Late Fall/Early Winter East Coast Meets

[froggie]

I'm barely a month into deployment and still several months out from the time frame involved, but looking at 2-3 possible meets after I return stateside in late October.

One meet I've been considering is another DC meet sometime in the first few weeks after I get back.  Highlights would be the completed 11th St Bridges (they should be complete by then), the adjacent "Phase 2" of the project which will replace the outbound I-695 segment from the SE Fwy to the 11th St Bridge, associated Southeastern Blvd construction, and the US 50/10th St/Courthouse Rd construction near Rosslyn, VA.  We'd also go on a "sine search" for old highway signs through DC.  Time permitting, an "extended field trip" would either head up to Beltsville to view the I-95 Konterra interchange construction and the last leg of the ICC to US 1, or over to Gainesville to view the US 29/VA 55/SR 619 SPUI construction.

The second meet, which would be held sometime in November (or possibly early December), would be the long-discussed Hampton Roads meet, with highlights being the US 17 Steel Bridge, US 13 Gilmerton Bridge, and the Midtown Tunnel/MLK Fwy extension.  Side trips could include the completed Jordan Bridge, the grave of the Kings Highway Bridge, or (participation-level-permitting) a tour of the Navy Base.

I'd also be interested in helping Valerie with the idea of a Burlington meet, should she decide to hold it after I get back.  Could easily incorporate it into my post-deployment leave plans.....not that I really need a reason to take leave up to Vermont.

[mtantillo]

Count me in for DC or Hampton Roads, and I'm willing to help plan/scout DC too.

[Takumi]

I should be good for Hampton Roads. Not sure about DC yet, due to tentative car-related plans in October.

[Duke87]

Anything the weekend of October 12 is a no for me since NY Comic Con is that weekend. Anything within about a month prior is probably also a no due to preparations for the aforementioned.

[froggie]

Duke: I'm not back from sea until late October.

[deathtopumpkins]

I'd be interested in any of those. Hampton Roads would be more doable than DC probably, because I still have a bunch of family and friends down there I could visit, and it's been a good two years since I've driven on the Southside. It might be difficult to swing depending on whether I can take time off from work or not though.

Burlington I could definitely make. I've been itching for an excuse to go farther north in Vermont ever since I moved up north.

[vdeane]

My plans for Burlington are currently mid/late October.  Meet-up at a plaza, lunch at Papa Franks (though I haven't contacted them yet, so this might change), VT 127, the Island Line Trail Bridge, VT 289, and I-189 with stub.  After-meet trip to an apple cider mill to the east.

[jpi]

At this point, my late year schedule is my annual trip to central PA to do a couple toy conventions in York and Monroeville, thats the first week in December, mid to late October is around the time of my anniversary so if my wife and I can get time off I know she would love to go back up to VT and so would I, been over 10 years since we were up that way. Also Cody G has announced a Chattanooga road meet for July 5 even though that is 6 weeks away. I would love to go to a Hampton Roads area meet, especailly if I can tie it in with a trip to central PA,  (if it is on Saturday 11/30 I am in for sure) Will have to wait and see.

[SSOWorld]

I won't be able to make any for sure seeing as I'm on the other coast for 6 months.

[hbelkins]

Depends on any number of things, but I'd be most interested in a Hampton Roads meet. Given that I'm typing this from Massachusetts, I don't know that I will be up to coming back to New England this year.

[froggie]

My plans for Burlington are currently mid/late October.

Could you push it to late October/early November?

[CanesFan27]

I'm currently eying Saturday, November 2nd for something in Wilmington, NC.  I am running in the half marathon the next day (November 3rd).  There is also a 5k tied to the event on the 3rd.

http://battleshiphalfmarathon.active.com/events_-_battleship_north_carolina_half_marathon.htm

I think attendees should at least try the 5k!

[vdeane]

My plans for Burlington are currently mid/late October.

Could you push it to late October/early November?

Sure.  Hopefully the trees will still have some leaves at that point.  Also forgot to mention the Checkered House Bridge (placed between VT 289 and I-189 on the tour).

[hbelkins]

I think attendees should at least try the 5k!

Thanks for the laugh. Between me being terribly out of shape and my deteriorating knees, I couldn't run the length of five K's, much less a 5K.

[froggie]

Sure.  Hopefully the trees will still have some leaves at that point.  Also forgot to mention the Checkered House Bridge (placed between VT 289 and I-189 on the tour).

If you really wanted to have leaves on the trees, you'd pretty much have to do it by Columbus Day (and likely beforehand).  Anything after that is generally a no-go for fall color.  'Course, in my case, I'll be missing fall color anyway due to deployment schedule.

I'm currently eying Saturday, November 2nd for something in Wilmington, NC.

Hmmm...probably not a good time for me.  I was either going to do one of the meets that weekend or be on leave that weekend....leave generally NOT being south of the Mason-Dixon line...

[vdeane]

Does leave generally mean Vermont?  If so, we could use it for Burlington.  Probably not too much conflict between a Vermont meet and a North Carolina one

[froggie]

Yes, leave = Vermont.  I was going to try and time my leave around the Burlington meet.

[vdeane]

I think I'll post a poll for the date as we get closer.  What do you think is the earliest in October I should list as an option?

[froggie]

Last weekend.  I"m not back until the 23rd, and I'm thinking, for my part, November may be a better option.

[jdb1234]

Also Cody G has announced a Chattanooga road meet for July 5 even though that is 6 weeks away.

Really?  I would love to see some info on that.

[hbelkins]

Also Cody G has announced a Chattanooga road meet for July 5 even though that is 6 weeks away.

Really?  I would love to see some info on that.

https://www.facebook.com/events/158183621023513/

[CanesFan27]

I think attendees should at least try the 5k!

Thanks for the laugh. Between me being terribly out of shape and my deteriorating knees, I couldn't run the length of five K's, much less a 5K.

Why not make it a goal?

[vdeane]

I was thinking about the Burlington meet earlier today.  I'm thinking of putting in into a larger trip to Vermont/New Hampshire for a long weekend during one of my "optional holidays" (we get off either Columbus Day or Veterans Day, but not both).  October 12 would be more scenic, and a more convenient time for me to take a vacation, and for having the post-meet activity (since Columbus day is evenly between Labor Day and Thanksgiving, and also because November/December is a busy time for my company), but November 9 would allow froggie to attend.

Also, about how big would a meet would these dates likely yield?  I was thinking of contacting the restaurant I'm hoping to have the meet at soon both to find out if they can accommodate a road meet and also to find out how early I should make reservations.

[Duke87]

As I said above, I am out for October 12 because of NY Comic Con.

But, any other weekend in the fall my attendance is likely, especially if it's after October 12.


Also, you can add me to the group of people who will not be running for a prolonged distance, or for any distance if not necessary.

[froggie]

Mid-October would be more scenic, but a fair chance of still being past peak (which is usually late September/early October).  The "scenic" time of year also tends to bring out lots more slow-moving-and-erratic drivers...November would have much less potential for that.

While it'd be nice to attend and I could certainly help out with meet stuff, there's no need to base the meet on my schedule if you can get decent attendence on a date before I return from sea.