[abuzavi]

I'm planning on celebrating Bastille Day with a trip to France. I'm proposing a trip down to the French National Automobile Museum in Mulhouse, also known as the Schlumpf Collection. Afterwards, I'll be making a long drive through the Black Forest; you're welcome to join me.

The Museum opens at 1000. I'd love to meet other Mini folks there a bit early, for the traditional handshakes and coveting of each other cars. The exhibit itself it pretty huge -- you could get lost inside for days on end, moreso if you like the older ones like Bugattis, of which there are over 100 (yes -- over one hundred).

I'm planning on about 4 hours for the museum. I want to leave plenty of daylight for the drive home. After the museum, I plan to picnic in the parking lot -- need to quiet the kids before the long drive.

I'm done some homework ahead of time, to try and plot a route back. I think calling it "insane" might be fair. A Google Earth file for the proposed drive is here. And it's on Google Maps, too -- here. As my wife says, "The Mini psychosis knows no limits."



The route, for what it's worth, starts and ends at Esso stations. I'm just hoping they aren't too far apart. I chose this as it's a small group of Americans who I already know will be joining me (we conspire at NAM).

I'd like to go check the route one weekend soon, and scope out a restuarant along the way. Stop for some dinner before we all part company and head in our seperate directions.

Let me know if you're interested. Add you name to the list here. If you want to go on the early run, to check the distances and to find a restaurant, let me know, too.

This oughtta be more fun than nickel beer night at the sorority house....

[Scotty]

great run

but I can't participate. I'm taking charlie for an inspection to Weil am Rhein, where Chapter BaWü & Chapter CH are having a garage day.

[minipu]

no Scotty, the garage day is in April not in July

[Scotty]

[abuzavi]

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The pre-run is 06 May -- next Sunday.

Two choices, if you'd like to go along for this:

1. Meet me in the Heidelberg area, and convoy down to the far end of the forest for the drive back. We'll meet mid morning.

2. Meet me at the southern end of the run, and drive north with me / us. We'll be there around noon. Noonish. Maybe.

Leave a reply over at NAM if you're interested. This is a route reconn run -- I want to try and nail down the route as best possible, or at least explore it some more. If you don't have my email, PM me and I'll send it to you -- there will be files to pass around (.ppt, .pdf, .kml, and maybe others).

Yes, bring your camera. And your GPS. And your kids. And pack a lunch. It's an awesome drive.

This isn't a you-know-what to the wall kind of run. It's reconn.