The Milwaukee Minis ventured north this month to gather at Scoop deVille in Hartford. For dinner, it was hot dogs all around, followed by homemade Ice Cream. The ice cream parlor also has old-fashioned fountain sodas, candy, roasted nuts and chocolates wrapped up in a 1950′s themed diner. You’ll know you’re near it when you smell the wonderful aroma of cinnamon wafting out from the door! View Photos…

Finally, the beauty of Fall was painting the land and the Milwaukee Minis were ready to take in the colors. The Fall Foliage Drive and Poker Run took us around the hills surrounding the Holy Hill area, well known for it’s fall colors and twisty roads. Our final destination brought us to Revere’s Wells Street Tavern in Delafield for poker door prizes, merry drinks, and a much relished lunch. View Photos…

Bargain-hunting Bessie takes us out to for a night of pizza and donut delights. Our first stop is at Transfer Pizzeria and Cafe, set in an old pharmacy turned bar, art gallery and restaurant. The pizza was wonderful. The roasted chicken potato garlic sauce pizza was delicious, as was our traditional sausage and pepperoni. With such strange pizza combos, you almost have to go back to try the new flavors. Their groupon sold us on this place!

Our second stop took us out for mini donuts at The Drive-thru on North and Oakland. This was once Sil’s Drive-thru and had the same menu. I had actually bought the Google Offer thinking it was Sil’s. We went anyway to check it out. It’s been two years since we last had donuts there, so how did it compare? While I thought they were good, I wasn’t bowled over by the awesomeness that I remembered from the last trip to Sil’s in 2010. Still enjoyable though.

View photos…

And if you want to support our adventures, buy a Groupon through this link and we get $10! Thanks! http://www.groupon.com/r/uu6947614

It’s double-header of nights on the town with the Milwaukee Minis! Our first night began at the humble Boy Blue of America. The last Boy Blue in Milwaukee took us back to simpler times of the chiller-diller, nut bar and fudge royale . A simple, soft-serve ice cream sundae with hot fudge and peanuts was just the treat for me. View photos…

The next evening, the club motored on to the Brew City Car Cruise held at the Highland House in Mequon. It was BMW night and a few Minis showed their expensive cousins what cool was all about. It’s not all German engineering though. Muscle cars, race cars and even an Amphicar also were at the scene. View photos…

After four years of cheesy-ness, Bessie needed a costume change. Many hours of hunting down a foam ball and cardboard cutting later, she was transformed from MINI Cooper into an ice cream sundae. Bessie joined 9 other Milwaukee MINI enthusiasts for the State Fair parade celebrating the delights of Wisconsin from cows to sports. View photos…

Bessie delivers the usual suspects down to Adrian’s Custard in Burlington, Wisconsin, for dinner and custard with the Milwaukee Minis. Dinner was hot dogs all-around. If you don’t like hot dogs, you’ll just have Adrian’s custard for dinner. I had a delicious rocky road sundae for dessert. Thank goodness I only had one hot dog! View photos…

Continuing south, the Chicago MINI Motoring Club invited the Milwaukee Minis for a night out at Superdawg in Wheeling, Illinois. Luckily, the beautiful weather held and we enjoyed meeting with our friends below the border. For dinner, I had a rare treat – grilled cheese on dark rye. As the sun set, it was time for some cubes of ice cream. Yes, cubed ice cream made especially for Superdawg. I had mine in sundae form drizzled with fudge and surrounded by wafer cookies. I never learn not to eat too much ice cream! View photos…

One month ago I embarked on the 3,300 mile trek across half the country. The first few days I started to wind my way to the New Jersey starting point. In Columbus, Ohio, Bessie started making a noise that sounded suspiciously like another wheel bearing starting to go. Of course, it’s Saturday night and no chance of getting someone to look at it for a couple days. I decided to take it in to Prestige MINI in New Jersey on Tuesday – only 700 miles or so away! My trip down route 40 was nixed and I opted for the fast, straight and boring freeways. Every hard bounce I wondered if I would lose a wheel.

