2011 meets?

[hbelkins]

I'm presuming that the meets for this year are over, unless someone is planning one they haven't announced yet.

So, what's on tap for 2011? Anyone have anything in mind (location and rough estimate of a timeframe?)

So far I know Adam Moss wants to do one in northern New Jersey in March, and Doug Kerr plans one in Watertown, NY in late summer or early fall.

Other preliminary thoughts?

I am due to host another meet next year, as I have been doing one every two years, but have not decided on a location. I'm considering something in the western part of Kentucky (Bowling Green or Hopkinsville/Land Between The Lakes area) but am not sold on that option. At the moment I can't really come up with anything in Kentucky or nearby parts of West Virginia that would be of interest.

[Truvelo]

I hope one of next year's meets will coincide with one of my vists. Unfortunately the events I attend in North America are during the weekend which is when most meets take place. If there's a meet on a Monday or Friday it would be perfect.

[Alps]

There will be a Central Jersey meet in mid to late summer tentatively - I need to coordinate that around late winter/early spring to pin down a weekend.  It revolves around a construction tour of the NJ Turnpike.  I also have eyes on a Montreal meet, which would probably be closer to April or May depending on how construction goes up that way.

[Hot Rod Hootenanny]

It's been about 5 years since a Columbus meet. I'd say its about due.

[Ian]

There should also be a south Jersey meet. We could go see the construction for the new access road to the Atlantic City Airport as well as the new NJ 52 bridge to Ocean City.

[Alps]

True.  That's a lot of NJ for one year though...

[US71]

I'd like to try again for an Ark-La-Tex meet now that more work is underway on I-49, but I don't have my show schedule set-up yet.

[hbelkins]

On Facebook, Brian Powell said he's interested in doing something in the Morgantown-Fairmont area of West Virginia, which would be eminently doable for me. And Brian Rawsom-Ketchum said he might do something in Michigan.

I'd probably have to choose one of the two Jersey meets. And since I don't have a passport and don't speak French, Montreal would probably be a no-go for me as well.

[oscar]

I'd probably have to choose one of the two Jersey meets. And since I don't have a passport and don't speak French, Montreal would probably be a no-go for me as well.

In Montreal I was able to barely get by with the four basic phrases (for "hello," "goodbye," "thank you," and "could you please point me to the restroom?"), plus subtly indicating that I wasn't a Canadian so people would tolerate my not knowing French.

I could swing something in Montreal, if I could combine it with the Trans-Labrador Highway trip I've penciled in for next summer.  But that trip will mean a lot of mileage in other parts of Quebec, and for that I'll probably have to learn a little more French than I needed for Montreal.

[vdeane]

I also have eyes on a Montreal meet, which would probably be closer to April or May depending on how construction goes up that way.

If you do one, April would be easier for me (it's only a two hour drive from Potsdam), thought I might be able to squeeze it in May.  I'd definitely be interested in going as long a knowing French isn't a prereq.

[akotchi]

There will be a Central Jersey meet in mid to late summer tentatively - I need to coordinate that around late winter/early spring to pin down a weekend.  It revolves around a construction tour of the NJ Turnpike.  I also have eyes on a Montreal meet, which would probably be closer to April or May depending on how construction goes up that way.

Let me know if you want some help coordinating the Central Jersey meet.

[DanTheMan414]

Richard Ruffner had mentioned awhile back about organizing a follow-up meet in Dayton, to highlight much of the progress of the I-75 reconstruction through the downtown area...and the, I believe, finally-completed I-70/75 interchange, which only took about 8 years to complete.

[PAHighways]

I've contemplated doing one in Williamsport that would cover the US 15 upgrades/construction.

[froggie]

Per some discussion last year, I was looking at doing a DC area meet sometime in the spring, focusing on the ICC, with some of it open to traffic and the rest under construction.

[wriddle082]

I'm hoping to put something together for a Charleston, SC meet next fall.  There's a large bridge located there that people may be interested in seeing.

[mightyace]

I've contemplated doing one in Williamsport that would cover the US 15 upgrades/construction.

