I mean, what exactly do you do at one?
They sound like fun, and I would love to attend one someday, but I will probably be unable to do so in the near future (next 2 years or so) unless it was very (and I mean very) convenient for me. I live in Middle Tennessee (Nashville area), though I am originally from Chicagoland. It seems there is not much going on down here to discuss at a roadmeet compared to the Chicago area where I came from.
You go to lunch and catch up with people. There might be some roads talk, but usually it's just seeing your friends. If you're new, you're busy introducing yourself and getting to know people. The tour itself is where the roads come into play and you look at new construction, old roads and bridges, unusual signs, and similar features. At the end of the day, sometimes people leave, or sometimes there's an "aftermeet" that could be anything from dinner to a baseball game.
Basically, everyone meets up for lunch at a restaurant in some location. After an hour or two, we group into cars, generally about 3-4 people per car, and follow a tour route set out by the meet host that takes us through the most interesting places in the area (e.g. bridges, scenic routes, interesting signage or interchanges, new construction, etc.). Along the way, there are generally 3-5 stops where everyone recongregates and people can take pictures from outside the car. At the end, we wind up back at the restaurant so that people can return to their own vehicles to head out. As Steve said, sometimes there's dinner afterwards for people who are available to stay.
Quote from: Alps on April 30, 2016, 10:48:02 PM
There might be some roads talk, but usually it's just seeing your friends.
Huge understatement. We're known to have conversations where every other word out of someone's mouth is a route number.
QuoteHuge understatement. We're known to have conversations where every other word out of someone's mouth is a route number.
Depends on the group. Amongst the "more established" group (i.e. those who have been attending meets for a decade or more), there's a lot less road-related talk than one might otherwise expect. There are a number of mutually-shared hobbies amongst some. Hockey has been a big topic at some of the meets I've attended. We've even had dinners that involved hockey games beforehand or afterwards.
Poring over asphalt samples
paint chip samples for hiway striping
blue prints of various guard rail installations on route 3 in northern Iowa
a retrospective on unusual fonts used on 1930s signage
and many more wonders, all to spectacular to list !!!