Guaging interest and date for a nashville, TN\ Mid Tennessee region road meet

[jpi]

I have been thinking about this off and on the past year. It has been over 3 years since the last Nashville area road meet. What I would like to do is for us to meet up in my home town of Lebanon (30 miles east of Nashville on I-40) eat lunch at a yet to be determined place ( I am not choseing the Barrel since they are not very good with large parties that like to hang out for 2 hours) There is lots of construction on Hartsville Pike (TN 141) going on and should be done by then with possibly more coming. On TN 109 near Gallatin they are building a new bridge over the Cumberland River that will be 4 lanes wide and is replacing an old narrow truss bridge built in the late 40's\ early 50's, also there is lots of widening on the area interstates including I-40 near Lebanon and Mt Juliet, I-65 south of Frankilin and soon to be I-65 north of downtown Nashville. Also TN 840 is fully open.

Now the dates, I don't want to conflict with Kim Harvey's proposed meet in St Louis nore do I want to conflict with a possible Delmarva meet in April wich I am looking at attending both. Easter Sunday is on April 20 and Steel City Con in Pittsburgh (my other hobby) is on April 11, 12, and 13 so those 2 weekends are out but I am not ruleing out April 19 yet. The dates I am looking at are as follows-

March 22
March 29
April 5
April 26
May 3

Over the weekend in Pikeville I brought this idea up to both Cody and Eric Near who lives in the Nashville area too. Any and all feed back is apprieciated. 

[Alps]

I like the idea. Later in the year = warmer and more daylight, but starts to conflict with other meets. All of the dates look good enough to me as of now.

[hbelkins]

Definitely close enough for me to attend despite any financial issues that have been caused by no raises in six years. At this point I have no preference on dates.

[jpi]

I have now posted a poll. The date with the most votes wins! :-)

[getemngo]

Keep in mind that March 22 is also a possible date for the St. Louis meet.

[jpi]

OOPS thats right but so far March 15 seems to be the winner.

[A.J. Bertin]

I'd love to attend. There are so many road meets coming up in 2014! I hope I can make all the ones I want to!

[74/171FAN]

For me it really depends on when I take the FE if I can come or not.  It would be tough for me to go to Nashville and back in one day, but I believe its doable.

[A.J. Bertin]

I went ahead and voted for April 5. I'm trying to attend the St. Louis meet as well and would be thrilled if the meets weren't scheduled on back-to-back weekends, although I know that may not be possible.

[Duke87]

Since this falls squarely into the category of requiring multiple days driving one way to get there, I'm a no unless it somehow ties into something bigger (like Pikeville did). But, aside from that, any weekend is as good as any other at this point.

[Brandon]

I voted for the two April dates so I might be able to make it with both St Louis (March) and mine (Starved Rock SP, May 17) far enough away from it.

[Alps]

Since this falls squarely into the category of requiring multiple days driving one way to get there, I'm a no unless it somehow ties into something bigger (like Pikeville did). But, aside from that, any weekend is as good as any other at this point.

It's one day each way unless you like interesting roads.

[Duke87]

Since this falls squarely into the category of requiring multiple days driving one way to get there, I'm a no unless it somehow ties into something bigger (like Pikeville did). But, aside from that, any weekend is as good as any other at this point.

It's one day each way unless you like interesting roads.

The same all-interstate route each way, which I've already driven about 90% of. Yeah, not going unless I can do something else.

[hbelkins]

The same all-interstate route each way, which I've already driven about 90% of. Yeah, not going unless I can do something else.

Plenty of variation that you can make and not lose too much time vs. staying on I-81 to I-40 all the way.

Down: I-78 to I-81 to I-70 to I-68 to I-79 to I-64 to I-75 to KY 461 to KY 80 to KY 914 to KY 1247 to KY 90 to US 127 to TN 111 to I-40.

Back: US 231 (or I-40 to TN 155) to I-65 to Bluegrass Parkway to I-64 to I-79 to Corridor H to I-81 to I-80.

[Duke87]

...OK, scratch what I said, I'm forgetting something important: I can always spend the night somewhere a few hours closer than Nashville to give myself more time before and after.

I'm now itching to figure out how I'd do this but Google's mobile interface doesn't allow you to modify the suggested route so it'll have to wait until I get home.

