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2012 meets?

Started by hbelkins, December 29, 2011, 04:19:46 PM

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mgk920

Quote from: A.J. Bertin on January 04, 2012, 01:20:12 PM
I'm not really one for hosting meets, but I'd love to attend these meets if they all happen:

-Port Huron, MI
-Marquette/Houghton, MI
-Dayton, OH
-The tri-state (WV, OH, KY) meet
-Joliet, IL
-Pittsburgh, PA

This was actually the first time I'd heard anything about a Port Huron meet. That's awesome! I do recall talk of a possible meet in Flint, MI that I'd be up for attending as well.

Is anyone still interested in hosting a meet in the Twin Cities?

Perhaps the best of all in the upper midwest geographic area for 2012 is not even on your list - the US 41 'construction geek' zones in the Green Bay and Neenah-Oshkosh, WI areas.  WisDOT is busy upgrading the highway to six lanes in both areas, final year in the Neenah-Oshkosh area and the 'real big shovel work starts this year' year in the Green Bay area.  There is some AWESOME work going on here right now.  Maybe I should start thinking of how to host one....

:nod:

Mike


SSOWorld

Quote from: mgk920 on January 05, 2012, 10:58:13 AM
Quote from: A.J. Bertin on January 04, 2012, 01:20:12 PM
I'm not really one for hosting meets, but I'd love to attend these meets if they all happen:

-Port Huron, MI
-Marquette/Houghton, MI
-Dayton, OH
-The tri-state (WV, OH, KY) meet
-Joliet, IL
-Pittsburgh, PA

This was actually the first time I'd heard anything about a Port Huron meet. That's awesome! I do recall talk of a possible meet in Flint, MI that I'd be up for attending as well.

Is anyone still interested in hosting a meet in the Twin Cities?

Perhaps the best of all in the upper midwest geographic area for 2012 is not even on your list - the US 41 'construction geek' zones in the Green Bay and Neenah-Oshkosh, WI areas.  WisDOT is busy upgrading the highway to six lanes in both areas, final year in the Neenah-Oshkosh area and the 'real big shovel work starts this year' year in the Green Bay area.  There is some AWESOME work going on here right now.  Maybe I should start thinking of how to host one....

:nod:

Mike
Perfect for those coming from Chicago since it would give them a preview in Milwaukee, Racine and Kenosha areas with I-94 being torn up and rebuilt.  Mitchell Interchange anyone? ;)

As far as the Twin Cities are concerned - that was contingent on "thehighwayman394" as he lived there most of his life.  He's up in Superior area now going to college.  I can't speak for him, but I'm sure money is tight for him until he finds a job... IF he is able to.  :paranoid:  Many of the projects they did previously (Crosstown commons - unweave the weave, I-35W bridge are already completed.  It is likely but not definite that MnDOT "gets rid of the evidence of old roadbed like WisDOT does.
Scott O.

Not all who wander are lost...
Ah, the open skies, wind at my back, warm sun on my... wait, where the hell am I?!
As a matter of fact, I do own the road.
Raise your what?

Wisconsin - out-multiplexing your state since 1918.

okroads

Quote from: bugo on January 04, 2012, 07:01:21 PM
Would anybody attend a western Arkansas/eastern Oklahoma meet?  We could meet at Fort Smith, drive north on I-540 in Fayetteville to see the Hopper tunnel, drive back on US 71, then drive southwest into LeFlore County, OK to see some old stretches of US 59 and US 271, then check out I-49 construction.  There's also a great stretch of old US 71 south of Greenwood.  I'm sure US 71 could come up with some other things to see in the area. 

I'd be interested in attending this if it were to happen.

froggie

QuoteAs far as the Twin Cities are concerned - that was contingent on "thehighwayman394" as he lived there most of his life.  He's up in Superior area now going to college.  I can't speak for him, but I'm sure money is tight for him until he finds a job... IF he is able to.    Many of the projects they did previously (Crosstown commons - unweave the weave, I-35W bridge are already completed.  It is likely but not definite that MnDOT "gets rid of the evidence of old roadbed like WisDOT does.

