2014 Merritt Parkway meet - October 18th

[Duke87]

Come one, come all, for a drive on and around the historic, scenic, Merritt Parkway! In addition to a clinch of the parkway itself and a look at many of its unique overpasses, the tour will also feature a 110 year old truss bridge which has been abandoned for nearly 80 years (since the Parkway was built), a couple 1970s-era CT state outline shields, and an original 1930s toll booth from the parkway which has been moved and preserved.

Parking at the diner may be somewhat limited, if no spaces are available, go ahead and park in the lot for Burger King next door - they won't bother you. We will be relocating everyone's car to a nearby park and ride after lunch.

SPATIAL COORDINATES: Parkway Diner, 1066 High Ridge Road (route 137, but no one local is even aware of that), Stamford, CT 06905
41.107912, -73.548063
TEMPORAL COORDINATES: October 18, 2014 at 11:00 AM EDT
2014-10-18 1100 UTC-4

The Parkway Diner is near exit 35 from the parkway in Stamford. From either direction it is a right at the bottom of the ramp, and the diner will be on your right in a couple blocks. As for further or alternative directions: you're roadgeeks, you figure it out.

Facebook event is here: https://www.facebook.com/events/419078988233024/
It is public so anyone can add themselves. Please do so if you plan on attending. For anyone who doesn't have a Facebook account, you may simply reply here and state your intent.


(original post)
I've hinted at it before and I've basically already got it drawn up, now I just need to get people expecting it so that I'm forced to actually commit to doing it.

The Merritt Parkway is at its best when the leaves on the trees are all changing colors, so the general timing of the meet will be in October. Please vote for what specific date(s) work(s) for you.

The meet will at its core be focused on clinching the parkway and seeing as many of its famous bridges as we can manage (this involves repeatedly crossing it on local streets), but it will also feature a 110 year old truss bridge which has been abandoned for nearly 80 years (since the Parkway was built), both of the 1970s-era shields depicted in my avatar, and an original 1930s toll booth which was relocated to a local park after tolls were removed from the parkway in the 1980s.

[Ian]

As much as I would love to come to this, I'll be in school during all those weekends. But as I said at the NYC Meet, I'll let you borrow my Merritt Parkway shield for the group photo if you'd like.

[dgolub]

I'm totally up for clinching the Merritt.  As far as I know so far, any of those weekends will work for me.  Looking forward to it!

[froggie]

If you're really trying to catch fall color, southern Connecticut tends to peak in the latter half of October.  Just something to keep in mind.  The 18th and 25th dates are the closest to the average peak.

I'm a maybe for this.  It's close enough to do in a (long) day trip, but it will depend on how things are going with college.

[hbelkins]

Not that there is a terrible geographical overlap, but when is Cody Goodman's Alabama meet? It's sometime in October.

If I win the lottery, maybe. But that requires having the spare cash to buy lottery tickets. 

[jpi]

Cody's meet is October 25 and Steph and I are set for that meet, as for this one I am a no go for this meet unfortunently but back when I opened the Milford, CT Barrel (1997) I was able to clinch the merrit and yes it is a nice scenic alternate to I-95 and I-91. Hope you all have fun! :-)

[vdeane]

It's in day trip range for me, and I don't have any conflicts, so I'm sure I'll be available for this one.

[Laura]

I can do any of the above dates except for October 18th.

[Dougtone]

I would anticipate being at the meet, whenever it takes place.  I could make it as an easy day trip or combine it with visiting friends/family on Long Island.

[codyg1985]

Depending on when it is, there is a remote possibility that I could come to this. It would be a new state for me.

[mtantillo]

I would anticipate being at the meet, whenever it takes place.  I could make it as an easy day trip or combine it with visiting friends/family on Long Island.

Ditto!

[jpi]

Depending on when it is, there is a remote possibility that I could come to this. It would be a new state for me.

I am sure 10/25 is out for you

[PHLBOS]

At the moment, this one's a Maybe for me.  I'll let you know either way as the day (whichever one is selected) gets closer.

both of the 1970s-era shields depicted in my avatar

FYI, your avatar's showing up as a red X on my computer.

