AARoads Forum

I've hinted at a Richmond meet for a little over a week now, and in that time, Will and I have been discussing places of interest. There aren't any big construction projects going on right now, but there are some bridges being replaced, and plenty of old signs scattered across the area. The white border US 360 unisign will definitely be part of this, as well as some various cutouts and single shield white border signs. Other areas of interest include a block of VA 147 that's brick, the recently completed John Rolfe Parkway, the North Gayton Road extension (in progress), the Meadowville Interchange, and the new mileposts and toll lanes on VA 195 first, I want to see who's interested in attending, and when would be best. My general idea is to have it in late summer or early fall. I don't want to put it too close to another meet, particularly another nearby meet such as NC. I have possible plans for July (Knotts Island/Virginia Beach and maybe Baltimore), so I personally would prefer at least August, but I'm interested to see what others think.

Event can be found on Facebook here: http://www.facebook.com/events/103018793179113

The meeting place is The Halligan Bar & Grill Short Pump, (http://www.thehalliganbar.com) 2451 Old Brick Road, Glen Allen, VA 23060, at noon.

I voted "October or later." My August is full, and I'm really not sure about September. Much depends on the timing as it relates to work stuff, possible other meets (a meet that allows me to cover some new territory always takes precedence over somewhere I've been before), so forth and so on. I'm definitely interested in attending but we'll just have to see how things shake out.

I am open for any time early to mid September and any time in October however, Cody Goodman is considering a road meet sometime in October in the Birmingham, AL area but still no set in stone date for it yet.

<<< There aren't any big construction projects going on right now, but there are some bridges being replaced, >>>

The Huguenot Bridge replacement and the I-95 bridge replacements are "big construction projects".  Most likely either one the project manager would provide a project tour with advance notice.

http://virginiadot.org/projects/richmond/huguenot_bridge_reconstruction.asp

http://virginiadot.org/projects/richmond/i-95_bridges.asp

http://virginiadot.org/projects/richmond/midlothian_turnpike-german_school_road.asp

My only option for this year is the weekend of July 14/15.  There's a remote possibility of the following weekend (21/22) if I'm not up in Vermont.  Otherwise, it'll be 2013 for me.

Quote from: Beltway on June 16, 2012, 06:01:16 AM
<<< There aren't any big construction projects going on right now, but there are some bridges being replaced, >>>

The Huguenot Bridge replacement and the I-95 bridge replacements are "big construction projects".  Most likely either one the project manager would provide a project tour with advance notice.

http://virginiadot.org/projects/richmond/huguenot_bridge_reconstruction.asp

http://virginiadot.org/projects/richmond/i-95_bridges.asp

http://virginiadot.org/projects/richmond/midlothian_turnpike-german_school_road.asp

I completely forgot about the German School Road widening project (which is kinda hilarious because I was JUST THERE). I don't know if it would be easy to get permission to tour the I-95 bridge replacement project, but the Huguenot Bridge is mostly complete and the entire bridge deck is finished, so getting a tour of that might be easier.

In any case, I voted for August but really, anything is open to me.

Quote from: WillWeaverRVA on June 18, 2012, 10:40:50 PM

Quote from: Beltway on June 16, 2012, 06:01:16 AM
The Huguenot Bridge replacement and the I-95 bridge replacements are "big construction projects".  Most likely either one the project manager would provide a project tour with advance notice.

http://virginiadot.org/projects/richmond/huguenot_bridge_reconstruction.asp

http://virginiadot.org/projects/richmond/i-95_bridges.asp

http://virginiadot.org/projects/richmond/midlothian_turnpike-german_school_road.asp

I completely forgot about the German School Road widening project (which is kinda hilarious because I was JUST THERE). I don't know if it would be easy to get permission to tour the I-95 bridge replacement project, but the Huguenot Bridge is mostly complete and the entire bridge deck is finished, so getting a tour of that might be easier.

Half of the Huguenot Bridge bridge deck will open, and the rest will be built after the old bridge is demolished.

I voted in the poll, but any chance for me coming to this meet hinges on someone being willing to pick me up and drop me off at my apartment in Arlington, VA, because I don't think I will have a car.

I picked September, but I would also be fine with "October or later."

Quote from: yanksfan6129 on June 19, 2012, 11:49:00 AM
I voted in the poll, but any chance for me coming to this meet hinges on someone being willing to pick me up and drop me off at my apartment in Arlington, VA, because I don't think I will have a car.

