Any 2009 regionals near the Ocean?
 

Random question, but how many regionals (if any) are fairly close (0 - 5 miles) to the ocean in 2009?

Just wondering. :)

Re: Any 2009 regionals near the Ocean?
 

Hawaii, New Zealand (maybe?), Seattle (sort of... I guess it's a bay, not the ocean).

Re: Any 2009 regionals near the Ocean?
 

If the LA regional returns to the forum, it is only 5-10 (depending on which) miles from some of the best beaches in southern california.

Re: Any 2009 regionals near the Ocean?
 

Elgin, generally beaches aren't fun in the winter.

Re: Any 2009 regionals near the Ocean?
 

I'd say go for Hawaii. You'd be surprised how cheap it can be if you plan in advance. The venue is nice, and the people are even nicer. :) And there's plenty to see on the island.

Re: Any 2009 regionals near the Ocean?
 

thanks for the vote of confidence in the Hawaii regional. There is a great bunch of people that will ensure its success again for years to come, especially team 368's volunteering a lot this year.
I wonder who plans on attending in 2009.
The only interest I have heard of so far from the mainland is the Krunch team 79 so far.:)

Re: Any 2009 regionals near the Ocean?
 

If we're counting Bays then Annapolis is a winner (we're talking a few dozen feet from the water). DC isn't exactly too far either.

For the real Ocean try the ones already mentioned, as well as Long Island is close.

Re: Any 2009 regionals near the Ocean?
 

I wasn't thinking it was that close (I used to drive that route), though it is a straight shot down the Meadowbrook Parkway, 14 minutes (according to one of the on-line maps) and you're at the first parking lot, but 11+ miles drive, much more than the 5 mile maximum allowed. Then -- ouch! ouch! -- across the hot parking lot and sand to the water. Jones Beach is nice, but hot! There is bus service, I believe, from nearby Roosevelt Field.

Boston has about 5 miles to Carson Beach, probably one of the better in-town beaches, though technically it's at Boston Harbor. And Elgin, if you go on New Year's Day, you can go swimming with the L Street Brownies!

According to http://mentorsearch.us/ (via this thread), New Zealand's is held in a National Forest. Depending on it's exact location, it might be ~5 miles as the crow flies, but you might have to hike it, as roads are a minimum, or down one of the many rivers. I suspect the map might be incorrect. :)

Hmm, if you take mentorsearch.us with a grain of salt, it might help you find some ocean, Elgin. New Orleans? San Diego? If you accept bays, isn't NYC close enough?

Re: Any 2009 regionals near the Ocean?
 

Whoa, that's a lot different than the Texas beaches that become a spring break mecca in March.

Re: Any 2009 regionals near the Ocean?
 

Tel Aviv is very nice in March......it was 90+ degrees during our regional this year.

Re: Any 2009 regionals near the Ocean?
 

Thanks for the info everyone. And Art, just to clarify, I wasn't looking to actually go swimming, or do any water activities (unless it's possible - Hawaii & other places) but I haven't been to the ocean in a couple of years, & some good fresh sea air can do some good for the senses. w00t!

Then again, with summer fast approaching (or already here with the 100 degree temps we've seen lately), a trip to some local beaches isn't out of the question before next year even starts. lol :cool:

Re: Any 2009 regionals near the Ocean?
 

The San Diego Regional is less then a mile from Mission Bay, and less then 5 miles from the ocean. It's also less then a mile away from Sea World.

Re: Any 2009 regionals near the Ocean?
 

We went to Chesapeake, and not even 20 feet out the back door there was a bay.

Re: Any 2009 regionals near the Ocean?
 

In Seattle it is a SOUND and not a Bay...
This year the regional will be at Key Arena!!!
Right next to the Needle and the Science Fiction Hall of Fame...
and a bunch of other stuff...
Don't plan on any swimming activities in Puget Sound...

We do have a nice beach... but March??
Gosh its still less than 60 here during the day and its June ....
The passes got snow yesterday...

