Do y’all want to do a meetup in the Midwest this summer? It has been intimated in the Discord that perhaps we are due for one, and I am not one to disappoint. There’s a manufacturer trip in about a month in Detroit, and I have the option of flying in or driving in, with the former being a little easier but the latter giving me an opportunity to do a second meeting in Pittsburgh or Cleveland or somewhere.
What I know is that I need to be in Michigan on Wednesday, July 22nd during the day to drive a bunch of fast cars and write about them. Normally, I’d just take the very short flight from LGA to Detroit and pop back. Based on a poll done in the Discord, it sounds like a lot of folks in Detroit would like us to do a meetup, so that’s definitely going to happen, and will probably happen on the evening of July 22nd.
Here’s where it gets interesting and/or complicated. If we only do a meetup in Detroit, then I’ll just stay another night and fly back on the 23rd. That’s pretty easy. But after the success of our somewhat impromptu Southern Ohio meetup last summer, I was wondering if perhaps we didn’t want to do one in, say, Pittsburgh or Cleveland? Maybe on the 20th or 21st? I’d borrow something fun and drive it there.
That’s my big question, and I pretty much have to decide this week what we’re doing. Here are the potential options and a poll so you can tell me what you think, plus let me know in the comments. For the Detroit meetup, it’s possible that Mercedes or maybe Thomas can come, too, since they’re not far away.
- Option 1: Just Detroit, there’s not enough interest (or people can just drive to Detroit, it’s not that far).
- Option 2: Detroit + Cleveland, with Cleveland merely being somewhere in Northern Ohio based on suggestions.
- Option 3: Pittsburgh instead of Cleveland to get the PA, Southern Ohio, Kentucky contingent.
Anyway, here’s a poll, let me know what you think:
I’m looking forward to seeing some/many of you!
Top photo: Ford Heritage Vault
Oh man, the PVGP is the week before this. It would be awesome to plan a Pittsburgh meet up during that event, it’s so unique and I feel doesn’t get as much recognition as it should!
Last year’s meet was in Plain City, which is very much Central Ohio, not Southern.
There was an Autopian meet 15 minutes from my house last year and I missed it?
Any place in the eastern time zone is NOT the Midwest.
+1 for Pittsburgh, but Cleveland’s only a couple hours. Following this either way, I’ve never got to come to one!
Always found it confusing being called the Midwest, it is neither mid nor West.
Unless you count the slang term for “mid”
West Vancouver is actually north of Vancouver. And North Vancouver is more east than north of Vancouver proper.
Gotta think in terms of history. The whole area was once The Northwest Territory.
Somewhere, sometime, in the Chicago/Milwaukee/Twin Cities/Quad Cities n-gon!
“The tri state area”
Living overseas I never get a chance to participate in events like this. However, I’m going back to Michigan this summer and would be honored to get to hang out and meet the car community of my actual home.
I’m a third culture kid (even though somehow my actual age is in my 40’s… that doesn’t feel right…) and know the car scene in overseas extremely well, but where my hometown is… I know nothing and would love the change to get to experience a meet for the first time, and hopefully meet some cool people as well.
Need to do one around the Twin Cities (Road America area would work too) cannot drive to Detroit quickly or easily.
Same here. I could possibly be talked into a Chicago meetup at the farthest, given a couple weeks heads up prior to it. Anything further than that gets difficult.
I get back from the UK on the 21st.
I’d love to bring my Rover 220 to the meetup.
Yer killin me here. Some family from Detroit will be visiting mere weeks after the proposed meetup, else I would probably work out a visit that way.
I’ve grown to really love that city, btw.
Detroit is an hour and change from me, so I’m in.
Just to be pedantic, you could still be in what is considered the ‘Metro Detroit Area’ and still be a hour away from the city. (It took me an hour to get into the city for the Grand Prix at 5am each day and I hail from what many would consider to still be “Detroit” … if they weren’t from the area).
Holding out for Chicago (or for a week I’m not out of town)
What does your schedule look like? Let’s make something happen!
Late summer/fall is probably best, but with young kids I won’t have the availability of some others I’m sure. So I’ll do my best but don’t schedule anything around me!
In Columbus, so would be interested in either Cleveburg or Pittsland.
We need some Pacific Northwest meetups!
A trip up to Detroit from Iowa is going to have to go into the “wish I could” category this time around. Normally it wouldn’t be out of the question depending on work-load, but I’ve already burned up a month of FTO this year for grad-party prep as well as going to IMSA and WEC races. I can already hear the sad-trombone of a denied random mid-week day-off request, particularly if it’s to go do another car-related thing.
Weekdays during the day is rough because of work, but I could do Cleveland or Pittsburgh in the evening or weekend. And of course I assume you’ll be planning the event around my schedule.
How about Cleveland… Oklahoma?
From Dayton OH, it’s farther to Pittsburgh than Cleveland. So I would still vote Cleveland.
I could probably make it to Pittsburgh or Cleveland.
The irony is that I’ll be at AirVenture the week of July 20, so I can’t even be at a meetup that week.
Oh, right. AIrVenture meetup!
Just borrow something and fly across the lake.
“Take him to Detroit”
I might just be crazy enough to make the drive down from Ottawa, schedule depending.
I’m not a Detroit local, but I’d make the drive.
As a Detroit local I’m definitely up for this, and it (finally) doesn’t conflict with my other commitments!
I had my hopes up (I’m off work that week!). But, your “Midwest” isn’t my “Midwest”! Kansas here. Have fun “up North”! 🙂
I was just thinking the same way. Doesn’t sound so midwest to me LOL
I grew up in the West, so I don’t know how any of this works.
I live in southern Indiana, right across the river from Louisville. I never know if we are the South or the Midwest. I tend to lean towards the South, southern Indiana isn’t really any different that southern Kentucky, which is definitely part of the South.
Our part of Indiana is definitely the south, culturally and topologically at least (hills, people who say coke instead of pop/soda, accents, etc). Anything north of Columbus, IN is the Midwest by culture.
Brown county is the Ashville of Indiana. Southern, but hipster enough to have craft brews next to the 2 skids of domestic light.
We did do Kansas last year!
I know! I missed it, because I was out of state! I just can’t win. 🙂
I thought the west was everything west of St. Louis, with its arch being the “Gateway to the West”.
St. Louis is the “backdoor to the East”. Pioneers set out from the KC area on the major trails (Oregon, Santa Fe and California).
“Carry on my wayward son
There’ll be peace when you are done
Lay your weary head to rest
Don’t you cry no more”
The Dakotas down through Kansas are culturally the Midwest (‘ope’, massive beer consumption, passive aggressive kindness, very very long-goodbyes-where-you-keep-moving-toward-the-door-while-talking, and flat, boring landscapes). However, geographicly, they are the great plains states.