I'm presuming that the meets for this year are over, unless someone is planning one they haven't announced yet.
So, what's on tap for 2011? Anyone have anything in mind (location and rough estimate of a timeframe?)
So far I know Adam Moss wants to do one in northern New Jersey in March, and Doug Kerr plans one in Watertown, NY in late summer or early fall.
Other preliminary thoughts?
I am due to host another meet next year, as I have been doing one every two years, but have not decided on a location. I'm considering something in the western part of Kentucky (Bowling Green or Hopkinsville/Land Between The Lakes area) but am not sold on that option. At the moment I can't really come up with anything in Kentucky or nearby parts of West Virginia that would be of interest.
I hope one of next year's meets will coincide with one of my vists. Unfortunately the events I attend in North America are during the weekend which is when most meets take place. If there's a meet on a Monday or Friday it would be perfect.
There will be a Central Jersey meet in mid to late summer tentatively - I need to coordinate that around late winter/early spring to pin down a weekend. It revolves around a construction tour of the NJ Turnpike. I also have eyes on a Montreal meet, which would probably be closer to April or May depending on how construction goes up that way.
It's been about 5 years since a Columbus meet. I'd say its about due.
There should also be a south Jersey meet. We could go see the construction for the new access road to the Atlantic City Airport as well as the new NJ 52 bridge to Ocean City.
True. That's a lot of NJ for one year though...
I'd like to try again for an Ark-La-Tex meet now that more work is underway on I-49, but I don't have my show schedule set-up yet.
On Facebook, Brian Powell said he's interested in doing something in the Morgantown-Fairmont area of West Virginia, which would be eminently doable for me. And Brian Rawsom-Ketchum said he might do something in Michigan.
I'd probably have to choose one of the two Jersey meets. And since I don't have a passport and don't speak French, Montreal would probably be a no-go for me as well.
Quote from: hbelkins on November 24, 2010, 09:21:04 AMI'd probably have to choose one of the two Jersey meets. And since I don't have a passport and don't speak French, Montreal would probably be a no-go for me as well.
In Montreal I was able to barely get by with the four basic phrases (for "hello," "goodbye," "thank you," and "could you please point me to the restroom?"), plus subtly indicating that I wasn't a Canadian so people would tolerate my not knowing French.
I could swing something in Montreal, if I could combine it with the Trans-Labrador Highway trip I've penciled in for next summer. But that trip will mean a lot of mileage in other parts of Quebec, and for that I'll probably have to learn a little more French than I needed for Montreal.
Quote from: AlpsROADS on November 23, 2010, 09:31:16 PM
I also have eyes on a Montreal meet, which would probably be closer to April or May depending on how construction goes up that way.
If you do one, April would be easier for me (it's only a two hour drive from Potsdam), thought I might be able to squeeze it in May. I'd definitely be interested in going as long a knowing French isn't a prereq.
Quote from: AlpsROADS on November 23, 2010, 09:31:16 PM
There will be a Central Jersey meet in mid to late summer tentatively - I need to coordinate that around late winter/early spring to pin down a weekend. It revolves around a construction tour of the NJ Turnpike. I also have eyes on a Montreal meet, which would probably be closer to April or May depending on how construction goes up that way.
Let me know if you want some help coordinating the Central Jersey meet.
Richard Ruffner had mentioned awhile back about organizing a follow-up meet in Dayton, to highlight much of the progress of the I-75 reconstruction through the downtown area...and the, I believe, finally-completed I-70/75 interchange, which only took about 8 years to complete. :P
I've contemplated doing one in Williamsport that would cover the US 15 upgrades/construction.
Per some discussion last year, I was looking at doing a DC area meet sometime in the spring, focusing on the ICC, with some of it open to traffic and the rest under construction.
I'm hoping to put something together for a Charleston, SC meet next fall. There's a large bridge located there that people may be interested in seeing.
Quote from: PAHighways on November 24, 2010, 12:55:10 PM
I've contemplated doing one in Williamsport that would cover the US 15 upgrades/construction.
I'd be there if at all possible. My dad's house is less than 40 miles from there.
Sounding as if there will be a plethora of meets to choose from next year.
A South Carolina meet would be good for me, as it would give me a decent shot at clinching North Carolina's counties. That's the next state that is reasonably within reach for me.
I'd be interested in attending several of these, but scheduling will be of utmost importance.
