AARoads Forum

As many of us know, road meets have evolved over the years. In the early days of road meets, the gatherings were more simple than they are now. Oftentimes what would happen is a group of people would meet up for lunch, bring maps, discuss roads for a couple hours, and then go their separate ways. There was no tour or anything. But then again, those were also the days when many of us didn't know each other very well and didn't feel much of a need to prolong the gathering beyond, say, 2 or 3 hours.

The other night I was hanging out here in Michigan with Sam Scholtens and Brian Reynolds, and I was telling them about how there are certain cities that I would love to see a road meet in or otherwise have an excuse to visit. However, I've never hosted a road meet and don't have the desire to put together an actual tour... especially if it's a city that I know nothing about or is too far for me to go twice (once for a scouting trip and once for the actual meet). Brian and Sam encouraged me to post something here just to get everyone's take on this idea. As Brian said, different people have different things about road meets that they like. Some like seeing various cities' downtowns, some like driving different freeway networks, some are really interested in bridges and/or rail, some are interested in retail, and so on.

Here's my idea... I'm thinking about announcing a gathering in a random city (to be announced later) and inviting anyone on here who would like to attend. The formal gathering would only be lunch at a local restaurant in that city. After lunch, folks can divide up into groups to see various things that they'd have an interest in, or they can go their separate ways (possibly meeting up again later for dinner if they'd like). It would give folks an excuse to visit this particular city, and people can do after lunch whatever they wish. Plus, the fact that multiple people are visiting the same city means that some of them can potentially split lodging costs if they are staying in the same city/cities on the same night(s). It also gives introverts like me the out to have alone time after lunch if they wish.

If I were to announce something like this (depending on the location and date of course), would anyone have an interest in participating? Some might like this idea; others may not. I'm just curious because it's kind of a different take on the concept of a road meet.

Sounds like an interesting idea.

Go for it.

I like this idea. The DIY approach potentially opens up more places to meets, and for many it's more about seeing friends than the tour itself anyway.

Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on June 30, 2018, 04:50:05 PM
I like this idea. The DIY approach potentially opens up more places to meets, and for many it's more about seeing friends than the tour itself anyway.

This. Unless it's my one long-distance meet of the year, I'm not covering new territory. We all have different interests and, for many of the most interesting sites, it's impractical (if not impossible) to get a large group there. Much easier to go with the flow this way and, with a bunch of smaller groups, each group could probably see more.

I'm in if it's a time I can make it.

Sounds interesting, and I know Lexington is one of the cities you've expressed an interest in seeing more of.

Quote from: cl94 on June 30, 2018, 06:54:32 PM
Unless it's my one long-distance meet of the year, I'm not covering new territory.

Yeah that's another reason I thought some people might like this idea. It gives them a reason to clinch new territory on the drive to/from this kind of gathering. :)

Quote from: cl94 on June 30, 2018, 06:54:32 PM
I'm in if it's a time I can make it.

Sweet! I'm not sure when I'm going to make the announcement of the location. I'd like to try and host this gathering sometime in 2018, but I don't know how realistic that will be given everything I've got going on this year. It's quite possible I might not host this until 2019. Maybe I'll host one per year?

Quote from: hbelkins on June 30, 2018, 07:31:47 PM
Sounds interesting, and I know Lexington is one of the cities you've expressed an interest in seeing more of.

It absolutely is. In the message that I just posted in response to Josh's message, I indicated that I could potentially see myself hosting one of these types of gatherings per year. I've already got a mental list of cities that I'd like to host such gatherings in, and Lexington is on that list. :)

Sounds similar to the annual gathering in Saratoga Springs, though more optimized for travel/self-guided tours/etc.  Could also work well for areas that don't have enough sites conductive to meet tours (not much place to stop, etc.).

As long as my work\ toy show\ personal schedule is not conflicting I would be up for something like this, same with Steph.

I have no objection to the general concept. One definite pro to it is that meet tours can become tedious, I have found, and may in some cases not conform to the idiosyncrasies of individual attendees. Cutting the formal tour out avoids that.

How likely I am to show up depends on when and where it is - as of this writing I am unlikely to attend any more meets this year that are outside of day trip range, but next year the slate clears on that.


That said, if I may... one challenge, I have found, is that when a group becomes sufficiently large it starts to become unwieldy handling everyone at a sit-down restaurant. People tend to want to move around and mingle, and this can interfere with the waitstaff's ability to do their job properly, not to mention that having people standing around can generally get in the way. And then when we ask the staff to give us 20 separate checks... yeah, it becomes a mess.