I picked September, but I would also be fine with "October or later."

If I go, I'd likely stay over in DC and similarly end up leaning on a ride.

Not worried about a date..if I can make it I can..if I can't I can't.

Looks like it's between September and October or later. I work every other weekend, so I'm thinking either September 8, September 22, or October 6.

eh...now that you mention it...later the better I think. September 8th definitely not, weekends after that through the end of September probably...and October and later definitely. But of course this all hinges on someone picking me up and dropping me off in NoVA.

Quote from: Takumi on June 21, 2012, 03:18:24 PM
Looks like it's between September and October or later. I work every other weekend, so I'm thinking either September 8, September 22, or October 6.

Sept. 8 won't work for me. My anniversary is the day prior.

Oct. 6 is also questionable. I accepted a work obligation for the 4th, and my intent was to travel to the area on that day and spend the 5th clinching US routes in the region (namely, US 60 and try to make some headway on 13 and 17).

I am also interested in finding out when or if there will be any New England or northeast meets this fall. I know a New Hampshire meet has been discussed, and I'd use that trip to finish up NH counties and get as many as I could in Massachusetts.

But as I've said before, don't let the schedule of an out-of-stater determine when you have the meet. If I can come, I will, and if I can't, I won't.

I normally take a vacation week in October, so I can really schedule it for any weekend that month. If this week (and from the looks of it, the rest of this month) are any indication, it may be best weather-wise to wait until then.

Quote from: Takumi on June 22, 2012, 12:40:17 PM
I normally take a vacation week in October, so I can really schedule it for any weekend that month. If this week (and from the looks of it, the rest of this month) are any indication, it may be best weather-wise to wait until then.

Up until this week, we were on track to have our coolest June ever. After this current hot spell ends over the weekend, the meteorologists in the area are saying that it will cool down enough to make it still possible to have the coolest June on record.

If it happens to be on 9/22 then there is a good chance both Steph and I can make it since we will be in York\ Harrisburg PA that weekend and thats only a 5 hour drive from there. if its the next weekend, can't make it, if its any other weekend in October, maybe, if it ends up being the last weekend in October, if Steph is ok with it, this may doubel as an aniversary roadtrip- weekend getaway for us like last years Kalamazoo, MI road meet.

I've reset the poll with dates from October.

As mentioned before, October/November are completely out for me...out to sea.  Good luck with the meet.

As long as it's after Labor Day, I'd have a chance of making it.

October 13 currently leads. I'll choose a date later this month.

October 13th it is, exactly three months from today. Facebook event coming soon.

Quote from: Takumi on July 13, 2012, 08:08:36 PM
October 13th it is, exactly three months from today. Facebook event coming soon.

I could probably make that...

Quote from: Takumi on July 13, 2012, 08:08:36 PM
October 13th it is, exactly three months from today. Facebook event coming soon.

I'm not going to say "no" definitely at this point, but I have pretty much committed to the Alabama meet the following weekend. Can't see myself attending (or being allowed to attend, LOL) two out-of-state meets on consecutive weekends. My Michigan and New York experience a few years ago was probably the first and last time I will attempt that.

Like HB said, Birmingham, AL is a done deal for me, this one is up in the air, I have nothing planned that weekend but it would require me take Friday off of work.

Of course, I'm going.

I would need a ride to get there, but definitely interested.

Me and Mike are in! If any of you northeastern folks want to hang out with us on Friday the 12th in the Baltimore area on your way down, do let me know.

Adam, if you can figure out how to get to Baltimore, we could take you (and anyone else) the rest of the way and back :)

I've created the event page. There's not much there right now since mobile Facebook doesn't let me do that much, but I'll add to it soon.

http://www.facebook.com/events/103018793179113

I should be able to attend this.  Thanks!

I put myself as a maybe - there's a very good chance that we'll be going to Nashville for the Predators home opener that weekend.

Quote from: Laura Bianca on July 31, 2012, 11:53:22 PM
Me and Mike are in! If any of you northeastern folks want to hang out with us on Friday the 12th in the Baltimore area on your way down, do let me know.

Adam, if you can figure out how to get to Baltimore, we could take you (and anyone else) the rest of the way and back :)

Mayyyyybe

I'm interested in going, but Richmond may be a bit of a drive for me for one day, so much like Adam, I may need a ride down. If I can't get one, enjoy the meet anyway!

