The Stovebolt Site Forums The Side Lot Old Dominion Stovebolt Society (MD, VA, West VA, DC, DE and PA) Heads Up - Tidewater Stovebolt Mid March Luncheon

Hello Everyone,
This is a heads up that the Tidewater Bolters are looking at a mid March Luncheon. More to follow as time gets closer.

Bread
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Howdy Bread! Count me in, weather permitting.

Me too, but only if it is cold and rainy. And this year I will try to make it on the right day...
Carl

Carl there is no shame (or not too much) in being early. If it's cold or even 3 puffy clouds me and the truck are staying indoors.

Safetynut, I was tempted to drag you into the story of our early bird fiasco, but that would just be rude.

Convoy from Fredericksburg will be there. How many, TBD......

I can take it...

No one asked, but with folks coming in from Fredericksburg and elsewhere here are a few spots that would be good meeting spots:
http://shortysdinerva.com/
http://www.yorktownpub.com/
http://www.vinnyspizzava.com/
http://www.doumars.com/
http://www.jimmysovengrill.com/

All of these are fans of classic cars and most of them host cruise-ins regularly. (oh, and the food is great too)

I vote for a Yorktown or Williamsburg site. Easier for the somd folks and I could make a weekend out of it.

Where is the exact luncheon location? need to get on google and see what kind of trip it is for Lexington.
I forgot from last year...

For reference. At 70 mph Newport News is 3:15 from Lexington, made that trip hundreds of times...

I'll step in here now. Bread started the ball rolling on this luncheon (as well as the very successful ones last year and the year before).
He is now somewhere where he said he'd have to kill me if he told me, and has asked me to take care of the details as to where and when to meet.
I am wide open to suggestions. It sounds like many folks from far away are planning on attending. Given this fact, I would suggest that we avoid having it on the east side of the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel (between Hampton and Norfolk), as it can get congested.
Safetynuts suggestions are all good ones except Doumars due to the small parking area and the fact that it is in Norfolk (wrong side of the tunnel). If you ever are in Norfolk, I would strongly suggest Doumars. They have awesome BBQ and it is a quaint little place to eat. It is just stressful to get there and is crowded on weekends.
Let me hear from all of you. It has been a great outing and I'd like to see an even bigger crowd this year.
Carl

Count me out.
Over 15 hours one way with a tail wind.
But the Homecoming is on the calendar to be there.

Don

Bread contacted me and the dates he was suggesting were March 12 or March 19. Let me know which works for each of you so we can nail that down.
Exact location will soon be announced. Waiting on Safetynut.

Carl

At this time I'm in. Definitely this side the tunnel. Shorty's is good food and lots of parking. Larry

Hey guys, been trying to figure out just EXACTLY where this gathering is going to take place and the date.
Can someone tell me? Give me a physical address to Mapquest? ....or the name of the place...if it has been firmly decided.
Is Bread going to be there? Seems things are a bit foggy at this time but hey, it could be my glasses!

If I can weigh in a little ... the places that safetynut listed, how is the parking? How is the seating inside?

One of the things we learned in the early stages of such Gatherings ... you can't fit a bunch of people in a small space and it be fun ... we can't SQUEEZE our old (and some big) trucks into a tight parking lot.

In KC, the first few years, we tried to meet at a restaurant. We had 20 people at a very long table. For a lot of us, it was our first meeting. It worked out well in Kansas City, just to go ahead and meet at the park. You could walk around and sit with, chat with whoever you want for how ever long you wanted - then move on.

That's why we don't even go to a restaurant for Homecoming. We did a few years - and it's an option for the first night if only a few people show up early. But when there's more than 10, well - it's just not as much fun as being able to mingle.

Some of the best events have been at a fast-food place, where we are all outside. Grab some food and go back outside. Or go inside for a while and come back outside. Since it will probably be cold for the Tidewater GABFest, I imagine we'll be inside -- some ??

The Southern Bolters all met outside and could spread out. But it was good weather.

Shoot ... anyone live close enough and we can all meet at their garage? A shop? A lean-to? A barn?

Alvin, time and place will be determined very soon. I am waiting on Safetynut to get back to me with the specs on 3 places which he had suggested. If I don't hear from him by midweek, I will pick the one where we met last year. (Google County Grille in Yorktown, VA.)
I like Peggy's "outside" meeting place as well. But if we don't get any hits on that, then we'll do the restaurant deal.
Carl

Carl, just pick the one that is the closest to me in case I want to come!!!
Peggy, you make some very good points.

Had to cancel last year, Count me in! Preferably the 19th, got a conference on the 12th.

Fear not. This will all get resolved.

Carl, a lot of these start out with hit, miss, trial and error. And each group kinda has to figure out what it is that attracts them.

We had a local Christmas tree growers group that would meet after the tree season every year - at a restaurant and it was not much fun. We wanted to talk to the growers and get some tips on what went good/bad during the growing season. One man usually dominated the discussion and you were trapped by whoever you sat next to. John and I tried not to sit together so at least we'd have a 50/50 chance of learning something. Most of the seating spaces only sat two or four.

Because the meeting was during the winter, it was postponed several times because of bad weather. Some people far away didn't want to come far.

So, one year, we invited them to our farm for the "event." The guy who kinda took charge told me to have it catered. He said the ladies were not going to want to come to a pitch in. EHXKSKEEKES.

