a51 info

Announcing
The Area 51 Gathering
on Friday, June 27, 2008
at 1:00 pm

For those folks traveling to MINIs On Top from the Boston (MA) area, the Southern VT and NH areas, and anywhere in Eastern New England, we invite you to merge with the YC, Boston & A51 Caravans at (rest) Area 51 on I-93 located 15 miles north of Concord, NH. Travel time is about 1 hour, 15 minutes from Boston (MA), 2 hours, 10 minutes from Providence (RI) and 1 hour, 40 minutes from Worcester (MA).

Signing Up for the Area 51 Event

A new sign-up thread on MINI2 has been created for people to post their interest in being part of the YC/A51 Caravan. Head on over to the Yankee Candle & Area 51 Caravan to MOT 2008 thread on MINI2.com and register! Don't forget to specify the meeting point where you will join the Caravan and your initial selection for one of the four routes to Gorham that you are interested in taking.

Getting to Area 51

We will be gathering at the Area 51 rest stop in Canterbury, NH on Friday, June 27th at 1:00 pm. Area 51 is located in a rest area at approximately mile marker 51 on I-93 North about 15 miles north of Concord, NH. Please consult the overview map and the detail satellite image for more information.

It is strongly suggested that you arrive at Area 51 with a near-full gas tank. If you are coming up I-93 North through Concord, there is an easy-off/easy-on refueling opportunity just off Exit 12S on I-93.

Boston Area Caravan to Area 51 on Friday

Richard Freierman (rfinprc on MINI2) is organizing a Boston area mini-caravan for the trip to the Area 51. It will meet at the Commerce Way parking lot meeting area by 12:00 pm. More information can be found in the Yankee Candle, Boston & Area 51 Caravan to MOT 2008 thread on MINI2.

Arrival at the Event

Those interested in meeting up at Area 51 should arrive there no later than 1:00 pm on Friday, June 15th. This will allow plenty of time for socializing, biobreaks, and experiencing the finest in vending machine cuisine.

Drivers Meeting, Departure Time, and Routes to Gorham

By 1:30 pm, the Yankee Candle Caravan is scheduled to arrive at Area 51. That will allow everyone to chat and get themselves organized into sub-caravans for the four different routes that have been mapped from Area 51 to Gorham, NH. For more information and descriptions of the four routes, please go to the "To Gorham" section of this website.

At 1:45 pm, a Driver's Meeting will be held in our end of the rest area. All participants should attend this meeting. We will discuss driving routes, guidelines, and communication issues.

At 2:00 pm sharp, the sub-caravans will depart sequentially by route number for their drives to Gorham. Make sure that by 2:00 pm, you, your passengers, and your MINI have found your chosen sub-caravan and are prepared for departure.

It is suggested that you read "Eight Tips for Making MINI Drives More Enjoyable". You will find it a good source of general guideline information for all MINI Drives.

Caravan Communications

As with other New England MINI events, FRS/GMRS walkie-talkies can be used for communication with event participants. We use channel 7 and no sub-channel. At the event, you will also be provided with a cell phone number to call for emergency contact while en route.

Area 51 Event Schedule