Back by popular demand, we will cruise down to Paso Robles, decorate our MINIs, and join the town's annual Christmas parade. Last year's participants had a blast despite the rain, and we won best car club entry along the way.
The Kraken decked out for the 2022 parade.
Your Host(s) for the Event
Tina and Steve Sandke
Route
https://maps.app.goo.gl/qbU2Eqt5ZCNEEPmx6
Download the map for off-line use - we will likely lose cell coverage.
Register via MotorSport Registry
https://www.motorsportreg.com/events/paso-robles-christmas-parade-weekend-run-norcal-minis-875012
Meet-up Time/Departure Time
8:30 am / 9:00 am, sharp
Meet-up Location
Peet's Coffee - Morgan Hill
755 Cochrane Rd Suite 100
Morgan Hill, CA 95037
Run Details
This year’s Paso Robles Christmas Parade run is a reprise of last year’s, but the forecast is without the unrelenting rain we had last year.
We’ll drive down 101, pick up some folks along the road near Salinas, stopping in Greenfield for a quick bathroom break (Starbucks at 367 Walnut Ave., Greenfield). We’ll hop back on 101 for a few miles toward King City then switch to backroads. We’ll drive through Fort Hunter Liggett and on out to Mission San Antonio (1 Mission Creek Rd., Jolon), the most remote of the California Missions. We'll take a 30 to 45 minute stop at the mission, allowing those who wish to pay the nominal fee to tour the grounds. More backroads from the mission will land us in Paso Robles around lunchtime. Folks are free to gather for lunch as they please; there is no group lunch, but we’ll call out ideas as we get into town. Coordinating groups for lunch is highly encouraged.
2022 Mission San Antonio Stop
After lunch, you’re on your own until the parade. You can check into your hotel, explore downtown Paso Robles, go wine tasting, or something else. Please note that we are limited to 15 cars for entry in the parade, so the first 15 cars to register on MSR will be entered in the parade. Others are invited to view the parade and cheer on our club's MINIs from the parade sidelines.
Parade Meetup:
544 Pine Street
Paso Robles
Meet: 4 PM
Depart for Parade Staging: 4:30 PM
Parade Start: 6 PM
Folks participating in the parade MUST meet up with the group at 4 PM to decorate our cars for the parade. We’ll drive over to our staging spot at 4:30 PM, as the organizers want us in place early this year. We can continue decorating in the staging area.
The parade itself was about 45 minutes last year, though that timing will depend on our place in the parade. Last year we were quite close to the front, so if we’re farther back this year, the parade experience will take longer. After we finish the route, we’ll return to our meeting spot and undecorate our cars. We’ll have an optional gathering afterward at Firestone Walker Brewing Company's taproom restaurant (1400 Ramada Dr. Paso Robles, CA 93446).
Sunday Run Details:
9:30 am meet-up, 10:00 am departure
Starbucks (2429 Golden Hill Rd, Paso Robles, CA 93446) off of Highway 46 near Lowes east of downtown.
Sunday AM Route Map:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/htABhMJWbGM999Hc9
Sunday morning breakfast is on your own, and then we’ll gather for a short run before folks head back home. We’ll head out for a short but spirited run through backroads east of Paso Robles, ending in Santa Margarita well before lunchtime, and folks are free to head back home or enjoy other sights on their own.
Paso Robles Downtown
Additional Run Details
Please bring your radio, fully charged, turned on, and tuned to Channel 7, Subchannel 21 CTCSS before you arrive at the start. If you don’t have a radio, ask for a loaner at the driver’s meeting. For radio recommendations, please see https://www.facebook.com/legacy/notes/728353274556164/.
Be sure to turn the “VOX” voice-activated setting OFF, or we will hear the wind from your AC, your conversations, and any noise in your car broadcasting to everyone.
We ask that you turn on low-beam headlights - not Auto - to make us more visible to other vehicles either ahead or behind us, including your fellow MINI drivers!
Headlight Switch: Full Manual On