Potential road meets

[Brandon]

I am looking for input on these ideas for potential future northern Illinois road meets.

1. SE Chicago and NW Indiana.  Places include the 95th Street Bridge (the one Elwood Blues jumped), Chicago Skyway (and toll plaza), and Cline Avenue (IN-912).

2. Central and South DuPage County.  Places would include the ISTHA sign shop (if I could get us in - I might know someone), the I-88/355 interchange, the I-55/355 interchange, and the new Belmont underpass across the BNSF RY.

3. Starved Rock and Illinois Valley.  Places include the AASHO test loop and the bridges across the Illinois River from Ottawa to Spring Valley.  The meeting place would be the Starved Rock Lodge.

[Roadgeek Adam]

I am looking for input on these ideas for potential future northern Illinois road meets.

1. SE Chicago and NW Indiana.  Places include the 95th Street Bridge (the one Elwood Blues jumped), Chicago Skyway (and toll plaza), and Cline Avenue (IN-912)..

If I had the potential to go to it, this would be my top pick. Easily.

[AsphaltPlanet]

I'd still put a meet together in Toronto in the fall. The highlight would be the construction of a new segment of 12 lane highway. Think about how rare construction like that is. Definitely not something that should be missed.

[A.J. Bertin]

I am looking for input on these ideas for potential future northern Illinois road meets.

1. SE Chicago and NW Indiana.  Places include the 95th Street Bridge (the one Elwood Blues jumped), Chicago Skyway (and toll plaza), and Cline Avenue (IN-912).

2. Central and South DuPage County.  Places would include the ISTHA sign shop (if I could get us in - I might know someone), the I-88/355 interchange, the I-55/355 interchange, and the new Belmont underpass across the BNSF RY.

3. Starved Rock and Illinois Valley.  Places include the AASHO test loop and the bridges across the Illinois River from Ottawa to Spring Valley.  The meeting place would be the Starved Rock Lodge.

I would be interested in attending any of these three. The first two sound kinda like a follow-up to the multi-day Chicago/Milwaukee meet we had in June 2008. That meet had Downers Grove as its home base, but we ended up in northwest Indiana - checking out the Cline Ave. freeway and parts of downtown Chicago (primarily in the Loop). We also checked out I-355 and, I believe, I-88. Despite that, I would definitely be up for of these three. It would be a good meet, especially for the folks who weren't able to attend the '08 meet.

[jpi]

If Steph and I can get a Friday off, we would definently consider coming back up to the Chicago area for another road meet.

[hbelkins]

I like the Starved Rock idea. That would offer a better chance to collect counties on the trip there.

[Hot Rod Hootenanny]

I'm thinking of doing a winter meet for Delaware Co. (Ohio). It would be all abandoned right of ways and bridge piers around the reservoirs (thus holding it in the winter when much of the vegitation and water levels are scaled back).

[jpi]

That would be new counties for me too.

[hbelkins]

Is there going to be anything in New York or New England this fall?

[jpi]

As far as I know, just Birmingham, AL on 10/20 and Richmond, VA the weekend before that, don't know of any others on the east coast. I do wonder if Jeff K may have an annual SWPA meet around Christmas? If so Steph and I may be able to partake in that since we will be in central PA for Christmas this year.

[Alps]

Is there going to be anything in New York or New England this fall?

Nothing planned. I believe Portsmouth/Kittery fell through, either to next year or gone entirely.

[Duke87]

Wasn't there also supposed to be a Binghamton meet at some point? Also deferred?

[vdeane]

Is there going to be anything in New York or New England this fall?

Wasn't there also supposed to be a Binghamton meet at some point? Also deferred?

Doug was talking about a Binghamton meet last year, but I've heard nothing about it.  Either the yearly upstate NY meet is happening in October/November this year and is not yet announced, or there isn't one.

Actually, I wouldn't be too surprised if it was deferred, given that construction on Kamikaze Curve only just started this year according to the DOT site, but when that happened to Watertown Doug simply put the meet in Rochester instead.

I was toying with the idea of a mini-meet in St. Lawrence county; the NY 56 re-alignment/bridge construction near South Colton is pretty cool, and there's the US 11 reconstruction in Canton, and NY 37 around Massena is always a nice drive (closest thing to a freeway in the county!).
EDIT: And with the construction of the new Canadian span of the Seaway Bridge it could be an international meet!

[hbelkins]

Doug was talking about a Binghamton meet last year, but I've heard nothing about it.  Either the yearly upstate NY meet is happening in October/November this year and is not yet announced, or there isn't one.

Doug has posted that he doesn't plan to do any meets this year.

Nothing planned. I believe Portsmouth/Kittery fell through, either to next year or gone entirely.

John Housty was planning this one, with Doug's help, I think. If it has fallen through, guess I won't be clinching New Hampshire's counties anytime soon.

There's usually something in Michigan in the fall, but don't know if that will happen or not since they just had a Port Huron meet.

[mgk920]

I'm hoping to try again on NE Wisconsin sometime next spring or summer.

