Let's have a "National" Meet in 2024! And let's have it in southeast Louisiana, centered around the New Orleans metro area. New Orleans is a city full of highlights in the areas of roads, bridges, urban planning, and architecture, in addition to the numerous flood control structures and landmarks that help keep the city dry. Culturally, it's one of the most diverse cities in North America and its mix of Caribbean, African, and European influences have resulted in a jazz music and cuisine scene that is world-renowned and unlike anything found anywhere else on our continent.
The timing of this Meet is advantageous for multiple reasons. The placement of this Meet on the Presidents' Day weekend will potentially allow for an extra travel day/holiday for folks looking to make the trip. Of potential interest to some of you, Mardi Gras will fall on February 13, 2024, which is a few days before Meet Weekend. This will allow any of you who may be interested in experiencing the end of the "Carnival" period in town to do so without extending your stay in the area beyond a week. Finally, this Meet will be taking place around the 25th anniversary of the 1st official/documented road meet, which was held in February 1999. As part of this particular event, I'd like for this to also double as a celebration of our shared history as a community as we commemorate the Meets of the past while looking ahead at what's to come.
Whether you pass through southeast Louisiana on a regular basis or you've never been here before, this region has an impressive amount to see & experience and it's certainly worth the trip out this way to hang out with your favorite fellow road enthusiasts & content creators and make a mini-vacation out of it all if you choose. As has been the case with past National Meets, you will have the choice of attending either both or one of the two days of tours/gatherings but no matter what you decide, I hope you enjoy your visit and have a memorable experience!
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Day 1 (2/17/24) Meet Itinerary:
10:00 AM - Coffee/"Meet & Greet" @ Cafe du Monde, 4700 Veterans Blvd, Metairie, LA 70002
10:45 AM - Relocate all vehicles to Target parking lot, a short distance east on Veterans across from Clearview Pkwy
11:00 AM - Commence Day 1 driving tour from the Target parking lot
Meet Lunch/"Half Time" @ East Seafood and/or Bullard Seafood & Grill, 7025 Bullard Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70128 (***This stop will be included in the driving tour notes/itinerary***)
Optional Post-Meet Dinner @ Middendorf's, 30160 Old US 51, Akers, LA 70421
Day 1 (2/17/24) Meet Highlights: City of New Orleans & the western suburbs (subject to change/elaboration/clarification)
Greater New Orleans Roads:
New Orleans Expressways: Pontchartrain, Claiborne, I-610
New Orleans U.S. Highways: National southern terminus of US 61 (and nearby historic termini of US 51, 65, and 11)
Earhart Expressway and Boulevard
Interstate 10/New Orleans International Airport Flyover project
Interstate 10/Loyola Ave Diverging Diamond Interchange project - Louisiana's 1st DDI!
Bridges of the Industrial Canal: St. Claude Av, Claiborne Av, Florida Av, Danziger, High Rise, Seabrook
Other Locations & Landmarks:
Hurricane Katrina landmarks and points of interest: Abandoned Jazzland site in New Orleans East, the Flooded House Museum & London Avenue Canal Exhibit
Abandoned roadways & frontage roads of New Orleans East (Dwyer Road, et. al.)
The Fats Domino House and the Lower 9th Ward
Site of Sea Saint Studios in Gentilly (where Paul McCartney's "Venus & Mars" album was recorded in 1975)
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Day 2 (2/18/24) Meet Itinerary:
10:00 AM - PRE-MEET EVENT: Crescent City Connection HOV Lanes Driving Tour (bring your own coffee!)