Pretty to look at though..even in March

Re: Any 2009 regionals near the Ocean?
 

Even on the hottest days, the water of Puget Sound and Elliot Bay is pretty cold. Throughout the year, the water temperature doesn't vary more than a few degrees and it's always hovering right around the upper-50's.

Re: Any 2009 regionals near the Ocean?
 

The Boston regional is very close to the coast, maybe only a couple miles, but Boston harbor isn't very scenic and it doesn't really smell or sound like a beach at all.

Besides that though, if you're planning on a regional to attend, Boston was estimated to have over 7,200 people attend on Saturday. It was definitely one of the best run regionals as well.

Re: Any 2009 regionals near the Ocean?
 

Ocean? Well, St. Louis is located on a major tributary of the Gulf of Mexico. That tributary was made world-famous in the nineteenth century via stories written by a fellow named Samuel Langhorne Clemens. He was a native of Florida, so it is likely that he had seen the ocean.

From St. Louis, the ocean can be reached by air, or steamboat, or a log raft if your budget is really low. ;)

Re: Any 2009 regionals near the Ocean?
 

Richard, you guys are landlocked. Landlocked. The muddy Mississippi does not count, log raft or no.

Re: Any 2009 regionals near the Ocean?
 

Even at the Sports Arena, L.A. isn't too far away from the beaches--more like 15-20 miles than 5 miles, but that's still only about half an hour, traffic permitting. And there is a freeway route there...

And Clemens, as I recall, did see the ocean, as he traveled over it on some occasions. He left from the eastern seaboard (after living in CT, as I recall).

Re: Any 2009 regionals near the Ocean?
 

Well, if a bay is good enough for clean air, Chesapeake most definitely. I loved just walking down to the academy in the morning with the entire huge team. The clean crisp air is really refreshing. Also, the small museum that is connected to the stadium has a balcony up top that's a wonderful place to hang out. 10/10

Re: Any 2009 regionals near the Ocean?
 

the new orlands one takes place in the convention center... thats on the water

Re: Any 2009 regionals near the Ocean?
 

Oh tell me about it!
We were freezing butt there and it was already JUNE!
Then I come home, get off the plane, and everyone is wondering why I have a jacket on, after wearing it for a week and a half straight.:eek:

Re: Any 2009 regionals near the Ocean?
 

Florida, Missouri, that is-- and you forgot to mention that an ocean can also be reached from St. Louis by bus, car, or train in at least 3 directions!

I wish we could have the Los Angeles Regional at the Long Beach sports arena--it's close to the water (port of Long Beach) and the weather is usually decent, when it's not outright wonderful.

Re: Any 2009 regionals near the Ocean?
 

Maybe in the ocean? Just one of the events that this year's Chairman's team does to "spread the message of FIRST"
21 teams, some are already FIRST teams, many will become rookie teams in the fall.

Re: Any 2009 regionals near the Ocean?
 

Boston's Southie's Carson Beach they say is nice, but it's no Tel Aviv :), at least from comparing photos. I've only driven by it to/from a job, and either direction I was in no mood to stop. Sorry, Long Island's Jones Beach spoiled me, though I have no desire to go back. And having grown up an island, it would feel odd being able to drive in any direction and not hit water.

Reader's Digest story badly re-told: A group of sailor recruits arrived at their new station in Florida, and for their last night of freedom another sailor wanted to know where they wanted to go celebrate. They requested the beach, as they were all from the midwest and had never even seen the ocean!

Re: Any 2009 regionals near the Ocean?
 

Why wait for a regional competition? My most recent visit to the ocean was a side trip the afternoon of the Kickoff in Manchester this year.

Re: Any 2009 regionals near the Ocean?
 

Was it Hampton Beach, NH?
If so, good choice!
That's one of my favorite (Northern) beaches. I haven't been there in a couple of years though, but my Dad & I used to go there every summer, & always had a great time.

