The Premise

Family vacations should always be an adventure. The opportunities to create those lasting memories you ruminate on to keep your mind from dwelling on the daily tedium.

This year, we determined we would take advantage of our peripatetic natures and utilize the search for colleges for the rising Sr. in our midst to our FULL advantage.  We have been wanting to participate in a MINI Takes The States (#MTTTS) for several years and this years rally sparked our imaginations.

For you unfamiliar with MTTS it is a coast to coast rally for MINI drivers, held biannually.  The #MTTS2016 is Track-to-Track from Road Atlanta to the BMW track in Palm Springs Ca.

Well, we are MINI folk and we had visited all the "easy access" schools Mü was interested in visiting...so time to STRETCH our legs so to speak.  The MTTS rally is a contiguous 2 weeks. Unfortunately our schedules did not permit this sort of luxury, but we could do 2 weeks...weeks apart...

Our solution:

Part 1: East Coast trip that aligned with dropping off Mü at an awesome conservation conference and field study near Fairfax Va.

Part 2: West Coast trip that we could squeeze in before school started up again.

Now you have an idea of the Scope of our adventure...as TheSz Take The States by MINI.

Packing list

Hmmm 9 days, 8 nights, 3 adults, 1 Mini and an anticipated round trip of close to 5k miles....hmmmm and all without a roof box.....hmmmm

The easy stuff

✅ Tent, pop-up, tarp, hooks...don't forget the hammer (again 🙀), Camp stools, rope (may need to purchase after the tree incident 😾)

✅ Sleeping bags, sleeping pads, pillows

✅ Dutch oven + lifter, charcoal, matches, DO liners + Foil, welding gloves, fire pans + wind break, butane stove + fuel, Tiny charcoal stove (Hee Hee cannot wait to try it) (ok ok...too much but OPTIONS are good)

✅ Toiletries...I think I need a new toothbrush...😝

The Hard stuff

😳The kitchen...so, there's the cook kit, that's easy, but do I bring seasonings or no...what about some basics...trying to avoid a cooler but then we have the 12pack collapsible bag...need a fat but not butter...and how to store when changing altitudes and temperatures w/o it getting all over....gargh.  Time to try and fit what I have so far and ponder more...ack!!! I almost forgot the kettle! 

😬The clothes...actually pretty easy, but the washer broke mud wash and an unscheduled trip to the laudromat puts a kink in things 👺