Morrow Mountain On Monday (August 30, 2010)

Photo here is of Phil on his Star Stratoliner, a very fine bike. Phil was a former boss in my previous job (for the same company, he retired though) and a good friend. He met up with me for "a ride" which I lead down some of my favorite backroads, and finally ended up at Morrow Mountain in Albemarle, NC. One of my favorite places, the State Park there offers camping, fishing, swimming, and of course the view from the top of Morrow Mountain which is the highest mountain in Stanley County. It is a great ride, and fun also the way we came which took us through the town of Baden, NC. Like riding past Baden Lake, one of the lakes in the area.
Morrow Mountain is free, and has some great views from the lookout at the top. Usually pretty packed (normally draws motorcycles like flies to sugar) it was devoid of people on the Monday afternoon. We checked out the views from there; was surprised to learn Phil had never been there, and was quite pleased to discover it. I enjoyed the ride from beginning to end; good company, great roads and really nice near the end of summer Carolina weather. Hot for sure (lower 90's) but low humidity and not a cloud in the sky. Nothing I enjoy as much as a good motorcycle ride, and this one certainly fit the bill.

A Carolina Motorcycle Ride (August 28, 2010)

One of my favorite things to do, is to take the Vulcan out on the streets of Carolina. I find this an interesting area to ride around, and there is a lot to see. Part of this ride was done a few posts ago, but some events in the area brought me back. Last time on a Sunday the Triumph dealership was not open, and there was a motorcycle event at Charlotte Harley-Davidson. Photo at left was taken on NC-601. That is the Corning factory at Midland, NC. Employment tapered off a few years ago, I was told it was a great place to work. Hopefully it will be again some day. Like riding down 601, lots of farms and animals and some beautiful houses there. I have ridden it deep into South Carolina (all the way into South Carolina), but today turned onto NC-74 or "Independence Blvd". Stopped in and got a photo of this new development there which I saw last time. Seems to be a sort of business/medical complex near Monroe, NC. Riding down NC-74 saw a lot of places closed, but also a number of new places. Tough economy, but being handled in different ways.
Went to "Red,White, and Brews" at Harley-Davidson of Charlotte, and that was a fun event. I have photos of some of the sights there on my phot0 page, but was a good time. Course after driving down from Richmond, and then the ride to get there, the event was starting to wind down, but did get to check out some of the bikes at the bike show and also some of the band. Prior to this stop I also got to see the Triumph/BMW/Ducati dealership, which I found was open on Saturday for the last time...moving to a new location after 18 years at the old one in Uptown Charlotte.
After a visit to this stop, went on to the house via Albemarle Road, and then back to the house via some back roads. Nice riding day, still hot, but the humidity has gone way down and its pretty pleasant riding. Was great to be back, and had a remarkable time indeed out in the breeze.

Planes, Trains and Automobiles (August 28, 2010)

Spent a nice couple of weeks in Richmond, but on August 28, 2010 went back to Concord to spend some time with family and friends. Always good to get back, and it was a nice drive with good weather and traffic was not bad either. Visited the NC Transportation Museum in Spencer, NC. It is one of my favorite places to visit and always is a lot of fun. I thought that the Honda Gold Wing Show was this weekend (I am sort of a motorcycle nut...in fact next post here will be sights of the region via motorcycle) but there was no show. There was though this plane, which was formerly on display at Kitty Hawk, and is now at the museum.
NC Transportation Museum was once a train shop, a large maintenance facility. I like this steam engine at the roundhouse (which still works and offers turntable rides for a $1). The museum also has low price (like $5 I believe) train rides using some of the old trains. Steam engines such as these are used generally in the fall, on Saturday they ran the diesel electric engine. There was a large crowd there, and there was a fire engine show going on, which was pretty cool. There is a lot to see, and you can't beat the price of admission which is free. I always enjoy my visits to the museum, and I am a frequent visitor.
Course, being an NC museum, can't not have an automobile section (which also completes the "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" theme of this post...which was also the title of a very funny John Candy/Steve Martin movie of a few years back). Nice car and motorcycle display can be found in this building (so I did get to see bikes there after all) which has some unusual examples of both. The museum will be doing some expanding soon, has a whole new/old building due to open up soon with some more exhibits. If you are in Spencer, NC be sure to stop by here...it is a great place to visit and explore and experience some neat transportation items.