I'm a definite no, since that's the weekend of New York Comic Con.

This is possible for me, if anyone that lives in/passing through the DC area would pick me up and drop me off.

I put myself down as a maybe. Too early to commit until I know what my other plans that month are (vacation, possible family commitments, etc).  I may try to make this if I can, especially since I am not anticipating on hosting any of my own meets this year (although I expect to have at least one next year).

Quote from: Dougtone on August 02, 2012, 06:36:09 PM
I put myself down as a maybe. Too early to commit until I know what my other plans that month are (vacation, possible family commitments, etc).  I may try to make this if I can, especially since I am not anticipating on hosting any of my own meets this year (although I expect to have at least one next year).

What happened to the New Hampshire meet that was in the talking stages? And someone had mentioned Binghamton...

I've updated the event page with some of the planned attractions of the meet, as seen in my OP here.

Since it now appears that Richmond and Birmingham are going to be the only two meets scheduled for this fall (or the rest of the year, for that matter), I'm going to try to attend both of them.

Would be curious to know what time you anticipate the meet ending. That would let me know if  need to plan on staying in Richmond Saturday night, or starting west and staying somewhere else (Staunton or Lexington).

I might actually be home that weekend, but either way I doubt I will be able to make it due to work obligations.

Still up in the air for me, I am already commited to Birmingham the next weekend, the key thing is funds and if I can get the Friday the 12th off.

Quote from: hbelkins on August 27, 2012, 11:10:02 PM
Would be curious to know what time you anticipate the meet ending. That would let me know if  need to plan on staying in Richmond Saturday night, or starting west and staying somewhere else (Staunton or Lexington).

I have the ending time on the event page as 5:00, but I'm going to try to have it end earlier than that (probably 4:00ish). I haven't decided between meeting in the West End, where the Gayton Road extension and John Rolfe Parkway are, and then heading into the city, or the other way around, but I'll make a decision on that in the next couple weeks, since I should be getting another car soon and can then try both ways.

I'm probable, assuming the possible do-over for the Ottawa meet doesn't conflict.  But no final decision for a few weeks, until I complete and recover from the really long road trip I'm on right now. 

I am now a step closer, Steph has a new work schedule that includes working only 4 hours on Friday and is off at 11am CT, so if I can get Friday off, we are in. :-)

That would be two trips to Virginia (which is kinda far; plus another possible one in NC) in three months for me, so my attendance probability is around 33% so far.

We'll be eating at Siné Irish Pub. http://sineirishpub.com/richmond_home

I'm leaning towards lunch there, then points of interest in the city, then Short Pump as opposed to the other way around.

I am definitely out now since I got a job in Christiansburg on Friday nights so I won't be back home that weekend anyway.

Quote from: Takumi on September 05, 2012, 12:40:02 AM
We'll be eating at Siné Irish Pub. http://sineirishpub.com/richmond_home

Every road meet should start with a Sine.

Sounds good to me, I noticed this is in a shopping district which will be good for Steph, while we are on the tour, she can check out the stores in that area if the weather is nice. We plan to stay in Lynchburg the night before.

Will someone be bringing a Send Help Sine?

Sine's reviews on Yelp don't look promising (thanks to Steve for pointing this out), so I'm looking in the same general area for a better alternative, since I want to start the meet downtown. Sine's location is perfect since it's actually on the brick-paved section of VA 147, but there's a similar pub,  Rosie Connolly's, (http://www.rosieconnollys.com) that's located 3 blocks east and one north, and has better reviews. I want to do some scouting this weekend and next, so I'll look at other lunch options in the immediate area then as well.

Update from my last post: I've decided to start the meet in Short Pump, as it works better logistically. Better parking and better freeway access (I-64, I-295, and VA 288 are all nearby). Lunch will be at The Halligan Bar & Grill, (http://www.thehalliganbar.com) 2451 Old Brick Road, Glen Allen, VA, 23060. There's a parking deck across the street (to the north) and more parking located in nearby businesses. The John Rolfe Parkway is located a block to the west and the North Gayton Road extension is fairly close as well, so it should make a good starting point.

This works out great for Steph and I! :-)

I now have Friday 10/12 off so Steph and I are definently in! We will be staying in Lynchburg Friday night and Saturday night.