11:00 AM - Lunch @ Dickey's Barbeque Pit, 91 Westbank Expressway, Gretna, LA 70053
Optional Post-Meet Dinner @ Zydeco's, 7010 Belle Chasse Highway, Belle Chasse, LA 70037
Day 2 (2/18/24) Meet Highlights: Westbank suburbs & the downriver parishes (subject to change/elaboration/clarification)
- Bridges of the Mississippi River: Crescent City Connection, Huey P. Long
- Westbank Expressway and the Harvey Tunnel
- Belle Chasse Tunnel and the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway Bridge project
- Woodland Bridge and Gen. DeGaulle Drive
- LAPALCO Boulevard and Harvey Canal Drawbridge
- Crescent City Connection HOV lanes
- Lafitte-Larose Highway fragment and the Bayou Barataria/Intracoastal Waterway Bridge
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DAY 1 Facebook Event Page:
https://fb.me/e/1iuM5fXTG (https://fb.me/e/1iuM5fXTG)
DAY 2 Facebook Event Page:
https://fb.me/e/17d2AtbBh (https://fb.me/e/17d2AtbBh)
Road Meet Itineraries are available now at the links below:
Day 1 - February 17
Day 1 Full Version:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/4g15ymiilcc1cghi46lut/New-Orleans-Road-Meet-DAY-1.docx?rlkey=e243ag1qz8pnv003e9x10gyo3&dl=0
Day 1 Printer-Friendly Version:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/w4zn5tudy68nut07r7441/New-Orleans-Road-Meet-DAY-1-Printer-Friendly.docx?rlkey=ewajni4e7l9tjr7wqa3b9w5x5&dl=0
Day 2 - February 18
Pre-Meet Tour Full Version:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/k3jpolufig1pa3pb3zt2i/New-Orleans-Road-Meet-DAY-2-Pre-Meet.docx?rlkey=vf3ndoof1zolijtce65wths1r&dl=0
Pre-Meet Tour Printer-Friendly Version:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/u5teu3eay7lvw9qkvf5y3/New-Orleans-Road-Meet-DAY-2-Pre-Meet-Printer-Friendly.docx?rlkey=c1p2tie0ywu2f89qmchrvzu2u&dl=0
Day 2 Full Version:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/ywrt7uamsw8ebf194p0ja/New-Orleans-Road-Meet-DAY-2.docx?rlkey=vos3af2mcy1xqz3lvs8hy7lk6&dl=0
Day 2 Printer-Friendly Version:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/s1vergqaxj2s56rz1f7h1/New-Orleans-Road-Meet-DAY-2-Printer-Friendly.docx?rlkey=cbqp2t5qyxks4j0aa8oq6ztj8&dl=0
:|
:clap:
Works with a birthday party I'll be attending outside of Baton Rouge on the 13th.
I am very interested (partly because my dad's birthday is in February lol)...
I'm interested but down side is this falls on a weekend of one of my biggest diecast toy shows of the year in Dayton Ohio, I will be "interested" for now
For Dan, or anyone else looking for tour themes in NOLA.
https://acloserwalknola.com/?fbclid=IwAR3LOxED23GuOg46VvZWyySyba6PV7ceyGv2RKqYPj6jLCS6FRaffyee3xI
(WWOZ collection of music sites to visit)
I will definitely be interested in this! Despite the fact that I have lived in Louisiana all of my life, NOLA has only been a specific destination 4 times in almost 50 years. This should be loads of fun!
Since we're about six months out from this, I'll refresh this feed and provide a small update.
The initial post at the top of this thread will, as usual, serve as a general outline of the weekend's planned events and will be modified as new information becomes available. You will notice that some of the weekend's tour highlights have already begun to appear there. Stay tuned for future additions and clarifications in the coming weeks.
Additionally, a Facebook event page has been created for this event. It's a basic one for now - I plan on there being an event page for each day of the meet (similar to what was done for Philadelphia in 2022) with the existing page being rebranded as the "Day 1" page when the time comes. I am aiming to make this change sometime in the fall but until then, here's the link to the event page as it stands:
https://fb.me/e/1iuM5fXTG (https://fb.me/e/1iuM5fXTG)
Looks like I am out, one of my biggest toy shows of the year falls on this weekend in Dayton Ohio and unless Dan is willing to pay me 2 to 3 grand, I will be doing the toy show that weekend.
Possibly interested.
I'm out. Didn't realize it's in February. That's during the FIRST Robotics build season, and I volunteer as a team mentor.
Definitely interested.
A heads up for a special program being hosted down in southeast Louisiana this weekend with relevance to the meet in February. I'll be down there this weekend for a scouting run and will be working on a couple other things related to the weekend while in town. Hope those of you interested in this meet will be able to tune in!
Our next installment in the "Virtual Tour" series is scheduled to take place on Saturday (11/4) at 8 PM ET. Come join me and members of the AARoads community as we profile Interstate 10 across southern Louisiana and discuss the history and features of this highway all while enjoying a real-time video trip along the length of the interstate connecting the cities of Lafayette, Baton Rouge, and New Orleans with the rest of the central Gulf Coast.
This event will be hosted on location in the New Orleans metro area and the topic of the National Road Meet to be held there in February 2024 will certainly come up in conversation during the program. A link to the event location can be found below and we look forward to seeing you there!