I think some serious consideration should be given to having the meet-up location for this or any other road meet be a mall food court or somewhere along those lines. This way everyone can freely get their own food at their own pace, can pay separately without it being any added hassle, and can mingle without getting in anyone's way.

Quote from: Duke87 on July 01, 2018, 06:29:23 PM
I think some serious consideration should be given to having the meet-up location for this or any other road meet be a mall food court or somewhere along those lines. This way everyone can freely get their own food at their own pace, can pay separately without it being any added hassle, and can mingle without getting in anyone's way.

For large things, certainly. Of course, there has to be a remotely decent food court we could use, or we need to get the lunch catered a la Delaware.

A meal place with a party room, in many cases, is a more realistic option, as most of the food courts I'm familiar with are practically empty.

Quote from: Duke87 on July 01, 2018, 06:29:23 PM
One definite pro to it is that meet tours can become tedious, I have found, and may in some cases not conform to the idiosyncrasies of individual attendees. Cutting the formal tour out avoids that.

That's exactly one of the things about most road meets these days that can be a bit cumbersome. Most of the time when I attend a road meet, I get kinda antsy around 4:00 or 5:00 for the tour to be over. I'm always grateful for the opportunity to attend any road meet I can, but different attendees have slightly different things that they want or don't want to see (and they have varying levels of patience) - so a DIY approach could make it more appealing for folks to attend who might otherwise wonder if a more traditional meet tour might be more than they really want to do.

Quote from: Duke87 on July 01, 2018, 06:29:23 PM
How likely I am to show up depends on when and where it is - as of this writing I am unlikely to attend any more meets this year that are outside of day trip range, but next year the slate clears on that.

Completely understandable. I'm still not sure whether I'll host anything like this in 2018 or if my first meet along these lines won't be until 2019.

Quote from: Duke87 on July 01, 2018, 06:29:23 PM
That said, if I may... one challenge, I have found, is that when a group becomes sufficiently large it starts to become unwieldy handling everyone at a sit-down restaurant. People tend to want to move around and mingle, and this can interfere with the waitstaff's ability to do their job properly, not to mention that having people standing around can generally get in the way. And then when we ask the staff to give us 20 separate checks... yeah, it becomes a mess.

You make a good point. For most road meets I've attended, the lunch has taken place at a sit-down restaurant. It generally hasn't been a huge problem, but yes... if the group is large, it can be difficult for people at one end of the table to try and talk to people at the other end of the table without getting out of their chairs and potentially blocking aisles. When Brandon Gorte hosted his Illinois meet in May, his restaurant of choice for lunch was a fast-casual place - and it worked quite well. One thing that I find I also don't have a lot of patience with is trying to leave the restaurant to start the tour and we can't leave because we have to wait to pay our bills. With fast-casual restaurants, the bill is already paid before we eat.

Quote from: Duke87 on July 01, 2018, 06:29:23 PM
I think some serious consideration should be given to having the meet-up location for this or any other road meet be a mall food court or somewhere along those lines. This way everyone can freely get their own food at their own pace, can pay separately without it being any added hassle, and can mingle without getting in anyone's way.

Very interesting idea. Plus it satisfies those of us who are retail geeks by giving us the opportunity to walk around a mall that's new to them. The only problem is that a mall food court kinda takes away from the notion of dining at a local (preferably downtown-ish) restaurant. With mall food courts, you're more likely to eat at a national chain that attendees can find anywhere. What I may do is post a poll asking potential attendees whether they'd prefer something like a mall food court or a downtown (presumably sit-down) restaurant and go with whatever the majority prefer.

You've given me some good things to think about here!

Quote from: cl94 on July 01, 2018, 06:49:35 PM
A meal place with a party room, in many cases, is a more realistic option, as most of the food courts I'm familiar with are practically empty.

I've attended a few road meets over the years where the lunch took place in a private party room which was separate from the main dining room at the restaurant. I liked that quite a bit because it gave the attendees the freedom to move around and mingle without having to worry about getting in the way of other people (non-attendees).

The famous St. Louis meet was perfect for that because it was a serve-yourself buffet style room.

