AT LAST. I finally got around to finding time to plan things out.
Now, what I want to know from you guys, is your interest and availability (dates and presence).
Things that are likely to be seen: Highway 417 in Arnprior, Highway 5 in Chelsea and La Pêche, some parkways (probably Ottawa River), and perhaps a covered bridge.
UPDATE: The meet will take place on the 25th of August 2012. RSVP closes on the 19th.
More info to come.
Possible A-50 construction east of Hull? And don't forget the cool interprovince bridges that aren't 5.
The will consider attending this meet depending upon when it is, and if the weather is going to cooperate. I recently took a job where I work 2 weekends out of 5, so my attendance is also dependent upon whether or not I work.
I'll say this about Autoroute 50, it is very cool project, but it well east of the city, and the most interesting stretches of highway (which in my opinion involve the largest rock cuts) are actually surprisingly difficult to easily photograph.
If I do attend, I'll probably camp overnight somewhere near Ottawa (possibly Fitzroy P.P.) and would be open to sharing a campsite. (Camp fires are more fun when they aren't solo anyways). If I attend, I want to drive up Highway 17 through the Ottawa Valley to take some before photos of the highway before it is eventually twinned the next day.
I'm interested, but unavailable for almost all of the summer, including every weekend in July and most or all of them in August. The weekends of June 16 or 23, Labour Day weekend, or most weekends thereafter would work much better for me.
If it's on a weekend I'd possibly be willing to attend. Since I got my passport I've been itching for an excuse to visit Canada (never been).
I could do either the 16th, or the 23rd of june. 23rd is my preference. I am going to a baseball game on the 15th in Toronto and may not be too quick to get up on the Saturday morning. I plan to drive straight from Toronto to the meet.
Any weekend in June with the exception of June 30/July 1 is good for me. July not as much; July 7 looks good right now, July 14 is the alumni weekend and I might be paid help for that, July 21 is ironically a different Ottawa trip (I could ask if I could do both in the same day, since I don't know many of the details for this other other than that I may be driving for it), and July 28 is a trip to Old Forge. August I'm home in Rochester until the 20th; after that I should be good until hockey season starts.
Do you think customs would find it suspicious if I take two trips to Ottawa within a month or two of each other, especially given that that would be three trips to Canada this summer, with the last trip before being three years ago despite going to college in northern NY? I was thinking of staying overnight for Ottawa even though it's just a couple hours away just to be less suspicious to customs (plus I could clinch more highways (the rest of ON 417 and ON 34 in particular; if I get really ambitious, ON 15) and visit the history museum in Hull).
June 23rd is unfortunately not possible for me. June 16th may work; I feel that's quite short notice for everyone, but I don't mind as far as I'm concerned.
Quote from: deanej on June 06, 2012, 12:00:08 PMDo you think customs would find it suspicious if I take two trips to Ottawa within a month or two of each other, especially given that that would be three trips to Canada this summer, with the last trip before being three years ago despite going to college in northern NY?
No. I went from making less than one trip a year in the 'States to making one or more every month, in about a year. Never been bothered about that.
As always, YMMV.
"I'd look suspicious" is not an excuse for cancelling an international trip, in my opinion. :p
I am still in need to get my passport card, but June 23, June 30, July 7 and July 14 are all out for me.
June 16 theoretically works for me despite the short notice. I've PMed you about the only wrinkle (which just got either worse or better, depending on how fast the DMV is).
If it's anytime in August or September, I'm there. June or July, I'm too busy with other stuff.
I'll probably be going to a Dream Theater (progressive metal band) concert on the 16th at night, if anyone is interested. It's in Montebello, off of A-50.
I could do the weekend of June 30th at the earliest.
Also, I would possibly need a place to spend the night, if anyone else is making it an overnight trip and I don't feel up to driving it all in one day.
June 16th is probably a no-go for me. I pretty much need 3 weeks in advance. Anything beyond and including late June is good for me.
I also would be interested in splitting a room with people, or driving up with someone. Let me know. (I'm currently located in North Jersey).
Quote from: yanksfan6129 on June 07, 2012, 12:42:10 AM
June 16th is probably a no-go for me. I pretty much need 3 weeks in advance. Anything beyond and including late June is good for me.
I also would be interested in splitting a room with people, or driving up with someone. Let me know. (I'm currently located in North Jersey).
That might make it more doable for me. The later the better - June is pretty much gone for me. Let's not forget Father's Day is June 17.
Okay. So is September/October better for everyone then?
Nooooo.
Depends on when. Early/mid September is good; later than that depends on the hockey schedule (which isn't completely out yet; the men's is, but the women's isn't) since I help with the production for my college's TV station (kinda important since I'm graduating next year and need to train someone to do everything I do)
Any time before the last week in August is good for me. After that, I will be in the AMERICAN Capital Region until Mid-December...
maybe just run a poll? Pick the date that accommodates the most people?
Quote from: AsphaltPlanet on June 09, 2012, 03:33:48 PM
maybe just run a poll? Pick the date that accommodates the most people?
Great idea. This is now a poll.
Thanks Steve.
By the way, I'm unavailable on both June 23 and June 30.
Quote from: Dr Frankenstein on June 09, 2012, 10:55:22 PM
Thanks Steve.
