Official Announcement: Charleston, SC Road Meet, Saturday November 5

[wriddle082]

Date:  Saturday November 5th (the official last day of Daylight Savings Time)

Time:  Try to arrive no later than 11 AM so we're there right at opening time.  I'm shooting for 10:30-10:45 myself.

Place:  Hyman's Seafood http://www.hymanseafood.com (voted best seafood in SC year after year, plus good prices), 215 Meeting St., Charleston, SC  29401.  Parking would be in the nearby Charleston Place Garage (they do not validate, but hopefully lunch won't take a real long time), and the website says there's a parking garage behind the building, not sure if that's the one they're referring to.

Highlights:  The main attraction will be the US 17 Arthur Ravenel Bridge over the Cooper and Wando Rivers, completed in 2005, featuring 8 travel lanes and a pedestrian walkway along the southern edge.  Other possible highlights include:
* Construction along US 17 in Mt. Pleasant to add lanes and build an interchange at Bowman Rd.
* One of only a handful of "Green" 3di interstates (Business Spur 526)
* The Isle of Palms Connector (SC 517 causeway from Mt. Pleasant to Isle of Palms over the Intercoastal Waterway)
* The I-526 bridge over the Cooper River, a steel through truss constructed in the 1990's (don't see too many of those of recent construction these days).
* The SC 30 freeway on the SW side of Charleston leading to James Island.  The stub ending of this freeway is slated to loop around to the US 17/I-526 interchange in the future, but may be an at-grade boulevard instead of a freeway.

We can play it by ear as to how many of the other highlights everyone would like to see.

If you're interested in attending, please either reply on this thread, or if you know me personally please send me an email, or if you receive a Facebook invite please accept it.  I don't know how to post my email address on here without visually masking it from spammers.  (If someone could tip me off as to how to do this, I will post my email address.)

Weather should still be mild in South Carolina's Low Country around the start of November (assuming no tropical activity), so I hope to see a good turnout for what I believe will be the first ever road meet in the Palmetto State!

[Alps]

I think (at) and (dot) may still get picked up by spammers, although I don't get bothered on my account despite it being listed several places on my site. You could say "I have a gmail account, name ______".

[Dougtone]

https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=250221918350640 is the link to the Facebook page for this meet.

[wriddle082]

https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=250221918350640 is the link to the Facebook page for this meet.

Thank you Doug for posting that!

[wriddle082]

OK, we're two weeks away from this meet.  There's still time to consider coming on down and eating the best seafood in SC, followed by walking on one of the most remarkable cable-stayed bridges in the world.  So come on down!

[wriddle082]

OK as it turns out, I had to go to Charleston this morning for work.  When I got through with the hour-and-a-half worth of work I had to do, I did a little scouting, and I have the following to report:

* When coming to Hyman's (if you're not already staying in a hotel downtown), it seems the quickest way to get there is via Morrison Dr./E. Bay St., which is accessible from either Exit 219B off I-26 east (BEFORE US 17), or from a ramp directly off the Ravenel Bridge southbound.  Turn towards downtown (south).  Look for Hasell St (about 2 miles past the bridge), and turn right.  When you get to Meeting St., and the block where Hyman's is located, keep going straight.  On the left, you'll see a sign for Charleston Place parking, turn left here, and park in the garage.

* There appears to be nowhere to park close by on the Charleston side of the Ravenel Bridge, but I found a couple of options on the Mt. Pleasant side.  One is the Circle K/Shell gas station at the corner of Coleman Blvd (SC 703) and Patriots Point Rd.  Free parking here for 2 hours, kudos to Circle K for offering this!  But if they happen to be full, there is also a pay lot directly underneath the foot of the bridge, near the visitor center and pier.

[OracleUsr]

Sorry, can't make it...just got back from a VA trip that went wrong and I need this weekend to rest.

Hope everyone has fun.

[CanesFan27]

My photo set from the meet (and some shots on the trip down from Raleigh and back to Wilmington)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/adamontheroad/sets/72157628147668787/

Check out the contractor US 17 shields in the last photo of the set!