I'm in. It's going to be a family trip with my wife and 15 year old. They have never been and I haven't been since the 1988 Sugar Bowl. We found a Comfort Inn on the north shore in Mandeville that was pretty reasonable so the it's been booked and we're looking forward to the meet!
I think I'll do my damnedest to make this one.
I will suggest; however, that if you choose a restaurant in the Quarter, we may wish to look into carpooling to get there.
Quote from: ccurley100 on November 06, 2023, 03:07:13 PM
I'm in. It's going to be a family trip with my wife and 15 year old. They have never been and I haven't been since the 1988 Sugar Bowl. We found a Comfort Inn on the north shore in Mandeville that was pretty reasonable so the it's been booked and we're looking forward to the meet!
please message to the 15 year old to be as snarky as possible to everyone encountered at the meet. i know the wife is a lost cause for that
Quote from: Brandon on November 06, 2023, 03:53:20 PM
I think I'll do my damnedest to make this one.
I will suggest; however, that if you choose a restaurant in the Quarter, we may wish to look into carpooling to get there.
No, I suggest request the city block off Bourbon St on the grounds of a parade. ;)
Hm. Wonder if this will turn into a modern take on Easy Rider.
Quote from: Brandon on November 06, 2023, 03:53:20 PM
I will suggest; however, that if you choose a restaurant in the Quarter, we may wish to look into carpooling to get there.
I don't anticipate any of the pre/post-meet restaurants being located in the Quarter, however a Friday night "Welcome" dinner over that way is an option on the table.
Someone, somewhere (presumably on one of the Facebook pages or groups...can't find it now) asked about the Belle Chasse Tunnel for the February meet. I spoke with my contact on the bridge crew down there today, and he said that by February, the tunnel will be permanently closed. The approach for the new bridge crosses the current approach for the tunnel, so they'll complete the northbound lanes, which are away from the tunnel, and then route southbound traffic on those lanes until they can finish the real southbound approach.
There is also news this week on the Harvey Tunnel, as a long-term closure will be underway at the time of the meet:
https://www.wwltv.com/article/news/local/harvey-tunnel-prepares-for-shutdown-construction-irritates-drivers/289-ae1e4712-7d2c-4858-96a3-bf0ec24c6fa0 (https://www.wwltv.com/article/news/local/harvey-tunnel-prepares-for-shutdown-construction-irritates-drivers/289-ae1e4712-7d2c-4858-96a3-bf0ec24c6fa0)
National Road Meet - New Orleans, Louisiana - February 17-18, 2024
https://youtu.be/O9wEjx9EOQk
As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, I'll chime in with a quick update here to let you folks know that things have been quite busy behind the scenes here of late as the plan for the weekend (which, today, is three months away) comes into greater focus.
There's a lot of 'teaser' footage that Jason H and I filmed while I was in town earlier in the month - we've already published one trailer video on the 504 Road Trips YouTube channel; expect more of that kind of stuff from us in the weeks ahead!
Link to our first trailer video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9wEjx9EOQk
Link to a short behind-the-scenes look at a couple meet highlights out by the Airport:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSXa0LsuK9s
I'm keeping an eye on a few in-progress developments in the "Westbank" part of the region, including construction projects that are well underway and those that will be just starting by the time February rolls around. I'm also working on a potential guest speaker (or something else if the opportunity arises) for one of the days of the meet. All of this will continue to be worked on and refined in the weeks ahead.
And with that, I hope everyone here has a great Thanksgiving and I'll be in touch with everyone as we head into December!
Quote from: SSOWorld on November 07, 2023, 03:14:37 AM
Quote from: Brandon on November 06, 2023, 03:53:20 PM
I think I'll do my damnedest to make this one.
I will suggest; however, that if you choose a restaurant in the Quarter, we may wish to look into carpooling to get there.
No, I suggest request the city block off Bourbon St on the grounds of a parade. ;)
Parking is hella expensive in that area, so I agree with Brandon there.
Or...stay in a hotel in the city and walk... :D
As we approach two months before the meet weekend, I've got some updates on the particulars of Day 1 (2/17/24) to share with you folks. Important details for Day 1, induding a schedule for the day, are listed below and are reproduced in the introductory post at the top of this thread:
10:00 AM - Coffee/"Meet & Greet" at Cafe du Monde, 4700 Veterans Blvd, Metairie, LA 70002
10:45 AM - Relocate all vehicles to Target parking lot, a short distance east on Veterans across from Clearview Pkwy
11:00 AM - Commence Day 1 driving tour from the Target parking lot
Meet Lunch/"Half Time" @ New Orleans Hamburger & Seafood Co., 12000 I-10 Service Road, New Orleans, LA 70128 (***This stop will be included in the driving tour notes/itinerary***)
Optional Post-Meet Dinner @ Middendorf's, 30160 Old US 51, Akers, LA 70421
An additional reminder that links to the Facebook Event pages for both days can be found at the links below. Please follow and RSVP accordingly.