By the way, I'm unavailable on both June 23 and June 30.
In that case, they are not options. Who says they were options?
Looks like August 25 is the leading date.
Has a date been settled on?
I just booked baseball tickets in Detroit for the weekend of the 25th, so I am out for that date. Plu, I'll be in the Ottawa area this weekend now
Glad I decided to check this forum. Late August or September works for us, since we'll be moving mid-August. My girlfriend asked me a day or two ago if there were any meets in Canada coming up. She's not that much of a road enthusiast herself, but she likes travelling, so it's win-win. :)
It's August 25th or bust for me, still. So let me know.
Quote from: yanksfan6129 on July 16, 2012, 09:57:52 PM
It's August 25th or bust for me, still. So let me know.
Me too. I have August 24th open, but plans filling in quickly.
Two Canadian meets within 2 weeks? Just a little worrysome
Y'all can remove the first two July options from the list of possible dates, unless they're meant for July 2013. Just sayin... :bigass:
HB, keep in mind the poll was created in mid-June.
Quote from: froggie on July 17, 2012, 05:56:33 AM
HB, keep in mind the poll was created in mid-June.
I know, but they could at least keep the poll current and cull the dates that have already passed. Or does the ability to edit a poll not exist?
August 25 is probably best for me too since the upstate NY road meet (I believe Binghamton this year) is usually in September, and WCKN Hockey broadcasts start September 29.
Quote from: hbelkins on July 16, 2012, 10:39:59 PM
Y'all can remove the first two July options from the list of possible dates, unless they're meant for July 2013. Just sayin... :bigass:
No, we'll just use time travel! ;)
I believe August 25 is the date - look for an announcement soon
I can't go that date, but I suppose that isn't a huge deal. I have seen a lot in the Ottawa region this summer. Thinking about it, I'd probably be more interested in a later date anyways, once the 417 extension and Autoroute 50 projects have both been fully completed.
I think it's best for both most people and me that the meet take place on the 25th of August, so it'll be. I have an unplanned-as-of-yet trip to NC that may happen at any time in September.
I'm looking at options for a restaurant, lodging and route, and I'll set up a facebook page tomorrow.
We're switching from "Planning a date" to "Taking RSVPs" now.
This is getting interesting: looks like the WCKN plans for coming back early are starting to fall through (no freshmen signed up for our pre-orientation activity), so I might not be able to make it after all. Clarkson's very restrictive about coming back early due to all the construction.
Quote from: deanej on July 18, 2012, 10:38:19 AM
This is getting interesting: looks like the WCKN plans for coming back early are starting to fall through (no freshmen signed up for our pre-orientation activity), so I might not be able to make it after all. Clarkson's very restrictive about coming back early due to all the construction.
Just say you're coming back early for "work days" to get stuff ready for the new year...we did it all the time with no problems. :)
I'm unlikely to be able to make it, sadly...won't have an EDL in time and my work schedule is a bitch...not like I haven't been there before anyways...
Waiting on the FB page / restaurant... want to figure out whether to stay in Ontario or Quebec... Also, start a new topic here and then open a poll to help with RSVPs.
Quote from: cu2010 on July 19, 2012, 11:00:15 PM
Quote from: deanej on July 18, 2012, 10:38:19 AM
This is getting interesting: looks like the WCKN plans for coming back early are starting to fall through (no freshmen signed up for our pre-orientation activity), so I might not be able to make it after all. Clarkson's very restrictive about coming back early due to all the construction.
Just say you're coming back early for "work days" to get stuff ready for the new year...we did it all the time with no problems. :)
I'm unlikely to be able to make it, sadly...won't have an EDL in time and my work schedule is a bitch...not like I haven't been there before anyways...
There might be other stuff that gets done early since we were originally planning on coming back half a week before pre-orientation to get the fall planned out. Clarkson is getting very stingy with coming back early though, due to Woodstock and parts of Moore being unavailable for housing until classes start.
Quote from: Steve on July 20, 2012, 12:30:39 AM
Waiting on the FB page / restaurant... want to figure out whether to stay in Ontario or Quebec... Also, start a new topic here and then open a poll to help with RSVPs.
Facebook page created: http://www.facebook.com/events/450706798297179
Adding a new poll here for RSVP.
EDIT: Removing poll because you can't see individual responses. If you can't RSVP on facebook, just type it here.
I can tentatively go. I would need some place to stay the night before and after though, so if anyone has a room to share...
Does anyone know whether or not it would be a good idea to drive up Saturday morning since it's at noon? Google says it's over 7 hours for me which would mean leaving at probably 4 AM or earlier.
Quote from: deathtopumpkins on July 21, 2012, 09:23:51 AM
I can tentatively go. I would need some place to stay the night before and after though, so if anyone has a room to share...
Does anyone know whether or not it would be a good idea to drive up Saturday morning since it's at noon? Google says it's over 7 hours for me which would mean leaving at probably 4 AM or earlier.
I leave for roadtrips at 4 AM, so I'm a bad person to ask.
Quote from: Steve on July 21, 2012, 04:07:37 PM
Quote from: deathtopumpkins on July 21, 2012, 09:23:51 AM
I can tentatively go. I would need some place to stay the night before and after though, so if anyone has a room to share...
