Happy to join The Great Ice Cream Run even if for only one day, and see MINI friends Robyn, Ian, Eric, Jak … although the weather was 100% wet! The run had three ice cream stops today, all in Massachusetts, and I met them at the first and joined the drive for the rest of the day, heading home after the final stop at Kimballs. Here are some pictures (or visit the Gallery):

Ice cream and rain at Eriksons:

MINI people:

Wet twisties:

You can’t see the driver

All the MINIs just arrived at Westfield Farm in Monson, MA!

MINI events these days are quite rare – and not just due to the feet of snow on the ground at the moment, although most MINI events up here do happen in the warmer months.
Back in 2009 there was a spectacular multi MINI event, beginning with a South to North drive of the Blue Ridge Parkway, merging in to the second Great Ice Cream Run, and ending up at MINIsOnTop at the excellent new Attitash Grand Summit hotel. A superb trip for Margaret & I, bringing GPMINI up from Florida covering close to 2,000 miles:
The Great Ice Cream Run II:

Now in 2011, we have another Blue Ridge Parkway drive, another Great Ice Cream Run and of course another MINIsOnTop. But sadly the coordination of 2009 has gone …
Blue Ridge Parkway will drive North to South, over the same weekend that MINIsOnTop is driving “low to high”. Meanwhile, The Great Ice Cream run does drive South to North, but begins after MINIsOnTop ends!

So, it’s possible to drive BRP north to south, turn straight round and get to TGICR then head north with them, but miss MINIsOnTop.
Or, go to MINIsOnTop, then drive south to catch up and join TGICR and head north with them again.
Either way I need to first drive north from Florida since that’s where GPMINI lives …

I’ve not decided what to do yet, but I probably should go to MINIsOnTop since I am the $500 “King” this year

… Thanks, Robyn!

But no, I don’t know what is inside – yet!

Some day I might tire of the ease with which I upload pictures to Animoto, “star” a few important pictures, find and upload a “beat-laden” track of about the right length, and click “render” … but not today!

So, enjoy a trip up the Blue Ridge Parkway, topped with Ice-Cream. Yummy

Or if you prefer, the YouTube version:

Head over to Eagle Tribune to read the story of yesterday’s visit to England’s Micro Creamery in Haverhill, MA

[catch up post!]

Today, Wednesday June 24, The Great Ice Cream Run took us up to Haverhill, MA to England’s Micro-Creamery – sadly today was the WORST weather day so far, with rain and wet roads, and also the WORST traffic, with a 3/4-hour delay on US-495 due to a couple of trucks that decided to dance a little too close together

But, we did eventually get to England’s, where we were honored with coned-off parking on the high street, and interviews / photographs from the local Eagle Tribune newspaper (check them tomorrow for a MINI Ice-Cream story!)

Enjoying Ice-Cream (Sweet Cream is the best!):

After that, I had to go and earn my keep at work, while the rest of The Great Ice Cream Run group headed North to Maine … but I’ll meet up with some of my new friends once more at MINIsOnTop this weekend

[catch up post!]

Tuesday June 23, The Great Ice Cream Run took us from Pennsylvania to Sturbridge, MA – via Deep Fried Ice-Cream at Riverside Creamery in Port Jervis, NY … unfortunately, I didn’t get many pictures (frustration with being un-able to post them!)

Ready to go:

Driving US-209 in PA:

Arriving at Sturbridge, MA:

In the evening, we swamped Enrico’s and had great pizza, and finished the day with bargain “baby” sized Ice-Cream at Howard’s.

[catch up post!]

Monday June 22, The Great Ice Cream Run took us along the length of the Skyline Drive, to a great Ice-Cream stop at lunch, and on to Frackville, PA, for Ice-Cream on top of a “mountain”

Pictures in the Gallery, or scroll down for a selection:

The lead MINI:

Skyline Drive:

We did see a Bear – actually two Bears – on Skyline Drive, but they vanished quickly … so we photographed this slower moving “Bear”:

On the other hand, these are real Deer!

Choices at Superior Ice-Cream lunch stop:

An evening at Heisler’s, with Ice-Cream:

With caramel topping, at England’s Micro Creamery