On getting to the Expo I can fly to Duram and drive to WS or drive from home 10 (hour drive). Just curious is it better to drive so that i can drive my goodies home or do the exibitors ship purchaces and at what charge? Not sure the airlines would let me bring blanks on the plane. Anyone have experience with ship or drive. Previously I drove but I lived closer then.

Thanks,
Mitch

Mitchell i drive from Memphis TN.
There is normally a company on hand that could ship for you, but i like to be with my goodies.
My choice and not a reflection on their cost or quality of service.
I also like longer blanks for my sea fishing (9 ft plus) so shipping would be a big price anyway.

Lou,

Your drive is almost identical to mine by distance. I am coming from central NY so unfortunately I have to go through the mountains so snow is a variable.

Thanks

Mitchell,
some years the passes through the Smokies gets snow and ice and the I40 has even had to be diverted 3 years back by an extra 100 plus miles detour in the Bristol area..
Still worth the drive to me.

There is a train option too ... Amtrak. Very inexpensive, comfortable, etc. You can eat, drink, sleep, read, etc. and leave the driving to someone else. It will get you very close to where you need to be - catch a cab from there.

Jim, I do not see an amtrak connection from Syracuse, NY to Winston Salem.

Try High Point. That's as close as you can get on the main Amtrak line.

Amtrak did run a shuttle between the two cities (about 15 miles) and may still do so.

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Tom Kirkman Wrote:
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> Amtrak did run a shuttle between the two cities
> (about 15 miles) and may still do so.

They do ... it is a short run.

FYI 16 hours from Syracuse to High Pont by Amtrak with a change in NYC. Rather drive the 9.5 hours with a book on tape or the IPod.

I'm going to try and get the pack and ship people back again, if I can remember exactly which outfit it was. They've been with us two or three years running and I can never seem to hold on to their contact information.

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I've driven from New York with buddies twice so far. I prefer to drive anyway but the biggest benefit to me was both times I brought back multiple blanks up to 11 ft. as did my friends .And also got a great deal on a new rod lathe the first yr I went . And I know it worked out so well the first time I prepurchased some longer blanks the second time from mudhole and they brought them to the expo for me to pick up. I would be surprised if other exhibitors wouldn.t do the same. Ralph

Went to the show in "10" & "11". Flew down from chicago with 2other guys, and we brought an empty rod case wirh us and put all our blanks in that for the trip home. No problems.