I'm a Minneapolis native as well, but I'm lucky to make it back once a year, if that.  And I usually have others in tow.  And yes, within the Twin Cities, the old roadbed tends to go bye-bye...usually because the right-of-way is needed for other purposes.

Brian:  not sure yet.  Norfolk is the most likely prospect, but not a given.

Alps

Quote from: mgk920 on January 05, 2012, 10:58:13 AM
Quote from: A.J. Bertin on January 04, 2012, 01:20:12 PM
I'm not really one for hosting meets, but I'd love to attend these meets if they all happen:

-Port Huron, MI
-Marquette/Houghton, MI
-Dayton, OH
-The tri-state (WV, OH, KY) meet
-Joliet, IL
-Pittsburgh, PA

This was actually the first time I'd heard anything about a Port Huron meet. That's awesome! I do recall talk of a possible meet in Flint, MI that I'd be up for attending as well.

Is anyone still interested in hosting a meet in the Twin Cities?

Perhaps the best of all in the upper midwest geographic area for 2012 is not even on your list - the US 41 'construction geek' zones in the Green Bay and Neenah-Oshkosh, WI areas.  WisDOT is busy upgrading the highway to six lanes in both areas, final year in the Neenah-Oshkosh area and the 'real big shovel work starts this year' year in the Green Bay area.  There is some AWESOME work going on here right now.  Maybe I should start thinking of how to host one....

:nod:

Mike
I'd consider a meet in Green Bay/Oshkosh. I would ask for May 2012 or else postpone to 2013, where you see Green Bay construction in full swing and drive the new road in Oshkosh.

bugo

Could we make it from Fayetteville to Texarkana and back in a day?  Hopefully the new I-49 will be open by then.

brianreynolds

At the multi-day National Meet in Pittsburg a few years back, one of the non-road-related diversions was an evening Pirates baseball game.  IIRC there have been some hockey games as supplimentary entertainment.  Allow me a suggestion, or at least a fantasy.

A Green Bay meet would be fun on its own terms, but would be ever more memorable if it included a visit the that fabled footballl field.  Is there a chance in hell of getting tix to see the Packers at Lambeau?  Maybe even a pre-season exhibition game?  Just a wistful thought.

mgk920

Quote from: brianreynolds on January 05, 2012, 11:50:55 PM
At the multi-day National Meet in Pittsburg a few years back, one of the non-road-related diversions was an evening Pirates baseball game.  IIRC there have been some hockey games as supplimentary entertainment.  Allow me a suggestion, or at least a fantasy.

A Green Bay meet would be fun on its own terms, but would be ever more memorable if it included a visit the that fabled footballl field.  Is there a chance in hell of getting tix to see the Packers at Lambeau?  Maybe even a pre-season exhibition game?  Just a wistful thought.

Not a Packer game, especially for a group, those are sold out on a season basis for many years to come (A few days ago, the Packers reported that just since September, their season ticket waiting list grew by 15% to well over 90K names) and the first pre-season game is not until sometime in August, BUT, Lambeau Field has a popular public tour (takes about an hour), the team hall of fame, pro shop and a nice, reasonably priced restaurant (Curly's Pub) that are all open year-round.  Since the stadium is located only a few short blocks from the US 41 construction-geek zone on Lombardi Ave (a former US 41 routing), perhaps something could be set up where we could take that in after the roadgeeking part of the day.  Time-stamped tour tix will have to be purchased early (they normally sell out) and then maybe do the roadgeeking before the tour time.

Training camp opens about the first of August and the team's public outdoor practices are held on a field that is located across the street.  Keep in mind that in late July and very early August, EAA's annual 'Airventure' fly-in convention is held in Oshkosh (see the latest Google aerial image of the airport at Oshkosh to get a sense of its scale) and that eats up pretty much every hotel and motel room within a 1 to 1.5 hour driving radius.

Mike

hbelkins

Quote from: bugo on January 05, 2012, 11:46:25 PM
Could we make it from Fayetteville to Texarkana and back in a day?  Hopefully the new I-49 will be open by then.

Google Maps, which typically overstates travel time, says it's 236 miles and 4 hours 20 minutes one-way via the shortest and fastest route.