What I may do is create a few separate polls:

• One in which I ask everyone their preference of a city among three or four choices
• One in which I ask everyone their preference of a date
• One in which I ask everyone what type of restaurant they'd prefer... fast-casual, mall food court, or local sit-down (maybe downtown-ish?) restaurant

I'm not sure that I'll actually create all these polls, but there's a good chance I might. Majority would rule. Once the city has been selected, I'll create a separate thread and give some ideas of things that potential attendees might want to do after lunch. I'm not sure whether or not I would create any kind of handout to bring copies of to the meet - but I might do that if folks would like something like that. It would probably be a simple list... nothing elaborate. Maybe I would also identify a dinner restaurant. That way, the folks who are still in the area after they've done their individual and/or group touring could reconvene and discuss their findings, discoveries, share photos, etc. with the larger group.

This idea is obviously still evolving. What other thoughts does everyone have?

Quote from: Alps on July 01, 2018, 07:26:37 PM
The famous St. Louis meet was perfect for that because it was a serve-yourself buffet style room.

Which only happened because the host tried to stuff to much into it.

Quote from: Duke87 on July 01, 2018, 06:29:23 PM
That said, if I may... one challenge, I have found, is that when a group becomes sufficiently large it starts to become unwieldy handling everyone at a sit-down restaurant. People tend to want to move around and mingle, and this can interfere with the waitstaff's ability to do their job properly, not to mention that having people standing around can generally get in the way. And then when we ask the staff to give us 20 separate checks... yeah, it becomes a mess.

I think some serious consideration should be given to having the meet-up location for this or any other road meet be a mall food court or somewhere along those lines. This way everyone can freely get their own food at their own pace, can pay separately without it being any added hassle, and can mingle without getting in anyone's way.

Or just skip a formal meal.  Cuts out the time hassle and those individual meet attendees who want to meet together for lunch before the tour have the flexibility to do so.  I've found this can work well....as it did in the Twin Cities last summer.

Regarding the OP, another idea would be to have a shorter "formal tour" with a singular focus, which would take up noticeably less time and enable people to scout around a given area on their own.  An example of this would be my "covered bridges of Lyndonville" meet from a few years ago.

I have found chatting over the meal to be generally more enjoyable than the tours, actually.  Tours are tricky to get right -- ensuring the group moves together is the biggest issue.

Quote from: A.J. Bertin on July 01, 2018, 07:18:48 PM

Quote from: cl94 on July 01, 2018, 06:49:35 PM
A meal place with a party room, in many cases, is a more realistic option, as most of the food courts I'm familiar with are practically empty.

I've attended a few road meets over the years where the lunch took place in a private party room which was separate from the main dining room at the restaurant. I liked that quite a bit because it gave the attendees the freedom to move around and mingle without having to worry about getting in the way of other people (non-attendees).

That's is how I planned it with my most recent central PA meet, I knew Hoss's had good food and private party rooms so it worked out well and I had nearly 30 people show up so it was nice and organized  :nod:

Quote from: froggie on July 01, 2018, 10:01:56 PM
Or just skip a formal meal.  Cuts out the time hassle and those individual meet attendees who want to meet together for lunch before the tour have the flexibility to do so.  I've found this can work well....as it did in the Twin Cities last summer.

Or do what I tried to do with my aborted New River Gorge meet last year -- part of the tour, lunch on your own, then gather at a designated point for the second part of the tour. People can always decide if they want to go together as a group post-meet for dinner, which seems to be more and more of a thing at meets.

As for locations mentioned upthread -- I prefer suburban to downtown, mostly because of parking issues. Of course, I held my 2013 Tri-State meet in downtown Ashland, but there was a free municipal lot less than a block from the restaurant where everyone could park and leave their cars for the tour. If parking is a premium at a downtown restaurant, you end up having to move the cars to another spot before the tour assembles, taking even more time.

Quote from: froggie on July 01, 2018, 10:01:56 PM
Or just skip a formal meal.  Cuts out the time hassle and those individual meet attendees who want to meet together for lunch before the tour have the flexibility to do so.  I've found this can work well....as it did in the Twin Cities last summer.

The formal meal is actually the most important part of this kind of gathering because it's when we're all fully together as a group. There is no formal tour according to my idea because different attendees will want to see different things.

Quote from: froggie on July 01, 2018, 10:01:56 PM
Regarding the OP, another idea would be to have a shorter "formal tour" with a singular focus, which would take up noticeably less time and enable people to scout around a given area on their own.  An example of this would be my "covered bridges of Lyndonville" meet from a few years ago.