Does anyone know whether or not it would be a good idea to drive up Saturday morning since it's at noon? Google says it's over 7 hours for me which would mean leaving at probably 4 AM or earlier.
I leave for roadtrips at 4 AM, so I'm a bad person to ask.
My typical leaving time for major trips (like the countless VA-MA trips I used to do) was 3am, but that was a much longer drive and was all I did that day - I wasn't expected to be coherent when I arrived. That's probably what I'll end up doing though.
Quote from: Steve on July 21, 2012, 04:07:37 PM
I leave for roadtrips at 4 AM, so I'm a bad person to ask.
I used to, until I got paranoid about hitting a deer while driving. But after hitting two in less than three months, both in broad daylight, maybe I need to revisit that hesitancy to drive in the pre-dawn hours.
Quote from: deathtopumpkins on July 21, 2012, 09:23:51 AM
Does anyone know whether or not it would be a good idea to drive up Saturday morning since it's at noon? Google says it's over 7 hours for me which would mean leaving at probably 4 AM or earlier.
I suggest allowing a little extra time in case a border agent (who might be more awake than you are) does the math, finds something suspicious in your getting up so early to make the trip, and decides to do a vehicle search. The ones I've been through took 20 minutes, tops.
Quote from: oscar on July 22, 2012, 02:32:45 AM
Quote from: deathtopumpkins on July 21, 2012, 10:59:07 PM
Quote from: Steve on July 21, 2012, 04:07:37 PM
Quote from: deathtopumpkins on July 21, 2012, 09:23:51 AM
I can tentatively go. I would need some place to stay the night before and after though, so if anyone has a room to share...
Does anyone know whether or not it would be a good idea to drive up Saturday morning since it's at noon? Google says it's over 7 hours for me which would mean leaving at probably 4 AM or earlier.
I leave for roadtrips at 4 AM, so I'm a bad person to ask.
My typical leaving time for major trips (like the countless VA-MA trips I used to do) was 3am, but that was a much longer drive and was all I did that day - I wasn't expected to be coherent when I arrived. That's probably what I'll end up doing though.
Quote from: deathtopumpkins on July 21, 2012, 09:23:51 AM
Does anyone know whether or not it would be a good idea to drive up Saturday morning since it's at noon? Google says it's over 7 hours for me which would mean leaving at probably 4 AM or earlier.
I suggest allowing a little extra time in case a border agent (who might be more awake than you are) does the math, finds something suspicious in your getting up so early to make the trip, and decides to do a vehicle search. The ones I've been through took 20 minutes, tops.
Speaking of such things (and I know that we've already sort of beaten this topic to death in this forum), but what is an adequate thing to say to customs?
My plan is to say, when he asks where I'm going and what I'm doing, that I'm going up to Ottawa to meet friends.
Quote from: yanksfan6129 on July 22, 2012, 02:00:48 PM
Speaking of such things (and I know that we've already sort of beaten this topic to death in this forum), but what is an adequate thing to say to customs?
My plan is to say, when he asks where I'm going and what I'm doing, that I'm going up to Ottawa to meet friends.
That's what I'm doing. I'll be there for a weekend to meet friends and see the capital, then come back through Montreal. That's all he needs to know or cares about, that I have a plan that makes sense.
That's what I was planning on saying - meeting friends in Ottawa. Dunno how it could really draw suspicion.
As for leaving time to get across the border, I don't think it'll be that bad since I'll be there early in the morning and was planning on using a minor crossing.
They sometimes get suspicious if all you're doing is going there, visiting friends, and going back the same day, especially for a location of Boston. They even got suspicious when I went from Potsdam to Montreal for that mini-meet (granted, a full roadmeet is longer, I was crossing at Ogdensburg instead of Cornwall, I'm 21 without a job, and I haven't crossed the border on my own often enough to know how to talk to customs agents).
Also of note, I've heard that using a minor crossing in and of itself will raise suspicion if you don't live there (does anyone else hate the fact that Canada asks "where do you live" instead of "where are you coming from"? If those are different, there's pretty much nothing you can do without misleading the customs agent or providing information you weren't asked for, both of which are bad).
What I've found with minor crossings is they make you wait until the next car comes, then they get bored and pass you through.
Quote from: Steve on July 22, 2012, 11:33:31 PM
What I've found with minor crossings is they make you wait until the next car comes, then they get bored and pass you through.
That doesn't seem to apply to the short Cape Vincent-Wolfe Island ferry crossing of the St. Lawrence (in case anyone was thinking of that option, which I definitely do not recommend, at least northbound). There, the two Canada border agents seem to keep themselves busy by doing a full search of one of the vehicles coming off each boatload; seems like they don't get bored easily! Since the boat only carries three or four vehicles, odds are high you'll be picked for a search; sure enough, I got selected (as did someone on the previous boat, and on my way out I saw someone from the next boat getting pulled aside for a search). At least they try to wrap things up within 20 minutes or so, so they can finish with you by the time their next victim arrives.
My other minor-crossings experiences have been more like Steve described, once I provided a logical answer to the inevitable "why are you crossing
here" question.