Quote from: US71 on November 23, 2010, 10:33:34 PM
I'd like to try again for an Ark-La-Tex meet now that more work is underway on I-49, but I don't have my show schedule set-up yet.
Is that the one that's supposed to be in April? I'm pushing my winter vacation back to spring to accommodate it - would like to know within the next couple of weeks how definite this is going to be...
Quote from: deanej on November 24, 2010, 11:33:44 AM
Quote from: AlpsROADS on November 23, 2010, 09:31:16 PM
I also have eyes on a Montreal meet, which would probably be closer to April or May depending on how construction goes up that way.
If you do one, April would be easier for me (it's only a two hour drive from Potsdam), thought I might be able to squeeze it in May. I'd definitely be interested in going as long as knowing French isn't a prereq.
For all of you who are worried... I would make sure that we're eating at a place where the waitress understands English, although we would have a Francophone or 3 at the table to help. Dinner can also be had as a group, and people can stay the night on the US side if they're concerned. I really don't think linguistic ability should be an issue.
Mine is on the officially happening list, I am already working ahead for 2012, and am possibly look into a tour with my meet in winter 2012. However, as for an Atlantic City meet, I considered that a lot, but outside of 52, the ACE and some minor stuff there isn't all that much.
I second AlpsROADS; you can get around in Montreal with not much French, and they're usually very open for tourists. Pretty much everyone knows at least a bit of English.
Plus, I'll be at the table if any translation is needed.
The only time I was in Montreal I did the following:
I just started speaking English. They stared at me. I then continued speaking English. They continued staring at me. I continued speaking English. They then gave up and started speaking perfect English.
I'm pretty sure most Montrealers speak English, they just don't want to.
This was at a McDonalds downtown at about midnight as we were passing through, so small sample size may apply.
I'd be hugely interested in a Montreal meet if it were during the school year and would definitely shift my schedule around to make it there.
Quote from: corco on November 26, 2010, 12:42:54 PM
The only time I was in Montreal I did the following:
I just started speaking English. They stared at me. I then continued speaking English. They continued staring at me. I continued speaking English. They then gave up and started speaking perfect English.
I'm pretty sure most Montrealers speak English, they just don't want to.
When there, I make a feeble attempt to speak French. Those who can will usually quickly switch the conversation to English, because they appreciate my making the effort and/or to stop me from continuing to mangle their language.
If I knew so much as a word of French (a language I would actually really like to learn), that would be a better course of action for sure, because you're not conveying the "I'm an American. Do what I want. Now." attitude.
Quote from: corco on November 26, 2010, 12:42:54 PMThis was at a McDonalds downtown at about midnight as we were passing through, so small sample size may apply.
I think your sample was representative. About half of the residents of Montréal have English as their mother tongue, and Montréal has some districts (Westmount, Outremont) which are traditionally English-speaking. A very high proportion of the population, probably a majority, has some fluency in both French and English. However, the etiquette is always to start a conversation with a stranger using French, not English, and this is equally true for Anglophones as for Francophones.
My French is barbaric but I haven't had trouble in Québec or, for that matter, France. My German is far worse, but I have ordered at McDonald's in German and managed to make myself understood despite speaking German words with vowels and consonants from Kansas. "Ich bin ein Büffel. Ich möchte einen Salat, bitte."
It's not so much the "I'm American, do what I want" image than the "I might be from Montreal but I don't give a damn about ordering in the official language" one because, as one said it earlier, a proportion of Montreal isn't Francophone (either English or some other language, often with English as their second langauge and not French). As I said in another thread, Quebecers are extremely protective about their language and culture, as if they were some kind of threatened indigenous group (which isn't the case... but I'm not going more off-topic than that).
Usually when they know you're a tourist, you should get served in English. And I'd be very surprised if a restaurant waiter in Montreal couldn't take orders in English.
tl;dr: Not speaking French isn't an excuse not go to to a Montreal meet. ;)
I would like to host another meet at some point, possibly a Lawton/SW OK area meet (we could trace Old US 62 much like we did Old US 64 in Tulsa), but due to my schedule it would probably have to be on a Tuesday or a Wednesday, and I doubt that enough people could be around to make it worthwhile.
Quote from: Scott5114 on November 26, 2010, 11:11:47 PM
I would like to host another meet at some point, possibly a Lawton/SW OK area meet (we could trace Old US 62 much like we did Old US 64 in Tulsa), but due to my schedule it would probably have to be on a Tuesday or a Wednesday, and I doubt that enough people could be around to make it worthwhile.
