I like the idea of doing the Boston stuff on a weekend, traffic sounds like a circus:shifty:.

Okay, here's a modified version of my Sunday and Monday itineraries, removing the Salem stop for redundancy, and factoring in weekday traffic.

THURSDAY
0700 to 1400 : Attendees arrive in Boston and are greeted by the hosts and transportation needs are attended to. Meet & greet, opening ceremonies, etc.
1500 to ~1900: Trip to New London, CT, with a stop somewhere along the way for dinner.
1900 to 2100: Get everything squared away at the hotel/cottage.
2100 to 2400: Free time/gaming, get some sleep, etc.

FRIDAY
0000 to 0630 Sleep
0630 to 0730 Breakfast
0730 to 0800 Trip to Sonalysts Studios
0800 to 1000 Presentation: Advanced simulation modeling in Sub Command
1000 to 1130 Explore Submarine Force Museum
1130 to 1300 Tour USS Nautilus submarine (I'm hoping that Bill Nichols could give a guided tour of the boat in two separate groups - provided he wants to!)
1300 to 1400 Lunch
1400 to 1500 Trip to Naval Submarine Base New London, visit United States World War II Submarine Veteran Memorial on Bridge St. (optional)
1500 to 1600 Presentation: US NAVY and Middle Eastern Littoral Threats
1600 to 1800 Tour of Naval Base and Nuclear Submarine
1800 to 1830 Transport to Local restaurant
1830 to 2100 Dinner (still not certain about Captain Scott's...)
2100 to 2330 Nighttime snack, reception, Mystery Subsim Theater U-571 (this is important!)
2330 to 0700 Sleep

SATURDAY
0700 to 0830 Breakfast
0830 to 1000 Trip to Fall River, MA
1000 to 1700 Tour Battleship Cove exhibits, have lunch on battleship, get overnight arrangements settled
1700 to 2200 Free Time
2200 to 2400 Sleep aboard Massachusetts and JPK Jr.

SUNDAY
2400 to 0630 More Sleep
0630 to 0730 Breakfast
0730 to 0930 Get everything squared away and ready for the road, check out some exhibits we may have missed, socialize, etc.
0930 to 1030 Trip to Boston, MA
1100 to 1400 Tour the USS Constitution and USS Cassin Young, a Fletcher-class destroyer. Grab a bite to eat.
1430 to 1800 Sightseeing, Freedom Trail, etc.
(Alternately, a van trip for interested participants to the Albacore in Portsmouth:
1430 to 1530 Trip to Portsmouth
1530 to 1700 Explore the Albacore, the world's first body-of-revolution hull submarine
1700 to 1800 Return to Boston and rendezvous for dinner)
1800 to 2000 Dinner
2030 to 2130 Check into hotel
2130 to 2330 Free time, gaming, sleep, etc.

Monday
0000 to 0700 Actual sleep
0700 to 1000 Breakfast, free time, gaming
1000 to 1330
Attendance contest and prizes
Meeting surveys
Closing remarks: Neal Stevens
1330 to 1530 Return to airport, turn over rented vehicles, remind our families we're still alive.
I'm still not sure what to do with this day. Any meet veterans want to advise?

Maybe a four day meet with a New London opening and closing might work out better. Aaaaggghhhh!!!:damn:

I just hope we can get this sorted out soon. I have a feeling transportation might a thorny issue. If we begin and end in Boston, the vehicle rental issue would be simplified, but the traffic would be greater. If we start and end in New London, there might be problems getting back to the airport - unless everyone flying in actually arrives at Groton-New London International.

Y'know, I've never actually driven a car. I need some help here folks. :haha:

I’ve given this a lot of thought, considered everyones suggestions and comments and unless there are some serious objections to this I think we will adopt the itinerary listed below.


Note that wherever possible I’m going to deliberately avoid listing specific times as I don’t think anyone really wants to do this by stopwatch nor should we need to except for a few instances.

