Orlando road meet: October 5, 2024

[Nikolai]

Next year, I'll be breaking out of the Midwest and hosting a road meet in Orlando, Florida! Saturday, October 5 will be the date, since that's when I'll be in the area. I'll share further details in this thread as I plan them in the spring and summer.

[Max Rockatansky]

Possibly interested, I used to live in Orlando and I have an annual family trip that might fall around then.

[A.J. Bertin]

I'm very interested!  Orlando is a city that I very much want to explore (from a road and non-road perspective).  However, the likelihood of me being able to attend is pretty low.

[Alps]

Ya know, I went there plenty as a kid but I still need to clinch I-4 and...

... anyone here know if the FL tolls all 50 state license plates? Asking for a friend...

[74/171FAN]

Ya know, I went there plenty as a kid but I still need to clinch I-4 and...

... anyone here know if the FL tolls all 50 state license plates? Asking for a friend...

I beat Alps at clinching I-4.  I did not think that was possible.

If I come to this, I almost certainly would finish FL's interstate system by taking I-75 south to Ocala.  I also have it as a priority to clinch the rest of Osceola Pkwy east of Poinciana Blvd because it is just that odd (beyond just the toll).

[Brandon]

Ya know, I went there plenty as a kid but I still need to clinch I-4 and...

... anyone here know if the FL tolls all 50 state license plates? Asking for a friend...

If you have EZ Pass, you're covered in Florida.  All the tollways there take it.  SunPass is compatible with EZ Pass, K-Tag, PikePass, and the Texas tags.

[Alps]

Ya know, I went there plenty as a kid but I still need to clinch I-4 and...

... anyone here know if the FL tolls all 50 state license plates? Asking for a friend...

If you have EZ Pass, you're covered in Florida.  All the tollways there take it.  SunPass is compatible with EZ Pass, K-Tag, PikePass, and the Texas tags.

Wondering the opposite - if I drove through with a license plate from another state, do they video toll all 50 states?

[SSOWorld]

Ya know, I went there plenty as a kid but I still need to clinch I-4 and...

... anyone here know if the FL tolls all 50 state license plates? Asking for a friend...

If you have EZ Pass, you're covered in Florida.  All the tollways there take it.  SunPass is compatible with EZ Pass, K-Tag, PikePass, and the Texas tags.

Not all of the Texas tags

[NE2]

Ya know, I went there plenty as a kid but I still need to clinch I-4 and...

... anyone here know if the FL tolls all 50 state license plates? Asking for a friend...

Come after a major hurricane and tolls will be waived.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

Ya know, I went there plenty as a kid but I still need to clinch I-4 and...

... anyone here know if the FL tolls all 50 state license plates? Asking for a friend...

If you have EZ Pass, you're covered in Florida.  All the tollways there take it.  SunPass is compatible with EZ Pass, K-Tag, PikePass, and the Texas tags.

Wondering the opposite - if I drove through with a license plate from another state, do they video toll all 50 states?

My guess given how much snowbirding happens between the Northeast and FL is that New Jersey plates will definitely be sent bills back home.

FL got a bill to me 8 months after my trip there (2019). Don't know if that's because of backlogging or issues between state DOTs tracking people down.

[SSOWorld]

[NE2]

Possible stops or drive-bys:
Old rural brick roads:
Osceola-Polk line
Tildenville
Maitland
Longwood

Old urban brick roads are all over, but this one's on a state road.

colored US shields in Davenport
future park under I-4 (but there's probably not much to see)

Keep in mind that Davenport has horrible traffic, so I recommend doing that (and the Osceola-Polk line brick road) first.

If anyone's leery about going to Florida for human rights/political reasons, please try not to be. Orlando/central Florida is basically a drop of blue in a sea of red. Orlando's pride celebration, which I believe is happening the week after this meet, is a major event every year. This year I saw more queer-friendly churches in the parade (all Methodist, I think) than homophobic protesters.

[vdeane]

I feel like Orlando being LGBT friendly kinda doesn't negate the part where the state government will arrest and criminally charge certain people just for using a public bathroom.  Or if the state government will legally kidnap your kids.

[J N Winkler]

A few posts in this thread have had to be made to vanish.

This is a gentle remainder that road meets are open to all with a sincere interest in roads and, as such, are not suitable venues for rehearsing grievances from the forum or elsewhere.  The same applies to the threads discussing them.