DAY 1 Facebook Event Page:
https://fb.me/e/1iuM5fXTG
DAY 2 Facebook Event Page:
https://fb.me/e/17d2AtbBh
I'll have more updates to pass along in the next couple weeks, including a similar outline/timeline for Day 2 of the meet for those interested. Enjoy your holidays, everyone!
^^ You may want to make all times Central due to New Orleans's location.
With us two months away (to the day) from meet weekend in New Orleans, here's a reset where things stand for the weekend:
I have updated the post at the front of this thread with all pertinent information you'll need as far as the weekend is concerned, so please refer to that post to make sure you have all the updated information. You may also refer to the Facebook pages for the weekend, which contain the same information on a per-day basis; the links to those pages are included at the links below. The daily schedules, meeting locations, and itineraries for each day are pretty much set in stone at this point. This way, folks can take a look at what the plan is and decide if this is something they feel is worthwhile. The only thing I'm still chasing and looking to add at this point is a "Welcome" dinner on the Friday before (2/16) at a location TBD - I'll have an update on that when I've figured that part out.
We don't have nearly enough Road Meets in this part of the country, so I'm hoping a lot of you southerners come out for this one - and hopefully some new faces as well!
Link to DAY 1 Facebook Event Page:
https://fb.me/e/1iuM5fXTG
Link to DAY 2 Facebook Event Page:
https://fb.me/e/17d2AtbBh
A meet-related webinar for you folks to check out this weekend:
This weekend will feature a special "Meet Preview" *live* webinar that will profile the New Orleans, LA metro area in preparation for the road meet that will be held there in February. This presentation will be hosted by yours truly and will feature contributions from folks across the AARoads Forum spectrum.
This presentation will be broadcast *live* on the 'roadwaywiz' YouTube channel on New Years Eve, Sunday, 12/31 at 3 PM ET. Whether you're on the fence about attending the meet, or are already looking forward to it, we hope that this will give you folks a good idea of what to expect and what to look for during your visit. We may also have some time for a *live* Q&A session regarding the meet itself if there is demand for it.
Bought our flight tickets yesterday. We'll be attending one of the days of the meet, but other plans yet to solidify will dictate which one.
Unfortunately my manager is taking vacation at this time, so attending will no longer be an option.
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on December 29, 2023, 05:16:14 PM
Unfortunately my manager is taking vacation at this time, so attending will no longer be an option.
This sux! So far I'm still planning on attending.
Doing a quick post here to summarize all of the New Orleans-related media my friends and I have put together over the last couple months as part of the lead-up to the meet next month. I certainly hope you've enjoyed our content and I look forward to seeing you folks down there next month!
"Gribblenation Roadcast" on Spotify:
Just Passing Through #045: Previewing the New Orleans National Road Meet (February 17-18, 2024)
https://open.spotify.com/episode/3epmye1adugGbK0WKgi7iK?si=a784e11add0a4f35 (https://open.spotify.com/episode/3epmye1adugGbK0WKgi7iK?si=a784e11add0a4f35)
Just Passing Through #033: Greater New Orleans Roads Talk, Part I
https://open.spotify.com/episode/1dF8WckHQ1O7u12Ba6UkQT?si=8FS756SKQV2H_2VNj-nm8g (https://open.spotify.com/episode/1dF8WckHQ1O7u12Ba6UkQT?si=8FS756SKQV2H_2VNj-nm8g)
Just Passing Through #034: Greater New Orleans Roads Talk, Part II
https://open.spotify.com/episode/7tzmZk4S36ZV43V8G4OFXm?si=5iEJFNUsQm6KdNqus_dHzQ (https://open.spotify.com/episode/7tzmZk4S36ZV43V8G4OFXm?si=5iEJFNUsQm6KdNqus_dHzQ)
Just Passing Through #035: Greater New Orleans Roads Talk, Part III
https://open.spotify.com/episode/7hGAJhUxHoTJrOwsxzLMcA?si=kr95kzmRTXqzK4iP5GGs2A (https://open.spotify.com/episode/7hGAJhUxHoTJrOwsxzLMcA?si=kr95kzmRTXqzK4iP5GGs2A)
Just Passing Through #036: Hurricane Alley Chronicles
https://open.spotify.com/episode/3OeQrVFZYBCi78ZhuzTSZ0?si=5Rn-7rcaTvmBn27b0C6o-A (https://open.spotify.com/episode/3OeQrVFZYBCi78ZhuzTSZ0?si=5Rn-7rcaTvmBn27b0C6o-A)
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"roadwaywiz" on YouTube:
Bridges of the Lower Mississippi River (Webinar)
Interstate 10 (Lafayette, LA to New Orleans, LA) (Virtual Tour)
The Interstates & Freeways of New Orleans, LA (Webinar)
Confirmed on Facebook, but will also post here that I plan on attending both days. Time off from work has been approved and hotel reservation booked in Metairie. Looking forward to it as I haven't been to N'awlins since January 2009.
