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A group stopped in at Soda Pop's
Jessica Webb
editor@thesmokymountaintimes.com
It’s a classic American road trip: winding two-lane highways, stops in small towns and at scenic overlooks, except this one is with 2,000 of your closest friends and you’re all driving tiny cars that are sometimes jokingly called clown cars.
The Mini Takes the States 2022 ride and rally began in Burlington, Vermont July 9 and concluded in Greenville, South Carolina July 17 with more than 600 cars, 80 pets and covering 1,700 miles.
On Friday, the route took drivers from Asheville to The Tail of the Dragon outside Robbinsville before heading back over Hwy 28 to Franklin then up through Cashiers to South Carolina, with more than 600 cars on the total MTTS trip. A handful made a stop in Bryson City on Friday for lunch and then popped in to see Paul Crawley at Soda Pop’s.
Much like their often vibrantly painted and decorated vehicles, it’s not hard to spot a Mini driver. On Friday, several were wearing their Mini flair— from Mini earrings to Mini socks, loads of buttons and even just-for-this-trip manicures and handmade T-shirts for their clubs.
Lori and Mark Klinges from Pennsylvania said they’ve been involved with their local mini car club since she bought her first Mini in 2013 and have driven sections of the MTTS trips in the past but this was their first time driving the entire trip.
“We bought one, and he was reluctant to even get in the car!” Lor Klinges said.
“I asked her, where’s the remote control?” Mark Klinges laughed.
Despite his hesitation, the couple now loves their Minis including Sarge, designed as a dedication to Veterans and the car they drove on this trip, and three others at home including a Roadster and a Convertible.
They enjoy being Mini Maniacs or ‘Miniacs’ as they are called. There’s a saying that a Mini is the car that comes with friends, and it’s proven true for them.
“You meet new friends, meet people from across the country—that’s how we met these guys,” he said.
“It’s a lot of fun, we have a good time,” she added.
Beware though, many Mini lovers want more than one. For John Corley, both joining rides and owning Minis seems to have happened quickly.
“I moved to Virginia and Googled a Mini club and heard from Dale (Blankenship) there was going to be this run in the Highlands,” he said. “All of a sudden, I’m joining a Mini club.”
His first mini was a 2006, but he now has a total of three including a 2012 Mini Cooper S and a 2016 he just purchased. He said they are fun to drive.
“It’s like it’s advertised, it’s like driving a go cart,” he said.
Cynthia Womble, of Bryson City, was also joining the entirety of MTTS this year. She’s enjoyed Minis for several years now. Her first trip joining Minis on the Dragon was in 2009. Her husband, Tom, also has a classic Mini you can sometimes spot in town and know it’s his because his kayak is often tied to the roof.
Womble shared some of the highlights of the trip that she’s been documenting and sharing with friends on Facebook.
“Driving through New England and the Catskills, I’d never been there, it was beautiful countryside,” she said. “We take two-lane roads and go slow so we can see the scenery, and we stop in these small towns like Bryson City.”
She has enjoyed meeting other Mini drivers and taking in all the fun.
“In the mornings, we have a Rise and Rally where all the people who do the trip meet up,” she said. “Every mini is different. They are all personalized so that’s fun to see what people have done with their stripes, stickers, rims, roof —everything you can personalize and make it your own.”
Many make upgrades to tuning as well to improve performance.
The Facebook photo album of her trip includes mountain vistas and beautiful murals in each town they’ve stopped. She’s also recorded visits to breweries, ice cream parlors and driving over covered bridges and at speedways. The albums also include lots of smiling group pictures and a picture of Cynthia Womble in each state’s ‘Welcome Minis’ sign for the ride.
“We’ve also been to two racetracks so far. If you’re a car enthusiast, it’s a highlight,” she said, sharing that the Minis filled the tracks at Poconos and Bristol Motorway. Even if they were only driving 5-10 miles per hour, it was still exciting to be there.
The trip concluded Saturday in Greenville with BMW hosting the Miniacs for a tour of the museum and track time. MTTS also hosted an adoption event in Greenville with local animal agencies to coincide with this year’s fundraising charity, Best Friends with a charity goal of $75,000 to go to the organization whose mission is to end euthanasia among pets. This year’s drive was the first biennial event in the past 4 years and was also the kickoff of the first national Mini motoring club.
To learn more about the MTTS, visit minitakesthestates.com.