Northeast Alabama Road Meet Interest?

[getemngo]

Ooh, the road to the old Monsanto plant! I've wanted to see that since learning about it and had no idea it'd be covered in the meet.

[codyg1985]

Ooh, the road to the old Monsanto plant! I've wanted to see that since learning about it and had no idea it'd be covered in the meet.

Indeed! Unfortunately, we won't be able to drive up to the old plant location. The road is barricaded off about a half mile or so before you would reach the plant.

[cjk374]

Ooh, the road to the old Monsanto plant! I've wanted to see that since learning about it and had no idea it'd be covered in the meet.

Indeed! Unfortunately, we won't be able to drive up to the old plant location. The road is barricaded off about a half mile or so before you would reach the plant.

What did they do/make there?

[Laura]

Ooh, the road to the old Monsanto plant! I've wanted to see that since learning about it and had no idea it'd be covered in the meet.

Indeed! Unfortunately, we won't be able to drive up to the old plant location. The road is barricaded off about a half mile or so before you would reach the plant.

What did they do/make there?

Destroy agriculture and our food (as we knew it for thousands of years) with GMOs


iPhone

[formulanone]

I would really like to attend this, but sometimes my work and family life changes on a 24-hour notice, and I've used up all my vacation time.

[Brandon]

Ooh, the road to the old Monsanto plant! I've wanted to see that since learning about it and had no idea it'd be covered in the meet.

Indeed! Unfortunately, we won't be able to drive up to the old plant location. The road is barricaded off about a half mile or so before you would reach the plant.

What did they do/make there?

Destroy agriculture and our food (as we knew it for thousands of years) with GMOs

Which has been done throughout the entire history of agriculture.  Breeding is one form of genetic modification.

[cjk374]

I wish I could go, but we're moving my fiance' in on that weekend.

[Laura]

Ooh, the road to the old Monsanto plant! I've wanted to see that since learning about it and had no idea it'd be covered in the meet.

Indeed! Unfortunately, we won't be able to drive up to the old plant location. The road is barricaded off about a half mile or so before you would reach the plant.

What did they do/make there?

Destroy agriculture and our food (as we knew it for thousands of years) with GMOs

Which has been done throughout the entire history of agriculture.  Breeding is one form of genetic modification.

Oh, I know. I was just being reactionary farmers have always saved their best seeds for the next year to improve their crops.

The main reason Monsanto gets a lot of flak is because of the corn they've genetically modified with genes that resist Roundup, meaning that they can spray the crap out of those crops and they won't die. I am not a fan of that kind of genetic modification because it is harmful to our environment. Also, the idea that they've patented their seeds and make them unsavable from year to year is not beneficial to the farming industry as a whole.

However, genetic modification is useful for crops being able to resist diseases, particularly in developing countries where that virus could kill a farmer's only source of income and a village's food source. Those types of genetically modified crops are helpful.

tl;dr: not all genetically modified crops are bad, especially if done for goodwill purposes. Monsanto does not have a good rep because they have modified crops to sell their products (roundup) and make money (patented, unsalable seeds).


iPhone

[vdeane]

Indeed.  It doesn't help that Monsanto has been known to throw multi-million dollar lawsuits against farmers that don't use their seeds but had some blow over from a nearby farm that does.  Or that the pesticides don't magically disappear when the food gets to the supermarket or is processed.  Just because it takes a much higher dose to kill us doesn't mean it's not unhealthy.

[hbelkins]

I have been really terrible about updating this thread.

The meet lunch has been relocated to Wintzell's Oyster House in Guntersville (14455 Us Highway 431, Guntersville, Alabama 35976) at 11 AM. I have also created a map showing the route of the tour and the stops which be found here.

I will be creating a formal itinerary soon.

Wondering if I've missed the formal itinerary and the order of the stops.

If I am able to attend (that's still iffy) and I don't ride south from Tennessee with Brian Reynolds I will probably drive solo and peel off somewhere along the route before the tour ends.

If I can swing it to be able to attend, as it currently stands I have a conference in Lexington on the Friday prior. If I attend, and that's not certain until I see the itinerary, it will affect my travel plans.

A suggested/recommended conference in Louisville the Thursday prior to the Merritt Parkway meet will probably negatively impact my attendance at that meet if other circumstances would permit it.

[hbelkins]

This is looking even more do-able than I originally anticipated. Seeing as it's the nearest-to-me announced meet remaining this year, and I haven't heard anything said about any meets in November or December, I'd really like to do this.

The biggest issue is getting there. If I leave on Friday, I'll have to leave from Lexington. Since I want to clinch US 231 in Tennessee while I have the opportunity, I will need to get to either Lebanon or Murfreesboro, Tenn., on Friday night.

There will be traffic issues if I take US 60 to the Bluegrass Parkway to I-65 (Keeneland traffic in addition to normal afternoon Lexington rush hour traffic) unless the conference ends early enough, or unless I blow off the last session. There will also be construction issues on I-75 between Berea and Mt. Vernon if I opt to go to Somerset and take the Cumberland Parkway. (A paving project that, according to all reports I've heard, has been a real cluster foxtrot where delays are concerned.) There have also been some construction issues on I-75 between Lexington and Richmond. US 27 south to Somerset? Uh, no, because that involves getting across town and then Nicholasville Road. Any route south from the Bluegrass Parkway involves the Keeneland tie-up. And I-64 west to Frankfort, then US 127 south, isn't an option because of resurfacing on I-64 between Lexington and Frankfort that has also been a cluster foxtrot.