Quote from: mgk920 on January 06, 2012, 01:42:51 PM
Not a Packer game, especially for a group, those are sold out on a season basis for many years to come (A few days ago, the Packers reported that just since September, their season ticket waiting list grew by 15% to well over 90K names) and the first pre-season game is not until sometime in August, BUT, Lambeau Field has a popular public tour (takes about an hour), the team hall of fame, pro shop and a nice, reasonably priced restaurant (Curly's Pub) that are all open year-round.  Since the stadium is located only a few short blocks from the US 41 construction-geek zone on Lombardi Ave (a former US 41 routing), perhaps something could be set up where we could take that in after the roadgeeking part of the day.  Time-stamped tour tix will have to be purchased early (they normally sell out) and then maybe do the roadgeeking before the tour time.

Do the meal at Curly's and kill two birds with one stone.


Government would be tolerable if not for politicians and bureaucrats.

US71

#59
Quote from: bugo on January 05, 2012, 11:46:25 PM
Could we make it from Fayetteville to Texarkana and back in a day?  Hopefully the new I-49 will be open by then.

You'd be pushing it. It's approx 4 hours one way, depending on traffic.  Be better for a Fayetteville/NW Arkansas-Ft Smith meet or a Texarkana meet.
Like Alice I Try To Believe Three Impossible Things Before Breakfast

Grzrd

Quote from: US71 on January 06, 2012, 07:05:32 PM
Quote from: bugo on January 05, 2012, 11:46:25 PM
Could we make it from Fayetteville to Texarkana and back in a day?  Hopefully the new I-49 will be open by then.
You'd be pushing it. It's approx 4 hours one way, depending on traffic.  Be better for a Fayetteville/NW Arkansas-Ft Smith meet or a Texarkana meet.
Regarding a possible Texarkana meet, I'm currently exploring with LaDOTD if they would be willing to provide authorization for several cars to drive on the I-49 North segments that are completely paved for several hours on a given day (currently Segments A-C, and probably Segment D by the time of a meet).  I'm in Georgia and could not handle the specific logistics, but I wanted to see if that could be a possibility for the organizers of a Texarkana meet.  Might be fun; have the empty interstate provide a science fiction, post-apocalyptic feel.  :cool:

hbelkins

Looks like I won't be able to do the March 24 Delaware Valley meet after all. My mother-in-law is having knee replacement surgery earlier that week and she will require my wife to be with her pretty much 24-7 for several days afterwards. :-(


Government would be tolerable if not for politicians and bureaucrats.

Roadgeek Adam

Quote from: hbelkins on January 06, 2012, 09:33:59 PM
Looks like I won't be able to do the March 24 Delaware Valley meet after all. My mother-in-law is having knee replacement surgery earlier that week and she will require my wife to be with her pretty much 24-7 for several days afterwards. :-(

Man you cannot catch a break it seems.
Adam Seth Moss
M.A. History, Western Illinois University 2015-17
B.A. History, Montclair State University 2013-15
A.A. History & Education - Middlesex (County) College 2009-13

Grzrd

#63
Quote from: Grzrd on January 06, 2012, 07:54:11 PM
Regarding a possible Texarkana meet, I'm currently exploring with LaDOTD if they would be willing to provide authorization for several cars to drive on the I-49 North segments that are completely paved for several hours on a given day (currently Segments A-C, and probably Segment D by the time of a meet).
It looks like driving on the paved segments of I-49 North is an option if a Texarkana meet comes together.  Today, I spoke with Susan Stafford, a LaDOTD Public Information Officer.  She gave a tentative OK to the notion of meet attendees driving on the paved I-49 North, but there would be some bureaucratic prerequisites: (1) names of all attendees, (2) all attendees sign a liability waiver, (3) license plate numbers of all cars that will be driven on I-49 North, and (4) sufficient lead time to get (1)-(3) accomplished.  I told her a possible meet would occur sometime in the Spring to early Fall time frame, and provided a rough estimate of 10-12 attendees.

