Louisiana/Mississippi Road Meet

[mcdonaat]

So which weekend would be best for a New Orleans/Northshore meet? Three options are available: New Orleans to US 51 to US 190 to the Causeway (bring a dollar!), New Orleans to US 11 Maestri Bridge along the old State Route No. 2 to the old alignments of US 90 back to New Orleans, or just the various findings in New Orleans itself including the Earhart Expwy, Huey P Long, Hale Boggs Bridge, City Park Bridges, and so forth. September 15 is still available, but September 22 or 29 would be the best.

[hbelkins]

September 15 is still available, but September 22 or 29 would be the best.

Cutting it close on time there, aren't you? That's less than a month's notice even for the Sept. 29 possibility.

If I was going to come, Sept. 15 would definitely be out as I have a conference in Louisville Sept. 9-12.

[Darkchylde]

Whenever it happens, I won't be able to make it unless someone's willing to let me hitch a ride. Issac plus a bad brake rotor (which I need to go all the way out to Pass Christian for) killed every bit of the gas money I would have used to get to this meet.

That said, if someone doesn't mind crossing the Causeway with an extra body, let me know.

[mcdonaat]

It was originally scheduled for September 15, but this was just a refresher. We could always shoot for October 20, a Saturday in the fall, so weather should be cooler.

[Alex]

It was originally scheduled for September 15, but this was just a refresher. We could always shoot for October 20, a Saturday in the fall, so weather should be cooler.

The Birmingham road meet is scheduled for October 20th, so may want to shoot for another day.

I might be able to make either the September 15th or 22nd meet, but not the 29th.

[mcdonaat]

Update: We can shoot for November 3, a date that should bring cool weather and some more finished pieces of the Huey P Long. I would like to visit the HPL, the US 90 bridges from New Orleans to Mississippi, some abandoned pieces of US 90/State Route 2, the Earhart Expressway, and head east out of New Orleans along the old LA 1 to Chalmette, then north to I-10, and over the Twin Span bridges. This will actually allow everyone involved to clinch I-510.

Facebook Link - http://www.facebook.com/events/281256285322943

Click "RSVP" if you're attending. If coming from east of New Orleans, your best bet is US 90 along Chef Menteur into the city. North of New Orleans is the US 11 bridge from Slidell, or the I-55 Manchac bridge. Coming from Baton Rouge and northern LA, take US 61 or I-10 in, then trudge on through Baton Rouge. Lafayette direction, take US 90. It's best to avoid Baton Rouge if possible, and it's best to avoid the Causeway bridge or twin span coming during the morning. PM me if you have any questions!

[corco]

I may actually be able to make this- probably won't know for sure until a week or so before but right now it looks good. This would give me a chance to finish clinching US-90 in Texas and possibly drive SH 130 depending on the specific date and pick up a bunch more counties and a new state (Mississippi).

[mcdonaat]

I may actually be able to make this- probably won't know for sure until a week or so before but right now it looks good. This would give me a chance to finish clinching US-90 in Texas and possibly drive SH 130 depending on the specific date and pick up a bunch more counties and a new state (Mississippi).

I may actually be able to make this- probably won't know for sure until a week or so before but right now it looks good. This would give me a chance to finish clinching US-90 in Texas and possibly drive SH 130 depending on the specific date and pick up a bunch more counties and a new state (Mississippi).

In that case, may I suggest taking US 90 from Lafayette to New Orleans? It's ultimately the choice of taking the scenic Atchafalaya Basin Bridge versus taking the Atchafalaya Bridge at Morgan City, since both are super scenic.

[corco]

That would be the plan, I think.  Last time I was in the area I took US-90 from Texas to LA 14 and then headed north through Breaux Bridge, so I want to make Lafayette a stop this time. I'll probably enter the state on 82, take 27 up to Lake Charles and then catch 90 again- spending Friday night in either Lafayette or New Iberia and then driving to New Orleans in the morning.

