Mini Cooper Culture
U.P. JOINS THE MINI COOPER CULTURE BY HOSTING IT’S OWN EVENT: KEEWENAW MINI RENDEVOUS
Mini coopers parade through downtown Hancock, MI during the Keewenaw Mini Rendevous. (photo by Ron Caspi)
Since it’s 1959 debut in Great Britian the Mini has been an icon in Europe for decades based on it’s legacy of balancing efficiency, fun, and freedom. However, it’s huge popularity didn’t catch on in the U.S. until the early 2000’s. Now sporting a modern design, the Mini Cooper has since caught on in the U.S. spurring a phenomenon of motoring club culture that perpetuates the spirit of independence and spontaneity it represented in the 1960’s.
The Mini Cooper parade kicked off on the campus of Michigan Tech University in Houghton, MI on Friday, August 15, 2014. (photo by Ron Caspi)
Inspired by it’s race car features, fun handling, and customization options a new culture of Mini enthusiasts has formed around a shared passion for the iconic car. Mini Cooper owners come from many walks of life and proudly display personalized features on their vehicles that reflect their tastes and lifestyles whether they be weekend family cruisers or speedway racer idealists. Hailing from cities big and small around the country the common denominator with these folks is a taste for the open roads and a love to drive.
Seeking out winding thoroughfares with scenic views across the States they converge by the hundreds for fun on and off the highways. In fact, this endless search for ultimate driving experiences has recently led them to our remote part of the world here in the Upper Peninsula. On a recent late summer weekend the Keewenaw area of Michigan hosted it’s very own inaugural Mini event. The first Keewenaw Mini Rendevous (KMR) attracted drivers from around the Midwest to discover this small section of the America’s Byways collection of historic roads.
Mini coopers in downtown Houghton, MI. (photo by Ron Caspi)
Kicking off August 14th – 16th, 2014 in Houghton, MI the KMR (organized by local Mini Cooper enthusiast Keith Riley and Mike Rose) took motorists on a journey through the quiet cities, lush forests, and beautiful Lake Superior shorelines tucked away in the secluded Keewenaw Peninsula. According to Riley, “The Keewenaw offers the perfect backdrop for driving your Mini Cooper. We have beautiful scenery, winding roads, and friendly people.”
Beginning on the MTU campus they paraded through downtown Houghton, across the heaviest vertical lift bridge in the world into downtown Hancock, and then followed the river out of town into the Keewenaw wilderness. Upon their arrival in Copper Harbor (the head of the US41 Highway which finishes at the bottom tip of Florida) participants were treated to a succulent BBQ luncheon of pulled pork and watermelon. Minis then had the option to slowly make their way back to Houghton for a rendezvous bash with giveaways and live music at the Continental Fire Co. that night.
Mini Coopers lined up in Copper Harbor, MI, the last stop on Michigan’s Keewenaw Peninsula at the end of US hwy 41. (photo by Ron Caspi)
Mini owners gather together in Copper Harbor for a BBQ luncheon. (photo by Ron Caspi)
Besides the Mini Rendevous activities the area offers historical expeditions into old mines and military forts from it’s copper industry heydays and plenty of outdoor recreation like biking, hiking, camping, fishing, kayaking to name a few. Not to mention, they also had the forethought to plan the event concurrently with the Keewenaw Brew Fest (also hosted in Houghton) making a fitting compliment for a weekend getaway!
With such a fun event in this beautiful environment we wanted to know when the next Keewenaw Mini Rendevous will be taking place? Riley says if they continue to hold more of these motoring club events they will alternate every other year with the Minis on the Mac event where minis converge to cross the Mackinaw Bridge connecting Michigan’s Upper and Lower Peninsulas between Lake Michigan and Lake Huron.
Crossing Houghton’s vertical lift bridge into the town of Hancock, MI. (photo by Ron Caspi)
Says Riley, “Our event was just one of many that has taken place over the summer. We had two cars that just finished the Mini Takes the States, traveling from San Francisco to Boston. I think there is a special bond between Mini owners and their cars. This is a driving force for the camaraderie felt throughtout the Mini community.
The fun-loving camaraderie amongst the mini motorists is contagious. Not only did we discover an unspoiled jewel in the Keewenaw Peninsula but also a fabulous community of spirited adventurists keeping the road-trip tradition alive and well in the USA!
Mini Cooper owner and enthusiast Buck Steele traveled up to the Keewenaw from Detroit, MI for the Rendevous event. (photo by Ron Caspi)
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