I've never actually had an issue with minor crossings so far, so I'm knocking on wood. Two excuses that have worked for me – and were truthful – were "I'm tired of waiting in line at the larger crossings" (works if you cross often), or "I'm only expected at [time] so I got plenty of time for sightseeing and photography" (the time target shows you have a plan and a purpose).
As I've said a zillion times, allow 30 minutes for the crossing and you are much more likely to get through in 2 minutes or less than in 30 anyway. The last few times I was only stopped for maybe one minute, and I've pretty much removed large crossings from my itineraries because of the congestion. I get a secondary maybe once every ten passes. Or less.
Quote from: deanej on July 22, 2012, 10:15:12 PM
They sometimes get suspicious if all you're doing is going there, visiting friends, and going back the same day, especially for a location of Boston. They even got suspicious when I went from Potsdam to Montreal for that mini-meet (granted, a full roadmeet is longer, I was crossing at Ogdensburg instead of Cornwall, I'm 21 without a job, and I haven't crossed the border on my own often enough to know how to talk to customs agents).
Also of note, I've heard that using a minor crossing in and of itself will raise suspicion if you don't live there (does anyone else hate the fact that Canada asks "where do you live" instead of "where are you coming from"? If those are different, there's pretty much nothing you can do without misleading the customs agent or providing information you weren't asked for, both of which are bad).
Well I'll probably stay the night after the meet, but is that really necessary information to provide? How do they know you're going to visit friends all in one day? Or that much information about you, like that you didn't have a job? I've never crossed the border before so I don't know what they ask you or what they can look up.
My explanation for taking a minor crossing was going to be either "My GPS told me to" (which is true because Google Maps does suggest a minor NY crossing for me) or "I prefer taking back roads to major highways" (which is also true - I tend to avoid interstates when traveling because back roads are so much more scenic and interesting). I don't think there'd be an issue with it not being the closest border crossing to where I live though since I don't live in a border state and I'm going somewhere that's not just a straight shot across the border. Plus I doubt they'll have ever even heard of the small town I live in to know where it is anyway lol.
Well, they'll ask "how long will you be in Canada", so yes. Both sides with invariably ask some variant of where you're coming from and going to (US like I phrased it, Canada wants "where do you live") and what you're going to do/did in Canada. Canada will almost always ask about what you're bringing with you, particularly if you have alcohol, guns, or cash over $10,000. The US likes to know about what you spent while in Canada and what you're bringing back. Reverse these for anyone reading this post who is a Canadian citizen rather than US (note: US also likes to know about drugs).
In my case, my first issue was probably not knowing how to answer the "where do you live" question (was not expecting it; thought they would ask "where are you coming from"); I answered "my permanent address is in Rochester but I go to college in Potsdam", which while true, probably invited the customs officer to think "illegal immigrant" and ask a ton of follow-up questions to every answer I provided. To make matters worse, when she asked "are you done with school", I just assumed she meant the semester and answered yes; in retrospect, she probably meant "are you graduating". It did not help that my "itinerary" was to drive to Montreal (arrival at 2, and going out of my way via Ogdensburg to clinch part of ON 401), meet with Asphalt Planet for a few hours, possibly have dinner with him and Dr. Frankenstein (turns out he got dinner at the ski resort, but that's neither here nor there for this discussion), and immediately head back. Also of note is that I had never met Asphalt Planet in person before, and also that my car is registered to my Mom and 15 years old; both of these questions were asked). The customs agent also seemed disappointed that all I had in my trunk was jumper cables. At this point I was sent to secondary, where we went through the whole thing again, this time with enough detail that I could not get away with not explaining what a roadgeek was (though I used the term highway enthusiast) without lying, and also questions about employment and what my next obligations in the US were, and the immigration officer taking notes with every response. This ended with the usual import questions (finally something I was prepared to answer!), the officer typing at her computer for five minutes, and me finally being free to continue to Montreal. I'm 21, just finished my junior year of college, and no work other than work study stuff (which I just lost thanks to scholarships and federal regulations; thank god some people are willing to employ not work study, though these jobs are never advertised and often involve a little rule bending), and people in Canada graduate in three years rather than four, a fact I was not aware of until after this crossing. Basically, I had red flags everywhere, which invites extra scrutiny. It does not help that I look like a convicted felon in my passport photo (thankfully I now have an enhanced driver's license now, and I'll be updating my passport soon).
EDIT: Before being referred to immigration, the officer also asked when the last time I was in Canada. This was three years before, on a class trip where Canadian customs never bothered to check ID or anything, so it's possible they didn't have the trip in my records and had to refer to US customs (who spend an hour looking at our passports, driver's licences, and birth certificates, since this was before WHTI went into effect and not everyone had a passport).
US customs was simpler, probably because I'm a US citizen (and crossing at Cornwall, so customs had no way of knowing that I went out of my way to get there). While the US officer found my itinerary to be odd, he didn't see fit to do anything other than keep the interview going while he flipped though the passport, probably out of boredom; it was 8pm by that point, since I had decided to clinch ON 138 and the eastern end of ON 417 on the way back. Still wanted me to explain what a highway enthusiast was though (the question that leads to this is how did you meet your fiend, and what is the internet forum about).