Re: Any 2009 regionals near the Ocean?
 

Using that logic, so it Detroit... and you get to big water MUCH sooner. Pay attention when it narrows back up though... it gets a little rough. :rolleyes: If the timing works out you can travel to the Toronto regional this way.

You might want to use a barrel as opposed to the log raft though.

Re: Any 2009 regionals near the Ocean?
 

So I guess Lone Star can't count the Houston Ship Channel?

And the irony of that is that the water temperature was probably only 2 degrees colder than it will be in late summer.

Re: Any 2009 regionals near the Ocean?
 

Don’t book your trip to New Orleans just yet. Yes, the Convention Center is on the river, but otherwise, it’s not near the Gulf. That’s 90 miles downriver to Pilottown, and you can only get there by boat. You could drive 60-90 miles east to the Mississippi beaches. Ship Island is beautiful there. The next-closest gulf view is Grand Isle, LA- almost a 3 hour drive southwest. But if the thread HAD BEEN about “Regionals closest to National Parks that include bayou preserves,” New Orleans would be all over that!
Proud to call it home.

http://www.nps.gov/jela/

Re: Any 2009 regionals near the Ocean?
 

Hey, we're not that bad in New England. :)

In the winter, the ocean around New England usually approaches pretty close to the non-saline freezing point of water, with temperatures around 33F-38F degrees. In some of the inlets and bays, the temperature (and salinity) are much lower - hence the need for Coast Guard ice breakers in places like Boston Harbor after a cold spell.

In the summer, the water temperatures get up to 65F-70F; warm enough to go for a refreshing swim.

Re: Any 2009 regionals near the Ocean?
 

Folks would just have to come to LSR and check it out for themselves. :)

I've been to beaches in Galveston, Surfside, Port Aransas, and Corpus Christi. All are awesome.

I'm from St. Louis and know a lot about being landlocked..with the exception of the Mississippi that Richard mentions that leads to the ocean. I didn't see the ocean for the first time until I was 12. The next time, 18. The next time, 30. Florida, Maine/South Carolina, Texas. Each time made me feel smaller than a grain of sand - the ocean is so vast and the waves can be so powerful.
--
What St. Louis has that no other regional has, is the Gateway to the West. Right there on that muddy Mississippi, the great river of historical significance and change.

Re: Any 2009 regionals near the Ocean?
 

well, if the nj regional is in atlantic city, as previously reported, the beach is within a few steps. You can literally walk there in like 5 mins. i dont know about you, but new jersey beaches arent so appealing in the winter. If u come in summer, its a good idea, cuz we have the best beaches, but it kinda gets cold and snows in winter (but hey if global warming does actually make it hotter within the next few years, i guess you can go swimming in February!!)

Re: Any 2009 regionals near the Ocean?
 

Who said that it would be in AC this year? That would be pretty cool.

Re: Any 2009 regionals near the Ocean?
 

To be honest, we hope its there too.
We went there anyway right before the NJ07 regional competition. It is right there next to the ocean. A little rough though compared to our "Pacific" Ocean beaches.

Re: Any 2009 regionals near the Ocean?
 

You're like those Head On commercials. We got it already.:D

Re: Any 2009 regionals near the Ocean?
 

i dont remember, but somebody said that AC is a possibilty to hosst the 2009 nj regional. if i can find the thread ill have a link, and if someone finds it before me, thank you.

Re: Any 2009 regionals near the Ocean?
 

http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/sh...ad.php?t=67670

found it

Re: Any 2009 regionals near the Ocean?
 

Atlantic City beaches in March? That's borderline polar-bear club territory right there. Better off sitting down in front the slot machines in a nice warm casino (as always, gamble in moderation, and then only if you are of legal age).

Re: Any 2009 regionals near the Ocean?
 

In Richard's defense, we seem to have a lot more water around St. Louis these days than land! Fortunately the levee that just broke wasn't near the regional competition site, but I'm starting to agree with Richard...:yikes: