2013 Portsmouth, New Hampshire Road Meet
When: Saturday, June 1, 2013 at 12pm noon
Where: Bratskellar Pizza Pub, 980 Lafayette Road, Portsmouth, NH 03801. Lafayette Road is US 1. Bratskellar shares a building with the Dinnerhorn Restaurant, which I believe is owned by the same company.
Agenda: The meet tour will focus on transportation and road construction interests, primarily, but not limited to, the vicinity of the Portsmouth, New Hampshire area. The main focus will be on the Memorial Bridge (US 1 Bridge) reconstruction over the Piscataqua River. Other highlights will feature road construction for the southern terminus of Bypass US 1 at US 1, as well as a clinch of Bypass US 1 in both Portsmouth and nearby Kittery, Maine. There will also be a visit and bridge walk of the General Sullivan Bridge, which is the old crossing for the Spaulding Turnpike (US 4/NH 16) over the Great Bay in Newington. There is also a span of the modern day Spaulding Turnpike that is being built next to the oldest span.
Directions: From Interstate 95, take Exit 5 (Bypass US 1), go through the Portsmouth traffic circle to Bypass US 1 south. Bypass US 1 goes into US 1 south and the Bratskellar will be on your right hand side.
If you are interested in attending this meeting, please email me at dougtone#gribblenation.net (please replace # with @ to send mail) or just RSVP via the Facebook meet page. Your choice. You will be placed on a mailing list to inform you of any updates and changes. Please RSVP by Friday, May 31, 2013 so I can call in an accurate head count to the restaurant.
This meeting is open to all persons.
Bratskellar's website can be found at... http://www.bratskellar.com/bratskellar.htm (http://www.bratskellar.com/bratskellar.htm)
I do hope to attend this meet. It should give me an opportunity to clinch New Hampshire's counties (although in retrospect, I should have gotten Coos County when I was in Vermont year before last.) This will also give me an opportunity to find another route to the northeast besides I-79 through West Virginia.
Not confirming on Facebook, but I did say "maybe" to continue to get the updates there.
As of now, I'm a maybe (and listed such on Facebook). Will confirm later.
Maybe for me. Will know more once I get an apartment.
I have a softball game the night before, but unlike Dubuque it's close enough for me to drive up Saturday morning, so count me in.
I likewise want to clinch the rest of New Hampshire's counties on this trip (currently only have three).
Oui.
For now I plan on sleeping at a friend's place on the way, and come down on Saturday morning, clinching I-93 in the process. I'll sleep in the area that night, so if someone wants to share a hotel room or something, well, heads up!
This is the only road meet that I am a definite "yes" for, and probably the only road meet that I will be able to attend this year.
By the way, Carl, if you are definitely coming, could I ask you a favor, if you can contact me offline?
By the way, depending on when this ends and where people are headed afterwards, I can suggest some things for a post-meet activity: checking out two newly-opened bridges in Manchester area (45 minutes west of Portsmouth -- Airport-Turnpike connector and the new US 3 bridge over the FE Everett Turnpike), checking out two of the state's existing SPUI's at the same time, and ending with ice cream at an small stand in walking distance from my place (shameless plug, since I am friends with the owner and her husband).
Absolutely no idea if I can make it for obvious reasons.
I'm now a "probable", since my niece's high school graduation ceremony just got scheduled for before Memorial Day (her district uses a concert venue for its graduations, so they can't nail down the graduation schedule until the concert schedule is set).
My plan is to combine the meet with some Canadian county-snagging thereafter. But I still need to lock down the ferry and other reservations needed for the latter.
I am out on this one, I will be in central PA the weekend before but I can't take the whole week off, otherwise it may have been doable for me.
My great aunt's 90th birthday party is that weekend, so it's a no for me.
I'm working on a meet tour itinerary so attendees and potential attendees to the road meet can get an idea of where the meet will take us. I will note that it would be a draft copy, since the Bypass US 1 bridge between Portsmouth, NH and Kittery, ME is also temporarily closed due to a barge hitting the bridge, but it is scheduled to be reopened prior to the meet. I'll post it once it is ready.
It shouldn't be a long tour at around 30 miles in length, but with stops along the way, I would expect the tour to last 2-3 hours.
Also, John Housty has suggested a possible after meet tour in Manchester, New Hampshire (about 45 minutes or so west of Portsmouth) for those who are interested. I'm planning to go in the opposite direction after the meet, to Portland, Maine for the night, but I wanted to throw John's suggestion out there to those who are interested.
I have uploaded a Word document containing the itinerary (plus a map based on what Google Maps would allow me to do) for the Portsmouth road meet.
http://www.gribblenation.net/meets/PortsmouthMeet.doc (http://www.gribblenation.net/meets/PortsmouthMeet.doc) is where you can find this.