The provisional itineraries for New Orleans Meet Weekend are complete and available at the links below. These are subject to minor changes between now and mid-February, but I don't expect anything drastic to change off of what's presented here.
Day 1 - February 17
Full Version: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/re22crvnzm24k0u6qxirl/New-Orleans-Road-Meet-DAY-1.docx?rlkey=ae50ii0i6mqps232h5cmkpvkb&dl=0 (https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/re22crvnzm24k0u6qxirl/New-Orleans-Road-Meet-DAY-1.docx?rlkey=ae50ii0i6mqps232h5cmkpvkb&dl=0)
Printer-Friendly Version: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/5o3jzch8fpmlv2ywftjwi/New-Orleans-Road-Meet-DAY-1-Printer-Friendly.docx?rlkey=pn9rb7qp9sfjuzswzdkqr2y6t&dl=0 (https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/5o3jzch8fpmlv2ywftjwi/New-Orleans-Road-Meet-DAY-1-Printer-Friendly.docx?rlkey=pn9rb7qp9sfjuzswzdkqr2y6t&dl=0)
Day 2 - February 18
Pre-Meet Tour Full Version: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/hxwdf5tepdq5k406ni5bq/New-Orleans-Road-Meet-DAY-2-Pre-Meet.docx?rlkey=msfoie1fodl3lhme195j6f660&dl=0 (https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/hxwdf5tepdq5k406ni5bq/New-Orleans-Road-Meet-DAY-2-Pre-Meet.docx?rlkey=msfoie1fodl3lhme195j6f660&dl=0)
Pre-Meet Tour Printer-Friendly Version: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/u5teu3eay7lvw9qkvf5y3/New-Orleans-Road-Meet-DAY-2-Pre-Meet-Printer-Friendly.docx?rlkey=kw3i0pdz77woc472m1z4a81wh&dl=0 (https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/u5teu3eay7lvw9qkvf5y3/New-Orleans-Road-Meet-DAY-2-Pre-Meet-Printer-Friendly.docx?rlkey=kw3i0pdz77woc472m1z4a81wh&dl=0)
Full Version: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/qx7t5mohxuindt389vz7l/New-Orleans-Road-Meet-DAY-2.docx?rlkey=0l0ra9nxek32t3c6ez0omrvxj&dl=0 (https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/qx7t5mohxuindt389vz7l/New-Orleans-Road-Meet-DAY-2.docx?rlkey=0l0ra9nxek32t3c6ez0omrvxj&dl=0)
Printer-Friendly Version: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/s1vergqaxj2s56rz1f7h1/New-Orleans-Road-Meet-DAY-2-Printer-Friendly.docx?rlkey=rv502l43u18tpw6xvkt6pbnmp&dl=0 (https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/s1vergqaxj2s56rz1f7h1/New-Orleans-Road-Meet-DAY-2-Printer-Friendly.docx?rlkey=rv502l43u18tpw6xvkt6pbnmp&dl=0)
Looking forward to it with my +1 (Day 1, anyway). Thanks!
Looking forward to both days!
Quote from: roadwaywiz95 on January 24, 2024, 04:19:22 PM
The provisional itineraries for New Orleans Meet Weekend are complete and available at the links below. These are subject to minor changes between now and mid-February, but I don't expect anything drastic to change off of what's presented here.
The New Orleans Hamburger & Seafood Co. location on the day 1 itinerary for lunch appears to have closed (https://maps.app.goo.gl/51PdaCoFeAwY2ZAr8).
https://nohsc.com/locations/
Looks to be missing.