It's a nice thought, but it wouldn't work. I can't host any kind of formal tour (regardless of length) because I don't know enough beforehand about the highway infrastructure of that particular city (or metro area). It's a different kind of gathering than what we're all used to.

What I should really do is bill this as a "city meet" rather than a "road meet" because the attractions are the cities as a whole. What I would do is give attendees suggestions of things beforehand of things they might want to see after lunch... some retail, some highways, some counties, maybe some bridges or other infrastructure, etc., that I can research from home.

I think A. J. is onto something worth doing.  The city and the lunch locale would be chosen early in the planning.

Then individual participants can suggest a post-lunch activity in this forum, and see if others choose to join in.

There might be a half-dozen or more after-lunch options to choose from.  Each sub-group could then proceed with a plan.

Smaller special-interest teams would make for easier group management dynamics, less frustration.

Optionally, we could reconvene for an evening meal, and enjoy more social time. 

The conversation at the evening gathering would be lively, as each group's day would differ from that of every other group.

To me this sounds like a win - win - win for everyone.  I'm enthused.

I just created a poll giving folks three options of cities where I should host my first "city meet" if I were to host such a gathering as I've described in this thread. So far it sounds like quite a few people are interested in this idea, which I'm very pleased about!

I chose Providence for a few reasons. Close to home (and I could theoretically do it as a day trip if I can't spare more than a day), I've spent stupidly little time in Rhode Island even with living most of my life nearby, I've wanted an excuse to explore that area, and this would give me an excuse to do quite a bit of clinching (of roads and county high points).

I'd actually be open to any of these, but the other two are much longer drives (or, more realistically, a flight to MDW or Norfolk to save several hours and a drive over mostly new territory). Elizabeth City would be great as a winter or early spring location, as it's just far enough south to be out of snow range.

Throwing a vote in or Omaha, with the previous caveat that it would probably need to be 2019 applying. Preference skewed by proximity to greatest number of roads and counties I have not already clinched (although I have been to Omaha itself once).

I voted for Providence for the same reasons Josh did. Like him, I've spent little time in RI despite living close to the state my entire life. The other two options would allow me to get a decent amount of new mileage and counties (moreso with Omaha) but I'm not sure I'd have the time or money to attend a meet in either one of those cities. Whether I end up going or not I commend AJ for the idea and thinking outside the box.

I voted for Elizabeth City/Nags Head as it would finally give me a reason to go there again. I keep saying I will and never do.

I voted for Elizabeth City/Nags Head as I've never been there; however, any of the three are good.

I chose Omaha because it's closest and thus gives me the best chance of attending.

I might not vote in my own poll because I picked all three options from my long list (I have over 90 cities on my list!) and I'm not sure I want to influence the results. Majority rules. It's really about where everyone (else) prefers to go and where I'd have the best chance of getting more attendees. Obviously the date will matter because of everyone's availability, but I'm still not sure whether I'm going to aim for 2018 or 2019 for this.

The poll closes on August 2. Another reason I kinda don't want to vote is because I don't want to see the results until the very end. (I know... when I created the poll I could have chosen the option to not reveal the results until the end, but that's okay.)

It's been less than 12 hours since I created the poll. As of this moment, among those who commented, there's an even tie among the three cities. It will be interesting to see which city wins out in the end!

Quote from: A.J. Bertin on July 04, 2018, 09:22:11 AM
I might not vote in my own poll because I picked all three options from my long list (I have over 90 cities on my list!) and I'm not sure I want to influence the results. Majority rules. It's really about where everyone (else) prefers to go and where I'd have the best chance of getting more attendees. Obviously the date will matter because of everyone's availability, but I'm still not sure whether I'm going to aim for 2018 or 2019 for this.

The poll closes on August 2. Another reason I kinda don't want to vote is because I don't want to see the results until the very end. (I know... when I created the poll I could have chosen the option to not reveal the results until the end, but that's okay.)

It's been less than 12 hours since I created the poll. As of this moment, among those who commented, there's an even tie among the three cities. It will be interesting to see which city wins out in the end!

I would say aim for 2019 as my dance card is filling up quickly for 2018. Also gives you more time to plan.

Omaha would be easier for me as anything east would require 2-3 days of driving time.

