"Rice Berners" Tour Coal Country (and Drink Beer)

Hi Yanche, the business meeting.... well it's 'business' the quotes are most important. I think the 'business' will be tasting the local beers, eating food, and discussing coal and burning coal.

There might even be an 'arm wrestling' contest to see if the stoker feed guys really are 'girlie-men' compared to the hand feed guys. My bets are on the stoker-fed guys, they have already built up all those muscles hand feeding for years and have graduated to stoker-feed.

So it's 'business' not business. But definitely a meeting.

As for the hotels, I stay in hotels at least 170-200 nights a year, so I'm immune. I just sleep, shower and leave. High speed internet is a pluss though.

Greg L

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Hi JC, I've got to go through Harrisburg on the way. I've driven to Harrisburg/Hershey Pa every October for the last twelve years and have yet to get there under 9 hours. Even when not towing. And from Hershey up I-81 is another hour, at least, I did that last october on the way to Girrardsville.

But I will be in touch with you once I get my schedule and start to solidify my plans.

Greg L.

* * * This post overtaken by those above. * * *

I do, however, think we should copyright the term "business meeting ccasion5: " ©

:jester:

Yanche wrote:I'll be there for sure on Saturday and staying the night. Several have mentioned a plan for a business meeting. For what purpose? What do you want to do? I'll be bringing my laptop and a image projector. I've finished the electronic conversion of the Bureau of Mines A-A boiler report. It's got lots of nice illustrations of it's operating principles. I'd be willing to make a presentation on how it and the similar AHS units work. But we need a conference room with electric power and a way to dim the lights. These are hard to find for free. Anyone from the area have and ideas? If you have photos of your coal set up bring them on a USB flash drive and I can easily project them for all to see.

I'm still undecided about also coming up Friday night. Frankly the internet reviews on the Pottsville area motels leave me wondering. No offensive to those that live in the area but anyone who has traveled a lot checks the experiences of others. For me the larger motels off I-81 exits seem more like my style.

Yanche I believe the Quality inn and suites would be the best for you it is a big hotel very nice they will have what ever you need the other 2 are motel they are much smaller but less inexpensive I think because of the location of the Quality INN & SUITES it would be a better choice I-81 is a liitle out of the way 10 to 12 miles one way you would have to drive to much back and forth but it is up to you of course just for the sake of time the QUALITY INN is a good choice pm me it you need more info take care talk to you later

LsFarm wrote:Hi JC, I've got to go through Harrisburg on the way. I've driven to Harrisburg/Hershey Pa every October for the last twelve years and have yet to get there under 9 hours. Even when not towing. And from Hershey up I-81 is another hour, at least, I did that last october on the way to Girrardsville.

But I will be in touch with you once I get my schedule and start to solidify my plans.

Greg L.

I UNDERSTAND but you are not going to harrisburg pa /hershey pa you will be going to pottsville pa harrisburg is 60.5 miles south of pottsville 1 hr 6 min and hershey is 49.2 miles south of pottsville pa 58 mins so you get off of I-81 to pottsville way before you you get to harrisburg / hershey pa you will be coming down from the north to south not to north to south and back up to the north you will be takeing I-80 south to I-81 south and getting off at rt 309 to rt 209 to pottsville or I-81 s to rt 61s to potsville or I 81 s to 901 E to 209 E into pottsville so you will save a 1 to 1.5 hrs or so when and if you can make it just give me a call I will tell you the easiest and fastiest way to get here talk to you later take care oh by the way Giradville is 14.1 miles from pottsville north 28 mins

OK, just went to make a reservation for June 9 at the Quality Inn in Pottsville and got a "no room at the Inn" response for that night. Tried it a couple different ways with the same result.

Could it be that they've heard that a bunch of coal-burning, motorcycle-riding miscreants :ramboface: are descending on their town and they decided to hang up the "No Vacancy" sign for us?

Maybe we ought to poll the group to see how many people will be staying Saturday night, find a hotel (maybe even get a group rate) who can handle that number, then find an appropriate nearby site for our "business meeting ccasion5: "©.