I'd be there if at all possible.  My dad's house is less than 40 miles from there.

[hbelkins]

Sounding as if there will be a plethora of meets to choose from next year.

A South Carolina meet would be good for me, as it would give me a decent shot at clinching North Carolina's counties. That's the next state that is reasonably within reach for me.

I'd be interested in attending several of these, but scheduling will be of utmost importance.

[Alps]

I'd like to try again for an Ark-La-Tex meet now that more work is underway on I-49, but I don't have my show schedule set-up yet.

Is that the one that's supposed to be in April?  I'm pushing my winter vacation back to spring to accommodate it - would like to know within the next couple of weeks how definite this is going to be...

I also have eyes on a Montreal meet, which would probably be closer to April or May depending on how construction goes up that way.

If you do one, April would be easier for me (it's only a two hour drive from Potsdam), thought I might be able to squeeze it in May.  I'd definitely be interested in going as long as knowing French isn't a prereq.

For all of you who are worried...  I would make sure that we're eating at a place where the waitress understands English, although we would have a Francophone or 3 at the table to help.  Dinner can also be had as a group, and people can stay the night on the US side if they're concerned.  I really don't think linguistic ability should be an issue.

[Roadgeek Adam]

Mine is on the officially happening list, I am already working ahead for 2012, and am possibly look into a tour with my meet in winter 2012. However, as for an Atlantic City meet, I considered that a lot, but outside of 52, the ACE and some minor stuff there isn't all that much.

[Dr Frankenstein]

I second AlpsROADS; you can get around in Montreal with not much French, and they're usually very open for tourists. Pretty much everyone knows at least a bit of English.

Plus, I'll be at the table if any translation is needed.

[corco]

The only time I was in Montreal I did the following:
I just started speaking English. They stared at me. I then continued speaking English. They continued staring at me. I continued speaking English. They then gave up and started speaking perfect English.

I'm pretty sure most Montrealers speak English, they just don't want to.

This was at a McDonalds downtown at about midnight as we were passing through, so small sample size may apply.

I'd be hugely interested in a Montreal meet if it were during the school year and would definitely shift my schedule around to make it there.

[oscar]

The only time I was in Montreal I did the following:
I just started speaking English. They stared at me. I then continued speaking English. They continued staring at me. I continued speaking English. They then gave up and started speaking perfect English.

I'm pretty sure most Montrealers speak English, they just don't want to.

When there, I make a feeble attempt to speak French.  Those who can will usually quickly switch the conversation to English, because they appreciate my making the effort and/or to stop me from continuing to mangle their language.

[corco]

If I knew so much as a word of French (a language I would actually really like to learn), that would be a better course of action for sure, because you're not conveying the "I'm an American. Do what I want. Now." attitude.

[J N Winkler]

This was at a McDonalds downtown at about midnight as we were passing through, so small sample size may apply.

I think your sample was representative.  About half of the residents of Montréal have English as their mother tongue, and Montréal has some districts (Westmount, Outremont) which are traditionally English-speaking.  A very high proportion of the population, probably a majority, has some fluency in both French and English.  However, the etiquette is always to start a conversation with a stranger using French, not English, and this is equally true for Anglophones as for Francophones.

My French is barbaric but I haven't had trouble in Québec or, for that matter, France.  My German is far worse, but I have ordered at McDonald's in German and managed to make myself understood despite speaking German words with vowels and consonants from Kansas.  "Ich bin ein Büffel.  Ich möchte einen Salat, bitte."

[Dr Frankenstein]

It's not so much the "I'm American, do what I want" image than the "I might be from Montreal but I don't give a damn about ordering in the official language" one because, as one said it earlier, a proportion of Montreal isn't Francophone (either English or some other language, often with English as their second langauge and not French). As I said in another thread, Quebecers are extremely protective about their language and culture, as if they were some kind of threatened indigenous group (which isn't the case... but I'm not going more off-topic than that).

Usually when they know you're a tourist, you should get served in English. And I'd be very surprised if a restaurant waiter in Montreal couldn't take orders in English.

tl;dr: Not speaking French isn't an excuse not go to to a Montreal meet.