Views from Carolina (Feb 25-27)

I liked this photo, one of three I got which is one of the reasons why its always good to have a camera at the ready! Mollie, the border collie (which you can see at the lower left) heard a noise outside; there was a cat outside. It made it to the neighbors fence, and with some help from the neighbors dog; it was pretty well pinned on the pole. Cats like to wander the neighborhood, but the local dogs seem to take great offense at this; perhaps it is jealousy but whatever the reason thought it was pretty neat. No cats got hurt in this encounter (though to be honest, maybe its lucky no dogs got hurt!) but it was funny to see that classic confrontation we see so often in cartoons and other lore come to pass. Mollie is one of my two border collies, and is a constant source of amusement and energy. In fact the breed has a lot of energy bouncing from one adventure to another. In that, they and I are a really good match for each other. They make me smile, I make them go on great neighborhood walks, catch frisbee and tennis balls, and give them a lot of love in the meantime; which I get back in spades!
Mentioned in the previous post going to Stewart-Haas Racing; in one of the photos was a long shot of this bike. It was built by Orange County Choppers, which is actually based in New York. They have a show on the Discovery Channel; a rather wild family in a long running series. Conflicts are pretty funny, and in between the arguments (and now lawsuits) they manage to make some pretty good motorcycles. This bike was made in 2004 and is totally custom. The length of it was quite remarkable, and it would certainly be no fun on a twisty road. However, it is an interesting creation, and one of a kind (with I am sure a price to match!)
Sure looks different in the wintertime, but a favorite street in Concord is Union Street. In the middle is the "Old Downtown" but it has some very old houses, many of which have been updated over the years but still keep a lot of the old charm. Like the houses, the trees that line the street are also very old. At one time many of the movers and shakers of the region lived in these houses. One of the houses was owned by Mr. Cannon, who founded Cannon Mills, the former great textile complex in Kannapolis, NC. Each trip home I take some time to take a ride or a drive down that street. This was taken on Sunday morning February 27.
Previous post had a photo of Charlotte Motor Speedway, well this tent is in one of the giant parking lots, and will be the site of the latest Cirque DuSoleil presentation in the next few days. The group is a frequent visitor to the area, and puts on quite a remarkable presentation; a very fun and different sort of "circus". Much like with Richmond, the racetrack is home to a number of events, and not just racing. Although with the big track, the dirt track, and the new dragstrip auto events do dominate events that happen on the property. The race tracks are just up the road from the big Concord Mills Shopping Center, which is quite a sight as well.
Weekend was a very fun and interesting event. Coming up this weekend in Richmond will be going to see the Picasso exhibit with a very special guest; my best friend in the world, and the best wife a man could ask for. I will be bringing some of that in my next post!

Race Shop Rides (February 25+27)

Back in Concord, amazing pair of motorcycle rides, and as its NASCAR time, some race shops. The first one is new; First visit to Stewart-Haas Racing in Kannapolis, NC. I sort of stumbled upon it; was getting around some Friday traffic (bad on a Friday night) and saw the building. Took some doing but found my way to it. Nice race shop, and these are some of the cars on display there. The shop itself is the glass area behind it where you can see the cars being built. Of note is the motorcycle at very far right; it was built for the team in 2004 by Orange County Choppers and is quite a piece of work. More photos can be found on my photo page of that bike, and more of the cars at the shop.
I rolled up (how else to get there?) NC-3 to Dale Earnhardt, Incorportated. Though the major team operations have moved to the "Earnhardt-Ganassi" shop near the Concord airport, the big building Dale built is still there and still has his cars on display in Mooresville, NC. They have
changed the photos but still have the "3" car in which he won his 7th Championship on display. Some really neat items to see there. Building with the sign in front was taken on February 26 (not a motorcycle ride, and is the shop of Wood Brothers Racing in Mooresville, NC. That team, one of Nascar's oldest, won the Daytona 500 this year with the youngest driver ever (Trevor Bayne...20 years old). The shop is located in what was an old plastics factory a few years ago.
Last photo was taken during a short one hour motorcycle ride around Concord, and is Charlotte Motor Speedway (formerly known as Lowe's Motor Speedway). A fine track, and will be hosting three events this year; the All-Star Race, the Coca-Cola 600, and the 500 mile race in the fall. I have been on that track a few times with The Petty Experience; twice in a "ride along" and once driving one of the NASCAR replica cars (that was quite an experience; in fact they all were). As noted, a number of other photos can be found on the photo page from the shops I saw this weekend; and a few other photos of note will be coming up in the next post!

Along the Midlothian Turnpike

Went out on February 23 to get a few things done. While out, figured I would visit a few places on an early Wednesday morning. One of my stops was the Chesterfield Towne Center. I like this mall (though did see that they have replaced the Peace Frog store with another, a favorite of my wife when she comes to visit here). Photo at left is the food court. They have some good places to eat, and of course the big Barnes and Noble store is there. I wonder how long bookstores will exist; Borders is closing a number of stores and not sure how the others are doing. I like to visit them though, another I like is Books a Million which is further up the road near 288.
Got a kick out of this, took a walk though the Garden Ridge store at the Chesterfield Towne Center. I think everyone needs a suit of armor, and at left are three. Lots of interesting things to check out in there, and if the one in North Carolina is any indication, this is a great store to visit around Christmas time. It is more seasonable now though with a lot of garden and outdoor items, as spring is just around the corner. Weather has been sort of wacky, warm days followed by cooler ones, even some snow flurries following a few warm (mid-70's) and windy days. Still the signs of spring are in the air, and it won't be long till winter is a memory.
Took this photo during a walk on February 21 following a good weekend; some of those photos are on the previous post. Milepost 5 brown building) was a seafood place in a former older business (closed since I have been here) that opened last fall. Sometime in the last few weeks; Milepost 5 closed. Never got to find out if it was any good. What is good is the $3 Car Wash. Went there today actually, and got the car cleaned. I like it; its cheap, its fast, and the vac is included with no time limit. For the price you can't beat it, plus it does a good job. That was one of the things that I did today. Had a good time out in the area; lots of interesting things here to see and do. As can be noted in the photo, there was quite a breeze on the 21st when I took my walk along the Midlothian Turnpike. Hope everyone has a great day!