I did some scouting this morning. North Gayton isn't open yet, but it looked to be close to being done, so it may be open by meet time. I also verified the existence of two VA 6 cutouts in the western reaches of the city. They're not far from each other, so I'll try to fit them in somewhere.

Every college in Virginia must be having a home football game on the 13th. Room rates are outrageous. $200 for the Comfort Inn in Lexington. $125 for the Sleep Inn in Staunton. $169 for the Sleep Inn in Lynchburg. Jason, I hope you got a reasonable rate on reservations for Lynchburg.

(I'm looking for a place to stay on the way home. May have to opt for as far west as Covington to be able to afford anything.)

Quote from: hbelkins on September 17, 2012, 05:57:30 PM
Every college in Virginia must be having a home football game on the 13th. Room rates are outrageous. $200 for the Comfort Inn in Lexington. $125 for the Sleep Inn in Staunton. $169 for the Sleep Inn in Lynchburg. Jason, I hope you got a reasonable rate on reservations for Lynchburg.

(I'm looking for a place to stay on the way home. May have to opt for as far west as Covington to be able to afford anything.)

VT is having homecoming that weekend.  I don't know about other colleges though.

I booked my room at the Lynchburg Super 8 two weeks ago with a discounted rate of 60.00 per night. Glad I booked when I did.

I also wonder if that weekend might not be peak leaf-peeping season in the mountains, thus accounting for the high rates. The Covington Quality Inn was in the triple digits unless you booked and paid in advance. Too soon to do that since I never know if something will come up to keep me from attending.

Oddly, no one is mentioning any rates in Short Pump :P

Quote from: Steve on September 18, 2012, 09:01:51 PM
Oddly, no one is mentioning any rates in Short Pump :P

Best I can tell, they're pretty reasonable. I'm looking for something for Saturday night on the way home.

If my wife goes to NYC, she'll leave Sunday. I'll want to get home early enough to see her off, and give her the EZPass.

Current plans are to arrive Thursday night, then go clinch US 60 in Virginia, then do the CBBT and finish off US 50 in Maryland (I need the section east of Salisbury) and then US 301 back to Richmond. Will probably have to spend Thursday and Friday night in different hotels to take advantage of a Choice Hotels "stay 2 nights, get 1 free" promotion.

This is where I tend to go first to find any hotel deals...
http://www.pahighways.com/store/reservations.html (http://www.pahighways.com/store/reservations.html)

That being said, I haven't looked into hotels around Richmond before this.  I'm seeing plenty of reasonable rates at this time, though.  I'm planning on staying somewhere around Richmond on Saturday night before making my trip back to New York.

I think Richmond's rates, from what I've seen, are pretty reasonable. I may just end up back at the Red Roof in Staunton, which is where I stayed for the DC meet back in May.

Edit: I just checked and I have more than enough Choice Privileges points for a free night just about anywhere, so I laugh in the face of the price-gouging.

Richmond meet is October 13.  Birmingham meet is October 20.  Then on the weekend of the 27th, we are going to take our 3-year-old up to Great Wolf Lodge in the Charlotte area to play on the waterslides with a little friend of hers.  Since GWL is pretty expensive as it is, I've decided to only go to one of the two meets.  And I've decided that it will be Richmond.  Both cities are probably the same distance from Columbia, but if I go to Richmond, I'll have a weekend to rest before I go out of town again.

H.B., I'm going to use my Choice Privileges points to book a room as well.  If you have 16000 points, you can try the Comfort Suites in Glen Allen.  TripAdvisor ranks it #5 out of 22 hotels in Glen Allen.  I just booked it.

The Halligan was excellent indeed. I had lunch there today. In addition to their regular menu, they have a $6 express lunch menu ($5 with water), so those who have price concerns should be satisfied. I also checked on a few more points of interest today, namely the white border signs and cutouts on VA 197, and cobblestones downtown. All are present and accounted for, but there are some rough streets near them. In addition, the Halligan staff said the best time to make a reservation is about 2 weeks in advance, so I need a general head count before long. Right now it looks like it'll be at least 12.

Count me in for the meet.  But I'm not yet sure about my pre- or post-meet plans. 

Count me in, too, for purposes of your reservations. Better to have too many seats and have a no-show or two, than to not have enough.

Only time I've not RSVP'd for a meet was the last SWPA December meet at Brownsville, which was held the day after Christmas. It was basically a late-the-night-before decision for me to go.

Just bumped my attendance probability to 66.666..%, since my plans for a NC trip have been postponed, leaving no trip for October.

