Spring Fling 2009: Drive & Brunch in VA wine country

Name: Spring Fling 2009: Drive & Brunch in VA wine country
Start: 2009-04-25T14:30:00+0000
End: 2009-04-25T21:30:00+0000
Location: DC Metro MINIs

April 25, 2009, 02:30 PM 09:30 PM

Event created by Edge

DCMM Club Calendar

Event details

https://dcmetrominis.org/forum/events/event/18-spring-fling-2009-drive-brunch-in-va-wine-country/

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It's that time of the year again! Spring is in the air, old man Winter is running off to hide, and the trees are starting to blossom!

Just like I did <a href="http://www.northamericanmotoring.com/forums/dc-metro-minis-archive/131437-sunday-apr-6th-and-20th-spring-fling-2008-sunday-drive-and-brunch.html" rel="external nofollow">last year</a>, I'm organizing the Spring Fling run again, this time on Saturday, April 25. Why not come out and celebrate both Spring and finishing your taxes?

WHERE TO MEET: Sterling Wegman's parking lot (North-East corner)

WHEN: Saturday, April 25 @ 9:30am. We depart at 10am sharp!

WHAT TO BRING: Full tank of gas, 2-way radio, money to buy lunch (cash please - makes it easier for the check), sweater/raincoat/umbrella (if necessary, depending on weather) and a fun-loving attitude! :top:

A quick refresher:

One of my fondest MINI-related memories is the very first drive I ever participated in with DCMM - it was the Spring Fling, created by Bruce Pancoast (<a href="http://www.dcmetrominis.org/forums/member.php?u=68" rel="external nofollow">mty_mini</a>), and organized with help from Jen Oakes (<a href="http://www.dcmetrominis.org/forums/member.php?u=79" rel="external nofollow">Jen</a>) (who was our event coordinator at the time). This all happened on Sunday, April 24, 2005... only 6 or 7 weeks after I picked up my brand new MINI. Alan (<a href="http://www.dcmetrominis.org/forums/member.php?u=2" rel="external nofollow">Scavenger</a>), who was getting his first exposure to the MINI, came along as my co-pilot.

Meeting in the Sterling Wegmans parking lot (near MINI of Sterling), it was fun to meet a whole bunch of like-minded MINIacs all at once, for the first time. Little did I know just how much fun there was still to come... after grabbing some coffee and/or breakfast snacks from Wegmans.

The roads were beautiful and twisty, and was such an awesome experience to be in a long line of MINIs for the very first time. We stopped for lunch at Orlean Market in Upperville, VA (in western Fauquier County), then continued on for wine tasting at Naked Mountain Vineyard & Winery after that, before heading all the way back to Wegmans.

It was a long day (128 miles or so!), but so nice. Needless to say, I was eager to do this run again.

After much discussion and by popular demand, we did it again last year... twice! Once on Sunday, April 6 and again on Sunday, April 20. The route got a little longer too - now it's up to 137.1 miles.

Our brunch stop will be again be at <a href="http://www.griffintavern.com/" rel="external nofollow">Griffin Tavern</a> (<a href="http://www.griffintavern.com/menu.cfm" rel="external nofollow">menu</a>).

For those interested or curious:

<a href="http://www.northamericanmotoring.com/forums/dc-metro-minis-archive/39093-dcmm-sunday-drive-and-brunch-sunday-april-24-10-00-am.html" rel="external nofollow">Original Spring Fling thread (2005)</a>

<a href="http://www.northamericanmotoring.com/forums/dc-metro-minis-archive/131437-sunday-apr-6th-and-20th-spring-fling-2008-sunday-drive-and-brunch.html" rel="external nofollow">Spring Fling 2008 thread</a>

<a href="http://www.northamericanmotoring.com/forums/attachments/dc-metro-minis-archive/31519d1208754738-sunday-apr-6th-and-20th-spring-fling-2008-sunday-drive-and-brunch-dcmm-spring-fling-2008-route-sheet-both-editions-final-.xls" rel="external nofollow">Spring Fling 2008 route sheets</a>

<a href="http://www.dcmetrominis.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=46&d=1240184522" rel="external nofollow">Spring Fling 2009 route sheet</a> (this is the final route for 04/25/09)

<a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=45131+Columbia+Pl,+Sterling,+VA+20166&daddr=Loudoun+County+Pkwy+to:Ryan+Rd%2FVA-772+to:VA-860%2FWatson+Rd+to:US-50+to:Lime+Kiln+Rd%2FVA-733+to:Mountville+Rd+to:Foxcroft+Rd%2FVA-626+to:38.969557,-77.73635+to:Pickering+St+to:Atoka+Rd%2FVA-713+to:Atoka+Rd%2FVA-713+to:Grove+Ln%2FVA-55+to:Grove+Ln%2FVA-55+to:Free+State+Rd%2FVA-721+to:659+Zachary+Taylor+Hwy,+VA+22627&geocode=%3BFYU9UwIdQRRi-w%3BFRjuUgIdI0Bh-w%3BFeNQUwIdCzRg-w%3BFVSSUgId6rNf-w%3BFRajUwIdLW1f-w%3BFVhfUwIdiwVe-w%3BFeU4UwId3YVd-w%3B%3BFbicUgIdvc5d-w%3BFaa4UgIdurxc-w%3BFR6uUgIdxLRc-w%3BFfuJUQIdPidb-w%3BFX8JUQIdZ51b-w%3BFeRiUAId3Ftb-w%3B&hl=en&mra=dme&mrcr=0,1&mrsp=8&sz=18&via=1,2,3,4,5,6,7,9,10,11,12,13,14&sll=38.969006,-77.736731&sspn=0.003032,0.004013&ie=UTF8&ll=38.863236,-77.711792&spn=0.777379,1.027222&z=10" rel="external nofollow">Spring Fling 2009 Morning Route on Google Maps</a>

<a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=659+Zachary+Taylor+Hwy,+VA+22627&daddr=Hume+Rd+to:Leeds+Manor+Rd%2FVA-688+to:Leeds+Manor+Rd%2FVA-688+to:Blueridge+Mountain+Rd%2FVA-601+to:Snickersville+Pike%2FSnickersville+Turnpike%2FVA-734+to:Jeb+Stuart+Rd%2FVA-630+to:39.050085,-77.734559+to:Snickersville+Turnpike%2FVA-734+to:Loudoun+County+Pkwy%2FMoran+Rd%2FOld+Ox+Rd%2FVA-606+to:45131+Columbia+Pl,+Sterling,+VA+20166&geocode=%3BFVqeUAIdiDNY-w%3BFZjjUAIdFuJZ-w%3BFSm8UQIdw9ZZ-w%3BFSBfUwIdrmZa-w%3BFSHAVAIdZ25c-w%3BFRf1UwIdLspd-w%3B%3BFUw7UwIdPHxe-w%3BFdsqUgIdFiph-w%3B&hl=en&mra=dme&mrcr=1&mrsp=7&sz=16&via=1,2,3,4,5,7,8,9&sll=39.052335,-77.733314&sspn=0.012114,0.01605&ie=UTF8&ll=38.912407,-77.77359&spn=0.776841,1.027222&z=10" rel="external nofollow">Spring Fling 2009 Afternoon Route on Google Maps</a>

NOTE: Non-member drivers will be expected to sign a waiver before participating.

Hope to see many of you out there again!