2017 Meets

[hbelkins]

While some of the comments above do have merit, especially A.J.'s about meets giving an excuse to go somewhere you might not otherwise, to me it seems that the social aspect of these meets has gone a bit overboard. There are pre-meet meals, post-meet meals, post-meet activities, etc. Not being a particularly social person, I usually skip out on those, especially post-meet activities if I'm leaving town and want to make decent progress on the road before it gets dark.

[US71]

I'm not being rude in writing this, but where does everyone's love of roadmeets come from?  I've been to several over the years, and while I admit that they are fun, it seems like it's simple enough to check out road projects on one's own. 

I find that I have way more flexibility to take photographs of something without dragging 15 people behind me.  Again, not being rude, I just don't fully understand it.

I fully understand, but the meets are good for meeting people in person who you've only spoken to on-line.  The Birmingham meet was an excuse for me to go to Alabama for the first time in 20-something years. I did some exploring on my own before and after the meet, including revisiting a couple stops we just grazed over.

Pre-meet and post-meet are an opportunity to relax and get to know people a little better. Admittedly, they are not everyone's cup of tea. I'm not an overly social person, but around fellow road enthusiasts, I find myself relaxing a bit more. But it's ones personal prerogative. 

[Alps]

While some of the comments above do have merit, especially A.J.'s about meets giving an excuse to go somewhere you might not otherwise, to me it seems that the social aspect of these meets has gone a bit overboard. There are pre-meet meals, post-meet meals, post-meet activities, etc. Not being a particularly social person, I usually skip out on those, especially post-meet activities if I'm leaving town and want to make decent progress on the road before it gets dark.

It's not overboard at all, IMO. People in the area love seeing each other. I would gladly share Friday night, Saturday lunch and dinner, and Sunday morning if I was in the area.

[A.J. Bertin]

While some of the comments above do have merit, especially A.J.'s about meets giving an excuse to go somewhere you might not otherwise, to me it seems that the social aspect of these meets has gone a bit overboard. There are pre-meet meals, post-meet meals, post-meet activities, etc. Not being a particularly social person, I usually skip out on those, especially post-meet activities if I'm leaving town and want to make decent progress on the road before it gets dark.

The problem I've had over the last couple of years or so is when the meet tours last way beyond what (at least, what I consider) a reasonable tour length would be. I generally don't like it when the meets become day-long affairs, but it depends on the situation (including whether or not I have my own car) and who's there. If we meet up for lunch and the tour starts, say, around 1:00, I'm usually wanting things to wrap up around 5. If it goes too much beyond 5:30 or 6, I start to become impatient and want it to be done.

As far as the social aspect of meets going "overboard" is concerned, I don't necessarily agree with that. Some road geeks really enjoy the extra social time. To each his (or her) own. If you're not interested, no one is forcing you to participate. For me personally, sometimes I will participate and sometimes I won't. It depends on timing, who all is there, how withdrawn I'm wanting to be (yes... I tend to be introverted), and if there's anything in particular I want to see on my own in the area while there's still daylight. A lot of times (especially if I'm staying at a hotel by myself) I would rather go and relax at the hotel and get have quiet time to myself than go out with a big group. Again... it all depends on many factors.

[hbelkins]

The problem I've had over the last couple of years or so is when the meet tours last way beyond what (at least, what I consider) a reasonable tour length would be. I generally don't like it when the meets become day-long affairs, but it depends on the situation (including whether or not I have my own car) and who's there. If we meet up for lunch and the tour starts, say, around 1:00, I'm usually wanting things to wrap up around 5. If it goes too much beyond 5:30 or 6, I start to become impatient and want it to be done.

I'm with you there. Most of the early meets started out only as lunch and a couple of hours or so of touring. Like you, I tend to get fidgety the later it gets in the day, especially if I have a motel reservation a couple of hours away and don't want to be driving in the dark.

If I do a New River Gorge Bridge/Beckley meet, I'm probably going to do it in two separate segments. Meet at the the welcome center at 10 a.m., divide up into groups, and go down into the gorge at your own pace without scheduled stops. Then lunch on your own and reconvene at around 1:30 or 2 for the other parts (most likely only the East Beckley Bypass construction and the Coalfields Expressway stub, unless I can some up with something else nearby to see.)

[cl94]

I agree. I think 5-6 hours is pushing it for a group tour. I plan to keep my Adirondacks meet down to 4ish hours or less (again, date coming once I get a schedule).

[US 81]

A Texas meet sounds like fun!

[Dougtone]

While I am probably not in the business of hosting many more road meets in the future (although I do have a handful of meets that I still want to host, including one in 2017), I do like to try to make it to a handful of meets during the year. Often times it is a good reason to catch up with familiar faces or to check out areas that I may not normally get to see. More so than a meet, I do like the opportunities to just get together with a couple of friends in the road hobby and drive around for the day with a more flexible agenda.