[Alps]

Possible stops or drive-bys:
Old rural brick roads:
Osceola-Polk line
Tildenville
Maitland
Longwood

Old urban brick roads are all over, but this one's on a state road.

colored US shields in Davenport
future park under I-4 (but there's probably not much to see)

Keep in mind that Davenport has horrible traffic, so I recommend doing that (and the Osceola-Polk line brick road) first.

If anyone's leery about going to Florida for human rights/political reasons, please try not to be. Orlando/central Florida is basically a drop of blue in a sea of red. Orlando's pride celebration, which I believe is happening the week after this meet, is a major event every year. This year I saw more queer-friendly churches in the parade (all Methodist, I think) than homophobic protesters.

Osceola and Longwood plz. This is increasing my interest.

[Max Rockatansky]

Possible stops or drive-bys:
Old rural brick roads:
Osceola-Polk line
Tildenville
Maitland
Longwood

Old urban brick roads are all over, but this one's on a state road.

colored US shields in Davenport
future park under I-4 (but there's probably not much to see)

Keep in mind that Davenport has horrible traffic, so I recommend doing that (and the Osceola-Polk line brick road) first.

If anyone's leery about going to Florida for human rights/political reasons, please try not to be. Orlando/central Florida is basically a drop of blue in a sea of red. Orlando's pride celebration, which I believe is happening the week after this meet, is a major event every year. This year I saw more queer-friendly churches in the parade (all Methodist, I think) than homophobic protesters.

Osceola and Longwood plz. This is increasing my interest.

Old Tampa Highway is part of the Dixie Highway and Old US 92/17:

https://www.flickr.com/gp/151828809@N08/14w54D3890

https://www.flickr.com/gp/151828809@N08/32Eu8j59E2

[Laura]

Oooh, I'm very interested in this meet, and I'm sure my five year old would be as long as we visited the nearby attractions...

[skatcher]

I should be able to make the arduous drive from Tampa.  South Florida has a bye that week, so no missing a football game! If you need any help scouting the area I'm only about an hour away. And it gives me a chance to grab some White Castle too!

[froggie]

Coincidentally, I'll be in Orlando the following weekend.  But with the wife with the express interest of "eating and drinking around the world"...

[jpi]

I am interested especially since my brother in law and sister in law live in Ocala but with my future plans for this year especially after August I doubt I will be able to make it.

[Nikolai]

Thanks for sharing your tips and interest! I've created a Facebook event for all to join, and I'll share my full plans for the meet this summer.

[NE2]

Thanks for sharing your tips and interest! I've created a Facebook event for all to join, and I'll share my full plans for the meet this summer.

Is it really 11:30 CDT? Or should it be 11:30 Eastern?

[Alex]

I go to Orlando several times a year. The traffic has become a shitshow, even on weekends. So you'll want to plan tour stops accordingly.
The two big projects are already over, the initial I-4 Ultimate and Wekiva Parkway. The next I-4 Ultimate is early in construction. There's some grading already underway at the interchange joining I-4/SR 528, the ongoing work at the now DDI joining I-4/SR 482, the sprawl exit at Daryl Carter Parkway and now beginning construction at SR 535/CR 535 at I-4.

There's also the still ongoing widening of SR 417 along the Greeneway. They have extra high sign bridges posted now with apparent lane control signals on one truss and overheads on another. I shot photos three weeks ago of these unusual assemblies, but like many other things I photograph, haven't gotten around to posting them.

One vintage road aspect is part of the old Lake Monroe bridge along US 17/92. Worthy of a whole road meet stop? That's debatable, but it's worth a stop if you have some extra time.

Old Tampa Highway is part of the Dixie Highway and Old US 92/17:

https://www.flickr.com/gp/151828809@N08/14w54D3890

https://www.flickr.com/gp/151828809@N08/32Eu8j59E2

Old Tampa Highway is not worth seeing as it used to be as suburban sprawl is taking it over.

Considering this meet time is just past my birthday and I am aiming to travel out of Florida for it, I may miss this unless I travel the previous weekend. Otherwise I don't see why I would not trudge over. Could always give me an excuse to ride Mako at Sea World too.

[Nikolai]

Is it really 11:30 CDT? Or should it be 11:30 Eastern?

It's 11:30 Eastern time. I guess Facebook isn't smart enough to base the time zone on the event's location.