The temperatures were cool and the air crisp as Mini Cooper owners descended upon Eureka Springs, Arkansas for the fourth Minis in The Ozarks (MITO) car rally.
By the time the event would close on Sunday morning, over 130 Minis and over 220 participants would take to the highways and byways of the Ozarks. Standard Minis, Mini S’s, Clubman Minis and Countryman Minis were all in attendance.
Being a new Mini owner, this was my first gathering. It was obvious from the get-go that fun was the prime order of the event. Thursday evening started with packet pick-up, dinner and a social, so one quickly got started meeting and talking to fellow Min owners. MITO attracted drivers from as far west as Nevada, north asMichigan, all the mid-south, and Atlantic states; 22 states in all were represented.
As driving the scenic roads around Eureka Springs was the goal of the event, the organizers developed nine drives varying in time, attractions and speed that participants could choose to take. Some were “on your own” 
drives, others were escorted . Sharon and I started our Friday with an escorted tour to a medieval castle— that’s right a castle is being built in the heart of the Ozarks. For the next 20 years, a group of men wearing authentic-type medieval peasant garb (apparently sewn from low thread-count sheets) will labor with authentic thirteenth-century tools to create a full-sized castle, with 45-foot-high towers and 6-foot-wide walls made of stone hewn from local mountains and hauled to the construction site by especially strong horses. For more information Google MedievalCastle, Ozarks. Our 117 mike trek took us through some of the most beautiful valleys I have seen, and we arrived back in Eureka Springs in time for lunch.
As Sharon is a cat lover we spent the afternoon on our own and headed to Turpentine Creek, just 20 minutes south. Turpentine Creek is the largest big cat refuge in the world! Lions and tigers and bears, literally. They provide a loving and safe haven for hundreds of animals who have lost their homes due to a myriad of reasons. One lion joined the habitat after it ate its owner’s recliner, and she rethought the safety of having a lion in the house with four children-DA! Many of the animal’s story were heart wrenching. We stayed through feeding time which was a truly jaw dropping experience, then headed back to Eureka Springs to participate in the parade through town. 
As Minis began pouring into the parking lot at the Crescent Hotel, we swapped stories with other owners and learned of their Mini adventures. We finally got orders to saddle up and began our trek down Spring Street and through the heart of downtown. Clearly some of the locals knew there would be a parade, but I do not think they were ready for the barrage of beads and candy we tossed their way. Too soon the parade came to an end and Sharon and I headed to dinner.
Saturday morning started with a tech talk by Dustin Etheredge, owner of Auto X Cooper.com (autoxcooper.com). Clearly a no BS kind of guy who knows a lot about Minis and the car industry in general, Dustin spent the first twenty to thirty minutes talking about the main things you can do to get the absolute best from your Mini. He then opened the floor to questions, which he fielded until it was time for him to lead the 22-2-123 drive, a “spirited” 250 mile hike through the Arkansas country side. I had long before decided to take this ride and was glad I did. I think we started with about 30 Minis, and ended with 23. It was a GREAT drive that really let the owner feel the phenomenal handling capability of the Mini Cooper. Sharon tells me we passed some very gorgeous country side, but I was busy keeping my eyes on the road and working my way through hair-pin turns. The drive ended at Turpentine Creek where all the Minis were gathering for a group photo. It took a bit of time to line up everyone, but finally the photo was taken. If you go to theMITOwebsite, Sharon and I are in the third row, furthest car on the right. The evening ended with a very fun Halloween party, poolside at the hosting hotel. Tunes, snacks and beverages were available. Most of the attendees were in costume. Sharon and I went as vampires; the old kind that looked spooky.
Certainly one of the highlights of the rally was getting further acquainted with some of our fellow MidSouth Miniacs. Miniacs accounted for 10 cars atMITO. Attendees included: Patti and Steve Hammond, Debby and Mark Salvadore, Linda and Scott Seal, Audrey and Chuck Evans, Diana Jarava and her parents, Terri and James Baker and their son, Kathy and Ron Snook, Nathalie Fouque, Kathy and Chris Culver, and Sharon and I. Definitely mark your calendar to attend this event next year as it just gets bigger and better!
MINIacs Hit the Roads in Eureka Springs. By Tony Sebbio.