Quote from: Nikolai on February 02, 2024, 08:01:22 PM
Quote from: roadwaywiz95 on January 24, 2024, 04:19:22 PM
The provisional itineraries for New Orleans Meet Weekend are complete and available at the links below. These are subject to minor changes between now and mid-February, but I don't expect anything drastic to change off of what's presented here.
The New Orleans Hamburger & Seafood Co. location on the day 1 itinerary for lunch appears to have closed (https://maps.app.goo.gl/51PdaCoFeAwY2ZAr8).
Yep, so this is something that was brought to my attention a few days ago and I'm going to be looking at other options in the days ahead. I think there are decent alternatives in this same area, but will let you folks know what's been decided.
As of right now, I think I am going to end up backing out of this meet and going to Atlanta instead due to the car being repaired yet again.
Hopefully I will make a final decision Monday.
Quote from: Nikolai on February 02, 2024, 08:01:22 PM
Quote from: roadwaywiz95 on January 24, 2024, 04:19:22 PM
The provisional itineraries for New Orleans Meet Weekend are complete and available at the links below. These are subject to minor changes between now and mid-February, but I don't expect anything drastic to change off of what's presented here.
The New Orleans Hamburger & Seafood Co. location on the day 1 itinerary for lunch appears to have closed (https://maps.app.goo.gl/51PdaCoFeAwY2ZAr8).
Based on the pic it looked like an old Shoneys
Quote from: 74/171FAN on February 03, 2024, 05:51:16 PM
As of right now, I think I am going to end up backing out of this meet and going to Atlanta instead due to the car being repaired yet again.
Hopefully I will make a final decision Monday.
Looks like my final decision will be Friday. I really think New Orleans would be a much more interesting meet for me to attend than Atlanta so I want to hold out hope.
Quote from: jpi on February 05, 2024, 10:24:52 AM
Based on the pic it looked like an old Shoneys
Pre-Katrina, I'm pretty sure it was a Shoney's. This was an area that had 6 feet of floodwater. Looking back on Google Streetview, it was a Chinese Buffet for several years, at some point after Katrina. Then New Orleans Hamburger. But NO Hamburger shut down a bunch of locations last year. I think they had too many in a saturated market.
Well everyone, I have not confirmed on Facebook yet, I plan to do that later today. 2024 is going to be a VERY interesting year for Steph and I, lots of changes for us are in the works but I am not going to say what at this point however one personal change for me is to get to more road meets this year, I have been averaging one road meet a year for the past 5 years and in some cases that includes ones I hosted like in 2022, I know when this was first announced I mentioned something about Dan paying me 2 grand to go to this road meet since it falls on the weekend of a very busy diecast toy show for me in Dayton, OH, well my side business is now being scaled back and this is one of the changes I am working on for this year, with that said it looks like I will be joining you all in New Orleans next weekend!! :bigass:
Quote from: jpi on February 06, 2024, 07:40:04 AM
Well everyone, I have not confirmed on Facebook yet, I plan to do that later today. 2024 is going to be a VERY interesting year for Steph and I, lots of changes for us are in the works but I am not going to say what at this point however one personal change for me is to get to more road meets this year, I have been averaging one road meet a year for the past 5 years and in some cases that includes ones I hosted like in 2022, I know when this was first announced I mentioned something about Dan paying me 2 grand to go to this road meet since it falls on the weekend of a very busy diecast toy show for me in Dayton, OH, well my side business is now being scaled back and this is one of the changes I am working on for this year, with that said it looks like I will be joining you all in New Orleans next weekend!! :bigass:
Whoa...pretty sure diecast toy shows have been your top priority, unless I'm mixing you up with someone else. Big changes, indeed.
Yes diecast toy shows have been a top priority for me but so is meeting up with friends I have not seen in a few years and the fact that my inventory has been slimmed down in the past year too, I will still be doing shows just not as many as the past 10 years.
A few bits of news and info for your reference as we get down to the home stretch:
1. The venue for the Friday evening "Welcome Dinner" has been chosen. Come join me at the Creole House, 509 Canal St, New Orleans, LA 70130. We'll meet at 6 PM and it should be a great time. Please let me know if you plan on joining us!
1A. For anyone interested in attending the Friday dinner, or simply looking to do some sightseeing in town either before or after the meet, the ferry/streetcar system is a great way to get around without having to deal with the parking situation in town. The Canal Street Ferry is a great way to get into town from Algiers Point and the streetcars along Canal Street and St. Charles Avenue are part of the quintessential New Orleans transitgeeking experience. In any case, please remember that these outfits only accept exact change and DO NOT make change. You CAN however, download the "Le Pass" app from the New Orleans RTA and pay for tickets electronically that way if you want to avoid the loose change headache.
