Out of respect for local community efforts associated with the COVID-19 pandemic response, we have postponed the EIM Spring Sprint, originally scheduled for Saturday, April 4th in Cedar Rapids. The event will be held on an early summer date to be determined. Stay safe everyone!

It was a gorgeous February day for our get-together in Davenport last Saturday for the EIM Quad Cities Meet-n-Eat. Thanks to everyone for the camaraderie and the great selection of treats. We can’t thank Sandy and Denny B. enough for their hosting, ubiquitous MINI decor, awesome slideshow, and wonderful hospitality!

Photos from this event are contained in our Photo Gallery and are directly accessible using the following link:

EIM Quad Cities Meet-n-Eat, Davenport, 2-22-20

Stay tuned for information on the March meet up in Cedar Rapids!

A small but intrepid group of EIM folk made it out last Saturday for our traditional annual gathering for lunch at the Wig and Pen Pub in Iowa City. It’s amazing how good these MINIs can and do look in the dead of winter! Thanks to all who joined us.

Photos from this event are contained in our Photo Gallery and are directly accessible using the following link:

EIM at the Wig and Pen Pub, Iowa City, 1-25-20

See you in Davenport next month!

The final week of October found a cadre of EIM motorists headed once again to the Ozark Mountains of northwest Arkansas to participate in the annual MINIs in the Ozarks (MITO) hosted in Eureka Springs from 24-27 October. This year, our group managed to book the rustic Beaver Town Lodge in the nearby town of Beaver and adjacent to the upper portion of Table Rock Lake. The lodge also overlooked the famous Beaver Suspension Bridge, crossed and photographed many times in the past by our own MINIacs.

While Mother Nature graced (?) our group with considerable periods of cool weather, rain, and foggy mountaintops on this particular trip, the wonderful mountain roads, various and new sightseeing destinations, and great fellowship always provided superbly fun times together. Among those sights were the wild elk in Boxley Canyon, winding along the portion of AR-74 known as the “Jasper Disaster,” lunch at the Ozark Cafe in Jasper, buzzing through the 10 mph switchbacks along our favorite stretch of AR-123 south of Mt. Judea, seeing more elk, checking out the Thorncrown Chapel west of Eureka Springs, a side trip into Missouri to visit Roaring River State Park, and a stop at the War Eagle Mill east of Rogers to shop for stone-ground delicacies and scarf down some blackberry (or peach or pecan) cobbler a la mode.

Each evening was highlighted by a grand meal together back at the Beaver Town Lodge and lots of time spent together enjoying each other’s company while reminiscing and sharing libations and laughs. We sincerely thank the planning and the hands behind these feasts — Peggy J., Sandy B., Alyce S., Laura R., Louanne N., and Cindy D. — and their incredible and seemingly inexhaustible generosity and energy.

Photos from our group’s adventures in MITO 2019 may be found in our Photo Gallery and are directly accessible using the following link:

EIM at MINIs in the Ozarks 2019, Beaver, AR, 10-24-19 to 10-27-19

Thanks to all who made this such a fun and memorable trip!

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The EIM gang enjoyed a great drive up to southwestern Wisconsin on September 14th for our annual Gays Mills Apple Run. Many twisties were traversed, apple supplies replenished, and apple cider doughnuts and apple pie consumed. Thanks to everyone who joined us!

Photos from this event are contained in our Photo Gallery and are directly accessible using the following link:

Gays Mills Apple Run, Gays Mills, WI, 9-14-19

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EIM recently participated in a fantastic trip to Salida, Colorado and the surrounding mountains and high plains as part of MINIs in the Mountains 2019, the annual event hosted by the MINI5280 club out of Denver. Salida proved to be a wonderful venue and a jumping off point for lots of Rocky Mountain fun. Our motoring included excursions west to Blue Mesa Lake National Rec Area, the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, and Montrose; south to the Great Sand Dunes National Park (pictured above), and north to Leadville, Climax, and Fremont Pass. Our EIM headquarters at the Creekside Chalets on the slopes of Monarch Mountain was a superb retreat each day and the site of some great home-cooked meals. Our group explored a lot of ground during our stay and we enjoyed countless great sights, roads, restaurants, and adventures.