She was amused by the term "roadgeek", said that she has driven it herself 3 to 4 times, and that it is "really cool" to drive on the deserted interstate.  If a meet comes together, I would be happy to assist with the bureaucratic stuff associated with this beforehand.  If the general feeling is that the bureaucratic stuff would kill the fun, I would completely understand.

Even if I cannot make the meet, I might do a "stealth" drive myself before it opens to the general public.  :sombrero:

corco

The chance to do that would significantly increase the odds of me playing hooky to whatever commitments I may have to turn up- that's awesome!

Duke87

And now all of a sudden I'm thinking "Hmm, driving to Texarkana would take only two days... and I could combine it with another trip I was planning to make to Georgia!"

The possibility of getting six new states out of such a trip is none too shabby, either.
If you always take the same road, you will never see anything new.

Grzrd

#66
Quote from: Duke87 on January 10, 2012, 07:04:41 PM
And now all of a sudden I'm thinking "Hmm, driving to Texarkana would take only two days... and I could combine it with another trip I was planning to make to Georgia!"
Rent "Smokey and the Bandit" for driving tips for an "efficient"  Georgia-Texarkana round trip.  :-D

Alps

#67
I'm gonna add a meet for the US 202 Parkway once it opens. There will be a couple of area bridges and... I'll figure it out, depends if it's a meet or a mini-meet.

Dougtone

It looks like there will be a meet in Binghamton, NY sometime later this year, along with a meet in the Manchester, NH area.  Work on the Kamikaze Curve in Binghamton is slated to get started this year, so it's been suggested that it may be a good time for a meet in the Southern Tier.

I am also thinking of setting up an event, probably a mini-meet, for the Re-Opening Ceremony of the Lake Champlain Bridge in May.  I've heard rumblings that a few of us in the roads community may be interested in attending the celebration.  What, the bridge opened in November, you say?  That's correct, the new bridge opened in November, but the Lake Champlain Bridge Community has opted to wait until May for their celebration.
http://champlainbridgecommunity.org/

oscar

Quote from: Dougtone on January 18, 2012, 06:29:55 AM
I am also thinking of setting up an event, probably a mini-meet, for the Re-Opening Ceremony of the Lake Champlain Bridge in May.  I've heard rumblings that a few of us in the roads community may be interested in attending the celebration.  What, the bridge opened in November, you say?  That's correct, the new bridge opened in November, but the Lake Champlain Bridge Community has opted to wait until May for their celebration.
http://champlainbridgecommunity.org/

Some of us who went to last November's Bennington VT meet also made a point of traveling the new bridge while we were up there.  Others may be interested in a return (or first) visit, but at least for me it's "been there, done that".  "Mini-meet" seems the way to go with this one. 
my Hot Springs and Highways pages, with links to my roads sites:
http://www.alaskaroads.com/home.html

vdeane

I might be able to do the Lake Champlain thing... depends on whether it's the 19th or 20th and what my plans are for that weekend.  It's right when I'll be coming back to Clarkson for summer research after a week break.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position of NYSDOT or its affiliates.

Roadgeek Adam

I'm up for the Champlain Bridge one, weekend dependent and ride dependent. Same applies for Binghamton.
Adam Seth Moss
M.A. History, Western Illinois University 2015-17
B.A. History, Montclair State University 2013-15
A.A. History & Education - Middlesex (County) College 2009-13

hbelkins

I'd be very interested in Binghamton. I didn't cross the Lake Champlain bridge even though I was in the vicinity during both the Watertown and Bennington meet trips. I'd be interested in attending but it all depends on other things. A meet in new territory sometime around that timeframe would take priority.


Government would be tolerable if not for politicians and bureaucrats.

Dr Frankenstein

Binghamton: A maybe. Might be a good excuse to step into Pennsylvania and clinch I-88.
Lake Champlain Bridge: Yes.
Manchester: Maybe. Could be an excuse to clinch I-93 in NH (already done in VT) and perhaps go back to Boston.

jpi

I now have some dates for my Memphis meet later this spring, I am looking at one of 4 dates in March or April. 3/17, 3/31, 4/14 or 4/21.
Jason Ilyes
JPI
Lebanon, TN
Home Of The Barrel



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