I probably won't have time to completely clinch LA 1 this trip, but the departing plan would be to take LA 18 (this is a shot in the dark- open to more interesting suggestions) to LA 1 and then take that all the way to Texas and then figure it out from there.

[mcdonaat]

That would be the plan, I think.  Last time I was in the area I took US-90 from Texas to LA 14 and then headed north through Breaux Bridge, so I want to make Lafayette a stop this time. I'll probably enter the state on 82, take 27 up to Lake Charles and then catch 90 again- spending Friday night in either Lafayette or New Iberia and then driving to New Orleans in the morning.

I probably won't have time to completely clinch LA 1 this trip, but the departing plan would be to take LA 18 (this is a shot in the dark- open to more interesting suggestions) to LA 1 and then take that all the way to Texas and then figure it out from there.

How about you just take LA 48 to US 61 to LA 44, then follow River Road all the way up to Plaquemine? You can cross via ferry from there (as long as you cross before 9 PM, and bring a dollar!), and take River Road on the other side through Port Allen, then hop on LA 1 through New Roads, Alexandria, and up to Natchitoches and Shreveport.

False River is scenic, as are the small towns along LA 1 all through Louisiana. Keep in mind - LA 1 between New Roads and Marksville is full of long, straight, boring stretches, with no hills or creeks. The only road worse, in my opinion, is LA 15 between LA 1 and Ferriday. Tons of sights to see in Louisiana, and plenty of bridges! LA 1 does follow close to the new I-49 alignment in north Caddo Parish though!

[corco]

How about you just take LA 48 to US 61 to LA 44, then follow River Road all the way up to Plaquemine? You can cross via ferry from there (as long as you cross before 9 PM, and bring a dollar!), and take River Road on the other side through Port Allen, then hop on LA 1 through New Roads, Alexandria, and up to Natchitoches and Shreveport.

False River is scenic, as are the small towns along LA 1 all through Louisiana. Keep in mind - LA 1 between New Roads and Marksville is full of long, straight, boring stretches, with no hills or creeks. The only road worse, in my opinion, is LA 15 between LA 1 and Ferriday. Tons of sights to see in Louisiana, and plenty of bridges! LA 1 does follow close to the new I-49 alignment in north Caddo Parish though!

That is a good idea! I'm trying to find a neat drive through Louisiana- last time I was there I took 14 and 31, which were scenic (especially 31), but then took US-167, LA-34, LA-546, and LA-15 to Arkansas and a lot of that was just very flat with dense forest. Since I live in Arizona now, I do like me some dense forest as it's a very nice change of pace, but after 30 straight miles of not being able to see a tenth of a mile from the road can get a bit tedious.

My attendance at this point is largely dependant on finances and whether I've found a job for after I graduate. I've applied for several jobs (say, if anybody knows of anybody looking for a GIS guy with a master's in Planning...) in Texas and even one in New Orleans, so I could potentially time an interview around the meet , but obviously scheduling the interview would take priority over the date of the meet. And then if I haven't found a job at all yet or it otherwise looks ugly, finances are going to be tight which might preclude me from going.

[hbelkins]

I'd love to see a location and agenda posted for this meet.

[mcdonaat]

She's posted! The agenda is on the Facebook page.

[mcdonaat]

Here's the update - I'm postponing the New Orleans meet until further notice. Not enough people are willing to attend on a relatively short notice. I'm going to start gauging interest for a Shreveport meet in the spring, since I-49 will be signed and a true experience can arise. We also can see AR 549's progress, and back down to Shreveport for a few riverside parkways, along with historic bridges and rolling hills. There are probably WAY more roadgeeks in driving distance of the ArkLaMiss than New Orleans, so this one is now a priority.

Shreveport is 1.5 hours from Alexandria, 2 from Monroe, 3.5 from Little Rock (from what I know), and 3 hours from Dallas. Dates can be thrown around, and we can all come together on a possible Saturday to work with.

[jpi]

If its sometime in March, I may be able to do this one, just have to get Friday off and leave when the wife gets off work around 11am, I am in middle TN and its 5 hours to Little Rock from here.