Hello!
I am new to this board. I joined after chatting with HB and others about the hobby and sharing some of my ideas. I do work at a major mapping company (TomTom) and am based in central-New Hampshire. The hobby is something I personally have been doing for a while but never knew there was a name for it until I found this awesome forum and some of the members who commit a lot of time to it.
anyway, i'll be in attendance of the meetup! I'm very excited to meet a few of you and learn more.
A shame I won't be at the meet, adam, since I'll be retiring about an hour from you and my niece is in WRJ...
Not able to attend, unless I could afford the time or $$$ for a transcontinental flight.
Is anyone looking to share a hotel room in the area for Saturday night?
If not, where is everyone staying, so I can book a room that's not too far in case we have an after-meet dinner or something?
I guess my idea of a Manchester post-meet tour, along with hot sandwiches and ice-cream is not happening?
Quote from: Janko Dialnice on May 16, 2013, 10:13:37 PM
I guess my idea of a Manchester post-meet tour, along with hot sandwiches and ice-cream is not happening?
I won't be able to go to Manchester. When the meet's over, I need to head southwest and get as much mileage as possible under my wheels.
I'm staying right off of US 1 Bypass in Portsmouth, both Saturday and Sunday nights.
I am down for heading over to Manchester after the meet but I figure that whether that or something else happens will be decided on the spot by the group hanging around.
Quote from: Janko Dialnice on May 16, 2013, 10:13:37 PM
I guess my idea of a Manchester post-meet tour, along with hot sandwiches and ice-cream is not happening?
My inclination, like Doug's, is to head in the other direction toward Portland after the "official" meet, to get a head start on the rest of my trip (to the Maritime Provinces via Quebec's Gaspe Peninsula). Could change my mind at the last minute, though.
I'm also hanging loose on my lodging reservations until the week of the meet, but probably will stay in different places in different states the evenings before and after the meet.
If I do indeed attend (I will actually be in central MA to attend my niece's high school commencement a day or two beforehand), I will need to head back to PA that evening after the 'official meet' activities come to a close.
I will make my final attendance decision on either the 28th or 29th.
Interesting ... if you remove a post, all subsequent posts get renumbered.
So it looks as if the meet will be over around 5 or 5:30? Trying to figure out how much mileage I can get behind me after the meet breaks up. Right now, it looks like making it all the way to Hartford while there's still some daylight may be feasible. Depending on how early we're done, Danbury might even be possible.
Sorry that I won't be able to go over to Manchester, since I know a meet was considered for there last year.
Quote from: adamjackson on May 13, 2013, 01:28:39 PM
Hello!
I am new to this board. I joined after chatting with HB and others about the hobby and sharing some of my ideas. I do work at a major mapping company (TomTom) and am based in central-New Hampshire. The hobby is something I personally have been doing for a while but never knew there was a name for it until I found this awesome forum and some of the members who commit a lot of time to it.
anyway, i'll be in attendance of the meetup! I'm very excited to meet a few of you and learn more.
Welcome, Adam! I believe one of the people you spoke with was Mike, my fiancé.
I am changing my RSVP to maybe. My aunt's party is Sunday afternoon, and Mike and I have been seriously considering driving up and back through Friday and Saturday nights to make this meet and my aunt's party a possibility.
Quote from: hbelkins on May 20, 2013, 03:04:50 PM
Interesting ... if you remove a post, all subsequent posts get renumbered.
So it looks as if the meet will be over around 5 or 5:30? Trying to figure out how much mileage I can get behind me after the meet breaks up. Right now, it looks like making it all the way to Hartford while there's still some daylight may be feasible. Depending on how early we're done, Danbury might even be possible.
Sorry that I won't be able to go over to Manchester, since I know a meet was considered for there last year.
I think that the meet may wrap up before 5pm, with a strong possibility that the meet tour may wrap up in the neighborhood of 4pm-4:30pm (and not that I planned it this way, but it would give me plenty of time to see a minor league ballgame in Portland, ME that evening, and to explore more of southern Maine on Sunday morning). The tour has a handful of stops and some items of interest that we will drive by, but isn't lengthy in mileage (should be about 30 miles round trip). Part of my reasoning for a shorter tour was that it would give meet attendees to explore the area on their own if they chose to do so, plus that anything else I was aware of roads-wise around Portsmouth and the Seacoast would be a little further away than what I felt could be accomplished as part of a meet tour.
While I'm not going to the after-meet activities in Manchester, which is about a 45 minute drive from Manchester, I certainly think that there will be plenty of time to go there and to explore for those who are considering that after-meet tour.