If I do, I'll come down on Friday and perhaps hang out with some other northeasterners that may want to do the same.

Booked a room at the Days Inn in Glen Allen for the night on Saturday the 13th.  The hotel rates I have been seeing close to Richmond seem to be on the fairly reasonable side.  I'll be making my way down starting on Friday, October 12th, and will probably stay somewhere about halfway between Albany, NY and Richmond, VA.

Glen Allen seems to be a decent-sized ZIP code area. It encompasses everything from the vicinity of Short Pump to the area around the I-95/I-295 interchange.

Count me 'maybe'.

Quote from: Beltway on September 27, 2012, 10:19:14 PM
Count me 'maybe'.

But I just met you! This is crazy.

Quote from: Steve on September 27, 2012, 11:20:16 PM

Quote from: Beltway on September 27, 2012, 10:19:14 PM
Count me 'maybe'.

But I just met you! This is crazy.

OK, then count me out.

Quote from: Beltway on September 28, 2012, 06:18:43 AM

Quote from: Steve on September 27, 2012, 11:20:16 PM

Quote from: Beltway on September 27, 2012, 10:19:14 PM
Count me 'maybe'.

But I just met you! This is crazy.

OK, then count me out.

It's a takeoff on a popular song (that I have never heard, BTW).

I was reminded of the Beatles' "Revolution".

I'll make the reservation tomorrow. I'm initially going to set it for 20, since it looks like that will be an approximate number, but I'll update it if it goes over.

Quote from: Takumi on September 30, 2012, 07:39:57 PM
I'll make the reservation tomorrow. I'm initially going to set it for 20, since it looks like that will be an approximate number, but I'll update it if it goes over.

If we're starting in Short Pump, the North Gayton Road extension project is mostly complete; the entire stretch from just north of US 250 to VA 271 is fully paved and painted, and the widening of Shady Grove Road from VA 271 to Twin Hickory Road has been completed. It might be worth asking Henrico County if it's possible to visit since it's not open to traffic yet. Henrico County tends to do a pretty good job on its road projects (John Rolfe Parkway is a nice, if short, drive).

I went ahead and changed my reservation from Lynchburg to the Spring Hill Suites by Marriott in Short Pump, great rate and a VERY nice hotel chain, it is a little further of a drive on Friday but still should be worth it.

Will and I did a test run of the meet itinerary today. The Gayton extension is now open, so we'll drive it. The total trip took a little over 3 hours, but there was a street closure downtown, I drove about the speed limit the whole time, and we got almost every light red, so with the additional people it'll likely be the same amount of time. There's a $3 parking deck downtown that we'll use when visiting the cobblestones, and some 1970s vintage signs nearby, so the downtown stop will be the longest.

The forecast for Saturday is sunny, with the high around 70. If anyone coming wants/needs my phone number, send me a message.

Just a warning on parking at lunch. Everyone should park in the parking deck behind Dave & Busters. There's a small strip mall across the street from it that has plenty of parking, but my brother parked there last night and got his car towed. I don't want people coming back after five hours to a towed car and a $200 fine.

So what time should we get back to the cars? About 5 p.m.?

Most likely, yes.

Alright, so here's my itinerary for the trip:
I-87 all the way to the Bronx, clinching the part I'm missing around and on the Tappan Zee Bridge (before it goes down!).
I-95 - NJTP - I-295 across the DelMemBr. I want to re-clinch the NJTP since I was sleeping more half of the way through last time (no worries, I wasn't driving!).
Sleep in Baltimore. I'll catch parts of either US 1 or US 40 on my way; not sure yet.
MD 295/DC 295/I-295 - Clinch, then back on I-95 (and I-495), then to the restaurant on 64 or 295, whichever we see less on the meet (?).

It's quite poor on back roads, but that's because it's a lengthy trip.

For the return trip, I'll try to catch some of the parts of I-95 I missed on the way down (through Washington, Baltimore and Philadelphia) and, if I have time, do some clinching in Northern New Jersey (possibly work on US 1&9 and Route 17)... but nothing's set in stone yet.

There won't be any I-295 on the itinerary, since the Meadowville interchange is too far out of the way from everything else. If we're short on time, we may take part of I-95/64 from downtown to exit 78, but other than that we'll just cross over I-64 on the North Gayton extension. You could take one in and the other leaving.

