MINIs travel through county

There was an invasion in Sanders County, a MINI invasion.

Thousands of MINI owners joined a rally from Albuquerque to Seattle last week. An estimated 600-800 joined each day of MINI Takes The States (MTTS) as they traversed through five states in the western United States.

On Friday, the MINIs traveled from Missoula to Spokane, with many stopping in Sanders County to shop and eat. Some residents first noticed the abundance of MINIs as they were on their way to Missoula on Friday, alerting The Ledger that the cars were headed toward Thompson Falls. Late Friday morning, the hundreds of small cars, many with fun decorations and vanity license plates, converged on the county.

This was the ninth run of the MTTS, which is held every two years. This year's rally covered more than 1,600 miles. The group left Albuquerque on Saturday, July 13, arriving in Seattle last Sunday. There were planned stops in Durango and Grand Junction, Colorado, Salt Lake City, Bozeman, Missoula, Spokane and Yakima, but rally participants could also choose their own adventure from Salt Lake to Bozeman.

This year's rally supported the American Camp Association and Keep America Beautiful, with a portion of registration fees donated to the organizations. According to a press release, with MTTS, MINI owners have the opportunity to build deeper connections with the brand and with each other at a series of Rise and Rally events that will precede the drives between each stop on the route. They are encouraged to stop by the MTTS charity partner and sponsor booths and meet with the MINI Car Club of America to learn about a host of member benefits and year-round activities that can be found in each region.

In 2022, more than 2,000 MINI owners took part in MINI TAKES THE STATES, which traversed nine states and stopped in eight cities along the eastern United States between Vermont and South Carolina. More than 1,000 MINI vehicles were driven as part of the rally, with 971 owners going "all the way" for the full 1,723-mile journey.

For more information, visit miniusanews.com