Charlotte NC "city meet" - April 20, 2024

[A.J. Bertin]

Now that it's official that Charlotte will be the location of my 2024 "city meet", I'd like to announce the tentative date I'm looking at - Saturday, April 20.

The format for my meet will be the same that I used for my previous gatherings... a choose-your-own-sightseeing event.  I will select the restaurants where we will convene for lunch and dinner, and folks can explore certain aspects of Charlotte individually or in small groups between lunch and dinner.  Some folks may choose to focus on the highway infrastructure in the area, some may choose to explore the city's downtown area, some may want to check out retail/breweries, and of course some may choose some combination of those and any other features of the city that they are interested in.

Charlotte is a city that's intrigued me for quite a while, and I've never really been there; I only passed through it once on I-77 when I was a kid.  As I've said before with other "city meets" I've hosted, I'm basically exploring this city for the first time and invite anyone who is interested to explore it with me.

Over the next few months or so, I will confirm that April 20 will be the date... but right now, I'm giving myself at least a 90 percent chance that it will take place on this date.  Certain enough to announce the date now.  (It won't surprise me if we have some 420 jokes.  LOL)

[Rothman]

Hm.  Could be tough to swing this and a solar eclipse trip for me that month.

[jpi]

Will keep this in in mind, maybe it won't conflict with the spring Hershey dicast toy show that takes place around this time

[SSOWorld]

I'm in the same boat as Rothman as I am highly prioritizing the eclipse.  How I do it is the question.  I'm also considering a strong cutback in travel to invest in other things like house repairs and saving (yes I said that word) for retirement.

[roadwaywiz95]

Between New Orleans in February, the Eclipse in April, and Bakersfield in May, this part of the calendar is already pretty congested. I would have been really interested in this but it's not realistic for me if it's done that time of year. (However, if you supply free weed for us, you might entice me and others to go...)

[Alps]

It's two weekends (12 days) after the eclipse, but for many of us the eclipse is going to be a long weekend or entire week off. I would suggest a date poll as we get closer.

[wriddle082]

The location is extremely doable for me.  I believe it has been over 10 years since I have been to any sort of organized official meet (not counting individual meetups with specific road friends).  But April is in the middle of dance competition season for my girls, and if there is a competition that weekend then it will definitely be a no for me.  But it's way too early at this point since we don't know the 2024 competition dates yet, so I'll keep it on the radar.

[Hot Rod Hootenanny]

Since I can go in my backyard to see the eclipse and the 20th isn't the same weekend as my Mom's birthday; this is plausible for me.

[codyg1985]

I'm gonna do my best to attend this, but the eclipse being so close to the April 20th date may deter others from coming.

[CanesFan27]

Charlotte's got a lot....................




..............of banks.

[wriddle082]

Charlotte's got a lot....................




..............of banks.

It's gonna have something else by the time of the meet! I just started seeing one of those paid ads in my Facebook feed that said Charlotte would get a new location of Micro Center early next year.  If you've never been to a Micro Center, it puts the old CompUSA chain to shame.  Huge selection of computers and parts and accessories.

[CanesFan27]

I could have a side bet going on will Fury 325 be fixed before this meet.

[SSOWorld]

Charlotte's got a lot....................




..............of banks.

It's gonna have something else by the time of the meet! I just started seeing one of those paid ads in my Facebook feed that said Charlotte would get a new location of Micro Center early next year.  If you've never been to a Micro Center, it puts the old CompUSA chain to shame.  Huge selection of computers and parts and accessories.

I've had to buy a CPU from a Micro Center in person back in 2014 when the best price was there and they didn't deliver.  The one I went to was off the Kennedy in Chicago.

[Hot Rod Hootenanny]

Note to self.
Include a stop at Micro Center during the next Columbus Roadmeet.

P.P.S. Encourage whomever hosts the next Cincy Roadmeet to include a Micro Center stop as well.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

I'm not interested in an eclipse trip so I have no problem with the date, but given feedback from many planning to take them I won't plan for this date yet.

[Takumi]

Very much depends on my wedding plans, which are a moving target right now. But I'm interested.