I'm staying in Portland as well, and I'm probably going back home via I-95/NB 95/QC 185/85/A-20.
Quote from: Dr Frankenstein on May 22, 2013, 11:30:18 AM
I'm staying in Portland as well, and I'm probably going back home via I-95/NB 95/QC 185/85/A-20.
Dang, talk about the long way around! Have fun explaining that one at the border ;)
Well, being Nexus, he hopefully won't have to.
Even though I marked decline on Facebook, I may yet change to going given that my apartment may not be ready for the weekend of June 1. I'll keep you posted if I do end up going.
Quote from: vdeane on May 23, 2013, 04:23:01 PM
Well, being Nexus, he hopefully won't have to.
Even though I marked decline on Facebook, I may yet change to going given that my apartment may not be ready for the weekend of June 1. I'll keep you posted if I do end up going.
Not necessarily true. NEXUS at Woodstock/Houlton is only open Monday to Friday, for three AM hours into the US, and three PM hours back into Canada. The only places that seem to have long hours, close to full-time hours, are NEXUS lanes at ports in the vicinity of Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal (the only true bona-fide 24/7 NEXUS lane is at St Armand/Highgate Springs, heading into Canada). While using a NEXUS card as ID in a non-NEXUS lane may very well reduce the questions, technically NEXUS card holders are not guaranteed anything other than a regular primary/secondary experience when using it in a non-NEXUS lane, at a NEXUS port where the NEXUS lane is not open, or at a non-NEXUS port.
http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/prog/nexus/land-terre-eng.html#where-ou
Hope you can make it to Portsmouth!
Just a few days before the meet now. The weather should be sunny, but hot. Not to fret though, since being near the ocean, and tour stops being mostly near bridges, the water should hopefully moderate things a bit. I'll take RSVPs until Friday morning and will give the restaurant a call about lunch sometime on Friday afternoon.
Quote from: Dougtone on May 28, 2013, 08:19:51 PM
Just a few days before the meet now. The weather should be sunny, but hot. Not to fret though, since being near the ocean, and tour stops being mostly near bridges, the water should hopefully moderate things a bit. I'll take RSVPs until Friday morning and will give the restaurant a call about lunch sometime on Friday afternoon.
Starting out on my journey tomorrow afternoon. See you Saturday.
I will be there. Driving up the night before.
Not sure if you got my e-mail Doug (I don't do Facebook), so just to verify that I do plan on attending on Saturday.
Quote from: roadman on May 29, 2013, 06:29:17 PM
Not sure if you got my e-mail Doug (I don't do Facebook), so just to verify that I do plan on attending on Saturday.
Good deal, I'm looking forward to finally meeting you. :clap:
We can swap old war stories regarding old MA signs. FYI, I have some old vintage (late 70s/early 80s) sketches of various BGS'/LGS' of the era I drew as a kid that might be of interest to you or strike a good laugh.
Note to self: I must bring a sketch pad and a writing utensil.
I had really wanted to attend (and RSVP'd maybe), but there's an event scheduled at the exact same time that I promised I would accompany my mother to, so it looks like now that there's finally a road meet within an hour of me I still can't make it... :-/
A little problem with the directions in the itinerary linked above:
QuoteMake a right onto Maplewood Avenue
Make a left to exit onto Bypass US 1 north
This cannot be done, as that left turn is prohibited. (https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&vpsrc=6&ie=UTF8&ll=43.080477,-70.768886&spn=0.001111,0.001725&t=m&z=19&layer=c&cbll=43.080454,-70.768767&panoid=HZz8jaADvSyicQ8wIzBkug&cbp=12,294.93,,1,2.45)
I recommend changing the following portion of the itinerary:
QuoteTake Pierces Island Road, make a left onto Marcy Street and a quick right onto Hancock Street. You may notice the historic Strawbery Banke as we pass as well.
Make a right onto Pleasant Street
Make a left onto Islington Street (this is at the town center of Portsmouth)
Make a right onto Maplewood Avenue
Make a left to exit onto Bypass US 1 north
to instead read:
QuoteTake Pierces Island Road, make a right onto Marcy Street, continue north back to State Street
Make a right onto State Street. State Street curves left underneath the Memorial Bridge, becoming Harbour Place.
Take the first right, onto Bow Street
Make a right onto Market Street, continue north and pass underneath Bypass US 1
Make a left at Albacore Park
Make a left onto Bypass US 1 north
I'll make this edit to the itinerary, print out some copies, and bring them along to the meet. Perhaps we'll discuss this over lunch before the trip gets underway...
Edit: I'll also make an
alternate-alternate itinerary, in case we cannot pass under the Memorial Bridge due to the construction.
