Huntsville, AL? Why would we want to go there for a Regional?

[Gary Dillard]

I'm glad you asked. Here are some things to consider about the inaugural Rocket City Regional week 4 this season:

1) As home to NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center and the Army Materiel Command, Huntsville is a high-technology community with a significant number of large corporations having major offices or division headquarters in the area.

2) A recent analysis showed that "The Huntsville, Alabama, metro area is the best place for engineers by far"

3) The Convention Center venue (The Von Braun Center) is named after a Rocket Scientist - this city loves its engineers!

4) The Regional Planning Committee, bringing together many years of experience as members or mentors of FIRST robotics teams from around the country as well as serving in leadership roles as volunteers at numerous regionals, has received overwhelming support from local business and community leaders who are committed to bringing the best experience possible.

5) Huntsville is centrally located in the Southeast but far enough north to be within a reasonable driving distance for many teams in the central US as well.

6) Home to the Huntsville Space and Rocket Center and Space Camp (we're not allowed to say anything official about a team social yet, but just sayin'.....)

7) Lots of good, reasonably priced restaurants nearby that can handle a large team - both chains and local favorites - with Southern hospitality you have to experience.

I'd like to personally invite you and your team to join us for the Rocket City Regional this season March 23-26.

[Lil' Lavery]

Here's the all important question:

Where's the best BBQ joint in the area?

[Tim Sharp]

Originally Posted by Lil' Lavery

Here's the all important question:

Where's the best BBQ joint in the area?

Bob Gibson's or Whitt's. Lawler's is pretty good too.

[Cory]

Originally Posted by Lil' Lavery

Here's the all important question:

Where's the best BBQ joint in the area?

Granville's BBQ has GREAT ribs. The other stuff was good too.

Chuck Wagon BBQ in Madison is real good as well.

Went to the old Greenbrier, wasn't impressed. Perhaps their catfish is better than the rest of their offerings though.

The Space and Rocket Center is amazing. Their Saturn V building is far, far better than KSC's. There is so much cool stuff in there, like cutaways of engines and tons of parts/assemblies from the rockets. Absolutely a must visit while there. If they're still playing it, the Hubble IMAX video is pretty great too.

[Gary Dillard]

Originally Posted by Lil' Lavery

Here's the all important question:

Where's the best BBQ joint in the area?

I don't think we've found any bad BBQ joints around, so you can't really go wrong anywhere. Our favorite is Moe's, which is a small Alabama chain - they have the best smoked chicken wings and decent pulled pork.

Tim's recommendations are in Decatur, about 25 minutes west, and all definitely good. There are 2 Gibson's BBQ's in Huntsville with different owners (maybe related), Bob Gibson's in Decatur is definitely the best - he's won a lot of national competitions and has been a judge on one of the reality BBQ competition shows.

I'd have to echo Cory's recommendation of Granville's for ribs, and we have picked up whole smoked hams and turkeys from them for holidays. I like the old Greenbrier (not to be confused with "The Original Greenbrier" up the road at the interstate - the old Greenbrier is actually the original) mainly for the unlimited hushpuppies. Chuck Wagon is a local Alabama chain, everyone in Madison raves about it but I thought it was average.

There are a couple of places way outside of town that are worth the drive if you really want to do the Tour de 'Que - I'll recommend to the committee that we put out a comprehensive list for the teams. You may need to have someone with you who can speak or interpret Southern Drawl, it can be a little difficult some times.

Y'all come.

[logank013]

I love how this stream has turned into a BBQ Joint stream 😂😂

[Lil' Lavery]

In other words, what Gary is saying is that you can try a different BBQ joint each night.

[Tim Sharp]

It may sound strange, but some of the best Cajun food north of New Orleans can be found at the Po Bo Factory in Huntsville also. I believe the owners are Katrina transplants. I highly, highly recommend it.

[GeeTwo]

Originally Posted by Tim Sharp

It may sound strange, but some of the best Cajun food north of New Orleans can be found at the Po Bo Factory in Huntsville also. I believe the owners are Katrina transplants. I highly, highly recommend it.

Lafayette and Baton Rouge are both farther north than New Orleans, and each has better Cajun food in gas stations than New Orleans has at sit-downs. Maybe you should move that line up to 31N or so.

-- said the half-Cajun boy who grew up in the suburbs of New Orleans

Seriously, looking forward to heading up to Huntsville. I'm not sure if we'll make it this year (esp. with Rocket City being the week after Bayou), but soon.

[Tim Sharp]

Originally Posted by GeeTwo

Lafayette and Baton Rouge are both farther north than New Orleans, and each has better Cajun food in gas stations than New Orleans has at sit-downs. Maybe you should move that line up to 31N or so.

I concede to your obviously superior experience...and move the line as suggested.

[RyanN]

Originally Posted by Tim Sharp

It may sound strange, but some of the best Cajun food north of New Orleans can be found at the Po Bo Factory in Huntsville also. I believe the owners are Katrina transplants. I highly, highly recommend it.

I definitely recommend it as well. Their Hot D**n sauce is amazing along with the rest of their food!

Other good places that my wife and I liked there were Papa Gyros and Ol' Heidelberg (German).

[Bkeeneykid]

Unpopular opinion time:

On the topic of Barbecue, if you ever go to the KC regional, we also have some great stuff. I, having lived here all my life, think it's the best I've ever had, but Barbecue is like politics...

Also, on the topic of space camps, a smaller option is the Kansas Cosmosphere (cosmo.org), which has a ton of really awesome summer camps. I don't know about the Huntsville camp, but these ones have a full scale shuttle simulator with both decks on the shuttle, as well as a SAFER simulator and a 5-console mission control, all connected together. It's very cool. Highly recommend it to anyone.

[Foster]

Originally Posted by Lil' Lavery

In other words, what Gary is saying is that you can try a different BBQ joint each night.

So based on Sean's involvement in this thread:

Originally Posted by Lil' Lavery

In other words, come for the BBQ, stay for the BBQ, someplace there are rockets and maybe some robots too.

I've been to Huntsville recently, it is a pretty great place. For teams adding this regional, add an extra day to see some of the space stuff. And to have some BBQ for Sean.

(note, that is a made up quote. I can see him saying it, but presently those words in that order have not yet left his fingers)

[Billfred]

I just wonder if the BBQ talk will increase the BBQ of the event...

[James1902]

Originally Posted by Billfred

I just wonder if the BBQ talk will increase the BBQ of the event...

Can somebody whip up a graph comparing regional BBQ quality with Regional BBQ scores? I'm sure we have that data floating around the interwebs somewhere.