Quote from: Takumi on October 10, 2012, 12:35:51 PM
There won't be any I-295 on the itinerary, since the Meadowville interchange is too far out of the way from everything else. If we're short on time, we may take part of I-95/64 from downtown to exit 78, but other than that we'll just cross over I-64 on the North Gayton extension. You could take one in and the other leaving.

How about the Huguenot Bridge project?  Not far, and at a very interesting stage.

Also the US-60 Midlothian Turnpike reconstruction project in the city of Richmond, massive and interesting.

Completed recently, but interesting ride-though, the US-250 widening in Manakin-Sabot.  Also the recently completed John Rolfe Parkway.

The Huguenot Bridge and John Rolfe are on it; the others aren't. The full list:
North Gayton extension
John Rolfe Parkway
White border US 360 unisign
VA 76 widening (at S. Old Hundred Road) and backwards mileposts
RMA cutout
VA 195 mileposts (plus ORT lanes going the other direction)
Cobblestone streets and old signage downtown
VA 147, 161, and 197 cutout assemblies (the 147 and one 161 may be skipped for time issues; if so we'll drive by a bridge reconstruction on I-95/64)
Two VA 197 white border shields and a "to I-195 Virginia" unisign
Huguenot Bridge
Two VA 6 cutouts

Quote from: Beltway on October 10, 2012, 01:24:36 PM

Quote from: Takumi on October 10, 2012, 12:35:51 PM
There won't be any I-295 on the itinerary, since the Meadowville interchange is too far out of the way from everything else. If we're short on time, we may take part of I-95/64 from downtown to exit 78, but other than that we'll just cross over I-64 on the North Gayton extension. You could take one in and the other leaving.

How about the Huguenot Bridge project?  Not far, and at a very interesting stage.

Also the US-60 Midlothian Turnpike reconstruction project in the city of Richmond, massive and interesting.

Completed recently, but interesting ride-though, the US-250 widening in Manakin-Sabot.  Also the recently completed John Rolfe Parkway.

I completely forgot about that project when thinking of things to suggest...but it's a traffic nightmare right now and probably not worth visiting at this time. :\

Quote from: WillWeaverRVA on October 10, 2012, 08:10:43 PM

Quote from: Beltway
How about the Huguenot Bridge project?  Not far, and at a very interesting stage.

Also the US-60 Midlothian Turnpike reconstruction project in the city of Richmond, massive and interesting.

Completed recently, but interesting ride-though, the US-250 widening in Manakin-Sabot.  Also the recently completed John Rolfe Parkway.

I completely forgot about that project when thinking of things to suggest...but it's a traffic nightmare right now and probably not worth visiting at this time. :\

Which project?  I ride through them twice a week, and none of them are a "traffic nightmare".

Quote from: Beltway on October 10, 2012, 01:24:36 PM

Quote from: Takumi on October 10, 2012, 12:35:51 PM
There won't be any I-295 on the itinerary, since the Meadowville interchange is too far out of the way from everything else. If we're short on time, we may take part of I-95/64 from downtown to exit 78, but other than that we'll just cross over I-64 on the North Gayton extension. You could take one in and the other leaving.

How about the Huguenot Bridge project?  Not far, and at a very interesting stage.

Also the US-60 Midlothian Turnpike reconstruction project in the city of Richmond, massive and interesting.

Completed recently, but interesting ride-though, the US-250 widening in Manakin-Sabot.  Also the recently completed John Rolfe Parkway.

It looks like the new signals on midlothian will have Led street name signs installed as well.

I meant to specify the Midlothian Turnpike project.

Quote from: WillWeaverRVA on October 11, 2012, 11:09:56 PM
I meant to specify the Midlothian Turnpike project.

I drive the project twice a week, and traffic is no problem.  It is a very interesting project with lots of construction.

I have state maps, Virginia Is For Lovers stickers, and Petersburg tourism maps for those interested.

Quote from: Beltway on October 12, 2012, 06:21:30 AM

Quote from: WillWeaverRVA on October 11, 2012, 11:09:56 PM
I meant to specify the Midlothian Turnpike project.

I drive the project twice a week, and traffic is no problem.  It is a very interesting project with lots of construction.

Add it to the meet! (It could be a quick drive after the official end of the meet.)

Well, that was amazing. Thanks to everyone for coming! Even though we didn't get to see everything on the itinerary, today was fantastic. Hope to see you all again soon.