Photos from this event may be found in our Photo Gallery and are directly accessible using the following link:

EIM at MINIs in the Mountains 2019, Salida, CO, 7-24-19 to 7-28-19

Hope you can join us for the Gays Mills Apple Run on 9/14!

We enjoyed a great lunch and fun afternoon with our MINI friends, including a few long distance travelers and some welcome new faces, at our EIM Meet-n-Eat at Jimmy Jack’s North Liberty hosted on Saturday, 7/13. After a great barbecue lunch on the patio overlooking Liberty Center Pond, we headed out on a spirited drive around the Coralville Reservoir, including an excursion into the Sugar Bottom Recreation Area and a neat photo op at the spillway adjacent to the Tailwater West Campground. We topped it off with a quick jaunt back to North Liberty and some cool treats at Heyn’s Ice Cream. Our thanks to everyone who joined us!

Photos from this event may be found in our Photo Gallery and are directly accessible using the following link:

EIM Meet-n-Eat at Jimmy Jack’s North Liberty, 7-13-19

Happy motoring to all of our MINI mates heading (1) out to Salida, Colorado for MINIs in the Mountains 2019 from 24-28 July; and (2) up to Mackinaw City, Michigan for the 2019 edition of MINI on the Mack on 3 August. Please take lots of pics and don’t forget to share them!

After being forced to postpone the traditional April Skirmish (due to snow on 4/27!) Mother Nature finally relented and gifted us with fantastic weather for the 12th EIM Border Skirmish Drive held on 6/8. Our drive began at the scenic overlook in Marquette and transited north along the Mississippi River and through the twisty roads of Wisconsin bluff country to a superb lunch and visit at the Shrine of our Lady of Guadelupe just south of La Crosse. We returned south through the southeast Minnesota bluffs and curves to our final destination of Decorah and a great capstone stop at the world famous Toppling Golieth Brewery. It ended up being a highly successful and victorious three-state skirmish. The excellent motoring was worth the wait!

Thanks to all who came out and joined us for this drive. Special thanks to the long-distance participants, most notably Jeff and Sue N. who came up from Ottumwa, Greg B. who came over from Des Moines, and Pete N. and co-pilot Andre from the far reaches of Bolingbrook, IL.

Photos from this event may be found in our Photo Gallery and are directly accessible using the following link:

12th EIM Border Skirmish Drive, Marquette to Decorah, 6-8-19

Look for a lunch GTG in the Iowa City area in early July, followed by our group’s adventure to Salida, CO and MITM 2019!

Thanks to everyone for participating this past Saturday in our EIM “Spring has Sprung” Meet-n-Eat in Cedar Rapids. The great weather and excellent food and drink at the Granite City Food and Brewery brought out the MINI faithful in large numbers and a good time was certainly had by all. It was also great fun to head over to Speedeez Indoor Karting after lunch and get the competitive juices flowing!

Special thanks to Louanne & Phil N. for making the arrangements for our gathering — much appreciated. Additional thanks to the MINI of Des Moines representatives headed up by long-time EIM associate Jake M. for their presence and for bringing along the new electric MINI Countryman for our viewing and (gentle) tire-kicking.

Feel free to check out the photos from this event in our Photo Gallery. You may access them directly using the following link:

EIM “Spring has Sprung” Meet-n-Eat, Cedar Rapids, 3-23-19

Our first drive of the year is the Border Skirmish on April 27th. See you there!

EIM extends its sincere thanks to Sandy & Denny B. for hosting our group again at this year’s EIM Quad Cities Meet-n-Eat on February 23rd!

Additional thanks to everyone bringing goodies to share and to Juli B. and Wendy S. for the photos. Finally, bonus points to Cindy C. and Steve & Juli B. for decorating the driveway with their MINIs on this icy day!

Photos from this event are available Photo Gallery, directly accessible using the following link:

EIM Quad Cities Meet-n-Eat, Davenport, 2-23-19

Cedar Rapids Meet-Up in March!