My vote is for Providence, I am ok with the other places too but I have only passed through Providence 1 time on I-95 and that was around Thanksgiving 1993 and have not been up that way since, there is several counties in the area I can get and check out the Newport Bridge which I always wanted to do. Omaha would be my 2nd choice since that is another area I have only been to once and that was in July 2013. As for Nags Head, been there done that, I would just hang out on the beach and check out the light houses, last time I was there was in 2001

Omaha was my vote, but the Nags Head one isn't too far behind.  I've been there before, I've attended a meet in little Road-y in 2010.

If it were in 2018, any meet not within a day's reach would not work for me as I've already taken enough vacation time that I need to "give back to work" (yay for comp time).

I voted for Omaha as well. Now it will be a matter of timing. We're going to Charleston, SC in May for a high school graduation (yay  :-| ) , then there is the future vacation schedule at work that will be submitted in December. I have 2 co-workers who have more seniority and they get their vacation wishes first.

I voted for Omaha, because it would be new territory for me. (I've been in exactly one county in Nebraska.) Plus there would be plenty of opportunities to get new counties and routes along the way.

The Outer Banks was a favorite vacation spot for my mom when I was a kid. I've been in Elizabeth City since then, but wouldn't mind going back. That would offer a chance to clinch US 158.

I probably wouldn't attend a Providence gathering, unless there was some way I could work in a county clinch of Maine on the trip.

Also voted for Providence, because somehow I've never explored much of RI (only time I've even been there would have been when my parents and I were passing through on the way back from Fall River.  Omaha would be a new part of the country and could also be in range if timed right and given enough time to plan.  Regarding NC, let's just say that whenever I pass though there I do so without stopping.

It might not be bad either for those far-off locations like mine that don't really have a lot of things you'd see on a typical tour, but have enough possible new roads for people or interesting things spread out that people could choose to explore as they wish as opposed to worrying about cobbling together a formal tour.

I voted for Providence for the same reason that Josh did.  Additionally, given that my college years were spent in Rhode Island (though in Bristol, not Providence); such would give me a good reason/excuse to head up there again provided that my Saturday activity calendar doesn't blow-up so to speak with respect to the selected date.

Quote from: cl94Elizabeth City would be great as a winter or early spring location, as it's just far enough south to be out of snow range.

Not always (http://www4.ncsu.edu/~nwsfo/storage/cases/20101226/)...

(just one of many examples, BTW)

I didn't vote because I'd theoretically be interested in all 3 locations. Having grown up in Hampton Roads I'm familiar with the OBX (and Elizabeth City, but honestly it's nothing special, I'd stick to the OBX and if you want to include a town on the mainland, go with maybe Edenton) and have family I could stay with down there. I also am very familiar with Providence given proximity and how often I'm down there. As for Omaha, I've never been to Nebraska, and I'm not sure a meet that far away would be feasible for me at this point, but I would definitely want to go if possible to give me an excuse to get there.

I really like this idea as a whole. I'm not a super big fan of formal organized tours - I feel like we're always waiting on people to catch up, and sometimes I'm done at a stop in 5 minutes but other people want to spend half an hour wandering and taking pictures. Plus this eliminates concerns like finding enough suitable parking at stops.

Quote from: deathtopumpkins on July 08, 2018, 08:50:28 AM
I didn't vote because I'd theoretically be interested in all 3 locations. Having grown up in Hampton Roads I'm familiar with the OBX (and Elizabeth City, but honestly it's nothing special, I'd stick to the OBX and if you want to include a town on the mainland, go with maybe Edenton) and have family I could stay with down there. I also am very familiar with Providence given proximity and how often I'm down there. As for Omaha, I've never been to Nebraska, and I'm not sure a meet that far away would be feasible for me at this point, but I would definitely want to go if possible to give me an excuse to get there.

I'm glad you're interested in all of these places! These are all places that I've either never been to (Elizabeth City/Outer Banks) or places that I've only driven past/through and not stopped in (Omaha and Providence).

Quote from: deathtopumpkins on July 08, 2018, 08:50:28 AM
I really like this idea as a whole. I'm not a super big fan of formal organized tours - I feel like we're always waiting on people to catch up, and sometimes I'm done at a stop in 5 minutes but other people want to spend half an hour wandering and taking pictures. Plus this eliminates concerns like finding enough suitable parking at stops.

