On a gorgeous fall morning, Simon led a caravan of Minis from a San Jose Starbucks to a Salinas Starbucks where Vickie and Mick would meet up and lead the group on our October run to Harris Ranch. With a total of 19 Mini Coopers ready and raring to go, we headed toward the lush Salinas Valley famously known as the “Salad Bowl of the World” and watched the agriculture industry hard at work. As we traveled down River Road we passed fields of lettuce, strawberries, cauliflower and prickly pears, among others. We then passed through the Santa Lucia Highlands appellation with rows of vineyards starting to change to their autumn colors. We passed by the Soledad Mission and then headed to the other side of the valley to continue south on Metz Road. The Gabilan side provided another vantage point to see where our vegetables come from.
After a quick stop in King City we regrouped to head south on Highway 101 before taking Highway 198 to Coalinga and Harris Ranch. With the exception of one impatient, dangerous idiot that passed our group crossing the double yellow lines, it was a fantastic drive. We arrived at Harris Ranch and were able to park together and display our new club flag, signifying that NorCal Minis had arrived. A delicious lunch was held in the Ranch Kitchen Restaurant and then we met up back at the cars for some prize drawings, with lucky winners taking home bottles of chardonnay from the wine area we had just traveled through.
Most of us took the short drive over to the Harris Farms Horse Division and were given an informative tour of the property and breeding barn by their employee, Lucinda. The Thoroughbreds were beautiful and stately and watching the young horses run was pure magic. After the tour, some members headed home but a few took advantage of the discounted room rate and the resort feel of the Harris Ranch Inn, relaxing by and in the pool before dinner.
Being a large group we were again seated in the Ranch Kitchen for dinner where we could order copious amounts of steak and drink wine from Mick and Vickie’s cellar, but that was probably a good thing because our group can get a little boisterous while having fun. A few diehards ended the evening at the hot tub for a nightcap, closing the chapter on another successful NorCal Mini run.
Vickie Casacca & Mick Brown
Check out the link below to all the great photos from the day.
