2013 Northeastern Kentucky/Tri-State meet

[mgk920]

I would really like to do it at Fat Patty's, based on everything I have heard about the place. The biggest problem is that they just have street parking, except for a small lot that has only about 14 spaces, which makes it inconvenient for getting everyone together prior to lunch and when we depart for the tour.

If you know of another location where there's ample parking, we can always eat there and then bring our cars offsite.

Brandon did such at Joliet (parking at the mall north of the pizza shop).  I have the same challenge in Dubuque as all the local joints are downtown - and street/garage parking is not free downtown even on weekends.  The place I selected has ample parking, but I just don't want to take up customer space when there is the threat of towing.  I have the luck of a mall to the west and a free parking garage at the Port of Dubuque so I'm seriously considering those options.

Do they charge at the racetrack/casino?

Mike

[SSOWorld]

I don't think so. That's a surface lot though so there may not be much parking there.  I'll have to check.  The garage at the port is connected to the Diamond Jo Casino.

[hbelkins]

I went to Ashland Saturday to scout out possible restaurants.

The parking at Fat Patty's won't be an issue. There are two decent-sized parking lots nearby where we can all gather and people can leave their vehicles during the tour.

However, the restaurant doesn't take reservations on Saturday. It appeared to be pretty busy when I was there at 12:30. I asked, and the hostess said we could let them know a half-hour or so ahead of time how many people would be there, and they'd try to have a table or tables ready. Since we're going to eat at 11:30, hopefully it won't be an issue.

After going to Ironton to check out progress on the new bridge, I went back to Ashland to check out another option I had in mind, Texas Roadhouse. The place was packed and the parking lot was full. I walked through the restaurant and they may have a place that would have tables to accommodate our group, but the majority of the seating there is booths.

The third option I had under consideration was Cheddar's. I didn't go in there, but I had eaten at one in Lexington earlier in the week and was told that the layout is pretty much the same in all of their restaurants. I'm not sure they would be able to accommodate a group at tables. And their parking lot (and the adjacent mall parking lot) was jam-packed as well.

The only other local place I know of is out on US 60 closer to I-64, but they allow smoking and got a lot of bad reviews on Yelp and Urbanspoon, so I scratched them from consideration sight unseen.

I'm tempted to just go with Fat Patty's and let the chips fall where they may regarding seating our group. There are 10 people who have already said "yes" on the Facebook event page, and a number of others who are "maybe" at this time. No one has RSVP'd privately yet. I can see us getting to 15 or 20 people easily.

I tend to obsess over these things. Anyone have any suggestions?

[seicer]

The only other place I can think of that may have seating is O'Charley's up on the hill overlooking downtown, just off of US 23. My only other suggestion would be the now-closed Ponderosa for giggles.

[hbelkins]

There's an Applebee's next to Texas Roadhouse, and an Outback up on the hill near O'Charley's, but Applebee's and O'Charley's are not my favorite of the chain casual restaurants, and I'm not a fan of Outback after having eaten there a couple of times while on trips.

We could always hit Golden Corral or IHOP in Russell. 

[froggie]

Here's an idea:  don't do a meet lunch...meet up somewhere and go straight to the tour, then if folks would like to have a decent meal, you can do dinner.  I find myself more and more in favor of this model.  It eliminates craziness from trying to rush through lunch to get to the tour, or potential issues with figuring out a large bill (i.e. a certain SEPA meet).  A lot easier to find a place with parking for tour attendees that doesn't involve a business (who might be stingy about such things).  Getting dark during dinner is more preferable to it getting dark during the tour.

[Alps]

Here's an idea:  don't do a meet lunch...meet up somewhere and go straight to the tour, then if folks would like to have a decent meal, you can do dinner.  I find myself more and more in favor of this model.  It eliminates craziness from trying to rush through lunch to get to the tour, or potential issues with figuring out a large bill (i.e. a certain SEPA meet).  A lot easier to find a place with parking for tour attendees that doesn't involve a business (who might be stingy about such things).  Getting dark during dinner is more preferable to it getting dark during the tour.

I won't be able to do dinner. So I'm looking forward to the traditional lunch. Plus, that's a way to meet and greet before the event in a nice ice-breaking atmosphere. Fat Patty's sounds fine./

[hbelkins]

The time will have changed by then so darkness during the meet tour will not be an issue. Besides, we have an offer for a post-meet visit to an abandoned railroad bridge on the property of the family of one of our attendees. It will be in the general direction of my way home afterwards, so that works for me.

I'm probably going to do a meet in Lexington once a couple of the projects scheduled for there get underway, and dinner or a mid-tour meal would probably be more eminently doable then. It's a good suggestion, Froggie, thanks.

[hbelkins]

It's official. I'm going with Fat Patty's, 1442 Winchester Ave., Ashland, for our lunch site.

I have updated the meet page at http://www.millenniumhwy.net/2013_meet.html and it has a downloadable itinerary and RSVP info.

Please RVSP either by email at rsvp@millenniumhwy.net or on the Facebook event page by Thursday, April 4.

We will gather in the Paramount Arts Center parking lot and walk the block and a half to the restaurant. Please be there by 11:20 a.m. so we can get to the restaurant by the planned 11:30 start time.

Looking forward to a good crowd.

[Alps]

Hey can we get Jolly Pirate donuts at some point? Gotta try even more of the local flavor!

[hbelkins]

Hey can we get Jolly Pirate donuts at some point? Gotta try even more of the local flavor!