Oops - my edit above does not get us a full clinch of US1Byp, which I bet would be a nice thing to have for most attendees. :)
I'll keep on revising, and print out a few different variations. We can compare notes at the restaurant.
And we have a meet photo...
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm4.staticflickr.com%2F3801%2F8935004981_8a68d548a9_z.jpg&hash=f38cad72b31f9bf7b764d0b90d94e53822d88581)
Full size photo at http://www.flickr.com/photos/dougtone/8935004981/ (http://www.flickr.com/photos/dougtone/8935004981/)
I forgot to name names...
From left to right: Anthony Costanzo, Chris Commans, Bob Malme, Steve Timmins (crouching), Carl Tessier (kneeling), H.B. Elkins, Zack Lewis, John Housty, Mike Tantillo, Mike Pruett, Adam Jensen (sp?), Laura Bianca, Patrick Zilliacus, Eric Bryant, Doug Kerr (holding his head) and Oscar Voss
Back home (and currently at work) after taking what now seems to be the longest possible way to do Portland-Montreal; yup, I ended up doing it.
Pros: I will no longer have to worry about clinching the northern part of I-95 as well as all of the main TCH in Québec. I also beat my single-day mileage record by a significant proportion and went out of the Eastern time zone for the first time in 10 years.
Con: I'm still sleep deprived and my head hurts. I kinda underestimated the time it would take, and got further slowed down by the weather, which was especially bad between Hartland and Edmundston, with some reduced visibility remaining until Kamouraska. I left Portland around 10 AM and passed the door into my house at 12:30 AM this morning.
Full writeup to come tonight, hopefully. Until then, visit my Facebook and Foursquare profiles for a rough timeline.
Nice to see this photo of Doug be forever immortalized:
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm2.staticflickr.com%2F1400%2F4724248522_3fe75dd9bd.jpg&hash=9c22100482ce1c8de55f3ee52dd5d4a24bc542f9) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/adamontheroad/4724248522/)
It's Doug being Doug (http://www.flickr.com/photos/adamontheroad/4724248522/) by Adam's Journey (http://www.flickr.com/people/adamontheroad/), on Flickr
Quote from: Dougtone on June 03, 2013, 07:42:20 AM
And we have a meet photo...
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm4.staticflickr.com%2F3801%2F8935004981_8a68d548a9_z.jpg&hash=f38cad72b31f9bf7b764d0b90d94e53822d88581)
Full size photo at http://www.flickr.com/photos/dougtone/8935004981/ (http://www.flickr.com/photos/dougtone/8935004981/)
I forgot to name names...
From left to right: Anthony Costanzo, Chris Commans, Bob Malme, Steve Timmins (crouching), Carl Tessier (kneeling), H.B. Elkins, Zack Lewis, John Housty, Mike Tantillo, Mike Pruett, Adam Jensen (sp?), Laura Bianca, Patrick Zilliacus, Eric Bryant, Doug Kerr (holding his head) and Oscar Voss
It's Adam Jackson. He's the guy from Tom Tom. Somehow I missed meeting him or talking to him at all at the meet. Right after this photo was taken was when I started getting light-headed and nauseated, and I sat down and missed being in the rest of the photos that everyone else took.
Quote from: CanesFan27 on June 03, 2013, 02:46:07 PM
Nice to see this photo of Doug be forever immortalized:
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm2.staticflickr.com%2F1400%2F4724248522_3fe75dd9bd.jpg&hash=9c22100482ce1c8de55f3ee52dd5d4a24bc542f9) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/adamontheroad/4724248522/)
It's Doug being Doug (http://www.flickr.com/photos/adamontheroad/4724248522/) by Adam's Journey (http://www.flickr.com/people/adamontheroad/), on Flickr
I'm surprised there's not a "Doug Kerr's Fathead" Facebook page yet.
Here's a bonus meet photo, of Laura Bianca holding some of the Route 11 potato chips I brought up from Virginia. They're made in Mt. Jackson, Virginia, near U.S. 11, and I bought them at an Italian grocery store in Arlington.
Val, sorry you couldn't make it to the meet, to snag some bags to take home. We had to eat all the chips ourselves. ;-)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alaskaroads.com%2FRoute-11-chips_DSC8927.jpg&hash=27378828a5e3fba0749a9348248f151ef881c58b)
BTW, I'm in Halifax at the moment, about halfway through my post-meet trip through Maine and the Maritimes.
There is information about ordering a shipment of Route 11 Potato Chips, as well as a store locator that shows people where they can pick up Route 11 Potato Chips at a store.
I've seen the Route 11 chips at several Cracker Barrels.