A Drive in Richmond (August 22, 2010)

Got out for a few hours, doing one of my favorite things; exploring Richmond, Va. Got to a few places today. On the way out, went by Cloverleaf Mall. This largely abandoned mall (has a Firestone Auto and a Bank of America open on the lot, but nothing else) is due to be torn down within the next year, re-developed and some new stuff to open there (a Kroger according to the sign out front will be built on that site). Read in the Saturday Richmond newspaper that the company that will be redeveloping it is from Charlotte, NC..which is quite interesting considering my perspective. Will be following this to see what happens here over the next year.
I went up Chippenham Parkway, and stopped at Stony Point Fashion Park for a short walk. I really like that mall; its outdoor, its got some interesting stores, and its dog friendly which is cool as hell. Walk them around, bring them in the stores..they don't care. I like that. While out, came across a bike show at Hooters on West Broad Street; made a quick U-turn and wandered around. Saw some really nice motorcycles..I like that, because I ride! The VW trike in the foreground was just one of the nice motorcycles I saw. In fact, have been finding West Broad Street is a most interesting part of this very interesting city.
Off of West Broad, got on 288 and rolled out toward the Midlothian Turnpike. All this was sort of a big loop. I like the Midlothian Turnpike, which was, I remember from what I have read, the first paved road in Virginia? Been from one end to the other (goes far toward Appomattox in the one direction, out to Shockoe Bottom in the other), but I made a stop a Breakers Sports Bar and Grill before getting back to the apartment. Nice place...people (as as most in Richmond) are friendly, the prices are not bad, and they have a slew of televisions to watch sports and other shows. Not a real "bells and whistles" sort of place, but a nice place to hang out.
Got to give a shout out to the weather forecasters, they called it right, since I got back sounded like a war zone out there with the thunder, and the clouds got really dark, followed by sheets of rain. 60% chance of showers indeed! Thankfully the power is still on, during a storm a few days ago, power was out some 18 hours! We can use the rain though, so not a bad thing.
This was a good day, and I enjoyed the drive a great deal. Should also mention that I play guitar and came across Sam Ash and Guitar Center on West Broad Street; cool thing was that they are within walking distance of each other. I also have been (but not today) to the Richmond Music Center, also a great store to explore if you are a musician (or an aspiring one as in my case.)

Hot..and a Cold (August 13-15)

Pretty nice weekend in the Carolinas, considering that I had a nasty bug the last few days in Richmond. Felt like death warmed over, but with three days to spend with the family, figured to go on home. Plus, I figured there was no better place to get well. That I was right about; felt better by the time I left there....a bit of rest and relaxation did wonders. Got out on the motorcycle a couple of times, shorter than my usual rides, but did go by the Cabarrus Arena. This was mentioned in my last post, and will be the site of the Cabarrus County Fair (plus a few other events of note) this year. It is a pretty nice facility, and is a nice place for larger events in the area.
During one ride, I got a photo of "Five Points". I have been to the Civil War battlefield just outside of Richmond which is located at another "Five Points, but have always liked this road in Carolina. Gives so many interesting choices and directions at this junction. Fun to go riding down the backroads on the motorcycle, its a very peaceful thing to do. Photo of the fountain is at Memorial Gardens in Concord, NC. It is a nice place, especially in the Spring but on an early Sunday morning it is a quite nice and quiet place to visit.
Had a great time with my family during my three days home, now for a while will return my focus to the Richmond area and sights of interest here.

