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Lodging Planner for Lake Tahoe Weekend Run - May 18 - 19, 2024

Saturday and Sunday overnight run to South Lake Tahoe. Enjoy the backroads, less traveled, and even more scenic than your usual run up the f...

Delta Hwy. 160 Run - Sat. January 20, 2024

Our first run of 2024 is more about the scenery than the driving. We will be touring through the Sacramento River Delta from Oakley to Sacramento.

Antioch Bridge


Your Host for the Event:

Mary Wolgamot


Route:



Register for the Event on MotorSport Registry:



Meetup Time / Departure Time:

9:30 AM / 10:00 AM


Meetup Location:

Carl's Jr. parking lot
915 Main Street
Oakley, CA 94561




Run Details:

This run is more about the scenery along the route, than about the driving. Our first run of 2024 will be a scenic tour through the Sacramento River Delta from Oakley to Sacramento, following and crossing the river's natural meanders, not the artificially straight deep water ship channel that cuts up to the docks of Sacramento a bit to the West of our route. 




After leaving our meetup location in Oakley, the run will scale the amazing Antioch Bridge (a $7 toll crossing using Fastrak or photo billing via your license plate) across the wide San Joaquin River. From there, our route follows along the Sacramento River levee roads for the length of Highway 160, paralleling and crossing over the Sacramento River via draw bridges. We'll pass farmland and wetlands along the way. This historic route served a significant role in transportation on the river and alongside it as our state became the economic power it is today. The end of our run will be at a British Pub-themed restaurant (The Streets of London) in West Sacramento.

One of several drawbridges



The Streets of London Pub (2200 Lake Washington Blvd., West Sacramento, CA 95691) is a large restaurant with British pub décor and British pub food (including bangers and mash, fish and chips, and scotch eggs). Along with the food and décor, the restaurant features various beers on tap and three pool tables. If the weather is cooperative, there is outside seating. If the weather is being British too, there are plenty of warm, dry tables inside.

Our lunch destination

Additional Run Details:

Please bring your radio, fully charged, turned on, and tuned to Channel 7, Subchannel 21 CTCSS before you arrive at the start. If you don’t have a radio, ask for a loaner at the driver’s meeting. For radio recommendations, please see https://www.facebook.com/legacy/notes/728353274556164/.

Be sure to turn the “VOX” voice-activated setting OFF, or we will hear the wind from your AC, your conversations, and any noise in your car broadcasting to everyone.

Make a pit stop before the drivers' briefing. We will be driving for a while through the delta without any suitable rest stop, so plan ahead.

California backroads can be rough, especially after winter storms spawn new and bigger potholes. We will call out cyclists and oncoming traffic on the radios. Most of the route is fairly smooth with a few backroad sections that may be a bit bumpier than others.

There are stretches where local wildlife may be seen on each side of the road. At some point, these animals may decide to cross the road, so please watch out for deer, wild turkeys, etc. trying to get from one side to the other right in front of your car.

We ask that you turn on low-beam headlights - not Auto - to make us more visible to other vehicles either ahead or behind us, including your fellow MINI drivers.




Headlight Switch: Full Manual On

Willow Glen Holiday Lights Cruise - Saturday, December 16, 2023

Join host and Club President Pat Lewis on December 16 for an evening cruise through the holiday lights of the Willow Glen neighborhood in San Jose. 



Your Host for the Event:

Pat Lewis


Register for the Event via MotorSport Registry:

https://www.motorsportreg.com/events/willow-glen-holiday-lights-cruise-norcal-minis-461605


Meetup Time / Departure Time:

7:30 PM / 8:00 PM


Meetup Location:

Starbucks
2306 Almaden Road (not Almaden Expressway!)
San Jose, CA  95125





The Willow Glen neighborhood of San Jose is known for larger homes and lots that predate the post-war mass-produced subdivisions that grew the city into the 3rd largest in California. The neighborhood has been cherished and maintained by its residents through the decades with a community spirit demonstrated every Halloween and Christmas. It is a popular destination for drivers and pedestrians looking at the seasonal decorations.

Click through this link to read an article reviewing what you can expect to see on this leisurely cruise through the holiday lights of this historic neighborhood.

Prior to arriving at the meetup location in front of Starbucks, you may wish to eat dinner at one of the many restaurants on Lincoln Avenue in Willow Glen. Yelp has listings and reviews at this link. Cruise host, Pat, will be dining at John's of Willow Glen restaurant (1238 Lincoln Ave, San Jose, CA 95125) before setting up the club banner at the meetup location several blocks away.




Additional Run Details:

Please bring your radio, fully charged, turned on, and tuned to Channel 7, Subchannel 21 CTCSS before you arrive at the start. If you don’t have a radio, ask for a loaner at the driver’s meeting. For radio recommendations, please see https://www.facebook.com/legacy/notes/728353274556164/.

Be sure to turn the “VOX” voice-activated setting OFF, or we will hear the wind from your AC, your conversations, and any noise in your car broadcasting to everyone.