Québec City Road Meet - 11 OCTOBER 2014 - Dates and Announcements

[Dr Frankenstein]

Hey everyone. I'm starting a new thread in order to run a poll for choosing the date of the Québec Road Meet this fall.

I think it goes without saying that Québec is a beautiful city with an European vibe that is unmatched in North America. Well, it is also full of highway stubs and scenic roads, not to mention that it has one of the highest amounts of freeway miles (er, kilometres) per capita.

Speaking good French is not required neither for the meet nor for visiting. Just bring a phrase book and be a tourist (they're used to having tourists).

So, pick your date while I try to cook up a tour of the city! 27 September was intentionally left out as an option because I'm unavailable that weekend.



FINAL DATE IS 11 OCTOBER. Rendezvous at noon at the St-Hubert restaurant, 500 rue de l'Aréna, Saint-Nicolas, QC. Just off of R-116 and A-20.

Meet Itinerary

Google Maps

[Janko Dialnice]

I have already applied to get off from work from September 18-21, and I already have plans of going to "La Belle Province" anyway. If the meet is on the 20th, I would like to join you guys.

[oscar]

The last three dates definitely work for me, but Sept. 20 works best.  Oct. 11 would let me combine this with Duke87's Merritt Parkway meet the following weekend, though Duke87 indicated he'd prefer non-consecutive weekends for the two meets.

The first two September dates could work for me if the pick is made by August 19.  But I need to schedule a non-roads event for one of those two weekends, and I might or might not be able to move my event to the weekend not used for the Quebec meet.

I've done a lot of roadgeeking on previous visits to Quebec city (not the newer autoroute extensions in the vicinity), but have wanted to go back for more including the touristy stuff.

[Alps]

If I do my poutine run over Labor Day, I'm not coming back just for this. If I feel like combining them, then I'm in.

[vdeane]

I can do any, though I would prefer it not be a consecutive weekend with either Labor Day or the Merritt meet.

[froggie]

As things stand now, I can make any of those dates listed.  However, my preference is for the 4th as the following week is a school break and I'll be slightly less distracted by schoolwork.

I'm sure Doug will chime in here, but he mentioned to me that he would be unable to attend any September dates.

[Duke87]

I can make it to any of those dates although the 11th is the weekend before my Merritt Parkway meet and I'm assuming that causes inconvenience for more people than it causes convenience.

For me it'd be nice to do a smidge of scouting the weekend of the 11th although I can just as easily do that the weekend before. For the Merritt we're not dealing with major construction so I'm not too worried about intel becoming rapidly out of date (as was a problem with New Haven) and I already have an easy backup plan in case the one thing I know might be a snafu turns out to be one.

[Dougtone]

True, October will be easier for me to attend, as I have other travel plans that will take me out of attendance for any September date in question.  But please, don't feel that you have to pick a date that works best for me.

[cu2010]

Either of the October dates would be better for me...I need to get a replacement vehicle before making the trip, and I still need to get my EDL, and we all know how long it takes Albany to do anything.

[jpi]

Have fun guys! Unfortunently I am out for this one, I will be in central PA around the weekend of the 20th but way too far for me to make in one day since I have my annual BIG toy show in Hershey on the 21, last years tom Tom meet on same weekend was my limit. Hopefully some day I would like to make a meet north of the border. :-)

[Dr Frankenstein]

I'll also take requests in case there are things you want to see. There's no guarantee that they'll be included in the tour, but it might be things that are close by and that I didn't think about.

Also, 4 October is leading. I'll close the poll on the 15th of August.

[Dr Frankenstein]

UPDATE - I just found out that I had prior plans that I cannot miss or reschedule for the 4th of October, which means that this date is out. So far, 20 September is leading.

[Janko Dialnice]

Due to an previously-unforeseen deadline at work, I will not be able to get off on my birthday or the day after as I had first hoped. I might be able to take off the early part of the following week, but that won't work. I would have to leave the morning of the meet, and probably get in town around 2:00 PM or so. Unless I know about any post-meet activities, the hotels you guys would be staying in, etc, my chances to hang out with you are pretty much nil.

[mtantillo]

So is the 20th the date?

[froggie]

Doesn't look like he's made a decision yet.  For my part, if the 4th is out, I'd prefer the 11th.

[Janko Dialnice]

My next vacation will be taking place just outside of the range of dates (October 30-November 2), and it's more than likely that I will be staying around Montréal and Gatineau rather than Québec City.
Please let me know if there will be a handout with the tour route, and I can check out QC on my own when I get up that way.

[vdeane]

Hopefully we'll hear soon.  I need to (re) schedule something in September, and it would help to know when the date is.

[Dr Frankenstein]

So far, 20 September and 11 October are tied. Both work for me. If anyone has voted both but has a preference for one of them, speak up!

[cu2010]

10/11 is better for me.

[oscar]

9/20 works better for me -- more daylight for the non-Interstate/Autoroute travel I'd take there and back.  Warmer temperatures too.

[Alps]

9/20 is my only hope.

[vdeane]

Changing my vote.  While October 11 is right on top of the Merritt Parkway meet, has less daylight, and will have heavy border traffic due to the holiday weekend, the fact that I get off on Columbus Day means that I could spend an extra day clinching things, getting more highways at a more relaxed pace.

[froggie]

and will have heavy border traffic due to the holiday weekend

Not in my area...

[oscar]

Changing my vote.  While October 11 is right on top of the Merritt Parkway meet, has less daylight, and will have heavy border traffic due to the holiday weekend, the fact that I get off on Columbus Day means that I could spend an extra day clinching things, getting more highways at a more relaxed pace.

OTOH, isn't Columbus Day in the U.S. also Thanksgiving in Canada?  Maybe no direct impact on the meet, since it'd be the Saturday before, but could it affect availability of lodgings and other traveler services in Canada that weekend due to more Canadians traveling out of town?

[froggie]

In my admittedly limited experience, lodging during major holidays isn't much of a problem in large cities unless there's something else going on.