I'm glad you like the idea! I still enjoy attending road meets with formal tours, but I agree with what you're saying. There are times when I don't have as much patience to get through a formal tour as I'd like. With this option, it gives folks an excuse to visit a different place and it still allows them to hang out with other road geeks without the obligation to attend a formal tour that might run longer than they have the patience for. It also gives them the ability to customize their own tour that's based on their own interests.

Today we had a more informal "mini meet". After lunch we walked over to a construction site, then all drove 5 miles to another site and walked there for awhile. That was it. Mostly talking as opposed to driving and I enjoyed that.

I can't decide in the poll...so I'll abstain.  Omaha would be easiest for me, but it would be the least interesting.  Since anything more practical would also be less appealing, and I favor both practicality and amusement, any opinion I would have would cancel itself out :D

Quote from: Alps on July 08, 2018, 07:17:31 PM
Today we had a more informal "mini meet". After lunch we walked over to a construction site, then all drove 5 miles to another site and walked there for awhile. That was it. Mostly talking as opposed to driving and I enjoyed that.

Definitely. The free-flow thing doesn't work everywhere, but in places there's a bunch of stuff nearby (or there's a lot of traffic), it's perfect. Helped that there were 3 major projects and a couple smaller ones within a few miles.

I can think of several places where a format like this could work (and a couple more where it would work better if there were better restaurant options for groups). While formal tours are great if there are big things to see that are spread out, they can get unwieldy if planning isn't perfect.

I really like this idea. I encourage you to do it.

It is a nice way to see other things in the city besides roads, especially if there isn't anything noteworthy to see from a roads perspective.

Do you have a year in mind for when you want to do this?

Omaha I would like to check out the zoo there and it;s not too far away. I have already been to Nags Head and have no interest in visiting Providence.

Quote from: SSOWorld on July 19, 2018, 10:13:45 AM
Do you have a year in mind for when you want to do this?

I'd really like to do this in the fall of '18 (October or November), but there's another meet coming up this fall which hasn't been officially announced yet that I'm planning on attending. There's a slight chance this may have to wait until '19 though.

Ultimately though, I would love to host a gathering along these lines once per year if possible.

Quote from: A.J. Bertin on July 19, 2018, 08:06:39 PM

Quote from: SSOWorld on July 19, 2018, 10:13:45 AM
Do you have a year in mind for when you want to do this?

I'd really like to do this in the fall of '18 (October or November), but there's another meet coming up this fall which hasn't been officially announced yet that I'm planning on attending. There's a slight chance this may have to wait until '19 though.

Ultimately though, I would love to host a gathering along these lines once per year if possible.

2019 would be better for me. 

Quote from: A.J. Bertin on July 19, 2018, 08:06:39 PM

I'd really like to do this in the fall of '18 (October or November), but there's another meet coming up this fall which hasn't been officially announced yet that I'm planning on attending. There's a slight chance this may have to wait until '19 though.

There is? I'm not sure I've heard about it.

Quote from: hbelkins on July 20, 2018, 11:31:20 AM

Quote from: A.J. Bertin on July 19, 2018, 08:06:39 PM

I'd really like to do this in the fall of '18 (October or November), but there's another meet coming up this fall which hasn't been officially announced yet that I'm planning on attending. There's a slight chance this may have to wait until '19 though.

There is? I'm not sure I've heard about it.

Jeremy has been discussing an Oklahoma bridge tour, but I've not heard of anything recently

My guess would be either Philadelphia, Mentor, or Kingston, unless there's something else we don't know about.

Quote from: hbelkins on July 20, 2018, 11:31:20 AM

Quote from: A.J. Bertin on July 19, 2018, 08:06:39 PM

I'd really like to do this in the fall of '18 (October or November), but there's another meet coming up this fall which hasn't been officially announced yet that I'm planning on attending. There's a slight chance this may have to wait until '19 though.

There is? I'm not sure I've heard about it.

see https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=21146.0.  It has the list of meets (some with links) it's also stickied.

Mentor OH is in Sept,  The Catskill meet will be sometime late Oct, Early Nov.

I halfway wondered if he talked about my on-the-back-burner Portsmouth, OH meet. I know it won't be happening in September. I've got too much work stuff on my plate to even think about a meet then.

Quote from: SSOWorld on July 20, 2018, 02:18:07 PM

Quote from: hbelkins on July 20, 2018, 11:31:20 AM

Quote from: A.J. Bertin on July 19, 2018, 08:06:39 PM

I'd really like to do this in the fall of '18 (October or November), but there's another meet coming up this fall which hasn't been officially announced yet that I'm planning on attending. There's a slight chance this may have to wait until '19 though.

