Will I really be spending 17% of my time driving?

[danda]

So is it just me, or is there a serious amount of driving involved for these events and some fiendishly complex routes?

According to google maps, I'm looking at:

Monday night 6:30 PM - airport to Blaine National Stadium: 29.7 miles. 53 minutes. 19 different roads!! Quote from metrotransit.org: "The trip from MSP (MINNEAPOLIS) to NATIONAL SPORTS CENTER (BLAINE) is not possible." Nice.

Monday 10:30 PM - National Stadium to Ronstock: 75.8 mi. 1 hour, 28 minutes. 10 roads.

Tuesday morning - Ronstock to Target Center: 67.6 mi, 1 hour, 21 mins. 14 roads.

Wed early am - Target Center to Ronstock: 67.6 mi, 1 hour, 21 mins, 14 roads.

Wed am - Ronstock to airport: 60.7 mi, 1 hour, 10 mins. 10 roads.

Ok, adding that up, we get 373 minutes, or 6.2 hours DRIVING during a ~36 hour period. And that's if I don't get lost anywhere while navigating ~67 different roads/streets. I'm pretty sure that I will.

So, are there carpools being arranged, or what's the deal?

I've sent mails a few times to the Ronstock organizers and I paid for bus transportation, but I haven't heard any real answer that makes me feel secure I can actually get from the airport to the events and ronstock without providing my own wheels.

Renting a car is possible, but even so, I am feeling a bit overwhelmed......

What is everyone else planning for transportation Monday and Tuesday? And especially to/from the airport?

 

[danda]

PS, I likely will end up renting a car at the airport. If anyone else is arriving around 5:30 - 7:30 PM or leaving early Wed morning, maybe we can ride together and split costs. PM me.

 

[Scribbler de Stebbing]

17.5 miles from Blaine to Target Center.

We did put up a carpool tool: http://rally.campaignforliberty.com/lodging/mn.php

Its effectiveness depends on the number of people who use it, but it's right there on the travel page.

 

[KenInMontiMN]

One thing about the Ronstock location in particular is that you are well out southeast of everything, quite a ways out of town. If that's a surprise the organizers should have made it a little more clear I suppose. As for the events themselves, they are clustered pretty close together really, from the heart of downtown mpls to points just north a bit.

 

[danda]

17.5 miles from Blaine to Target Center.

That's fine I guess if RonStock was right in the middle, or if I decide to just sleep in my rented car instead. But it sounds like too much fun down at RonStock!!!!!!

We did put up a carpool tool: http://rally.campaignforliberty.com/lodging/mn.php

Its effectiveness depends on the number of people who use it, but it's right there on the travel page.

Thanks for that tool. I checked it out, but it doesn't actually list the events/locations that are relevant to all of us: RonStock, Rally for Republic, Ron Paul Nation Celebration, etc. So the only way would be to enter all the addresses manually, and I've a feeling that no one else has bothered to do it, as the form is a bit lengthy just to find out if anyone else has signed up.

oh well. I've a feeling I'll be spending just Monday night at RonStock and crashing in the car or airport Tues after partying into the wee hours.

 

[danda]

One thing about the Ronstock location in particular is that you are well out southeast of everything, quite a ways out of town. If that's a surprise the organizers should have made it a little more clear I suppose. As for the events themselves, they are clustered pretty close together really, from the heart of downtown mpls to points just north a bit.

Yeah, I'd heard some mention, but I hadn't really understood just how far and all the logistics until I started fully planning out routes today.

 

[Scribbler de Stebbing]

On the RideShare, you have to look for the Blaine Sports Center and the Target Center under sports. They don't change it for every event at the facilities.

Try it using the facility names instead of the event names:

http://rally.campaignforliberty.com/lodging/mn.php

 

[danda]

On the RideShare, you have to look for the Blaine Sports Center and the Target Center under sports. They don't change it for every event at the facilities.

Try it using the facility names instead of the event names:

http://rally.campaignforliberty.com/lodging/mn.php

Yeah, I saw those. If I was travelling only between Target and Blaine, I would've gone further. But instead, I am travelling from Airport to Blaine, Blaine to Ronstock, Ronstock to Target, Target to Airport. And neither Airport nor Ronstock are listed, so my assessment was that I wouldn't be finding many people sharing rides for those routes. Am I wrong? And anyway, if I can't find a rideshare for even one route, then I'm screwed, and so better just to rent a car...

 

[muzzled dogg]

yeah yo and i'm gonna try to do ronstock w/o a car

serious scrubbage

 

[Mike Joyce]

I will be in bus transit from 7:00 AM - 2:45 AM (7:45) on Tuesday, walk to the Target Center, attend the rally, walk back to the Target Center, and then be back in bus transit from 10:30 PM - 6:30 AM (8:00). So, that's 15 hours and 45 minutes of transit in 23 hours and 30 minutes total.

 

[danda]

I will be in bus transit from 7:00 AM - 2:45 AM (7:45) on Tuesday, walk to the Target Center, attend the rally, walk back to the Target Center, and then be back in bus transit from 10:30 PM - 6:30 AM (8:00). So, that's 15 hours and 45 minutes of transit in 23 hours and 30 minutes total.

Sounds like you win.