A larger roadmeet would probably be less likely to lend itself to such scrutiny simply due to the larger group size and easier time in finding a way to explain it without having to explain what a roadgeek is; the set itinerary helps too, because you can fall back on the restaurant and tour milestones if you need to rather than try to BS your way though not having an itinerary. Someone with more experience crossing the border can probably do it even easier.
And thus is the tale of what currently is my only time interacting with customs officers.
I have two minor crossing experiences, both heading back to the US. The first time at Mooers (QC 219/NY 22), I ended up getting held for half an hour while I was questioned and searched. The second time at Rouses Point (QC 223/US 11), my cousin and I were waved through after talking to the border guard for about 30 seconds. I presume there is always a lot of YMMV with this sort of thing.
While I do intend to go to this meet if I can, I may not be able to. I will have a definitive answer by the middle of August, possibly sooner.
It's looking like I might be able to attend by virtue of my family staying with my Aunt and Uncle in Hammond (20 min from the Ogdensburg-Prescott Bridge) during the week before classes. I'll do a final RSVP when I have confirmed plans.
I'm thinking of leaving early and clinching ON 417 between Ottawa and ON 138 before the meet; not sure if I will though, since that could add an hour and a half.
As updated on Facebook, I'm in.
I will be in the Ottawa area right before the meet, but as luck would have it, I leave back home on Friday the 24th, the day before the meet. It's a no-go for me. :-/
Alright. What's happening is that my friends recently told me their plan for vacation... a road trip to Virginia Beach. The problem is that their availability is pretty much constrained between Aug. 21 and 28. (Work, sport activities, etc.) Considering the exasperating amount of times that this meet has been put off, I tentatively declined the offer for the trip, but still, it annoys me a bit. Beach vacation and a chance to clinch several routes at once are hard to say no to. THERE IS NO CANCELLATION OR DATE CHANGE AS OF YET, but if anyone has a suggestion to make or even just advice, I'd love to hear. Everyone can also post their availability in September (not Labour Day) in case I decide to go on this vacation.
Interesting... with it not being confirmed that I would be able to stay with my Aunt and Uncle past Friday night or Saturday morning, and Clarkson denying a move in before Saturday due to "construction" (never mind that there are people living in my area right now...), I haven't been sure about meet attendance.
For September, the weekends of the 8th, 15th, and 22nd all work for me. For the following weekend it would have to be Sunday the 30th (first hockey game of the season on the 29th, and WCKN broadcasts all of the home games). I believe Doug Kerr is looking to do a Binghamton meet this fall, which would be in the same time frame. I'm also planning to do a road trip in the Adirondacks, but that will almost certainly be the Saturday before Labor Day, so it won't conflict.
I have a schedule conflict for Sept. 22. Probably also the weekend after Labour Day (a beach trip of my own, if the weather cooperates).
Gonna have to say no if the meet stays with Aug 25; my aunt and uncle will be having a ton of people staying between Saturday and Sunday, so I should move to Clarkson that day.
So here's what could be a plan. The meet still happens, same date and time. I provide a plan and/or points of interest. Those who can come do the tour and hang out. There may be a possibility for a second date for those who can't (including me). How's that?
Quote from: Dr Frankenstein on August 14, 2012, 09:00:09 PM
So here's what could be a plan. The meet still happens, same date and time. I provide a plan and/or points of interest. Those who can come do the tour and hang out. There may be a possibility for a second date for those who can't (including me). How's that?
August 25 is pretty much out for me for various reasons, so a second date (like we did for a Maryland Inter-County Connector meet, done on a Thanksgiving weekend and again a week later) might give me a shot at attending.
Id consider attending on a second date as well, particularly if the 417 extension were to have opened first.
Quote from: Dr Frankenstein on August 14, 2012, 09:00:09 PM
So here's what could be a plan. The meet still happens, same date and time. I provide a plan and/or points of interest. Those who can come do the tour and hang out. There may be a possibility for a second date for those who can't (including me). How's that?
Sounds like a great idea.
Notice to all (potential) attendees:
The morning session will begin at 8:30 AM at the Park and Ride lot in Gatineau. It's located east of the meet restaurant on Chemin d'Aylmer, about 1.6 km/1 mile west of Island Park Drive/Place Samuel de Champlain on the south side of the road. It will cover the Highway 417 construction and a couple of other goodies.
The regular meet will begin at 12:00 PM at Bistro Mexicana, 129 Rue Principale, Gatineau, as planned. It will cover Autoroute 5 construction and several roads and sights around Ottawa.
There is a planned after-meet, time and participant dependent. It will cover Autoroute 50 construction east to Montebello and will take about 3 hours.
I'll have handouts for everyone as well as a ton of maps and other goodies - which will be on display all throughout Saturday. I plan to eat at La Pataterie Hulloise at Blvd. St-Joseph (QC 105) and Blvd. Montclair, just west of the A-5/A-50 interchange, around 8 PM Friday. If you'd like to join.
While I really want to go, unfortunately I discovered that my family made other plans for me that day, so I'm out.
We have a meet photo...
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm8.staticflickr.com%2F7263%2F7875720328_a840ab6d5e.jpg&hash=54e21e44176680704d975c4d796634d31ebda29a)
2012 Canada's Capital Region Road Meet (Ottawa, Ontario) - August 25, 2012
From left to right
Standing - Nick Dubanow, Doug Kerr, Scott Davis, Anthony Costanzo
Kneeling - Steve Alpert
Any plans concerning the potential second meet yet?