2. As was referenced in a couple other locations already, the lunch location for the Saturday meet tour is no longer a feasible option, so I will be finalizing an alternate location prior to issuing the final version of the itinerary in the next week.
3. I would like to start to get a handle on a more definitive head count for both days of the weekend. A lot of people are listed as "interested" on the Facebook event pages - I'm not sure what that means. When I go to print the final version of the itineraries next week, I'd like to have a ballpark number of copies that will be needed. Your cooperation on this will help ensure that as many people as possible are accomodated.
4. Lastly, since I'm expecting a fair number of 1st time meet attendees, I'll be providing NAMETAGS for your use if you would like one. These are a very simple stickers that have a place for you to write in whatever you'd like to go by. They will be passed out at the start of each day so keep an eye out for those. (Note that this is NOT the same thing as the road meet lanyards, which is a separate item that is still in development at this time.)
That's all I have for now. Questions/comments/insight welcome in the mean time!
Making a proper name tag...
(https://i.pinimg.com/736x/28/81/07/288107c014e2a61bb405f1e1ce68c3bf.jpg)
💥
Quote from: jpi on February 06, 2024, 07:54:57 AM
Yes diecast toy shows have been a top priority for me but so is meeting up with friends I have not seen in a few years and the fact that my inventory has been slimmed down in the past year too, I will still be doing shows just not as many as the past 10 years.
Road meets became secondary - as the trips on the bucket list have destinations outside the USA.
(https://i.imgflip.com/8ey6yw.jpg)
For those looking for added activities on Friday...
Evidently there are still some diehards that are decorating their houses for Mardi Gras (outgrowth from the COVID years)
https://www.offbeat.com/news/house-floats-return-under-new-leadership/
Google map showing participants:
https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1z9hBXUNxUNPRPG7Qbw-mI0g5rHH-0kg&usp=sharing
Quote from: Hot Rod Hootenanny on February 07, 2024, 01:23:09 AM
For those looking for added activities on Friday...
Evidently there are still some diehards that are decorating their houses for Mardi Gras (outgrowth from the COVID years)
https://www.offbeat.com/news/house-floats-return-under-new-leadership/
Google map showing participants:
https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1z9hBXUNxUNPRPG7Qbw-mI0g5rHH-0kg&usp=sharing
Carnival Season ends February 13, so these are going to be few and far-between. Then again, some people still have their Christmas displays up...
Just a heads up on the weather situation for this weekend, I have been watching it closely, looks like possible rain on Saturday but Sunday is looking nicer, also chance of rain Friday evening. I will be spending the night Thursday in Tuscaloosa, AL then coming down I-59 from there on Friday and plan to do some Parrish clinching before the Friday meet up. Might want to make sure you have hats and umbrellas handy. :nod:
Quote from: jpi on February 14, 2024, 07:39:34 AM
Just a heads up on the weather situation for this weekend, I have been watching it closely, looks like possible rain on Saturday but Sunday is looking nicer, also chance of rain Friday evening. I will be spending the night Thursday in Tuscaloosa, AL then coming down I-59 from there on Friday and plan to do some Parrish clinching before the Friday meet up. Might want to make sure you have hats and umbrellas handy. :nod:
The possible rain looks more like definite rain and a decent amount of it (quarter inch or more).
The revised versions of the itineraries for the weekend are now available at the links below. These links are also reproduced on the post at the top of this thread. The most significant changes were the change in the "halftime" lunch location on Day 1, and an adjustment to the driving directions in the area of the Belle Chasse Bridge on Day 2. The Pre-Meet driving directions did not change.