Edit: A very small preview of what's to come...
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fphotos-g.ak.fbcdn.net%2Fhphotos-ak-prn1%2F30997_4673758723192_498037372_n.jpg&hash=a5ec913838e7ac64abb419be35acee0b5c680287)

That was a blast. It was awesome to finally get to meet Steve, H.B., Doug, Oscar, Laura, and all the others I'm forgetting to mention because I'm completely exhausted from the last two days. :P

I enjoyed meeting almost everyone new. I leave that statement as an exercise to the reader :D

And here's the meet picture, wherein all of us were blinded by looking into the sun (which was directly behind me and reflecting off all the buildings). Richmond has a lot of glass. :P

(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-hGP8-v52B1s/UHrnuQ5yi3I/AAAAAAAAFzw/1-2nxiDdIgs/s800/337112_10100801038165146_805092286_o.jpg)

That send help sign has seem a lot of miles.

Kneeling: Billy Riddle, Will Weaver, Scott Davis, Michael Elmore (looking like I've been cut off at the knees). Standing: Oscar Voss, Carl Tessier, Elric Naslund, H.B. Elkins, Steve Alpert, Chris Curley, Mike Tantillo, Doug Kerr, Jason Ilyes, Mike Pruett, Laura Bianca.

I like how I'm barely visible. It almost looks like I'm photobombing it.

I'm going to post the rest of the meet photos on Flickr so those here who can't see them on Facebook can still see them. I'll also add pictures from last week's dry run of the meet route since most of my backseat pictures kinda suck. :P

Quote from: WillWeaverRVA on October 15, 2012, 12:19:21 AM
I'm going to post the rest of the meet photos on Flickr so those here who can't see them on Facebook can still see them. I'll also add pictures from last week's dry run of the meet route since most of my backseat pictures kinda suck. :P

Excellent, since we cut the tour short and our car opted to head back to the gathering spot after seeing the cutouts.

I'm going to upload my photos and a couple videos later today as well. We went from downtown to Laburnum via I-95 and VA 161, checked out the 161 & 197 cutouts, then stopped at the Interstate Center and ultimately the misprinted 197 cutout that was hit by a car before returning to Short Pump for dinner.

I've uploaded all the photos I took to Facebook and will be doing blog entries with them over the course of the week. Some highlights:

Waiting for lunch to arrive.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fsphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net%2Fhphotos-ash3%2F541354_4683794014068_921894886_n.jpg&hash=c08728e0ec6c9692865344b87aef1fe9bf462249)

Descending the North Gayton extension's bridge over I-64.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fsphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net%2Fhphotos-snc7%2F580990_4683799134196_1234292296_n.jpg&hash=f7a008c6a7b5d3f67eab838ddf0eeccec22fa0ee)

The first stopping point on the tour was the white-border unisign.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fsphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net%2Fhphotos-prn1%2F563936_4683801094245_1710352921_n.jpg&hash=dac7fac3f3443714ace39a9a4961e86f297ece37)

Oddly specific.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fsphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net%2Fhphotos-prn1%2F23916_4683802934291_1922205371_n.jpg&hash=24400d75c863b44a66b9d9e9090d6a33c81cd182)

Old Richmond city limit sign in the background.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fsphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net%2Fhphotos-ash3%2F9276_4683806334376_778516536_n.jpg&hash=e168718d845f8291533cd50bbf3f8d09a0f1e0c7)

The last original (1970s) Downtown Expressway overhead.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fsphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net%2Fhphotos-snc7%2F308083_4683810694485_506410296_n.jpg&hash=34706380323ba70f976fd91104730f42b413e975)

Original trailblazers for VA 195 and I-64.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fsphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net%2Fhphotos-ash4%2F425843_4683812414528_949727593_n.jpg&hash=98e3b073201abb7b2893ffc94c4c658d617d6474)

Steve requires help in Kanawha Plaza.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fsphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net%2Fhphotos-prn1%2F68352_4683814294575_480748061_n.jpg&hash=bb3cbe5ca8834a8e24e8b56751d4fea3a55e9449)

Oops.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fsphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net%2Fhphotos-snc7%2F430408_4683815614608_867387130_n.jpg&hash=d064e5b92155528e1e7d1ff4f8795dc5b1d28cc1)

Recycled signage.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fsphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net%2Fhphotos-ash4%2F299312_4683816534631_1512361857_n.jpg&hash=baeb7a6a1bfcd3a0f47d4c7225cb7d98248aead0)