View from the Road...August 10, 2010

Stopped and took this photo during my August 8 ride, still grinning about that ride. Always good to get home and to enjoy things that I have back there (wonderful wife, family, friends and of course the Vulcan). Had an exceptional visit last weekend and a great ride around the Charlotte area. Due to the job transfer don't get out to the degree there I used to, so it is sort of as "old places are new again". Charlotte even with the economy tends to grow a great deal; all sort of things pop up (and notable, seeing a lot of development in the Richmond area as well which is good to see). I am hopeful that the economy will eventually recover, and that things will get better soon. There is a not a pain and fear out there, and a lot of people have had to do some difficult things (like for instance...keeping a house/family in Carolina, and an apartment in Richmond to keep working). In fact in that I am certainly not alone. On the bright side, Richmond has been an interesting place for sure. Though I have been in Richmond for some time now, still finding a lot of things of note to see, and will be bringing more of them here.
Couple of quick notes on the Charlotte region. Couple of items of interest, at the Cabarrus County Arena (which is located on NC-49 in Concord, NC) the Cabarrus County Fair will be held on September 10-18. Its a pretty cool event, state fairs are fun but like the smaller ones too. Also at the same location, on September 17-18 the Cabarrus Quilters Guild will be hosting its annual Quilt Show. My wife is a member and the show is really neat with a lot of interesting quilts. Amazing what those ladies can do with needle, thread and passion.
Here, its another hot week which during this Richmond (and for that matter in Charlotte, plus many points North) summer. Certainly looking forward to fall...which will probably last a few weeks before rolling right into winter if our luck of the past year holds....but tends to be a cooler and beautiful time of year.
All things considered it has been a really good year, and a lot of interesting things are coming up in both places over the next few months. Summer winds down in a bit, and there are a few of my favorite holidays in the Fall and Winter to look forward to.

Weekend Ride in NC (August 8, 2010)

Weekend was the chance to make a quick trip to Carolina....and I took it. Left on a Saturday morning, came back Sunday night due to early overtime on Monday that I have to be in for. Grateful for the overtime though; certainly in my Sunday morning motorcycle ride, noted that while quite a few new things have gone up, a lot of businesses that I used to see are closed and gone in this economy. Hoping and praying for better times for America; too many people are suffering for sure. Great time with my wonderful wife, son and the border collies (aka Cassie and Mollie). It is always good to sleep in ones own bed. I did get in a good motorcycle ride on Sunday.

Photos here and below were taken in Monroe, NC. Top photo is of the Old Courthouse: monument is to the Confederate Soldiers. Like Virginia, North Carolina was part of the Confederacy during the Civil War. Monroe is a great old town, with a lot of interesting sights. I got in a good ride around the area, also went riding up Independence Blvd to Charlotte, and even some motorcycle time on I-85. For that last with the traffic felt like I was in the movie "The Road Warrior". Both the ride, and the two days spent at home really recharged me for the days ahead here. Got a busy work week coming up, and good to relax for a few hours at least. Even the weather seemed to want me to chill..gone this weekend was the oppressive heat and humidity that has been the hallmark to this point of this summer.

Pony Pasture (August 5, 2010)

Second time is the charm; found the Pony Pasture Rapids on my second trip to the area. Suspected that I had missed a turn, and that was the case (though did enjoy the drive a couple of days ago, and in fact re-drove the area after visiting the park). Nice area with a great view of the James River. Good crowd there on a very hot (like 100 degrees hot) Richmond day. As I have noted in the past, lived for a few years in the Louisville, Kentucky area and loved the Ohio River. The Ohio River was the center of much of the really good activity (Thunder Over Louisville and a slew of concerts) in the city, and for Richmond it is much the same.

Rapids on the river bring a lot of tubers and kayaking, and photo at left has a group setting off. The James is very rocky at spots, but those make some great areas for swimming platforms, and make it a different sort of river. Lots of ducks and other birds and animals there; was a really peaceful place indeed. I was very glad I found it, and will be returning there from time to time in the months and years to come. In fact, both this and Forest Hill Park are a few of my favorite places to visit, which also would have to include Maymont Park, which is a remarkable thing. I wonder what parks remain to be found that I have yet to see?
In fact, Maymont Park will be having a Jazz Festival on August 14-15 which will have some 25 acts for a very reasonable price. Some of the proceeds will benefit the park, and it should be a really good event. There is certainly always something interesting in Richmond to do and see. I do get frustrated with people at work who like me have come from Carolina; afraid (I imagine) to go out, and have nothing to say but "there is nothing to do or see here". I frankly have been amazed at what I have discovered here, and look forward to seeing what will be coming up. Richmond I have found is a fun and interesting town with a lot to offer to those who get out and explore it. To this point, it has been a real pleasure to live here!

Cherokee Road Cruise (August 3, 2010)

Was not really the plan, via Yahoo directions I was going to check out the famous "Pony Pasture", but I must have missed the turn. Did enjoy the drive down this road though which runs (for the most part) along the James River. In fact, the items at right were pulled some years ago out of the James River (according to the sign at the bottom of the item in the left in the photo). According to the info found there; that left item is a "Cannon mold"...hot metal was poured into it to make Confederate cannon such as the one seen at left. Always wondered how they did that, know now I guess. The Civil War is never far away in the Richmond area for sure.