Not as of yet, I'm waiting for the St. Lawrence County meet to have a definite date. :)
Just decided to stick with November 3. My best availability for a second Ottawa meet would be either 9/8, 9/15, or 9/22, though 9/30 also works if you feel like looking at Sundays. October I have WCKN stuff pretty much every Saturday (though there are some I could skip if we're looking at October, though I could use the money). This weekend my main priority is to clinch NY 431 and nearby routes.
EDIT: I believe 9/22 is also available for Steve, though I'm not sure if he feels like heading back up since he was at the first Ottawa meet. But who knows.
I am not heading back up :P
Is a September weekend still a possibility for this? My availability on Saturdays drops off after the Sept. 22 weekend.
Okay, then. Who else is available in September?
I could do it the weekend of 9/15. 9/22 weekend is out for me. 9/29 weekend works for me, as would the following weekend in October.
The only weekend that I could do in September are Sunday the 23rd or Sunday the 30th. The first weekend in October is Thanksgiving, so I am out for that weekend
If we're working with Sundays, I'm available 9/15, 9/16, 9/22, 9/23, and 9/30; Saturdays would be easier though (with the exception of 9/30, which is in fall break).
Adding Sundays to the mix doesn't help with my 9/22 weekend conflict, but a Sunday would work with the other weekends in play.
Looks like Sunday Sept. 30 works best. I don't know if you were planning to do the same set of three tours that Steve did; 8:30 AM is a bit early for me making the drive from Potsdam.
Quote from: deanej on September 08, 2012, 01:08:10 PM
Looks like Sunday Sept. 30 works best. I don't know if you were planning to do the same set of three tours that Steve did; 8:30 AM is a bit early for me making the drive from Potsdam.
Sissy.
It's just a bit early, not undoable. If Dr. Frankenstein does the 8:30 start, I will find a way (that would probably involve getting up around 4:45, but for the Sunday of fall break it's more workable than other times would be).
I'll do the 8:30 start if there's enough demand. :p
Go for it; while I prefer not getting up really early, I think I like the idea of a nice long tour more. It's my fall break anyways, so it's not like I'll have to be anywhere the next day.
dude...Potsdam to Ottawa is two hours, tops. Hell, I've done it in about 75 minutes. No reason why you'd have to get up quite THAT early. :p
I'd go if it weren't for this thing called "work"...and this other thing of "no passport or EDL". :)
If only it were that simple; Google says two hours, and I've never timed how long it takes to get from Potsdam to Ottawa with customs factored out (Google doesn't factor it in); it's probably longer for me than you, since I won't speed in NY. There'd also be delays with US 11 in Canton or bypassing it with Waddington (I also tend to stick to main roads for long trips). I do speed in ON, but that and the lower speed limits tend to cancel each other out, so it ends up being the same speed as when I drive in NY. I'm also planning on factoring in half an hour for customs; I've never had it take that long, but better safe than sorry, especially since there's no way for me to pass the trip off as tourism (most people my age go with friends, stay for a weekend, and get drunk; I'll be traveling on my own, to a roadmeet (meeting with friends as far as customs is concerned, though follow-ups invariably lead to AA Roads)), though it probably won't be as bad as the Montreal mini-meet (where I was sent to secondary) simply because I won't be thrown off by being asked "where do you live" instead of "where are you coming from". I've only talked to customs two times before, both this year, with one of them having the main work of explaining the trip be done by a car in front of me (it was the Honors Ottawa trip). I also estimate that it will take about an hour and 15 minutes to get ready to leave; it doesn't always take me this long, but I have no idea how long my morning routine will ever take on a given day; it's as if time moves faster on some days than others. Pretty much all of these times are probably over-estimates, but I prefer to err on the side of being early and staring at a map or hanging out with other people who arrived early rather than being late because something took longer than I anticipated. I've been to a couple of meets where I expected to be way early and used up every second of the extra time I built in to my arrival plans.
Is everyone good with September 29?
Sunday 9/30 would be better for me; Saturday 9/29 is a hockey game (ironically, against Ottawa) and I try to make as many games as possible given that:
a. We don't have someone fully trained to take over for me (this will likely be the first production of any kind this year)
b. These productions are my only source of income this year
c. It's a break game and I'm not sure how many people will be around
That said, I'm not going to prioritize $24 over a road meet if I can help it. We've survived without me before, and it's a women's exhibition game, so people aren't likely to care if the video switching quality is lower than usual. Count me in for either day, unless I'm ordered otherwise. Missing the hockey game might actually allow maintenance time to fix my dorm shower, which would be a plus.
I am out that day. I have a wedding as I noted previously. Have fun.
WCKN says it's fine for me to miss that game. Thankfully one of our new members lives 15 minutes away and already knows how to use the video switcher.
Has the date been set? (This isn't on the AARoads calendar yet, so not sure if next Saturday the 29th is "official".) I have an invite to something down here the afternoon and evening of Sunday the 30th, and need to figure out how much of that other event I can attend.
