MTTS

Today started really early, not helped by losing an hour from PST to MST … but it was TOTALLY worth it!

Sandia MINI was the start point today and, like MINI of Peabody, they seem to totally “get it” – they have provided excellent support for MTTS both yesterday and today, including an amazing hot air balloon display! The dealership also provided coffee & donuts, and had a raffle which raised money for a local childrens hospital:

Then about 70 MINIs headed off for a drive to Sandia Crest, with even a police escort initially! The road to Sandia Crest is incredible – very twisty with regular hairpins and switchbacks, and so early in the morning the MINIs had no problem running up at quite exhilerating speeds! I love my GP 🙂

At the top the view is incredible – both MINIs, Alberquerque, and Hummingbirds!

After all that, a much less inspiring drive!

Today was spent driving, mostly on I-40 which is long, straight but quite scenic … We stopped a couple of times to take pictures (“standing on the corner“!), we found and passed some other MINIs, or had them pass us, and we got some serious rain, which demonstrated the need for a rear wiper!

GPMINI crossing the continental divide in 2006

Eventually we reached Sandia race track and unloaded the GPs – then on to the track!

The end of the day was spent very tediously having a photo shoot set up on the track, with the MTTS tour bus and lots of MINIs – should have been fun but there was “micro-management” parking control, complaints if we took pictures because we were in the way, and a lack of communication leading to chaos … I hope the results were worth it!