Melissa had Jolly Pirate donuts when she was in Columbus (Grove City) last year or year before last and said they were great. I didn't know they had an Ashland location until you mentioned it. I Googled it and they are about 5 1/2 blocks south of Fat Patty's. So it's definitely doable.

[Alps]

I propose it as the after-meet stop before we head down toward Grayson.

[hbelkins]

I propose it as the after-meet stop before we head down toward Grayson.

Works for me. I'll check their hours to see if they'll be open.

This may be our version of the ever-popular after-meet ice cream stop.

[Alps]

I propose it as the after-meet stop before we head down toward Grayson.

Works for me. I'll check their hours to see if they'll be open.

This may be our version of the ever-popular after-meet ice cream stop.

Absolutely. Also, I'm working out a way to stick around for the after-tour. I don't need to be home before midnight on Sunday, right? Sure.

[Laura]

I'm seriously considering this meet. Which means I'm a yes-maybe.

[Brandon]

I'm going to try to make this one.  It's 7 hours away, but that's doable in a day.

[wriddle082]

You'd think I would have committed to this meet by now, being that Ashland is where I went to seven years of grade school and I still have family and friends there.  But I'm a new daddy again, and these days I'm usually out of town during the week for work, meaning that weekends are usually my only time to decompress at home.

I'm gonna have to talk it over with the family, that's for sure.  But I desperately want to go to this meet!

[hbelkins]

The meet will be one month from today.

Parking will be in the Paramount Arts Center lot in the block bordered by 13th Street, Winchester Avenue, 14th Street and Carter Avenue. A map is available at http://goo.gl/maps/M9Mtv. I will be there prior to 11 a.m. the day of the meet and at 11, when Fat Patty's opens, I'll go down and tell them how many we're expecting for lunch, then will return to the lot. I ask that everyone be there at the parking lot by 11:15 or 11:20 so we can head down as a group.

I'll probably be driving my Toyota pickup that day, so I will only be able to take one other person on the tour. We will need drivers, so if there's a chance you'll be driving on the tour, please have enough gas in your tank prior to departure to do the route, which is approximately 120 miles. I expect we'll be done prior to 5 p.m.

The meet page with RSVP information is at http://www.millenniumhwy.net/2013_meet.html. The Facebook event page is at https://www.facebook.com/events/397265313697833/. The Facebook event is a public event, meaning everyone on your friends list will see your RSVP if you post it there, not just fellow attendees. If you're not comfortable telling the world you are coming, use the email RSVP address listed on the Millennium Highway page (rsvp#millenniumhwy.net, replace # with @).

Please let me know if you are coming by Thursday, April 4. That way I'll know how many Kentucky maps and how much Ale-8 to bring. 

It should be noted that after our meet tour concludes, Shawn DeCesari has volunteered to take anyone who's interested to an abandoned railroad bridge on his family's property in Carter County. That's pretty much on my way home so I'm up for that, but won't be returning to Ashland when we get done there.

[seicer]

Do yo know where the bridge is at? It seems like it would be an EK Railroad span. That old railroad is worth a drive in itself - seven tunnels - only one of which is visible today, and numerous bridges.

[Alps]

I may be arriving a little after 11:30, it's a function of how far I can make it through the mountains on the Friday before. (I know firsthand there's a lot of potential variance.) Don't wait up, just in case.

[hbelkins]

I may be arriving a little after 11:30, it's a function of how far I can make it through the mountains on the Friday before. (I know firsthand there's a lot of potential variance.) Don't wait up, just in case.

No problem. You'll be able to find us. Plus you have my number to text. But that number will be changing...

I will let all attendees know my cell number so you can let me know if you have travel issues, difficulty finding us, etc.

[Laura]

Confirming it's a yes for me and Mike.

[hbelkins]

I'm tweaking the meet tour slightly to include a definite crossing of the existing Ironton-Russell Bridge. This will give us a chance to see a couple of old signs (including an old yellow yield sign that has been slightly repurposed) as well as the Russell Viaduct, which is a bridge on KY 244 crossing the railroad tracks that is to be replaced in a few years. I'll add those changes to the meet tour page itinerary and the downloadable PDF file, for those who will be keeping track of the tour prior to the meet, but I'll be bringing printed copies of the itinerary so drivers will have no trouble finding their way from stop to stop should we get separated.

As of today, we have 14 confirmed attendees on Facebook (one attendee is bringing his wife and young son), plus two who've confirmed here on AA Roads (Laura and Mike). That makes for a total of 18 now. Had one who's listed as "maybe" on the FB page tell me Saturday he plans to attend. So that makes 19.

Because of the restaurant seating options (no reservations on Saturday, thus requiring some advance notice to them that morning of how many will be there) I ask anyone who's planning to come to let me know by Thursday, the 4th.

[Alps]

I'm tweaking the meet tour slightly to include a definite crossing of the existing Ironton-Russell Bridge. This will give us a chance to see a couple of old signs (including an old yellow yield sign that has been slightly repurposed) as well as the Russell Viaduct, which is a bridge on KY 244 crossing the railroad tracks that is to be replaced in a few years.

[agentsteel53]

I'm tweaking the meet tour slightly to include a definite crossing of the existing Ironton-Russell Bridge. This will give us a chance to see a couple of old signs (including an old yellow yield sign that has been slightly repurposed) as well as the Russell Viaduct, which is a bridge on KY 244 crossing the railroad tracks that is to be replaced in a few years.

definitely want to see pictures of these!