At this time, Tuesday-Wednesday works for me a little better.
Quote from: froggie on November 24, 2010, 01:11:27 PM
Per some discussion last year, I was looking at doing a DC area meet sometime in the spring, focusing on the ICC, with some of it open to traffic and the rest under construction.
Yes, this! Mike Pruett and I have been discussing hosting a meet at this exact time of year with this exact intention! It's as if we subconsciously read your mind.
As for Montreal...I visited the city four years ago while I was on a snowboarding trip to Mt. Tremblant, Quebec, and what I found is that how you say hello to someone clues them in to what language is your native. When I would go around saying just "Bonjour!" they assumed that I was a native French speaker! I then learned to say "Bonjour! Hello! Je parle francais but I speak English better."
I do actually know some French, so I would do my best to speak solely in French. The locals got a huge kick out of this and would help me out! They would critique me (positively) and teach me new words. We typically talked in a mix of French and English (mostly english) and it was fun, because I was able to help them practice their English, too. It was super fun. I don't know if this is the typical experience, or if they were just ultra nice because I was a 19 year old girl at the time ;)
Quote from: Laura Bianca on November 27, 2010, 12:16:38 PM
As for Montreal...I visited the city four years ago while I was on a snowboarding trip to Mt. Tremblant, Quebec, and what I found is that how you say hello to someone clues them in to what language is your native.
Wonder what they'd make of "Howdy, y'all?"
(Or, as they say one county to my south, "How's you'uns doing?")
Quote from: hbelkins on November 27, 2010, 11:06:14 PM
Quote from: Laura Bianca on November 27, 2010, 12:16:38 PM
As for Montreal...I visited the city four years ago while I was on a snowboarding trip to Mt. Tremblant, Quebec, and what I found is that how you say hello to someone clues them in to what language is your native.
Wonder what they'd make of "Howdy, y'all?"
(Or, as they say one county to my south, "How's you'uns doing?")
Probably the same as they do around Acadiana in Louisiana.
Quote from: Laura Bianca on November 27, 2010, 12:16:38 PM
Quote from: froggie on November 24, 2010, 01:11:27 PM
Per some discussion last year, I was looking at doing a DC area meet sometime in the spring, focusing on the ICC, with some of it open to traffic and the rest under construction.
Yes, this! Mike Pruett and I have been discussing hosting a meet at this exact time of year with this exact intention! It's as if we subconsciously read your mind.
As for Montreal...I visited the city four years ago while I was on a snowboarding trip to Mt. Tremblant, Quebec, and what I found is that how you say hello to someone clues them in to what language is your native. When I would go around saying just "Bonjour!" they assumed that I was a native French speaker! I then learned to say "Bonjour! Hello! Je parle francais but I speak English better."
I do actually know some French, so I would do my best to speak solely in French. The locals got a huge kick out of this and would help me out! They would critique me (positively) and teach me new words. We typically talked in a mix of French and English (mostly english) and it was fun, because I was able to help them practice their English, too. It was super fun. I don't know if this is the typical experience, or if they were just ultra nice because I was a 19 year old girl at the time ;)
Laura, you're coming to the Montreal meet then. (: And I know about / am definitely at the DC meet.
I would be interested in hosting a Kansas meet, particularly closer to Lawrence than KC, to showcase the new Turnpike Bridge and US 59.
Quote from: route56 on November 29, 2010, 05:19:03 PM
I would be interested in hosting a Kansas meet, particularly closer to Lawrence than KC, to showcase the new Turnpike Bridge and US 59.
I'd be interested in coming to something like that, schedule permitting. A chance to get some new counties in Missouri (and possibly Kansas) would be great.
I'll be just three hours from Lawrence/KC, so I can be there in all likelihood.
I still have "thoughts" about a meet in central WI (Wausau or Eau Claire)
Wausau had its freeway upgraded and used to have a Freeway-to-freeway interchange that was only a diamond and another that was planned to be a cloverleaf, but was blown apart by NIMBYs. Overall the upgrade was to catch up the freeway to the growth around it.
Eau Claire had a new freeway set up for two routes that were major corridors that originally went through EC and Chippewa Falls on surface arterials (mostly urban multilane with a few out-of-date interchanges, some of which were removed.)
50/50 on whether either will happen. It will be one or the other, not both. It depends on finances to afford the scouting.