As for meet tours, I agree, if you make a group tour too long, some people start to become disengaged if the tour is too long. In some cases for some meets I've hosted (such as Buffalo 2008), I've broken up the tours into two parts for people who decide to skip out after the first tour is done, giving the attendee more flexibility. In other instances, like in Bennington, Portsmouth and Watertown, I was afforded a smaller or more compact number of things to show on a tour, thus making the tour a little shorter.

[A.J. Bertin]

...I am probably not in the business of hosting many more road meets in the future...

Aww... no? That's a bummer.

As for meet tours, I agree, if you make a group tour too long, some people start to become disengaged if the tour is too long. In some cases for some meets I've hosted (such as Buffalo 2008), I've broken up the tours into two parts for people who decide to skip out after the first tour is done, giving the attendee more flexibility.

I like the idea of having flexibility like that in a meet. I know sometimes the host will include an option after the main tour is done to show interested attendees some other things in the evening. Usually when that option is presented, I decline.

[A.J. Bertin]

The problem I've had over the last couple of years or so is when the meet tours last way beyond what (at least, what I consider) a reasonable tour length would be. I generally don't like it when the meets become day-long affairs, but it depends on the situation (including whether or not I have my own car) and who's there. If we meet up for lunch and the tour starts, say, around 1:00, I'm usually wanting things to wrap up around 5. If it goes too much beyond 5:30 or 6, I start to become impatient and want it to be done.

I'm with you there. Most of the early meets started out only as lunch and a couple of hours or so of touring. Like you, I tend to get fidgety the later it gets in the day, especially if I have a motel reservation a couple of hours away and don't want to be driving in the dark.

Usually I prefer to stay overnight in the same general area around where the meet is based - on the night after the meet is over. Part of this preference stems from my desire to avoid much driving after dark, and spending the night in the city where the meet is based gives me the opportunity to "experience" that city in a different way. I posted something a while back (I think on AARoads) where I mentioned one reason I love staying at hotels in all sorts of different cities. Another advantage for me of staying overnight in the same town as the meet is that I could get some much-needed alone time relaxing (not driving) after being in a group with lots of other people for several hours in a day.

If I do a New River Gorge Bridge/Beckley meet, I'm probably going to do it in two separate segments. Meet at the the welcome center at 10 a.m., divide up into groups, and go down into the gorge at your own pace without scheduled stops. Then lunch on your own and reconvene at around 1:30 or 2 for the other parts....

Sounds like an interesting way of organizing the meet! I'm not sure I will attend this meet - but I like your idea!

[Dougtone]

That's not necessarily a bad thing. Other people want to host meets in this part of the country these days, so I want to see them do so successfully. I'm still open to hosting meets and am looking at Ashtabula this fall, maybe something in New England again at some point down the road.

...I am probably not in the business of hosting many more road meets in the future...

Aww... no? That's a bummer.

As for meet tours, I agree, if you make a group tour too long, some people start to become disengaged if the tour is too long. In some cases for some meets I've hosted (such as Buffalo 2008), I've broken up the tours into two parts for people who decide to skip out after the first tour is done, giving the attendee more flexibility.

I like the idea of having flexibility like that in a meet. I know sometimes the host will include an option after the main tour is done to show interested attendees some other things in the evening. Usually when that option is presented, I decline.

[codyg1985]

I would like to request that for those of you that have proposed having a meet in this thread, respond whether or not you are still planning on hosting those meets and/or provide more details about the meet.

I see some of you have done that already.

[dgolub]

I would like to request that for those of you that have proposed having a meet in this thread, respond whether or not you are still planning on hosting those meets and/or provide more details about the meet.

I'm still planning on doing one of the two possibilities that I had floated at some point this year.  I'm leaning toward NYC-area bridge construction for now because Pennsylvania will be easier for me to scout out some time next year once I've moved out of the city and purchased a car.

[hbelkins]

I would like to request that for those of you that have proposed having a meet in this thread, respond whether or not you are still planning on hosting those meets and/or provide more details about the meet.

I see some of you have done that already.

Since Lexington is so close by, I am going to keep that one in my back pocket since I could always put something together if or when I determine there's enough to see on a meet tour.

Sometimes meets can jump up out of the blue, and sometimes you can have them on ice for months or years. For the 2013 Ashland/Huntington Tri-State meet, I had scouted that one out well in advance. I actually had the basics of the tour worked out two or three years in advance of the meet and always had doing it in the back of my mind. Once work started on the Ironton-Russell Bridge, it was easy to put a tour together. The hard part was finding a restaurant, but Fat Patty's worked out pretty well.