Mike

[cu2010]

I was toying with the idea of a mini-meet in St. Lawrence county; the NY 56 re-alignment/bridge construction near South Colton is pretty cool, and there's the US 11 reconstruction in Canton, and NY 37 around Massena is always a nice drive (closest thing to a freeway in the county!).
EDIT: And with the construction of the new Canadian span of the Seaway Bridge it could be an international meet!

Lots more around here than just those, too...for those willing to venture off onto back roads well away from civilization, there's tons of old signs, bridges, and underwater alignments to be had. You could easily make an entire day of all of them. 

You'd get my help planning (and scouting) if needed...

[vdeane]

OK, I'm now seriously thinking about a North Country/St. Lawrence County/Potsdam meet since Doug's not doing anything this year.  For dates I'd be looking at September 8, 15, or 22, October 20, November 3, or November 17.  I'm leaning towards November 3 since I have to be back to Clarkson before 6pm on October 20 and November 17, and I believe Dr. Frankenstein is thinking of having a second Ottawa meet in September for those of us who couldn't make the one next week.  Just let me know if anyone's interested and if November 3 (or any of the other dates) is good and I'll make some formal plans.

I was toying with the idea of a mini-meet in St. Lawrence county; the NY 56 re-alignment/bridge construction near South Colton is pretty cool, and there's the US 11 reconstruction in Canton, and NY 37 around Massena is always a nice drive (closest thing to a freeway in the county!).
EDIT: And with the construction of the new Canadian span of the Seaway Bridge it could be an international meet!

Lots more around here than just those, too...for those willing to venture off onto back roads well away from civilization, there's tons of old signs, bridges, and underwater alignments to be had. You could easily make an entire day of all of them. 

You'd get my help planning (and scouting) if needed...

Sounds good.  Finding stuff on back roads is a great idea; my major hangup was that the stuff on the major roads is pretty dispersed, which would lead to a long tour with few stops because so much time would be traveling between sights.

[Duke87]

North country sounds like fun.

But, I can't take any more vacation days this year (after Ottawa this coming weekend), so making it might be tough. But we shall see, I may end up having a trump card I can play which would make attending a lot easier.

[Alps]

OK, I'm now seriously thinking about a North Country/St. Lawrence County/Potsdam meet since Doug's not doing anything this year.  For dates I'd be looking at September 8, 15, or 22, October 20, November 3, or November 17.  I'm leaning towards November 3 since I have to be back to Clarkson before 6pm on October 20 and November 17, and I believe Dr. Frankenstein is thinking of having a second Ottawa meet in September for those of us who couldn't make the one next week.  Just let me know if anyone's interested and if November 3 (or any of the other dates) is good and I'll make some formal plans.

You may want to split this off to a separate thread. FWIW I would be unlikely to make it, as much as I want to, but 9/22 and 11/17 are my only free weekends.

[Dr Frankenstein]

North Country would be a day trip for me so... I'd definitely be there if there's no conflict.

[Dougtone]

Wasn't there also supposed to be a Binghamton meet at some point? Also deferred?

Yes, the Binghamton meet has been deferred to next year.  There is some construction happening to the Kamikaze Curve now, but I think the construction will be further along in 2013.  I haven't planned another meet for New York this year, because my schedule may be a little tight this fall, due to family members popping out babies and choosing to baptize said babies.

New Hampshire may also wind up being done next year.  I was initially looking at a Manchester/Nashua meet, but with the Airport Connector construction wrapping up earlier than I was anticipating, I may wind up having a meet in Portsmouth next year, with the new US 1 bridge being built there.

[vdeane]

OK, I'm now seriously thinking about a North Country/St. Lawrence County/Potsdam meet since Doug's not doing anything this year.  For dates I'd be looking at September 8, 15, or 22, October 20, November 3, or November 17.  I'm leaning towards November 3 since I have to be back to Clarkson before 6pm on October 20 and November 17, and I believe Dr. Frankenstein is thinking of having a second Ottawa meet in September for those of us who couldn't make the one next week.  Just let me know if anyone's interested and if November 3 (or any of the other dates) is good and I'll make some formal plans.

You may want to split this off to a separate thread. FWIW I would be unlikely to make it, as much as I want to, but 9/22 and 11/17 are my only free weekends.

I'll go create it.  Hopefully this forum won't have issues with editing the date in later - another forum I'm on needed a moderator to actually change the thread title like that.

North country sounds like fun.

But, I can't take any more vacation days this year (after Ottawa this coming weekend), so making it might be tough. But we shall see, I may end up having a trump card I can play which would make attending a lot easier.

I was actually thinking of how to do a meet 8 hours away without taking time off work.  If you're up for it, you could go to around Albany or Saratoga Friday night, the rest of the way Saturday, and drive back Sunday.

[A.J. Bertin]

Has anything been discussed as to where the 2013 Ohio meet might take place?

[Brandon]

Has anything been discussed as to where the 2013 Ohio meet might take place?

I favor Sandusky.

[bugo]

I'd be interested in a Texarkana meet, but only if we'd be able to drive on Future I-49.