Original state-name I-195 unisign with interesting lighting.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fsphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net%2Fhphotos-ash3%2F560677_4683820254724_1865861481_n.jpg&hash=af232b6c333b4b021b473c88830f9fbb28a0c98d)

Stairs from Laburnum Avenue to I-95.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fsphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net%2Fhphotos-ash3%2F30365_4683820454729_738228986_n.jpg&hash=3afcfab2eab5bddde73952c7ccb2b84aaef7338c)

White border.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fsphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net%2Fhphotos-ash3%2F524922_4683820694735_1044067894_n.jpg&hash=75565f9ae55d4fef4d4e65be3e12ebaf5eb3b9d7)

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fsphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net%2Fhphotos-prn1%2F561646_4683822014768_621307272_n.jpg&hash=e3a2c9196801b121820f4fd71964b54ff41f6e54)

A cutout that was hit by a car. The pole was bent near the bottom, but the shield itself has tire tracks on it, as well as some misprints.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fsphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net%2Fhphotos-ash4%2F430484_4683823254799_243781776_n.jpg&hash=4f1f3e6b85c4253e2d8978d90de7da017f0a1539)

Quote from: Takumi on October 14, 2012, 03:46:21 PM
Kneeling: Billy Riddle, Will Weaver, Scott Davis, Michael Elmore (looking like I've been cut off at the knees). Standing: Oscar Voss, Carl Tessier, Elric Naslund, H.B. Elkins, Steve Alpert, Chris Curley, Mike Tantillo, Doug Kerr, Jason Ilyes, Mike Pruett, Laura Bianca.

Sir Not Appearing In This Photo: Shawn De Cesari.

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Post Merge: October 15, 2012, 11:09:25 PM

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Quote from: Sanctimoniously on October 14, 2012, 05:51:40 PM
I like how I'm barely visible. It almost looks like I'm photobombing it.

You have the same build as Waldo and were wearing glasses.

Quote from: Takumi on October 15, 2012, 04:50:10 PM
I've uploaded all the photos I took to Facebook and will be doing blog entries with them over the course of the week. Some highlights:

Recycled signage.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fsphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net%2Fhphotos-ash4%2F299312_4683816534631_1512361857_n.jpg&hash=baeb7a6a1bfcd3a0f47d4c7225cb7d98248aead0)

As I recall, the left one was a 33 and the right one was a 60. The EASTs look original. I was also speculating, when someone noted it wasn't even enough to be white-background, that it appeared the entire sign was painted over the original, so it may very well have started out with a white background.

Quote from: Steve on October 15, 2012, 11:05:46 PM
Sir Not Appearing In This Photo: Shawn De Cesari.

He was too busy on Instagram! :-D

Quote from: Steve on October 15, 2012, 11:09:18 PM
As I recall, the left one was a 33 and the right one was a 60. The EASTs look original. I was also speculating, when someone noted it wasn't even enough to be white-background, that it appeared the entire sign was painted over the original, so it may very well have started out with a white background.

You may be right. The original shields look very similar to the 360s on the white border unisign, although the banners don't.

Quote from: hbelkins on October 15, 2012, 11:51:20 AM

Quote from: WillWeaverRVA on October 15, 2012, 12:19:21 AM
I'm going to post the rest of the meet photos on Flickr so those here who can't see them on Facebook can still see them. I'll also add pictures from last week's dry run of the meet route since most of my backseat pictures kinda suck. :P

Excellent, since we cut the tour short and our car opted to head back to the gathering spot after seeing the cutouts.

I wound up seeing some of the old signs our car missed the next morning.  We were actually pretty close to a few of them when we decided to turn on I-64 to head back to Short Pump.

High quality non-Facebook photos are now up.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/coredesatchikai/sets/72157631788251895/

Oh hey, remember this meet? Anyone recall where we ended up eating dinner? I can see "Taste the Local" and "Happy Hour Specials", so I'm pretty sure it was some sort of alcoholic establishment.

Keagan's Irish Pub in Short Pump.

Quote from: Takumi on September 07, 2013, 09:00:27 AM
Keagan's Irish Pub in Short Pump.

Thank you! Their signs are making their way toward the Internet this month.

That was a fun meet for Steph and I, we ended up in Williamsburg that night with an old friend of min I have not seen in 15 years. :-)