Yeah, if you're in or near a larger city, try Meetup.com or any other social site where people meet in person over common things.
If I were in the Bay Area, I'd be attending Doctor Sketchy's SF weekly drawing sessions, or sitting in at game stores to play a card game or RPG. Here in Osaka, I'm mainly happy if I get a chance to speak native-level English when I'm trying to relieve stress or homesickness. I finally made connection with an RPG group in downtown Osaka, so I hope to meet up with them in January.
Anyway, yeah: contact your old friends, apologize for being out of touch, and start again.