Meanwhile, my driver’s side window was failing and my trusty Canon G9 camera died. The weather was also left us a pile of debris and inconvenience in its wake. “The Event”, as they were calling it in DC, left many places without power or credit card functionality. Restaurants and gas stations with power were jam-packed full of local people. Fast food was far from fast!

I arrived in New Jersey in one piece. As luck would have it, Bessie’s only problem turned out to be replacement bushings and they could wait. Plus, her window started working again. Bessie polished up in the car wash and we wandered the hills of New Jersey for entertainment. As usual, I got lost and found myself in Hohokus wandering about in antique shops. That evening, the MTTS party started back at Prestige MINI. Three food trucks served us their fare and a local band played classic rock for our entertainment. My favorite was the ice cream sandwich from Coolhaus. View Photos…

Wednesday, July 4th, started off the grand road trip at the MINI headquarters in Woodcliff Lake, NJ. The morning’s entertainment was an incredible fetes of trick driving on two wheels and heart-stopping parallel parking. Our first destination took us to Philadelphia, PA, for autocross, vendors and free lunch. But there was no time to dawdle, for we had to make it to Washington D.C. and the Capitol fireworks show that night! View Photos…

Day two started started the convoy from beautiful National Harbor in Maryland. The first lesson of rallies – the MINI you may be following might not know where they’re going either, so always try to stay in a large group. I finally found the first stop of the day, the war memorial in Richmond, VA, after a 15 mile detour. My suggestion to the directions writing team – have a short and scannable copy of the direction for the navigator-less drivers! Charlotte, NC was only a few hundred miles away and so we went! The evening brought food and music at the NC Music Factory, a sort of outdoor pavilion surrounded by restaurants and a stage. The bang of fireworks rounded out a truly enjoyable night of mingling with my fellow motorers. View Photos…

Amazing curves was the theme for day three. The early morning started with breakfast and a few laps around the Charlotte Motor Speedway. It’s the first time I’ve been on a track and haven’t been given a laundry list of do’s and don’t. Not being a follower of racing, I was not expecting the extreme banking sides of the track which threw Bessie’s tire pressure sensors for a loop! Our professional track experience over, we headed to the mountains for the challenge of the Tail of the Dragon near Deals Gap, NC. The recent storms had left debris strewn across the road and the nice weather brought out a large crowd of motorbikes. Both exciting and dangerous, my saving grace ended up being my sensitive tummy that insisted I follow the speed limits. The eventful morning turned into a peaceful lunch at MINI of Knoxville. From there, it was on to Nashville and the Wild Horse Saloon. Bessie was lucky enough to get parking right outside on the half-closed street. Inside the saloon, the Superstar MINI owners had two floors to themselves, a buffet, music and good times all around. View Photos…

Rise and shine for day four started at the Loveless Cafe. I missed the memo that we should go to the autocross before breakfast. Oh well, I needed a little extra sleep. Our journey northward took us to an old drug store for sodas and then to Lincoln’s birthplace and boyhood home. Somehow, I arrived in Louisville too late for the evening activity, but I still got a couple free popsicles to beat the 109 degree heat! Sitting outside to watch a baseball game was not my cup of tea, so Theresa, Wade and I feasted on southern goodness at Doc Crow’s. View Photos…

My final morning got a shakey start as I was directed the wrong way out of the parking lot. Oops. Determined not to miss the fun at the Autobahn Country Club in Joliet, IL, I attempted to drive straight through to Illinois. Between a rock chip in my windshield and other misfortunes, I finally arrived. My newfound friend and accomplice in misfortune, Pao, and I enjoyed a 10 minute jaunt on the go-karts after a 3 hour queue. We earned the highly-desired Bulldog pin from Jim McDowell through our knowledge of the secret handshake. Dinner, music, and one final lap around the Autobahn track rounded out the evening and my road trip. Just a long, lonely trip home wishing I was going to California. View Photos…

Thank You! To Prestige MINI for making sure Bessie was indeed roadworthy. To MINI USA and affiliates for throwing a great party and double-checking Bessie was ready to roll. To all the MINI dealers and sponsors who provided food, swag and more. To my Aunt & Uncle who made me feel at home at my time of complete chaos. And to all my new friends and fellow motorers for making it a trip to remember!