I was thinking it was just about time to ask when/where we're going to meet on 9/29. I'm up for an early start if everyone else is, might even prefer it, since I could check out the US 11 construction in Canton, which I'd have to bypass for a later start. My energy level has been a lot higher lately too.
It'll be the 29th then, same place and time as the previous meet. I'll post an invite on facebook too.
I'm interested, for at least the main and pre-meet (will have to start heading back home late afternoon ~5pm).
Could we shift the lunch place to something non-Mexican? I can't stand Mexican food (I grew up near the Mexican border, so I know that from experience), and I can't find an online menu for the Bistro Mexicana to find out if there's enough non-Mexican fare on the menu for me to get by.
In that case, I'll meet you at the park and ride (I assume the one Steve meant is the one at the corner of Chemin Rivermead, 1.5 miles rather than 1 mile to the west; any particular part of the lot you want to meet at?) at 8:30 AM on 9/29. Google says it's 1h 54m to get there, so if I leave up to a half an hour for customs, that would mean leaving around 6:00 (I think Google is overestimating how long it will take, but I don't know how much; I do know it takes 40 minutes to get from Potsdam to the Ogdensburg bridge; I do plan on checking out US 11 in Canton, but the long construction delays shouldn't be an issue that early). I intend to use the usual visiting friends reason; any advice for what to give for answers to follow up questions or itinerary that don't lead to having to explain about AA Roads?
I may decide to return during the Seaway Bridge (to clinch ON 417), but that's dependent on time and where the meet covers; will decide there. Interested in all three meet portions, all that matters for me is that I'm reasonably awake for the drive back to Potsdam (which probably means a 9:30-10 leave at the latest were I to go back via Cornwall).
For reference, I drive a red 97 Honda Accord with NY plates (not the new style) and a small rust hole in the right rear quarter panel.
I've actually never ordered a mexican item from their menu. They make excellent spaghetti bolognese. But you are right, they don't seem to have a menu online.
I'll call them later today to see what the other non-mexican options are.
EDIT: deanej, you're meeting up with a friend from Montreal and visiting Ottawa with him. That's all they need to know. If you want, I can give you my contact info.
Quote from: Dr Frankenstein on September 24, 2012, 11:37:40 AM
I've actually never ordered a mexican item from their menu. They make excellent spaghetti bolognese. But you are right, they don't seem to have a menu online.
I'll call them later today to see what the other non-mexican options are.
Don't worry, spaghetti bolognese is a good enough fall-back option for me.
I'll meet you at the park-and-ride at 8:30am. I'll be driving in my blue Prius, with the Hawaii Superferry psuedo-Interstate H-4 bumper sticker. I still have your cellphone # unless it's changed in the last year or two; please PM me if it's changed lately, and/or you need mine.
My phone number hasn't changed and I'm assuming yours has not either.
a) Don't worry, even the Mexican items aren't very Mexican. It's Canada, after all.
b) Yes, the Park and Ride is 1.6 MILES west of the bridge, not 1.6 KILOMETERS. I mistook it for a cemetery :P
Quote from: Steve on September 24, 2012, 08:52:16 PM
b) Yes, the Park and Ride is 1.6 MILES west of the bridge, not 1.6 KILOMETERS. I mistook it for a cemetery :P
I saw the same cemetery and thought it was the park and ride at first! Google really needs to find a walking trail symbol that doesn't look like a road one.
Quote from: Dr Frankenstein on September 24, 2012, 11:37:40 AM
EDIT: deanej, you're meeting up with a friend from Montreal and visiting Ottawa with him. That's all they need to know. If you want, I can give you my contact info.
Probably a good idea to PM it to me just in case. At least this time I won't have to deal with having never met in person (as I did with the Montreal mini-meet) and I have more experience dealing with customs, which should definitely help. The longer trip time and taking a normal route to get there can't hurt either. Quite a few lessons learned from that trip.
I never take a normal route. I avoid lines. (Last time, I crossed at Jamieson's Line, a tiny, one-way U.S.-bound non-24/7 crossing in the middle of the boonies in North Burke.)
I'll PM you my info.
Quote from: Steve on September 24, 2012, 08:52:16 PM
a) Don't worry, even the Mexican items aren't very Mexican. It's Canada, after all.
b) Yes, the Park and Ride is 1.6 MILES west of the bridge, not 1.6 KILOMETERS. I mistook it for a cemetery :P
Still, the Bistro Mexicana restaurant has very tasty menu offerings, in my opinion.
Quote from: Dr Frankenstein on September 25, 2012, 01:35:08 PM
I never take a normal route. I avoid lines. (Last time, I crossed at Jamieson's Line, a tiny, one-way U.S.-bound non-24/7 crossing in the middle of the boonies in North Burke.)
I'll PM you my info.
I think they're closing that one soon. In my case it was going half an hour out of my way onto a bridge with more traffic just to clinch part of ON 401; while they didn't ask about it, the person did ask "you do know it's two hours to Montreal from here right?" (only if you use the time estimate from google; it's only an hour and a half if you keep up with traffic).
Quote from: oscar on September 24, 2012, 12:12:08 PM
I'll meet you at the park-and-ride at 8:30am. I'll be driving in my blue Prius, with the Hawaii Superferry psuedo-Interstate H-4 bumper sticker.
