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MOA-StPaul Rally: Neighborhood FYI

vwbmw

New member
Since I can almost see&hear the rally from my house, I've started this Google PicasaWebAlbum..

MOA2014StPaul^rally neighborhood FYI [view FullScreen 100%]

..intending to (eventually) give distant incoming rally riders a heads-up of what's where near fairgrounds, show how to avoid MSP road congestion, alleviate concerns about a 'big city' location, etc. Mostly info-graphics as annotated screen-shots of local GoogleMaps that riders can download to mobile devices as needed ..or Forward album link to other rally riders or clubs who may rarely use the MOA forum.

Its contents will be tweaked 'whenever' until rally. Note however: I'm not the one to 'ask anything' MSP entertainment-wise; folks best use other threads like 'ask Kevin' for that ;-)

Duane S
StP
ABC, MOA, RA
 
Well, I've at last created some additional content for the GooglePicasaWebAlbum:

MOA2014StPaul^rally neighborhood FYI [view FullScreen 100%]

New content's subjects: MSP local roads to avoid congestion, potholes, mosquitoes.

Duane S (more to come)
[StP: can hear rally from home]

Correction: the MN State Fairgrounds itself has very effective mosquito control. ;) It's the neighborhood back yards and/or parks that may have skeeters (unless a local authority applies additional measures).
 
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This is excellent, Duane and will help a lot of people! :thumb

Maybe you could help me? I am looking for a way out of town that a group can take to the nearest possible dirt/gravel farm roads.

Any suggestions?

Thanks.

Ian
 
The picture is a bit old. I drove by two days ago and the the grass in the area was lush and green with the rain we have had.
 
Where's the grass for camping - I just see Blds. & blacktop !

No worries there. This morning I rode (1km) to the fairgrounds to dbl-check. The total grassy area interspersed among the buildings is huge (perhaps 2 rally's worth of tent space). Even the RV area has plenty grass around the pads. All is green. IIRC, tents will be allowed on any grassy spot.

I'll work up an info-graphic from a Google Earth screenshot (the GoogleEarth view seems to be from when the grass had dried up). The rally is using only the NE section of the fairgrounds, not the southern or western thirds (which are mostly parking lots, buildings, livestock barns etc). And within the rally area, only some of the buildings will be used, so tent camping around the unused buildings will be free of foot traffic.

Duane S
StP Airhead
 
added images: Rally Entrance (riders use Larpenteur north-side entry/exit, not closed 'Main Entrance' on Snelling); grassy camping areas (AFAIK)
 
added info-graphics:
Como (eastward neighborhood) Zoo/Conservatory/Pool, gas/food/groc
Saint Anthony Park (westward neighborhood) restaurants, gas, USPS ..indicate ride/meander thru architecturally diverse housing
Green Line LRT (connects Mpls-StPaul downtowns, opened Jun'14)

Duane S [StP]
 
speed traps well marked here

Duane,
Nice job with this. I love it that you have the two main speed traps well marked. At the top of the hill by 280 on Larpenteur there is a LEO more often than not, just as you have marked on the map. Out of town riders will do well to pay attention to this.
Steve
 
Thanks for the work and the great info. I'm having a tough time printing off any of the maps; I'm just getting half pages rather than the full map. Anyone have this figured out? TIA
 
Thanks for the work and the great info. I'm having a tough time printing off any of the maps; I'm just getting half pages rather than the full map. Anyone have this figured out? TIA

Dan, I'm not sure about printing* the JPG info-graphics I'm creating, but a motivation for doing this was that folks could at least download the original-size to their e-device (phone or tablet) for off-line travel use (1200-1600 pixels wide is good enough for that). Goggle/Picasa gives the creator (me) access to the original-size ...however I don't know what size Google/Picasa (or one's OS) gives folks in a download 'Save As' while viewing the album. Which is why I advise "View FULLscreen 100%" ..hoping that the more LCD pixels (LxW) one is using, the larger the download? YMMV? That is why I've typed the pixel dimensions (LxW) of my original somewhere along the bottom of most info-graphics ..so that folks could check if what they download is the original size or not.]
~ Perhaps I should park the originals in a Dropbox folder for folks to grab?

* on 2nd thought, maybe they won't print very well because there's likely not enough pixel density. The maps began as screen-grabs off my 23" monitor (max 1680pix wide, equivalent to a 1.8 megapixel camera), less pixels after cropping extraneous stuff ..so few 'dpi' to print with?

Duane
 
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additions..

added info-graphics:
# a reassuring note re rally neighborhood, traffic
# in-town route shortcuts [i35E/Ayd Mill Rd, i94/Dale/Pierce Butler, etc] **
# Snelling Ave OK ..but at i94?; supermarkets
# Hennepin/Larpenteur handy for Mpls exploration, scenic parkways (lakes, river); supermarkets, food co-ops

I've started this Google PicasaWebAlbum..

MOA2014StPaul^rally neighborhood FYI [view FullScreen 100%]
 
Dan, I'm not sure about printing* the JPG info-graphics I'm creating, but a motivation for doing this was that folks could at least download the original-size to their e-device (phone or tablet) for off-line travel use (1200-1600 pixels wide is good enough for that). Goggle/Picasa gives the creator (me) access to the original-size ...however I don't know what size Google/Picasa (or one's OS) gives folks in a download 'Save As' while viewing the album. Which is why I advise "View FULLscreen 100%" ..hoping that the more LCD pixels (LxW) one is using, the larger the download? YMMV? That is why I've typed the pixel dimensions (LxW) of my original somewhere along the bottom of most info-graphics ..so that folks could check if what they download is the original size or not.]
~ Perhaps I should park the originals in a Dropbox folder for folks to grab?

* on 2nd thought, maybe they won't print very well because there's likely not enough pixel density. The maps began as screen-grabs off my 23" monitor (max 1680pix wide, equivalent to a 1.8 megapixel camera), less pixels after cropping extraneous stuff ..so few 'dpi' to print with?

Duane

Thanks. I think I got what I wanted by simply copying the image and pasting it into a Word document, then printing. Works fine! :thumb
 
Correction? Entry exit

The Larpenter gate is entry and exit? The Snelling Hoyt gate is entry only? Just asking because there is a green arrow pointing out only on Hoyt Ave. thanx
 
entry/exit

The Larpenter gate is entry and exit? The Snelling Hoyt gate is entry only? Just asking because there is a green arrow pointing out only on Hoyt Ave. thanx

From what I heard months ago, the main entry/exit is at north side Larpenteur into Underwood [for registration/control/etc], and Hoyt onto Snelling is exit only. Depending on where you're going, either puts you thru the Larpenteur&Snelling stoplight sequence (unless you scoot across Snelling on Hoyt into the neighborhood). It seems the big marquee entrance off Snelling at DanPatch/MidwayPkwy is only for vendors. The stoplight 'wait' timing along Snelling favors Snelling. IMO, it would be handy if folks could also exit at the south end of Underwood onto Como (it's free of traffic or stoplights) ..but I think the rally didn't need to contract use of the fairgrounds south segment. I'm not one of the Deciders. I just live here.

[Edited] above text is incorrect; see corrections in posts #20, #21, #22

Duane S
 
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Reason I asked is that on page 129, July MOA mag shows gate three Hoyt and Snelling as "in"only. Gate one, Larpenteur Ave., shows "in and out".
 
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