[wriddle082]

Note to self.
Include a stop at Micro Center during the next Columbus Roadmeet.

P.P.S. Encourage whomever hosts the next Cincy Roadmeet to include a Micro Center stop as well.

I went to the Cincinnati location several years ago once, conveniently located at 275 and Mosteller Rd near I-75.  I think I was trying to find a cable of some type of some sort of setup to try to access data on a dying hard drive.  I don't think I was able to find it, but they had lots of obscure, outdated stuff that could have possibly done the trick.  Overall I was impressed.

[Rothman]

Very much depends on my wedding plans, which are a moving target right now. But I'm interested.

Cold feet?

[Takumi]

Very much depends on my wedding plans, which are a moving target right now. But I'm interested.

Cold feet?

Nah, just extra layers of bureaucratic red tape that comes with marrying an immigrant.

[Laura]

It's a huge bummer you're planning this for April because I'd like to see Charlotte but there's no way in hell that I can swing an eclipse trip and a Charlotte trip in the same month.

Would you consider moving it to later in the year?

[74/171FAN]

It's a huge bummer you're planning this for April because I'd like to see Charlotte but there's no way in hell that I can swing an eclipse trip and a Charlotte trip in the same month.

Would you consider moving it to later in the year?

I could easily do a separate unrelated trip with my parents that includes visiting the NASCAR Hall of Fame. 

[CanesFan27]

With the possibility of all these people coming to Charlotte in April, I could use some help coaching my kids' soccer games.

[A.J. Bertin]

I totally understand that some folks are bummed that they won't be able to attend this meet given how close it is to the eclipse... but at least it's not taking place on, say, the same weekend as the eclipse.  In the past, there were multiple occasions when I got pushback for merely suggesting that someone might not want to host their meet on the same date that someone else is hosting a meet.  That's not what's happening here (especially since my meet is almost 2 weeks after the eclipse), but the situation seems similar enough.

I know I can't please everyone.  Some folks feel the host should simply choose a date without offering potential attendees the option to vote in a poll; some folks prefer that the host create a poll.  I've done it both ways.  Given some circumstances this year, I just felt that choosing a date that works for me and inviting everyone to join me on that date (if they are able) is best.  Depending on what circumstances are like when it's time to start planning my 2025 meet, I might go back to creating a poll for the date; we'll see.  I don't necessarily think there's a right or wrong way of doing this; it's whatever works for the person who's hosting.

If you're able to join me, that's awesome!  If you're not, that's completely understandable and I'm sorry that you won't be able to make it.

[Alps]

I totally understand that some folks are bummed that they won't be able to attend this meet given how close it is to the eclipse... but at least it's not taking place on, say, the same weekend as the eclipse.  In the past, there were multiple occasions when I got pushback for merely suggesting that someone might not want to host their meet on the same date that someone else is hosting a meet.  That's not what's happening here (especially since my meet is almost 2 weeks after the eclipse), but the situation seems similar enough.

I know I can't please everyone.  Some folks feel the host should simply choose a date without offering potential attendees the option to vote in a poll; some folks prefer that the host create a poll.  I've done it both ways.  Given some circumstances this year, I just felt that choosing a date that works for me and inviting everyone to join me on that date (if they are able) is best.  Depending on what circumstances are like when it's time to start planning my 2025 meet, I might go back to creating a poll for the date; we'll see.  I don't necessarily think there's a right or wrong way of doing this; it's whatever works for the person who's hosting.

If you're able to join me, that's awesome!  If you're not, that's completely understandable and I'm sorry that you won't be able to make it.

I'm also sorry, because I have personal reasons that this date won't work in particular. I wish you the best, but you have potential for quite a crowd if you change your mind.

[FLRoads]

I could have a side bet going on will Fury 325 be fixed before this meet.

I'm betting the chances of Fury 325 being fixed will be much sooner than this meet...seems B&M and Cedar Fair are moving at a pretty good clip to get this resolved. I'm predicting it'll be back up and running by Labor Day or shortly afterward, just in time for the start of SCarowinds.

Now if an outside event of the meet next year included some time at Carowinds (for those who like theme parks and coasters), that would be cool.