Slight change: My Prius was in a fender-bender this afternoon. So I'll be taking to the meet my silver Nissan Titan pickup truck with a silver camper shell, and a Confederation Bridge sticker (in French) among others.
Is there a turnout estimate? It'd help to have that by tomorrow evening, so I can decide how many maps I'll need to bring for giveaways.
If there's a Facebook event page up (don't know where it is if there is one, or how to find it), I can track that to estimate turnout.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/408690245851696/
Right now we're, um, 4.
Vehicle-wise, I'll have either a black Pontiac Sunfire in dire need for a car wash, or a relatively clean black GMC Sierra with chrome accents. Québec plates.
Any particular area of the parking lot we all plan to meet at? I was planning to park in the back near the entrance from Chemin Rivermead. Though I can't imagine there will be too many other people there at 8:30 AM on a Saturday.
Sounds like a plan, but I don't expect the park & ride to be full at all either.
Well, was fun and frolic had by all?
Yeah; it was also my longest meet to date, we me leaving Potsdam at 6:20 and returning at 10:45, so 12 hours total not including driving to/from Ottawa. Stops didn't work out exactly like the last one; we decided to just drive past the removed RR in Renfrew, stopped at an overpass over ON 417 in Arnprior, and had to deal with closures on Union St in Ottawa and the stop for A-5 construction; we had to turn around at another overpass to get in through the narrow entrance for construction vehicles and the one house on the road right next to QC 105. We also did a little loop east of Arnprior to clinch both that segment of ON 417 and the disconnected piece of ON 17 in the area. Didn't have time for the after-meet, with sunset being an hour earlier now than in August, but I was able to use the extra time to clinch ON 417.
Customs seemed a lot less interested in my trip than they did for the Montreal mini-meet; must be because I have more experience talking to them now, because one of the people ahead of me in line returning to the US was talking to the officer for quite a while, so they obviously weren't taking the day off, even though it felt like pre-9/11 conditions for my experience.
Was very foggy for my drive up; thankfully it cleared right before I hit Ottawa. Most of my pictures of ON 416 consist of fog and a blurry sign as a result. No views of the St. Lawrence crossing over for me; going up it was fogged out, and going back it was too dark to see anything but the bridge, though it is easier to see the temporary Canadian customs facility in Cornwall at night (it's invisible during the day to southbound traffic due to the wall that was installed).
Quote from: Dr Frankenstein on September 24, 2012, 11:37:40 AMdeanej, you're meeting up with a friend from Montreal and visiting Ottawa with him. That's all they need to know.
Both on the entry into Canada and the return to the U.S., the customs agents followed up by asking me how I wound up with friends in Canada. Fortunately, there was no prolonged discussion of that point.
The Canadian customs agent then started showing interest in what was in the enclosed camper shell in my truck, but soon after I started on boring detail on what was there (mainly "empty space"), he hastily concluded that line of questioning, handed me back my passport, and practically begged me to leave as fast as possible. I suspect that by then, his computer screen confirmed that I'd cleared Canada customs five times earlier this year, and so hassling me on my sixth crossing wasn't likely to get him anywhere.
I had a good time at the meet. I just limped back home (after spending a few hours at a party in suburban D.C.), will go into more detail later this week once I'm more awake. I'll also post several group photos, as well as a few others, then.
My longest meet to date as well, beating the Montreal one that lasted well into the evening (and more if I count hunting for old shields in LaSalle). It's amazing how road conditions can change after just one month. The Minto Bridges were closed (though we parked nearby and crossed two of them by foot), chemin Cross Loop was closed (but we still got on it). We wanted to walk on a closed overpass over the construction on 417 in Arnprior, but a police car was in the area.
I wish we had more people to get more conversations going (Jessica's toothache didn't help) but I think it was still a nice meet.
How's the progress on Autoroute 50? The final segment must be almost done. It's a shame I couldn't go, the fall colours are just about peak here, Saturday was nice, and the colours in the Gatineau hills must really be something.
Minto Bridges closed - permanently, or for the day?
The new section of A-50 has some signage standing so... I assume it's close.
The bridge closure seemed temporary.
Here are some of my meet photos.
(//www.alaskaroads.com/Ottawa-meet-group-photo1_DSC8091.jpg)
At the bridge carrying Lanark County road 20 across Ontario's Mississippi River, at Pakenham. From left to right: Carl Tessier, Valerie Deane, Jessica Labrie, Oscar Voss.
(//www.alaskaroads.com/Ottawa-meet-group-photo2_DSC8147.jpg)
At one of the steel truss bridges over the Rideau River in downtown Ottawa. From left to right: Carl, Valerie, Jessica, Oscar.
(//www.alaskaroads.com/Ottawa-meet-group-photo3_DSC8148.jpg)
Carl, Jessica, Valerie, and Oscar at the other end of that bridge.
(//www.alaskaroads.com/Ottawa-meet-photo4_DSC8167.jpg)
Valerie and Carl, in front of the covered pedestrian/bike bridge carrying the Trans-Canada Trail over Riviere Gatineau, near Wakefield, Quebec.
(//www.alaskaroads.com/Ottawa-meet-photo5_DSC8187.jpg)
A route marker for the trail, at one end of the bridge.
A road meet where the number of girls equals the number of guys. Well, that's a first!