Great Drives: 2009 Mini Cooper Convertible

Besides the appeal of the surroundings, what makes travel on these parkways pleasant is the absence of truck traffic - no minor factor when you're in an open car, particularly one as small as the Mini Cooper. The Saw Mill eventually angles to the northeast; for a northwest heading, switch over to the Taconic State Parkway. The Taconic was the pet project of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, back when he was the head of the Taconic State Park Commission, before his ascension to governor and, later, president. The Taconic goes almost all the way to Albany; down in Westchester, it has been widened and "improved" to the point where it's much like any other highway. Speeds are higher on the Taconic, and the Mini, despite having only 118 hp on tap, has no problem keeping up, although steep grades will tax the full measure of its reserves. Exit the Taconic at Route 134 (west) to give the Mini a different sort of challenge. Dive off to the right onto tiny Spring Valley Road and feel the full transformation from New York's concrete caverns to bucolic northern Westchester. Climbing sudden rocky hills and peeking around blind corners, the narrow lane is like something out of the Mini's native England. Under a canopy of arching overhead branches, you ride past stone walls, still ponds, and hundred-year-old homes. You also pass the Teatown Lake Reservation, which offers a further immersion with its nature center and extensive hiking trails. Continue west onto Teatown Road, to its end at Quaker Ridge Road. Make a right, then a quick left, and you come upon a century-old, one-lane steel bridge over the Croton River. Cross it, make your next right, and then right again onto Route 129, and you quickly reach Croton Gorge Park. It's an ideal spot for a picnic, even with the roar of the Croton Dam spillway in the background. The dam and the reservoir behind it are part of New York City's water supply system. The Mini convertible's flip-down trunk lid makes a reasonable platform for tailgating, but with plenty of picnic tables available, there's no need to use it. Its drop-down action - unlike the coupe's hatchback - mirrors that of the original Mini and is undoubtedly the best solution for the convertible, but it still constricts access to the small (6.0 cubic foot) trunk. There is, however, pass-through access from the folding rear seatbacks.