The plan is to take US 231 and US 431 from my overnight destination to the meet. Depending on the tour's timing, I will likely peel off early and head toward Chattanooga. I can stay Saturday night anywhere between the Kimball/Jasper area and Cleveland, taking US 72 instead of I-24 to clinch it in Tennessee. (Is the new bridge open yet?)

Once I get to Chattanooga, the plan is to take US 64/74 east to Ducktown (getting me a clinch of US 74 in Tennessee), then north on TN 68 to join US 411 at Madisonville. Then I plan to take US 411 north to Newport, thus clinching it in Tennessee (and hoping that leaf peepers departing the Smokies and Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge on the Sunday of the last weekend of October on US 441 don't impact traffic on US 411). Then I can just shoot up US 25E back to Kentucky.

I'd given some thought to driving straight from home on Saturday, but that would rule out the US 231 clinch. And the thought of leaving home at 4 a.m. and driving for three hours (two of them on I-75) before daylight at the time of year when deer are most active is not an appealing thought.

[codyg1985]

I am considering making the BB Comer/Scottsboro part of the tour the last part, but I am not sure yet. I have received input on the hiking portion so we can see the BB Comer Bridge, and it looks like most people are indifferent about it. On one hand, if we do the BB Comer towards the end of the tour, sunlight angles will be favorable for better photos, but on the other hand, depending on the timing, we may be pushing it in terms of daylight.

As for your return trip, I have not heard that the US 41/64/72 bridge over the Tennessee River is open yet, but it should be really close. I am going to meet a friend in Rome, GA tomorrow, so I may be able to swing back through Chattanooga and then see (I want to see what the progress is on the US 27 rebuild anyway).

There is an interchange rebuild underway at I-75 and US 74 east in Cleveland that might be of interest.

[codyg1985]

H.B., it looks like the US 41/64/72 bridge is about ready to open to traffic, but the approaches look to need at least one layer of asphalt beforehand. Not sure if it will be ready when you come through or not.

[brianreynolds]

There are plenty of reasons to be wary of the Monsanto Monster, but the abandoned Guntersville facility probably is not one of them. 

Monsanto is a huge and varied corporation with many product lines.  Guntersville produced polyester filament, which is about as far as you can get from agribiz.

http://www.nytimes.com/1981/01/15/business/monsanto-halts-a-fiber-line.html

The plant closed in early 1981.  What might account for a steep decline in demand for polyester?

Admittedly, this is only a theory, BUT:  Disco music had already peaked, and the associated fashions were already passé.  For those of you who might be too young to remember, read on.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leisure_suit

[hbelkins]

I don't say "yes" to Facebook events or confirm my attendance because nosy people, but as of now, I do plan to attend this.

Brian R.: I won't be able to take advantage of your generous offer to share accommodations and transportation because of my schedule, and not being able to leave Lexington on Friday until 3 p.m. at the earliest. I'm not sure where I will be staying Friday night.

Contact me (email is fine) with your planned route to start your Kentucky county visiting excursion and I'll let you know the latest on construction delays. The slowdowns on I-75 south of Berea are still causing problems.

[codyg1985]

Is anyone that hasn't posted on the Facebook event interested in attending? Just trying to cover all of the bases.

[Brandon]

I will not be there this time.  Not enough money and time. 

[hbelkins]

I know we're only a few days out, but I'm not 100 percent yet. Still trying to get a grip on trip planning and justify the financial outlay.

[jpi]

Steph and I are still good to go, looking forward to it :-) We will be getting into Guntersville sometime Thursday late afternoon\ evening and spending Friday sight seeing in the area, maybe some side trips. Weather is looking very nice for all 3 days we will be in the area (Thurs-Fri-Saturday)

[A.J. Bertin]

I'm looking forward to seeing everyone on Saturday!

[hbelkins]

'Tis better to ask forgiveness than beg permission.

Also 'tis better to make room reservations early and cancel them than it is to wait too late.

Right now it looks like I am going to make this one. Will be leaving from Lexington Friday afternoon and my intent, as I've mentioned before, is to clinch US 231 in Tennessee on the way down. I need almost everything south of I-40. I had intended to stay in Murfreesboro Friday night and then drive on down to Guntersville Saturday morning.

i checked room prices and availability on Monday, and there were plenty of inexpensive rooms at decently-rated motels available for Friday night. Went online to book this morning, and two of the hotels I was considering had sold out, one only had a jacuzzi suite available at close to three figures for a night, and another had doubled its price. I don't know what's going in in Murfreesboro this weekend, but I wish I had gone ahead and booked Monday instead of waiting until this morning.

Ended up getting a room at Lebanon, so that will add an extra half-hour to the drive on Saturday morning. It also means I won't get to eat Culver's or Cook Out on Friday night, since Murfreesboro has both and Lebanon has neither.

Having taken a look at the tour itinerary that Cody posted (https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8jwngCopIbZekZCVUJPeVF5TTQ/view), looks like I'll be departing at #40 (stop #7) to head toward Chattanooga for the night.

[codyg1985]

I didn't realize Murfreesboro had a Cookout. Knew they had a Culver's though.

[codyg1985]

I corrected a few errors in the itinerary, so I had to reupload the itinerary with a new address: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8jwngCopIbZS1UzRnVEZDB3TFk/view?usp=sharing

[jpi]

Glad to hear you are coming HB! You will be driving right by our house when you approche the north side of Lebanon, when you see Al's Foodland, you will be 2 blocks away Steph and I will be heading down tomorrow and staying in Guntersville tomorrow night and Friday night.

[freebrickproductions]

I won't be able to attend sadly.
I've got school (as in homework) and a few side projects of mine I have to do this weekend. Maybe some other time.