way to the top next to the wind instruments. It was very interesting and one of the highlights of my weekend.

Afterwards we headed down the mountain and back to the Town and Country Inn for some drinks at the bar. Sunday morning, after packing everything into the car, my MINI would not start! At 10:30, the majority of MINI guests had already departed, but I did find a few to help me, and we determined the fuel pump was blowing its fuse. Unfortunately there was nothing more we could do but call MINI Roadside Assistance and get towed to the nearest MINI dealer: almost all the way back to Boston, to MINI of Peabody! I can’t complain as this is the first time my MINI has ever met a tow truck.

After a long, hot (The OBC read 96!) wait of 2 hours the tow truck showed up and we were on our way for a long trip back to Massachusetts, made even longer by the bike week traffic. My MINI is now getting repairs, and a long overdue service II and oil change, at MOP.

My photos will slowly be added as I edit and post them. I have also started a MOT 06 group on Flickr for everyone to share their photos. A big thank you goes out to all who were involved in the incredible task of organizing and running MINIsOnTop, and also the many who helped me out on Sunday. It reminds you that our events are even more about the great people than the great cars.

I drove my MINI off the dealer lot two years ago today. Looking back, it’s amazing how much fun it’s been. More amazing is, unlike most cars, it is still just as fun to drive as the day I bought it. There have been so many good times, and I’ve met so many great MINI friends. I’m almost at 32,000 miles (and still waiting on my 2nd oil change!) and still no major issues.

No celebration for today, however tomorrow I embark on my third MINIsOnTop, the biggest MINI event of the year around here. I still remember very nervously waiting to see if my MINI would arrive in time for MOT in 2004, and it arrived just in time. The MINI will of course be getting a bath tomorrow morning before I leave, so it can have a bright birthday smile.

Aside from a “Happy Anniversary” email from MINI of Peabody, the third issue of MC2 was waiting for me in the mailbox today. Perfect reading for any down time this weekend.

Here’s to many more years of motoring fun!