We set it up. Got an assortment of food that was easy eating and fixing. The ladies didn't have to bring anything but many called and offered. It was a big hit and a lot of fun. Some of the older growers walked all around our farm, pointing out to us new folks what was good and bad about the trees. We shard with them was us "pups" had learned and the old guys were anxious to hear. We could hardly get the men to come in to eat. It was great. Clean-up was a snap. THAT was OUR kind of event.

So ... plan on something and then continue to tweak as years go by. It will be good to see everyone. Biggest issue is space (for trucks and people). Food is secondary - everyone of us will have had better and worse food!

Peg

Smoke BBQ in Newport News has
some good que too.

Sorry about the delay, I don't get on here much anymore. Been wrenching on my 1940 project. If we are looking for something this side of the water with ample parking and good food. Here would be a short list:
1) Shorty's Diner - 627 Merrimac Trail Williamsburg, VA 23185 (PS-the guy is a HUGE fan of classics)
2) Jimmy's Pizza & Grill - good parking except dinner crowd. 7201 Richmond Road, Williamsburg, VA 23188
3) Vinny's Pizza - 4350 George Washington Hwy (Rt. 17) Yorktown, VA 23693

In order of my preference (not that it counts for anything) but I'd choose Shorty's 1st, then Vinny's, and finally Jimmy's. All good spots and all with ample parking and good food.

NOTE: March 19th is the York High School Car Show in Yorktown 10-3. So that might be a date to avoid. March 12th looks good. ***Unless you guys want to enter the show for the get together???

Now there's an idea! A 2 for one deal. We can feed our faces, then cruise as group to see the show.
Carl

Here is the info on the York High School Car Show...
Saturday March 19 10-3 (registration by 11am to compete)
Registration is $15 if paid by March 16th, $20 day of show.
York High School 9300 Geo. Washington Hwy (Rt. 17) Yorktown, VA
Free to go if you aren't competing.
Register at touising1969@yahoo.com or 757-218-6953 or mail it to:
above address attention: YHS PTSA Car Show

Great idea! I wonder if they could group us all together?

Carl

Is 11:30 the local meeting time, or when you plan for lunch? If the latter, may be early for those with a drive.

The York High School show is down the street from Vinny's, if you want to do Shorty's it might be better to have everyone meet at the York High School show and then cruise to Shorty's. We could meet at York High School at Noon, check out the car show and awards and then head to Shorty's. We could cruise up the Colonial Parkway (nice drive) and straight to Shorty's. For those not wanting to do the car show they could just plan to meet at Shorty's at 1:45pm. The rest of us could do the car show and then head up there arriving no later than 2pm. Does that work?

Are there any vacant parking lots near the show and/or the restaurant? For those who may be entertaining the thought to bring a larger truck on a trailer? Need a place to offload and leave the transport safely and out of the way.

Are Big trucks allowed on the Parkway?

Mike B

Answers: The Colonial Pkwy does have signs prohibiting "commercial trucks" but I think they are looking at big trucks for commercial use (moving trucks, tractor trailers). You should be fine. Also the York High school has plenty of parking outside of the designated show parking to offload. Vinny's also has an adjacent shopping center parking lot to offload as does Shorty's Diner. So no matter where you decide to offload - you should have no problem.

I was not the one who started the thread, but just curious if everyone is good with the following idea (especially Bread since he started the thread). Does this work for everyone:

Saturday March 19th - Plan on meeting at York High School Car Show located at 9300 Geo. Washington Blvd (Rt. 17) Yorktown, VA around Noon. (Keep in mind if you want to compete - you must register by 11am). Then we all convoy to Shorty's Diner via the Colonial Parkway. Shorty's Diner is at 627 Merrimac Trail, Williamsburg, VA. According to mapquest the cruise from the car show to Shorty's will be: 14 miles, 21 minutes. ***Anyone not interested in the car show could skip it and just plan to meet the rest of us at Shorty's at 2pm. Does this work?

Sounds like a plan.

Safetynut, Bread assigned me as the de facto organizer in his absentia (a little Latin lingo for everyone's enjoyment).
I like your plan, and as Calumet High School Student Body President (not really, it just makes me feel big), I officially approve it and forward it to everyone for comment.
Carl

Well Carl,
I appreciate your approval of the aforementioned plan. As an ordained minister of the Universal Life Church you have my blessing to spread the good word about this inspirational gathering. (for $35 you can be ordained too, it sounds cool and you get a parking pass and a bumper sticker).

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I have been a out of pocket (not in the local area), so, as I've been catching up on the thread, this is turning out better and better as time gets closer. I'm glad to see that there is a date/place/time for the GABfest. For the first two luncheons we held, I didn't figure the turn out would bring a lot of people so a restaurant was sufficient. Now, the gathering is getting bigger so the Car Show is a perfect venue to gather everyone and mingle freely.

Thank you all for continuing the support of this event and I am sure that this will be another one to put in the books. Please take plenty of pictures.

Mario
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The Third Annual Tidewater Stovebolt March Get-together will be on March 19, 2016.
We plan to meet at the York High School Car Show (9300 George Washington Memorial Highway Yorktown, VA 23692) at anywhere between 10 and 1.
I need a head count for those of you who will be coming. A simple "I'm in" will do.
Carl

I'm in