Afterword: My camera was able to be fixed for free when I got home – only two days before the extended warranty expired! I didn’t like the replacement Canon G12 I bought and it’s been returned. It’s not a step up from the G9.

British Car Field Day in Sussex, Wisconsin brought out some interesting imports from across the pond. Every year there’s always a couple cars that make you say “WOW!” My dad’s classic Mini won second place in the New Mini category. Oops! Admin error. View photos…

Triple adventure fun! No, not all on the same day, but time certainly got away from me on these. Let’s begin…

Thriftiness once again leads us to a new experience for pizza at Joey Buona’s in downtown Milwaukee. It’s been forever so I don’t quite remember the details. What does stand out was the excellence of the meal we had and our desire to return to try more and various dishes. Between bread and oil, fried ravioli and deep dish pizza, there was much love for our meal. Afterwards, it was a literal run through the Milwaukee Public Market for dessert. Ice cream was not to be had at that time of night, so I opted for cheesecake that let me down. View photos…

To the Jelly Belly factory! Arriving just in time for the Spring Drive, Bessie and I wound our way with many multiples of marvelous MINIs through the back roads of southwestern Wisconsin. You know it was fun when the driver can’t seem to take a photo parallel to the horizon! View Photos…

Our final adventure of the series, a return to Kopp’s Custard of Brookfield, Wisconsin with the Milwaukee Minis. The star of the evening was the Maple Syrup and Pancakes Custard. Breakfast for dessert? Yes, please. I’m certainly looking forward to the summer bringing new Ice Cream Escapades! View Photos…

If you’re looking for checkered tablecloths, red candle holders and Italian paraphernalia, then don’t visit Dick’s Pizza & Pleasure. A far, far cry from traditional, Dick’s serves up artisan pizza in an anime atmosphere. While the TVs behind the bar played Evangelion, we tried two pizza for the three of us. The sausage pizza was good, but be prepared for the spicyness. In contrast, the salami pizza probably could have used the peppers the party members opted out of. Though it was an interesting change of pace, I must admit my wallet is not strong enough to bear the googling+bravery needed to experience the full menu. Anyone want to buy me the $100 pizza?

Afterwards, we returned to our simple midwestern pleasure of frozen custard. Bessie eventually led us to Leon’s, along with the rest Milwaukee enjoying unseasonable warm weather.

View Photos…

During the winter months, Bessie keeps us warm with heated seats, adrenaline rushes and pizza. Our first adventure was to the Palermo’s Pizza Factory. Palermo’s makes frozen pizza for grocery stores. On our hour long tour, we watched a video while an enthusiastic employee took us through the history and inner workings of the Palermo’s Pizza empire. There wasn’t much touring, you do get to stare longingly at pizzas as they tumble on down the production lines and see the pepperonis dancing. After the tour, we all sat down to a fresh slice of Palermo’s pizza. After an hour of talk about pizza, it was about time we got to do some serious eating! Afterwards, our group decided to take in the flora at the Mitchell Park Domes and then have dessert at the Comet Cafe. Delicious cherry pie. Hmmmm. Our final adventure of the evening was with Sherlock Holmes and Moriarty at the Rosebud Cinema.

View Palermo’s Pizza Tour + more Photos…

A month later… Bessie takes us to Crisp Pizza Bar & Lounge for dinner, thanks to Groupon. The atmosphere is very modern and dark, perfect for a getaway from a long work week. The brick-oven pizza was a delicious hand-tossed delight with pepperoni and sausage. I would love to go back and try some of their other creations. I insisted on taking my pizza-fatted friends for a pie of a different kind. We drove to Honey Pie Cafe to sample their delicious apple pie. They can make me dessert anytime!

View Crisp Pizza Bar + Honey Pie photos…

*And if you want to support our adventures, buy a Groupon through this link and we get $10! Thanks! http://www.groupon.com/r/uu6947614