Quote from: route56 on November 29, 2010, 05:19:03 PM
I would be interested in hosting a Kansas meet, particularly closer to Lawrence than KC, to showcase the new Turnpike Bridge and US 59.
Count me in as well.
I would definitely be interested in a Kansas meet, schedule permitting.
I've heard about a couple Michigan-area meets discussed for 2011: one that Brian Rawson-Ketchum was going to host around Kalamazoo (MI) or Elkhart (IN)... probably not both though. Another one that's been discussed for Michigan would be an Upper Peninsula road trip (based around Marquette) which would piggyback off the mini-meet we had there in September 2010. This was going to be a longer, more in-depth meet which would cover more territory than we were able to get last year.
What about meets in Wisconsin or Minnesota? A meet in Green Bay or Minneapolis/St. Paul would be fantastic if someone is able to organize one in either of those locations. :spin:
Quote from: A.J. Bertin on January 04, 2011, 10:54:54 PM
What about meets in Wisconsin or Minnesota? A meet in Green Bay or Minneapolis/St. Paul would be fantastic if someone is able to organize one in either of those locations. :spin:
There was talk about a multi-day Twin Cities meet for last year, but it fell through.
(Credible) Rumor has it there will be a Dayton, Ohio meet in May and/or a Columbus meet in late June.
I am aiming for April 9-10 or April 16-17 for Texarkana, depending on which date has more people interested. Tentative would be a full day Saturday, maybe half a day Sunday.
Quote from: A.J. Bertin on January 04, 2011, 10:54:54 PM
I've heard about a couple Michigan-area meets discussed for 2011: one that Brian Rawson-Ketchum was going to host around Kalamazoo (MI) or Elkhart (IN)... probably not both though.
I'll probably push an Elkhart/South Bend meet closer to when the U.S. 31 freeway in that area (http://www.us31plysb.com/) is scheduled to be finished, which won't be this year (though I won't stop anyone else who might want to host one in 2011). But a Kalamazoo-area meetup will most likely happen this year, probably in October. Obviously it's too early to set any details beyond that.
Quote from: getemngo on January 05, 2011, 10:20:27 AM
(Credible) Rumor has it there will be a Dayton, Ohio meet in May and/or a Columbus meet in late June.
Columbus! Columbus! Who needs Dayton?
Quote from: US71 on January 05, 2011, 10:39:20 AM
I am aiming for April 9-10 or April 16-17 for Texarkana, depending on which date has more people interested. Tentative would be a full day Saturday, maybe half a day Sunday.
I'll probably be wanting to get on my way on the Sunday, but we should take advantage of the sunlight to have a nice long Saturday anyway.
Quote from: AlpsROADS on January 05, 2011, 08:50:10 PM
Quote from: getemngo on January 05, 2011, 10:20:27 AM
(Credible) Rumor has it there will be a Dayton, Ohio meet in May and/or a Columbus meet in late June.
Columbus! Columbus! Who needs Dayton?
Last weekend in February then?
Quote from: AlpsROADS on January 05, 2011, 08:50:10 PM
Quote from: getemngo on January 05, 2011, 10:20:27 AM
(Credible) Rumor has it there will be a Dayton, Ohio meet in May and/or a Columbus meet in late June.
Columbus! Columbus! Who needs Dayton?
I'm pretty much equidistant to both of them so I'd be up for one, or both. Both are about four hours from me (Columbus maybe a little further) but it'd be an easy Saturday morning drive.
Quote from: getemngo on January 05, 2011, 10:20:27 AM
(Credible) Rumor has it there will be a Dayton, Ohio meet in May and/or a Columbus meet in late June.
As long as the timing is right (preferably Saturdays), I would definitely want to attend both of those.
Quote from: PAHighways on November 24, 2010, 12:55:10 PM
I've contemplated doing one in Williamsport that would cover the US 15 upgrades/construction.
Maybe we could meet the cast of Jersey Shore while in that area. Oh wait, wrong Jersey Shore. :-D
QuoteOn Facebook, Brian Powell said he's interested in doing something in the Morgantown-Fairmont area of West Virginia, which would be eminently doable for me.
It was brought to my attention this evening that Brian Powell is looking at doing this meet sometime in April.
Quote from: PAHighways on November 24, 2010, 12:55:10 PM
I've contemplated doing one in Williamsport that would cover the US 15 upgrades/construction.
If you wait until it's signed as I-99, the group could replace the I-99 signs with ones for US 15. :-D
P.S.: I really hope that US 15 isn't truncated to Williamsport.