There is? I'm not sure I've heard about it.

see https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=21146.0.  It has the list of meets (some with links) it's also stickied.

Mentor OH is in Sept,  The Catskill meet will be sometime late Oct, Early Nov.

Catskills will almost certainly be October 27th (last Saturday of the month). Just after the peak leaf season and we'll be able to see abandoned stuff easily, but it won't be too cold. I'm setting that date in stone at some point this weekend. That'll mostly be short walking tours of historic sites with scenic driving between them.

As far as this meet, 19 would probably be better at this point unless you're doing it somewhere close to a lot of people. It's getting too close to when it would have to be for the long-distance people to plan it out. I can virtually guarantee I wouldn't be able to make it in 2018 unless it's in Providence just because of other obligations and trips this year.

Quote from: hbelkins on July 20, 2018, 11:31:20 AM

Quote from: A.J. Bertin on July 19, 2018, 08:06:39 PM

I'd really like to do this in the fall of '18 (October or November), but there's another meet coming up this fall which hasn't been officially announced yet that I'm planning on attending. There's a slight chance this may have to wait until '19 though.

There is? I'm not sure I've heard about it.

I don't think too many people have heard about it yet, but it's not really my place to share any of the details. My hope is that it's announced soon but it's on the host's time schedule to announce... not mine.

There are less than two weeks remaining before the poll closes. Once it closes, and once I get an idea from the host of the other meet what his time frame is, I will create a poll with some potential dates.

Quote from: A.J. Bertin on July 20, 2018, 05:58:08 PM

I don't think too many people have heard about it yet, but it's not really my place to share any of the details. My hope is that it's announced soon but it's on the host's time schedule to announce... not mine.

Hopefully, the host will spill the beans soon. I'm considering a trip, but if it's a good meet, I'd swap my planned trip out for the meet.

I also hope it's not in September. My work calendar is filling up with stuff that requires travel, so it won't be a good month for personal excursions.

Likewise, I am also starting to think about what my fall roadtrip season will look like.  I intend to take some kind of roadtrip on both Columbus Day weekend and Veterans Day, one of which will likely be an overnight to clinch the rest of the touring routes in Region 8.  After that I'm thinking of working on my clinch of the New England interstates.  My potential roadmeets are Philadelphia, Kingston, and (depending on whether I'm going to a certain conference or not), Mentor.

Someone had been talking about doing a revival of this (below). However, that talk has stopped, or else I've removed from the loop.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gstatic.com%2Ftv%2Fthumb%2Fmovieposters%2F13525%2Fp13525_p_v8_ab.jpg&hash=3fc28dd06dbff07d6dfbf92b18b0a2c88f5dc137)

Philadelphia? Did I miss something?

Quote from: hbelkins on July 21, 2018, 12:42:27 AM
Philadelphia? Did I miss something?

I was wondering the same thing. This is the first time I'm hearing about any potential Philadelphia meet. That would be on my list or road meets to try and attend if possible!

Quote from: A.J. Bertin on July 21, 2018, 07:50:01 AM

Quote from: hbelkins on July 21, 2018, 12:42:27 AM
Philadelphia? Did I miss something?

I was wondering the same thing. This is the first time I'm hearing about any potential Philadelphia meet. That would be on my list or road meets to try and attend if possible!

I wondered as well.  Maybe Valerie was referring to a possible meet for when 95 is completed.  I seem to recall some talk about organizing something for its completion.

Quote from: Hot Rod Hootenanny on July 20, 2018, 11:16:58 PM
Someone had been talking about doing a revival of this (below). However, that talk has stopped, or else I've removed from the loop.

I believe that is on hiatus.

Quote from: signalman on July 21, 2018, 07:57:16 AM

Quote from: A.J. Bertin on July 21, 2018, 07:50:01 AM

Quote from: hbelkins on July 21, 2018, 12:42:27 AM
Philadelphia? Did I miss something?

I was wondering the same thing. This is the first time I'm hearing about any potential Philadelphia meet. That would be on my list or road meets to try and attend if possible!

I wondered as well.  Maybe Valerie was referring to a possible meet for when 95 is completed.  I seem to recall some talk about organizing something for its completion.

There has been talk about a mini-meet for when the ramps are open. That will likely be like the NJ meet 2 weeks ago and the Delaware meet's original intent - short notice and free-flowing.