---------------------


WED/THURSDAY
The attendees who are arriving via commercial airline should fly into Boston’s Logan International Airport. Those coming by other means should drive, hitchhike, sail, snorkel or parachute over to my place in Rehoboth Mass.

It’s really the most convenient gathering point since I figure there might be a fairly wide range of arrival times and rather than sit for 8 hours in some smelly airport bar waiting for everyone to get in I think people will feel a lot more comfortable relaxing in my back yard eating mass quantities of barbecue. I can’t stress enough how much driving sucks around here on the weekday and the less we can do of it the better.

Early arrivals can stay Wednesday night for free at my place, though you might be pressed into service as an escort or cook. (see next paragraph)

Those that are flying in on Thursday should upon arrival make their way to the Attleboro MBTA stop where I’ll pick them up and take them to my house. It’s really easy and way cheaper than taking a commuter flight to New London. You just have to take the Massport Silver Line Rapid Transit bus from the airport to the MBTA’s South Station. They leave from in front of the airport terminals every 5-10 mins or so and drop you off right in front of the train station in downtown Boston. Then it’s just a short train ride to Attleboro (they also leave like every 10 mins or so). If there are those who feel this could be a challenge, one of us locals can meet them at the airport itself and escort them in person to down to Attleboro.

Once everyone has arrived we board our ground transportation (TBD) and head down to the New London lodge cabins that Neal mentioned (about an hour away) and get settled in.

FRIDAY


Breakfast at local diner (TBD)

Sonalysts Studios
0800 to 1000 Presentation: Advanced simulation modeling in Sub Command (not sure if this has been scheduled yet. If not I’d suggest making it a couple hours later in the morning.)

Tour USS Nautilus submarine and Sub Force Museum


Lunch somewhere local

Finish touring Nautilus and Museum

1500 to 1600 Presentation: US NAVY and Middle Eastern Littoral Threats


1600 to 1800 Tour of Naval Base and Nuclear Submarine


Supper at a restaurant (TBD)

Back to the Lodge (or not depending on what people want to do at the time).

SATURDAY


Check out of lodge

Breakfast

Head to Fall River, MA


Tour Battleship Cove exhibits

Lunch

Continue to tour exhibits

Dinner either at a restaurant or at Che August (clambake)

Stay over night on the Massachusetts and JPK Jr.


SUNDAY

Check out and head to breakfast

Depending on everyone's flight schedules we can either head directly to the Constitution or stop off on the way up to see the Salem too.

Lunch in Boston

Finish seeing Boston sights.

See everyone off to the airport

Those that are leaving the next day return to my house in Rehoboth and stay there over night and I’ll see you off the next day.

Sounds like a plan to me. :sunny:

I think August's plan would probably work better than either of mine. The Albacore can wait until the 2018 meet, I suppose. Still...which one of us poor bastards ends up driving me home at the end of the meet? With any luck, I can get someone in my family to bail me outta Boston, Rehoboth, Fall River, New London, or wherever we end up! :rotfl2:

There might be someone travelling that way but how about taking the Amtrak from Providence to Mystic or NL? You might even be able to catch a bus from either of those right to your hometown.

It's two hours or less to Manchester wherever we end up. I just fret too damned much.

Yes you do. On the bright side though bet you've never taken a train before right?

SWA has tickets from pdx to logan....$182:yeah:.

Kicking around the trip dates sept 22- sept 27:hmmm:

Pretty good deal. First to arrive gets dibs on the spare bedroom...

That sounds like the best possible thing August as far as your itinerary goes. My dad has decided to back out of the meet, and so it will just be me. I'll begin looking for best airline tickets to BLIA and will inform you when I plan to arrive for transportation back to your HQ.

-Chad

Sounds good to me. Thanks :salute:

I'm requesting the time off work now.:rock:

Yeah I've got to get my vacation request in soon as well. I think i'll take the 22nd to the 27th so i can be around if anyone shows up early or stays late.