What route will you be taking?

[amd1900mp]

Hope you are able to get the time off maverick1974! It would be really cool if you could make it. 04avfan, Shanes 02 Avalanche and several others are working together coordinating the caravans. Like Robby said.. I bet you will be able to hook up with someone enroute to the Black Hills.

Hope to see you there,
Todd

 

[FLINTaVa]

My tentative plan is to leave early Wednesday and sleep somewhere along I-90 (Sioux Falls SD if I can get tha far) then spend Thur-Sat nights in Rapid City, SD. The final weekend

 

[amd1900mp]

My tentative plan is to leave early Wednesday and sleep somewhere along I-90 (Sioux Falls SD if I can get tha far) then spend Thur-Sat nights in Rapid City, SD. The final weekend

Sounds great! Looking forward to meeting you!

Todd

 

[GoldBowTie]

If we can go, this is my preliminary planning:

Wed 7/18
Drive to South Bend IN
276.4 miles  301 minutes  5:01

Thu 7/19
Drive to La Crosse WI
376.1 miles  399 minutes  6:39
Visit Madison WI on the way

Fri 7/20
Drive to Sioux Falls SD
298.4 miles  309 minutes  5:09
Visit La Crosse in the morning
Visit Sioux Falls in the evening

Sat 7/21
Drive to Rapid City SD
349.0 miles  353 minutes  5:53
Check-in at GTG hotel

1299.9 miles 22:42

----

Sat 7/28
Drive to Grand Island NE
426.2 miles  558 minutes  9:18
Taking scenic route after goodbye breakfast

Sun 7/29
Drive to Des Moines IA
284.4 miles  294 minutes  4:54
Visit Lincoln NE and Des Moines IA (State Capitols)

Mon 7/30
Drive to South Bend IN
412.4 miles  423 minutes  7:03

Tue 7/31
Drive home
276.4 miles  301 minutes  5:01

1399.4 miles 26:16

I still need to do some investigating to see what there is to see on the trip there and back.
If I'm driving that far, I might as well see some places along the way.

 

[amd1900mp]

Sounds like a great approach GBT!

See you there,
Todd

 

[johnv656]

I also plan on driving part way on Friday, don't know when the California group will be coming through. Will probably spend the night in Utah somewhere and go the rest of the way on Saturday.

 

[Maverick1974]

Hope you are able to get the time off maverick1974! It would be really cool if you could make it. 04avfan, Shanes 02 Avalanche and several others are working together coordinating the caravans. Like Robby said.. I bet you will be able to hook up with someone enroute to the Black Hills.

Hope to see you there,
Todd

I spoke a little too soon, I seem to have a conflict on the 21-22.  I will not know for sure untill Janurary if i can go or not.

 

[2002AVA]

Everyone that is attending this awesome event, if you would help me out by giving me your starting location and day of travel. I will provide you with a great map and have you merge with a caravan of Avalanches all the way to rapid City. I can go as far as picking out your gas stops and anything else you may need.

So please PM me your information.
Thanks
Shane

 

[Loggie]

Here?s my route.  Not sure when I?m going to start the long journey, that will all depend if on the new job.

Total Est. Time: 25 hours, 58 minutes    Total Est. Distance: 1741.05 miles

 

[FLINTaVa]

I aim to leave Flint and try to stay at Sioux Falls SD Wed 25th, then it's 6 hours to Rapid City, SD and stay 26-28 nights and head out on Sunday 29th but it depends on my friend Wally now, it's his vacation too so he might want to head out there July 21 or 22.

 

[04avfan]

SHANES 02 AV - THE OFFICIAL TRIP PLANNER FOR THE '07 NATIONAL GTG!!

For all of you planning on attending the Nationals, I highly recommend contacting Shane for your trip planning. Shane does this for a living, coordinating and routing groups of techs traveling acrossed the country. As he has said in the posts above, he can even tell you where to take a pee break!! Having someone with his skills can really save you a lot of time and frustration - and u-turns!! He will be able to coordinate hook-ups with caravans as you move across the country, and we all know thats half the fun of the trip!

He has graciously volunteered to do this for us, and I highly recommend it!

Thanks Shane - 

Nick

 

[liteft01]

I'll be taking I-29 North out of KC to I-90 West to Rapid City.? Approx 718 miles.

Plan on the same route, leaving early Saturday and driving all day.  We can hook up with Tdybr27 in KC somewhere, or will take I-435 to I-29.....

 

[trAVelingman]

Plan on the same route, leaving early Saturday and driving all day.? We can hook up with Tdybr27 in KC somewhere, or will take I-435 to I-29.....

The Tennessee Crew will be passing through Kansas City.  Maybe we can meet up with you guys once we decide our itinerary.

 

[MooCowWithSpots]

The Tennessee Crew will be passing through Kansas City.  Maybe we can meet up with you guys once we decide our itinerary.