Hi JC, On the way back, loaded with coal I will NOT go through Harrisburg/Hershey, but on the way to Pottsville, I NEED to go through Hershey. I have something I need to drop off and pick up there.

But no matter how you cut it, it is very hard to average more than 60 miles per hour on the road. With fuel and 'nature' stops, even when driving at a steady 70mph+ it is hard to average for a day better than 60 mile per hour on the road.

Have you ever towed at 18,000-22,000 pounds gross vehicle weight in busy traffic at over 60 mph?? This is a recipe for a serious accident. The other dirvers on the road just see a big pickup with a trailer, they don't see a big peterbuilt with a 40' trailer. I've had several years scared out of me by idiot drivers pulling in front of me and me being unable to stop or avoid. Sometimes I think the airblast from my horn moved the $%$$$% idiots out of my way! Talk about defensive driving!!

Anyway I will have a full 10--12 hours going to or returning from Pottsville. An accident or incident is not allowed.

My bid for my June flight schedule was submitted this morning, I should get the results next week.

Now whats with available hotels/motels?? are they full?

Greg L.

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Stockingfull wrote about no room at the inn at the quality inn in Pottsville. I just made a reservation there and was told that there are 45 available rooms available for that night.

I didn't know you were going to Hershey first so as you were however I have made a few trips down to S. C. in the past with a 1987 4x4 chevy pick up fully loaded with a trailer 630 miles one way in 8.5 hrs and 7hr empty stopped twice for gas and another time went down and back in the same day now what helps with them idiots drivers put the AK-47 in the gun rack on the rear window and put the colt model 1911 45 ACP on your Dashboard you will be surprised how well that works just kidding don't do it in these days you will be locked up for a long time all of the motels / hotels will have plenty of rooms you have to remember we are talking about pottsville pa not much happens here and not much tourism I was just trying to help people with location of hotels and motels so there not spread all over the county in would make it easy if every one could be in the same area it would save time and I can show more of the area the Quality inn and suites would be the best place for all easy in and easy out with trailers big parking lots

stockingfull wrote:OK, just went to make a reservation for June 9 at the Quality Inn in Pottsville and got a "no room at the Inn" response for that night. Tried it a couple different ways with the same result.

Could it be that they've heard that a bunch of coal-burning, motorcycle-riding miscreants :ramboface: are descending on their town and they decided to hang up the "No Vacancy" sign for us?

Maybe we ought to poll the group to see how many people will be staying Saturday night, find a hotel (maybe even get a group rate) who can handle that number, then find an appropriate nearby site for our "business meeting ccasion5: "©.

hey stockingfull you better try again 570-622-4600 they have over 40+ rooms open for june 8-9-10 as for the meeting room there are lots of places to have one I have a few picked out lets just see how many are coming first then I could narrow them down on the amount of people we have

Thanks, guys.

This is interesting: neither Quality directly, nor AARP (yes, I qualify!) nor expedia will give me a room there for just Sat nite. Maybe the computers want more than one night at a time; who knows?

So I'll call them directly.

Just spoke to Jeff at the front desk and made my reservation.

Here's the apparent scoop on the Quality Inn: they're under a change in mgmt, so the computer is doing funny things just now.

Best to call them at the number J.C. supplied above.

stockingfull wrote:Thanks, guys.

This is interesting: neither Quality directly, nor AARP (yes, I qualify!) nor expedia will give me a room there for just Sat nite. Maybe the computers want more than one night at a time; who knows?

So I'll call them directly.

hey stockingfull let me know what happens I am 3 miles from there if you are having a problem I will go there and get you a room just let me know see ya

I've finally made my hotel reservations for the "coal country tour". I'll be coming up Friday morning with my trailer, buying some coal, parking the loaded trailer and then enjoying the tour and business meeting. Looking forward to meeting all of you.

Hello all just wondering how many are coming in for the coal/beer tour so how about a update on who is making the trip so I have a number for a nice place to hold are meeting take care and hope to see ya on the 8th 9th 10th and for those who won't to get coal on early saturday morning I need a number of people and a ruff time of arrival so we all can get together and go I do not want to leave anyone out talk to you all later anyone can PM me with info see ya