Quote from: cl94 on July 21, 2018, 01:35:34 PM

Quote from: signalman on July 21, 2018, 07:57:16 AM

Quote from: A.J. Bertin on July 21, 2018, 07:50:01 AM

Quote from: hbelkins on July 21, 2018, 12:42:27 AM
Philadelphia? Did I miss something?

I was wondering the same thing. This is the first time I'm hearing about any potential Philadelphia meet. That would be on my list or road meets to try and attend if possible!

I wondered as well.  Maybe Valerie was referring to a possible meet for when 95 is completed.  I seem to recall some talk about organizing something for its completion.

There has been talk about a mini-meet for when the ramps are open. That will likely be like the NJ meet 2 weeks ago and the Delaware meet's original intent - short notice and free-flowing.

I had figured someone would try to plan something around the opening of those ramps. The "Make I-95 Great Again" meet.  :bigass:

Quote from: hbelkins on July 21, 2018, 07:40:45 PM
...

I had figured someone would try to plan something around the opening of those ramps. The "Make I-95 Great Again" meet.  :bigass:

Hey, it's Change we need  :awesomeface:









:popcorn: :popcorn:

I was badgering from afar in regards to a NE Philly-Trenton meet (for I-95), and even for Southhaven, err, Memphis when I-269 was completed later this year.
After sinking 3/4s of my savings into my car, over the last month, I've had to erase any thoughts of travel, outside of Ohio, for the rest of the year to allow my saving to build back up.
Exception would be for one trip (and one trip only!) if I don't have to pay for boarding along the way. I (think I) can successfully do that with any roadmeet in & around Philly because I have extended family that live out that way, to cut down on my expenses.

I like this idea AJ. I am wanting to host a central Louisiana meet possibly in 2020. If I can't find much to show off in the area, your method may come in very handy. Could end up as a parish clinching meet.

There's only 8 more days until the poll closes. I edited the poll to make the results visible to anyone... regardless of whether or not you vote. If you haven't voted yet in the poll, please do! Feel free to vote even if you're not sure whether you can make it to any of the locations listed in the poll. You can simply base your vote on which city of the three that you think would be good for the first-ever "city meet" of this kind.

Right now it's neck-and-neck between Omaha and Providence. I don't want to be the one to cast the deciding vote. LOL

In case this encourages more people to vote, I am leaning toward hosting this gathering in April or May 2019. There's a slight chance I may host it this fall, but I'm leaning against it. (I'm giving myself about an 80 percent chance that I'll choose April or May 2019.)

Quote from: A.J. Bertin on July 25, 2018, 06:14:35 PM
There's only 8 more days until the poll closes. I edited the poll to make the results visible to anyone... regardless of whether or not you vote. If you haven't voted yet in the poll, please do! Feel free to vote even if you're not sure whether you can make it to any of the locations listed in the poll. You can simply base your vote on which city of the three that you think would be good for the first-ever "city meet" of this kind.

Right now it's neck-and-neck between Omaha and Providence. I don't want to be the one to cast the deciding vote. LOL

In case this encourages more people to vote, I am leaning toward hosting this gathering in April or May 2019. There's a slight chance I may host it this fall, but I'm leaning against it. (I'm giving myself about an 80 percent chance that I'll choose April or May 2019.)

It's your idea! Cast the deciding vote! Go where you want!

Quote from: A.J. Bertin on July 20, 2018, 05:58:08 PM
I don't think too many people have heard about it yet, but it's not really my place to share any of the details. My hope is that it's announced soon but it's on the host's time schedule to announce... not mine.

A.J. was referring to my Indiana meet. I mentioned it to a number of people at Aurora/Naperville earlier this year and then did some scouting that weekend.

Well it's official... the poll closed a couple hours ago and the winner is Providence! This means that my first "city meet" will take place in Providence. For at least a half (or two-thirds) of the time that the poll was up, it was looking like Omaha would be the winner but Providence won by just a single vote. I'm excited!

I've decided that I will not be hosting this meet in 2018 because of everything else that's going on this year. I will plan on hosting it in April or May 2019, and I'll post a separate thread with some details on that.

If the Providence meet goes well in 2019, I will tentatively plan on hosting a meet along these lines in Omaha in 2020 (because Omaha came in second place in the poll). Then, if the momentum continues, I would host an Elizabeth City/Nags Head meet in 2021.