Kansas City would be a good first night stop.  GTG that night then drive to SD the next day.

 

[2002AVA]

If you want i can plan all this for you so that all the Av's going your direction can meet at some point and caravan together. I am the travel Coordinator, and am very good at what i do. i can help you plan you fuel stops and give you the locations of all Rest area's along the way.

You guys will e taking I-29 to I-90 in Sioux City SD. The gang coming across I-90 from parts East can meet you at the rest Area just west of the I29-I90 Junction. Then you can finish the trip together. Depending on your gas mileage you should be able to make it to Rapid City from Sioux City with out needing gas again.

Just PM your date leaving, Time you want to leave and where you live. i will take care of the rest.

Shane

 

[amd1900mp]

I can't wait to see all these caravans of Avalanches maped out all ending in Rapid City. It will make a great poster!

Todd

 

[Maverick1974]

I am planning my trip out even if I don't get to go.  It seems from southeastern Pennsylvania it is actually a three day trip.
This is what i have come up with so far.

Day 1 - Leave Home Go West on PA Turnpike I76 into Ohio
Follow I76 to I90/I80 to Fremont, IN (I90/80&I69)
Arrive Fremont, IN (I90/80&I69)

Day 2 - Leave Fremont, IN (I90/80&I69)  West on 90/80 & 80/94 & 80/294 &294 to 90 (Around Gary & Chicago I need find the best way around there)
West on 90 to Albert Lea, MN area (I90&I35)
Arrive Albert Lea, MN area (I90&I35)

Day 3 - Leave Albert Lea, MN Area (I90&I35) West on I90 Through Sioux Falls to Rapid City

Not sure if I would be leaving on Thur 19th or Fri 20th

 

[amd1900mp]

Sounds like a good plan maverick.. I hope it comes together for you and you are able to make it!

Hope to see you there,
Todd

 

[2002AVA]

I believe that everyone from Dallas East to Florida and Richmond South. All you folks would do best to meet in Kansas City, then take I29 up into South Dakota to I 90 then west to Rapid City. Also I can try to have all the northern boys coming along I-90 meet you all in Sioux Falls S.D.

 

[amd1900mp]

That sounds like a plan. You can caravan together from Sioux Falls to Rapid City! Talk about a great sight.

Todd

 

[liteft01]

That sounds like a plan. You can caravan together from Sioux Falls to Rapid City! Talk about a great sight.

Todd

I can see the look on the face of the guy behind the counter when we all (try to)pull in the same gas station!

 

[m02redl]

I can see the look on the face of the guy behind the counter when we all (try to)pull in the same gas station!

sorry, we were just hit by a Avalanche

​

 

[Maverick1974]

I believe that everyone from Dallas East to Florida and Richmond South. All you folks would do best to meet in Kansas City, then take I29 up into South Dakota to I 90 then west to Rapid City. Also I can try to have all the northern boys coming along I-90 meet you all in Sioux Falls S.D.

Combining together is a good idea but what day would you be talking about, Saturday or Sunday

 

[2002AVA]

I am going to assume that you all will be ready for a break in Sioux Falls. So the plan is for you all to stay the night on Sat and continue on Sunday Morn. This will also allow stragglers to catch up with everyone else. It is about 350 miles to Rapid City the folowing morning. If you all leave between 8 and 9am you should be in Rapid City between 2 and 3 in the afternoon. This should give you plenty of time to get checked into a hotel or campsite. I am going to do some recon in April for camping sites and locations that will allow a huge amount of us to enjoy.

I am going to need everyones itinerary for their start times and start locations so i can get this coordinated properly. I know it is still early in the year, but the sooner i get the information the better I can plan. The east coast is going to be a big pain because of the way you interstate system is compared to the west coast.
The West coast caravans will all meet in Cheyenne Wyo. and caravan to Rapid City from there. Everyone coming up from I-15 will meet all the people coming across I-80 in SLC. I have not found the exact place yet but am working on one. Then those caravans will drive across Wyoming to Cheyenne and meet all our members from Arizona, New Mexico, West Texas and Colorado. You guys will come up I-25. There is a Rest area with a Flying J gas station and McDonald's. So there will be a lot of room for parking. If everyone fills up there we should not have to stop for gas again until Rapid City.

I will get more detail as you guys send me your locations and departure days. I would really like to get someone setup on an over pass with a video camera in Rapid City to film the caravans approaching and passing from both East ans West, I think that would be awesome.

So please PM your itinerary as soon as you have it set up.

Shane

 

[sparqui]

Shane,
This is quite a task that you are taking on! Good for you! As you already know, it is preliminary as far as plans go... In talking, our tentative plan is to head out on Wednesday or Thursday. We will most likely meet up with the AZ group upon their departure, then continue their route through Denver. We will be leaving from Signal Hill, CA. Still awaiting other commitments from SoCal members, so they are all tentative at this point.