Second big surprise were the many large houses on Cherokee Road. Had quite a few (for lack of a better term) "mansions" both new and old there. Course, as I know from Louisville and Charlotte living waterside living seems to bring out the big money places. This one though at left I thought was very interesting; something different than the usual run of the mill house. Not a great photo (did not want to be on the road too long, some big logging trucks were running on the road, and sure one had my name on its front end) but this was one house. Made for a very interesting drive today, and enjoyed that area.
Also of note were the houses on Old Gun Road which took me back toward Midlothian Turnpike. Like Cherokee Road, some really remarkable places to see. Glad I got out even though missed the Pony Pasture (still lots of time here to find it though).

Virginia Holocaust Museum (August 1, 2010)

Back in WWII, my grandfather served in the US Army and went ashore during the liberation of Europe on D-Day. With the passing of my father last week, many of those old photos have come back to me via both e-mail and memory. Among the places that he went was one of the German Concentration Camps, and those photos have always been haunting. Partly due to that, I went today to the Virginia Holocaust Museum in Shockoe Bottom. It was my first visit since coming to Richmond, and this was certainly not the typical light and airy Richmond museum. Admission is free (donations accepted) but the subject is certainly sobering.
The museum has a whole history of the Holocaust from the earliest ride of the Nazi's, though the horror of the ghettos of Warsaw, and of course the prison camps. This is shown in photos, movies from the survivors, movies from the trial of the Nazi's, and many items from the camps and the periods of the persecution. There is a warning that younger children should not be taken through the museum, and some caution should be taken for sure. Much of it is pretty graphic and shocking, but it is a period of history that should not be forgotten ever...and it is a great thing in my opinion that this museum is here in Richmond.
I have always been a student of history, and that is one of the reasons that I find Richmond such an interesting place to be. It is hard to believe that minds such as Hitler and his like could even dream up the horrors that they inflicted on the Jewish people, as well as on the rest of the world. It is good that places such as this exist to remind us all that evil is out there, and we must resist so that nothing like this happens ever again. Unfortunately, though not on this scale, it has happened again since WWII, but the world to its credit has not turned such a blind eye as it did back then. Certainly the Virginia Holocaust Museum is not an easy visit, but it is an important and worthwhile one.

Walking: Carytown, Monument Avenue, and Church Hill (August 1, 2010)

Overcast and somewhat gloomy this Sunday in Richmond, but temperatures were nice, and the humidity was low, a good time to take the car and take a walk around some of my favorite areas. Took a walk around Carytown which is a very amazing place with a number of stores and also quite a few "interesting people" along its streets. Photo at left is the Byrd Theater, which was built in 1928. The Byrd is on both the state and national historic registers. I am told it is a remarkable thing to see inside. It also shows movies for a low price which it has been doing for years. In fact it was the first theater in Virginia with sound. Next Sunday is the Carytown Watermelon Festival and those streets will be packed with people, and vendors.

I took a walk around Monument Avenue. I like that street not only for the historic statues which line the brick avenue, but also the great houses which can be found there. Of course, I also was pleased (both in Carytown and on Monument Avenue) to see three classic motorcycles which were in use (since they had license plates) and also an old VW Bus (with the required Grateful Dead Sticker). It is a beautiful street to stroll down, and I have done that in the past. Today though was especially nice thanks to the vehicles I saw, as well as the heat being much less of a problem. Enjoyed the walk there, and think it is a worthy place to visit when you are in the area.
I also got out to Church Hill, which is one of my favorite neighborhoods in the Richmond area. I like the Soldiers and Sailors monument near there, also enjoy visiting St. John's Church, but also of interest are the houses to be found there. Like with Carytown, and Monument Avenue, Church Hill has some beautiful old houses and some quite unique ones as well. Course this photo was of interest to me not just for the houses, but also for the pair of Honda Shadows (I used to ride one of those before I got the Vulcan) out front. There is a lot to see there though, plus from many points some nice views of the Richmond area from its lofty points. There is a lot of history to be found in the Church Hill area. I also before heading back to my apartment, made one more stop, but that deserves a special comment all its own in my next post.