Mini Takes the States stops in Grand Junction

Kyle Kawamoto and Kyle Kawamoto

21 minutes ago

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KREX) – Monday is a big day for some very small cars. A group called Mini is taking the United States on a “Mini” tour.

Mike Peyton, vice president of Mini of America, says, “We start in Albuquerque, New Mexico. We come to Durango, Colorado. Then we come to Grand Junction, then Salt Lake City. Then we go to Montana, then Bozeman, Missoula. We go through Spokane, Yakima, Washington, and then we end in Seattle.”

That’s a lot of miles.

“About 1,600 miles,” Peyton said.

Covering the distance is one thing, but the number of cars participating is another. Take a deep breath, because the number might surprise you.

“I would say on average we get between 600 and 650 people per stop. But for the whole event, I would say a little over 2,000 people,” Peyton says.

The last time this mini-tour came through Grand Junction was 10 years ago. On Monday, the mini-cars filled two entire parking lots in Lincoln Park. The drivers behind the wheel and the movement spread the love at every stop along the route.

Peyton tells WesternSlopeNow, “Community is key for a lot of people. That’s one of the things most people will tell you, maybe they bring their friends. And as you can see around me, there’s a lot of people here. People met their spouses in a lot of the states where they got married and a lot of them choose the states. Some will say they met their best friends.”

Mini Cooper driver Jennie Bulton says: “The only thing we have in common is our love of Minis and driving Minis. But then you get into a conversation with someone and you find out we have more than that in common. So it’s great to be with a group of people who share the same passion.”

But the best part is the lure of the open road.

“That’s why we do what we do at this event. It’s all about driving fun,” Peyton said.

Jennie tells WesternSlopeNow that drivers come from all over the world.

“But a lot of people come from far away countries. There are even people from Australia,” Jennie said.

Bill Bulton, Jennie’s husband, explains: “It’s a pretty cool process. You feel like you’re part of a big group and a big community, and it’s a lot of fun to go around and see the different places that you know.”

“For our charitable partners, this year we have the American Camp Association and Keep America Beautiful. Those are things that are essential to making a difference, in addition to being outside,” Peyton says.

So if you have a Mini Cooper, don’t be afraid to join us, hit the cruise control and, above all, enjoy the ride.