April Photo Rally 2012

The April photo rally 2012 will take folks through the back roads of southern Iowa or at least south of Des Moines. The date will be Saturday, April 28, and will start with a breakfast at BMW of Des Moines graciously provided by the dealership. Breakfast will be from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., and participants can start the rally anytime from 8:15 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Remember, this is not a timed drive, but a fun rally.

The end point will be Bennigans on Army Post in Des Moines, the same place as last year. Drivers should expect to be back at Bennigans by at least 12:30 p.m. Any arrivals after 12:30 are contenders for the slowest low-rider award with 0 points for the event.

The route will incorporate items placed along the roadside by the Iowa Department of Transportation (not speed cameras) and devices used by the U.S. Postal service that you will have to pick out along your drive. For a little variety there will also be some items unique to the route such as some local eating establishments. There may be one or two stops that require the participant to get out of the car and gather a piece of information not apparent from the paved surface. These may be items used for bonus points so the short stroll could be worth the effort. Locations where this will be required are in low traffic areas with room to pull off the road.

The entire route is on pavement, may be a little bumpy but what stretch of asphalt isn’t in Iowa?

Keep checking the website www.bmwia.org and e-mail blasts for updates as the time gets near. The rules and scoring will be pretty much the same as in past years. This rally is about fun and seeing a little of Iowa that you might not have seen before in your daily travels. We hope to see you at the rally! And there may be a few curves along the route which makes driving a BMW so much fun.

Photo Rally Bonus update

Anyone needing a new helmet to meet the 2010 requirements may want to show up to the Photo Rally early to know what size they really need.

From 7:30 to 8:15 Steve Downey of Garvis Honda will do a helmet-fitting session during our Breakfast prior to the Rally. Steve will bring a variety of sizes from a couple of manufacturers, and will try to have a manufacturer rep there as well. Steve will only be available from 7:30-8:15 that morning, as Honda has a big motorcycle marketing deal starting that weekend. Having comfortable headgear on the track can make all the difference in how much fun you have.

Come get your head fitted and then enjoy the fun Photo Rally after enjoying a nice breakfast sponsored by Des Moines BMW.