[Alps]

...OK, scratch what I said, I'm forgetting something important: I can always spend the night somewhere a few hours closer than Nashville to give myself more time before and after.

I'm now itching to figure out how I'd do this but Google's mobile interface doesn't allow you to modify the suggested route so it'll have to wait until I get home.

Maybe we can stay in the same spot, since I'd be trying to avoid taking a day off from work (leave early Friday, get into at least Virginia that night).

[jpi]

...OK, scratch what I said, I'm forgetting something important: I can always spend the night somewhere a few hours closer than Nashville to give myself more time before and after.

I'm now itching to figure out how I'd do this but Google's mobile interface doesn't allow you to modify the suggested route so it'll have to wait until I get home.

Maybe we can stay in the same spot, since I'd be trying to avoid taking a day off from work (leave early Friday, get into at least Virginia that night).

It takes me about 7 hours to get from York, PA to Bristol, then another 4 hours to Lebanon. if that helps. Plus you gain an hour when you get west of Knoxville thanks to the time zone change

[PHLBOS]

FWIW and for comparison purposes; MapQuest calculates a one-way travel time from where I live (in Delaware County, PA) to Nashville (I used the airport (BNA) as a reference point) of 12:45 to 13 hours.

Several years ago, when I moved my father from Nashville to Sturbridge, MA; the total travel time was roughly 18-20 hours total w/an overnight stay in Woodstock, VA (just off I-81).  Note: that trip was done in a fully-packed moving van going no faster than 60-65 mph.

If I were to do a trip like this, I would probably have to take a Friday off and stay overnight in the Nashville area and drive back either that Saturday night or Sunday morning.  Unless, of course, Southwest Airlines offers one of their Wanna Get Away fares from Philly to Nashville and I just rent a car upon arrival. 

Given the distance, one night's lodging is likely an automatic given regardless of which travel option I chosse.

[hbelkins]

Or another alternative on the way home -- I-65 to I-265 to I-71 to I-70 to I-76 to I-276 to future I-95  -- or I-71 to I-76 to I-80.

There are lots of options that shouldn't significantly alter your travel time more than an hour or two.

[jpi]

As for restaurants, I am considering a local small chain that has a location in Lebanon not far off I-40, it is called Demo's (Billy Riddle, Seth Dunn and Eric Near will know this one) It is a good casual dining chain with about 4 locations in middle TN, they specailize in steaks and italian food but have much more then this on there menu and can accomadate large parties.

[Dougtone]

While I'll stress to never plan a road meet around my attendance (unless of course, I'm hosting the meet), I am contemplating a trip to the mountains of TN/NC in that general time frame next year, so if I can fit in the meet somehow, I'd be interested in attending.

[kharvey10]

I'm interested in attending but the problem with April is my employer potentially making Saturday overtime mandatory and umpire stuff.  March would be a better month but I'm still waiting on MoDOT to get off their asses and set a opening date of the new I-70 bridge.  The St. Louis meet could be in either February or March but not the two weekends leading up to Mardi Gras.

[codyg1985]

For me it really depends on when I take the FE if I can come or not.  It would be tough for me to go to Nashville and back in one day, but I believe its doable.

That would knock April out for you then, I assume. I came to the Pikeville meet a week before my PE exam.

Right now any date works for me as long as it doesn't conflict with the STL meet. I could do this without needing to stay overnight, obviously.

[74/171FAN]

For me it really depends on when I take the FE if I can come or not.  It would be tough for me to go to Nashville and back in one day, but I believe its doable.

That would knock April out for you then, I assume. I came to the Pikeville meet a week before my PE exam.

Actually no.  I am taking it April 12 so I would be able to come later in April.  It more depends now if I would rather go to a Hampton Roads or a Delmarva meet over this one.

[hbelkins]

Right now any date works for me as long as it doesn't conflict with the STL meet. I could do this without needing to stay overnight, obviously.

Doubt that would happen, since Jason would probably want to go to the STL meet himself, and I don't recall two meets ever being held on the same date in such close geographical proximity to each other.

The only date conflict I can recall right off is the Lawrence, Kansas and Columbus, Ohio meets being held on the same day a few years ago.