[Duke87]

Something else I am going to throw out there: while it is atypical practice, I can do this on a Sunday just as well as a Saturday, so if that is preferable to anyone, do say so.

This may be worth doing if the first weekend in November proves to be the best option. I don't know how many people will have scheduling issues going to a road meet the day after Halloween (up late partying and all), but it is a consideration.
On the other hand, if anyone has been itching to see the famous NYC Halloween parade, that weekend could enable it for people not from the area.

I'm probably going to remove 10/25 from consideration simply because having two meets on the same day would be sloppy coordination, even if they are 1000 miles apart from each other. People have traveled further to attend meets so it could needlessly create conflicts.

FYI, your avatar's showing up as a red X on my computer.

Has it always been doing that or is it recent? It's hosted on AARoads so there should be no hotlinking or server downtime issues. Anyone else having the same problem?

[hotdogPi]

His avatar looks normal.

[vdeane]

It could be a web filtering issue.  It looks fine at home but at work it's the red X for me.

[froggie]

I'm probably going to remove 10/25 from consideration simply because having two meets on the same day would be sloppy coordination, even if they are 1000 miles apart from each other.

Unfortunately, you're taking out what is likely the best date for peak fall colors (unless we have a late season this year).

[dgolub]

By the way, if we're clinching the Merritt, we should continue up I-95 for a few miles to New Haven and check out the status of the I-95/I-91/CT 34 interchange and Q Bridge construction.  This could be one of the last opportunities to go on the expressway section of CT 34, since they're supposed to be taking it down.

[Dr Frankenstein]

Oh, I want to go! That would let me finish U.S. 7 and U.S. 5 once and for all!

[oscar]

I'm a probable for this, for any weekend in October (not sure about the first weekend of November).  No known schedule conflicts, but enough time for one to develop.

If this and Quebec were on consecutive weekends, I could combine the two trips, but that's no biggie. 

[PHLBOS]

Sundays are an automatic deal-breaker for me.

[Duke87]

By the way, if we're clinching the Merritt, we should continue up I-95 for a few miles to New Haven and check out the status of the I-95/I-91/CT 34 interchange and Q Bridge construction.  This could be one of the last opportunities to go on the expressway section of CT 34, since they're supposed to be taking it down.

Not going to have time to fit that into the tour (as it is it will be a long tour even with just Merritt stuff), but it could possibly be an after-meet event.

As for opportunities to drive on the CT 34 expressway, the part between exits 2 and 3 already closed last year and a new building is under construction on the land it formerly occupied. The part between exits 2 and 1 is also supposed to close at some point but I'm not sure when.

So half of the part to close is already gone and there is a chance the other half may be before this fall as well.

We drove on it all at the 2011 New Haven meet.

[dgolub]

By the way, if we're clinching the Merritt, we should continue up I-95 for a few miles to New Haven and check out the status of the I-95/I-91/CT 34 interchange and Q Bridge construction.  This could be one of the last opportunities to go on the expressway section of CT 34, since they're supposed to be taking it down.

Not going to have time to fit that into the tour (as it is it will be a long tour even with just Merritt stuff), but it could possibly be an after-meet event.

As for opportunities to drive on the CT 34 expressway, the part between exits 2 and 3 already closed last year and a new building is under construction on the land it formerly occupied. The part between exits 2 and 1 is also supposed to close at some point but I'm not sure when.

So half of the part to close is already gone and there is a chance the other half may be before this fall as well.

We drove on it all at the 2011 New Haven meet.

After-meet could be cool.  Any thoughts on which end we'll be starting at?  Milford or Port Chester?

[Duke87]

After-meet could be cool.  Any thoughts on which end we'll be starting at?  Milford or Port Chester?

Neither, we will be starting in Stamford. I have the restaurant already picked out. It is a place I know well, which is convenient as a starting point, and which is thematically appropriate.

 

[Kacie Jane]

I'd be interested in attending this, having missed the NYC meet (and never having attended any meet). As of now, I can do any of the five weekends, but I'd probably need to know ASAP which one it's going to be.