But the Pikeville meet I did that fall was about as close to "out-of-the-blue" as could be. My wife was gone for a few days, I got bored and decided to drive up there to check out some of the construction and it hit me, "Hey, it would be easy to put together a meet centered on this." This was in late August/early September; the meet was in October.

If I do put together a New River Gorge/Beckley meet, I will have to find the opportunity to go back up there and scout it out before I pull the trigger on it. But I do know that I want to do it after the time changes (to give more daylight later in the day) but before everything leafs out and blooms so visibility will be good.

[74/171FAN]

I would like to request that for those of you that have proposed having a meet in this thread, respond whether or not you are still planning on hosting those meets and/or provide more details about the meet.

I'm still planning on doing one of the two possibilities that I had floated at some point this year.  I'm leaning toward NYC-area bridge construction for now because Pennsylvania will be easier for me to scout out some time next year once I've moved out of the city and purchased a car.

I could probably scout the Lehigh Valley for you if necessary within the next year.  Though for clinching purposes NYC-area interstates should be a higher priority.

[cl94]

I would like to request that for those of you that have proposed having a meet in this thread, respond whether or not you are still planning on hosting those meets and/or provide more details about the meet.

I'm still planning on doing one of the two possibilities that I had floated at some point this year.  I'm leaning toward NYC-area bridge construction for now because Pennsylvania will be easier for me to scout out some time next year once I've moved out of the city and purchased a car.

I could probably scout the Lehigh Valley for you if necessary within the next year.  Though for clinching purposes NYC-area interstates should be a higher priority.

Depending on when a NYC meet is, I could probably stay with family for free. That would obviously be preferable and I could use the opportunity to clinch the last couple things I need on Long Island.

[dgolub]

I would like to request that for those of you that have proposed having a meet in this thread, respond whether or not you are still planning on hosting those meets and/or provide more details about the meet.

I'm still planning on doing one of the two possibilities that I had floated at some point this year.  I'm leaning toward NYC-area bridge construction for now because Pennsylvania will be easier for me to scout out some time next year once I've moved out of the city and purchased a car.

I could probably scout the Lehigh Valley for you if necessary within the next year.  Though for clinching purposes NYC-area interstates should be a higher priority.

What do you still need to clinch?  I could see whether or not it fits into the route.

[74/171FAN]

I would like to request that for those of you that have proposed having a meet in this thread, respond whether or not you are still planning on hosting those meets and/or provide more details about the meet.

I'm still planning on doing one of the two possibilities that I had floated at some point this year.  I'm leaning toward NYC-area bridge construction for now because Pennsylvania will be easier for me to scout out some time next year once I've moved out of the city and purchased a car.

I could probably scout the Lehigh Valley for you if necessary within the next year.  Though for clinching purposes NYC-area interstates should be a higher priority.

What do you still need to clinch?  I could see whether or not it fits into the route.

I maybe should have mentioned pretty much everything that is not I-78, I-95/NJTP, I-287 from NJ 208 to the NJ/NY line, and most of I-87 between I-95 and the Saw Mill River Pkwy.   

I think your route will be fine either way.

[SSOWorld]

Keeping La Crosse my back pocket as well.  (Won't happen this year) - since I've got a work schedule that won't permit much time off.  I also will offer the highwayman394 the opportunity as well (keeping in mind Minneapolis and Kankakee).

[A.J. Bertin]

Keeping La Crosse my back pocket as well.  (Won't happen this year)

La Crosse is another meet I am quite interested in attending. I'm actually kinda relieved you're not thinking about this year for that one - because there are already a lot of meets for 2017 being discussed that I want to attend.

[jpi]

Right now I have 2 central PA meets on the back burner but plan to do one of them next year and another the following year and I may do another Memphis area meet sometime next year after I-269 opens up.

[hbelkins]

Right now I have 2 central PA meets on the back burner but plan to do one of them next year and another the following year and I may do another Memphis area meet sometime next year after I-269 opens up.

Yeah, I had Tennessee's interstates all clinched until 269 opened and was signed.

[noelbotevera]

I'm also out of the question. The closest meets to me are four hours away (Binghamton and New York City), and we don't have the time for those two.

[US71]

Right now I have 2 central PA meets on the back burner but plan to do one of them next year and another the following year and I may do another Memphis area meet sometime next year after I-269 opens up.

Yeah, I had Tennessee's interstates all clinched until 269 opened and was signed.

Is it signed? I was through there a few months ago and it wasn't, unless I was in the wrong neighborhood?

[hbelkins]

Right now I have 2 central PA meets on the back burner but plan to do one of them next year and another the following year and I may do another Memphis area meet sometime next year after I-269 opens up.

Yeah, I had Tennessee's interstates all clinched until 269 opened and was signed.

Is it signed? I was through there a few months ago and it wasn't, unless I was in the wrong neighborhood?

I'm not sure. I thought portions were signed in both states.