Not sure where I picked this up, but it wasn’t a good trip, I bet.

Getting close to school starting up, the kid is back at band camp already.

The old trucks, the Airstream, the faded look – there’s something about this station that reminds me of traveling through the south in the 1970s with my family.

I only did a few days, but I wish it was more. Seeing hundreds of MINIs and their owners, all together, all laughing and smiling … it was Woodstock on wheels, with 93 octane as the drug of choice. Kind of want to do the whole all of MINI Takes the States in 2018.

Last event on Mini Takes the States, a short lap around Richmond International Speedway and then I break away. The people have been the real pleasure in this – the driving is nice, but the stops along the way where everyone is happy has been rejuvenating.

My second day with my thousand new Mini-owning friends had us driving from Charlotte to south of Richmond. With a few hours to myself, I decided to visit the Petersburg National Battlefield to do a little historical sight seeing.

I was surprised to find so many people there, most of them younger and without parents. Then I figured it out – they were all playing Pokemon Go. At a historic battlefield.

Gah.

That’s the giant crater caused by Union soldiers tunneling under a Confederate post and detonating 8,000 pounds of explosives.

One from the road, somewhere in North Carolina.

Whoa. This morning, I was surrounded by more than 900 Mini Coopers. And then we all went for a drive, Atlanta to Charlotte. The temptation to just show massive amounts of cars is strong, but here’s a few scenes along the way.