I consider these versions to be the final ones, unless you hear otherwise between now and Saturday:
Day 1 - February 17
Day 1 Full Version:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/4g15ymiilcc1cghi46lut/New-Orleans-Road-Meet-DAY-1.docx?rlkey=e243ag1qz8pnv003e9x10gyo3&dl=0
Day 1 Printer-Friendly Version:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/w4zn5tudy68nut07r7441/New-Orleans-Road-Meet-DAY-1-Printer-Friendly.docx?rlkey=ewajni4e7l9tjr7wqa3b9w5x5&dl=0
Day 2 - February 18
Pre-Meet Tour Full Version:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/k3jpolufig1pa3pb3zt2i/New-Orleans-Road-Meet-DAY-2-Pre-Meet.docx?rlkey=vf3ndoof1zolijtce65wths1r&dl=0
Pre-Meet Tour Printer-Friendly Version:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/u5teu3eay7lvw9qkvf5y3/New-Orleans-Road-Meet-DAY-2-Pre-Meet-Printer-Friendly.docx?rlkey=c1p2tie0ywu2f89qmchrvzu2u&dl=0
Day 2 Full Version:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/ywrt7uamsw8ebf194p0ja/New-Orleans-Road-Meet-DAY-2.docx?rlkey=vos3af2mcy1xqz3lvs8hy7lk6&dl=0
Day 2 Printer-Friendly Version:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/s1vergqaxj2s56rz1f7h1/New-Orleans-Road-Meet-DAY-2-Printer-Friendly.docx?rlkey=cbqp2t5qyxks4j0aa8oq6ztj8&dl=0
I'm afraid I will have to back out of this one. Not enough funding is available. Y'all be sure to have lots of fun down there, and be very careful driving.
Quote from: cjk374 on February 15, 2024, 02:41:58 PM
I'm afraid I will have to back out of this one. Not enough funding is available. Y'all be sure to have lots of fun down there, and be very careful driving.
:-/
Some final notes & instructions on the eve of Meet Weekend:
When you arrive on Saturday/Sunday, please feel free to fill out a name tag! There will be plenty for folks to use if they wish. These are just one of the goodies that will be available on both days - window/bumper stickers and *new* business cards will be among the other items.
My thanks to Jason H for printing the copies of the itineraries for the weekend. There should at least be enough for there to be one per car, hopefully we have a few extras for those interested.
The weather for Saturday is expected to be unseasonably chilly, so please be prepared for that. Either way, I don't think it's anything we can't handle. The forecast does improve for Sunday as of this moment.
Lastly, thank you all in advance for coming this weekend and I'm looking forward to seeing all of you. I hope everyone enjoys their stay and has a great time!
I won't be there either due to scheduling conflicts this month. Please accept my sincere apologies.
Quote from: Brandon on February 15, 2024, 06:13:07 PM
I won't be there either due to scheduling conflicts this month. Please accept my sincere apologies.
:-/
In case theres any confusion, the meeting begins at 10 AM central time. Any times you see listed on the itineraries for the weekend reflect the local time in NOLA. Thanks and see you later!
This is the first chance I've had since the weekend to chime in on things after the fact, but I want to take a second to thank all of you who came down to New Orleans this past weekend and took part in perhaps the largest road meet gathering on the Gulf Coast in the last 25 years. So many of you came from so far away to be a part of the weekend and I truly appreciate that each one of you wanted to be there and took the time to make the trip. I sincerely hope that each of you who were at the various events that were part of the weekend walked away from this weekend feeling like it was well worth your while. If I decide to do something along these lines again some day in the future, I hope to see you all again in attendance!
I'm currently still in the midst of a two-week trip down south but I hope to upload a photo album about the weekend in the coming days, so keep an eye out for that.
Thanks for another great meet (despite us not being able to attend more than a quarter of it)!
I got back to Lebanon, TN fine on Monday evening, thanks Dan for hosting a fun weekend long meet! :)I got to see lots of New Orleans metro I probably would not have normally seen and managed to clinch 5 new parishes while on this trip, great seeing everyone and made a few new friends too. Hope to see a lot of you at Cody's meet and Jeff Kitsko's meet, I hope to make it to A.J. city meet too but will wait and see on that one.
Video of the New Orleans Road Meet, Day 1, for anyone who wants to relive the day, or for those who couldn't attend in person. Sorry for the crap audio quality. Next time I do this, I'm going to wire Dan for sound with a deadcat to get rid of the wind noise!
Jason
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpDexKKxEg0
And for those who follow me on Facebook, I just posted my pics from the road meet last weekend on my page.
The Day 2 "Pre-Meet" driving tour was filmed and has been uploaded to YouTube as of the other day:
Jason H also filmed the Day 2 driving tour for his YouTube channel and that video is now available for those interested:
Dan, thanks for putting together an awesome road meet! As I had never attended a road meet before, I did not know what to expect, and I was pleasantly surprised to enjoy spending the weekend with everybody I met. The Day 1 video Jason posted looks great, and I can't wait to check out the other vids from the weekend! I look forward to many more road meets in the future, and who knows, maybe in a year or two I might want to host one!