Downtown Richmond/Church Hill

Beautiful warm but very windy day in Richmond, when I went out to see some old favorite places, as well as some new ones. One of the new ones is seen at left; Richmond Dairy Company Apartments in downtown Richmond. Very different sort of building, and one of the many buildings that have been re-developed in the city. Richmond makes great use of its old buildings, and does not tear them down when they are "done" but finds other uses for them. Much like my former city of Louisville, Kentucky, but much unlike Charlotte, NC which does not have very many old buildings. In fact in Charlotte even newer old buildings don't last long.
Near Church Hill/Shockoe Bottom is the Church Hill train tunnel. Built in the 1870's, in 1925 it collapsed. Buried in the tunnel are four men, one 4-4-0 Steam Locomotive, and 10 flat cars. Due to damage and flooding the bodies and the train were left in the tunnel where they remain to this day. Also seen is a walking/bike trail along the James at Shockoe Bottom. Nice trail, and nice view of the river there. Very interesting area to explore and I like going there when I can, though this was my first time to see this path. Everytime I wander the city, I see something new.
Row of buildings again are a number of old buildings (including some old tobacco factories) that have been put to new uses as offices, condos and apartments. That can also be found in the Shockoe Bottom area of Richmond. Last view is from Libby Park in Church Hill, one of my favorite places with great views of the River, nice views of the city, and the Soldiers and Sailors Monument. That is where I ended the days exploration of the city.















Had a great time, always something new and interesting to see, have a few more photos from the sights of today at my Photo Page which is linked to this page.

Combination of the Two

Nice weekend in Carolina started with a dawn drive on February 12. Got to have some coffee, and made a stop at McDonalds on the Midlothian Turnpike where I snapped this photo at left. Liked that one, and enjoy driving in both directions on this road when I am exploring Richmond. Lots of interesting places along the way here, and it is a popular drive for me to either get out of Richmond or into the city. I even do some walking along this road, though its not the best road for walking as there are no sidewalks or good ways to cross it (which brings running into play). For this trip though I was quickly on I-85 after a few minutes on VA 150.

One of my first stops on a trip is South Hill, VA. I tend to stop at the commercial area, though I get the impression that there is a quaint little town just before I get to that areas. I will check it out; like making stops on the way home to see things. Have made some stops at Durham, Burlington (both in NC) and also have made stops in Virginia at the Dinwittie Airport as well as a couple of stops in Old Petersburg. All have been really interesting; I figure if you have to travel you might as well see some interesting sights along the way, and nice to take a few minutes to get out and see something besides the normal "rest stops".
Had a great two days in Concord with my family, and it is always a joy to be there. It is also nice to see some favorite places such as Punchy's Diner seen here. Patty and I had breakfast there; the food is great and prices are reasonable. They also have some cars, motorcycles, jukeboxes and other items on display inside the restaurant. Displaying cars, etc seems to be a Carolina thing; there are a few restaurants that do that. Timing was good for this photo, a few minutes after I took this, the place filled up with barely an empty seat. I would like to think that it was because Patty and I were there, but I doubt that was the reason.
Got in a motorcycle ride on the 13th; just a short one on a very fine day in Carolina. Made a stop at the Concord Regional Airport which is the 4th or 5th (I forget) busiest in North Carolina. Like to watch planes take off and land, as I am a huge fan of aviation (and once even worked in the industry which was really cool). A father and his two sons were watching with me, that brought back some good memories of doing the same thing with my Dad many years ago. I have been fond of planes as long as I can remember; even longer than my passion for motorcycles. Airports are always interesting places, even the smaller ones. In fact Charlotte-Douglas International Airport has a great viewing area where you can watch the big jets take off from that very busy airport. I am sure I will take a ride out there sometime later this year. Like with Richmond International Airport they also have a very nice aviation museum there. They are planning to display the airliner which landed in the Hudson River a year or so ago, that will be pretty cool. They also have an extensive collection of other interesting aircraft.
Near the airport are a number of race shops; Earnhardt-Ganassi, Roush-Fenway, Hendrick Motorsports and Petty are all near the Concord airport. Many of the teams have aircraft based at the airport; they drive the cars and tools, but fly the drivers and teams to race sites. Just about time for NASCAR to crank it up for another year, and that will be a big deal in both Concord, NC and in Richmond again this year.
Made a short stop at Suck Bang Blow (which is getting to be my favorite beverage stop in Concord, NC) though as I was on the bike made it a short visit. Rest of the day had a great visit with the family, and I enjoyed a fine day and night with Patty, before heading out on a warm but windy Valentines Day for Richmond. Ah, the life of a migrant American factory worker...but lots of interesting things to see here, and looking forward to a great weekend here in the River City.

Hopewell and City Point (February 6, 2011)

Had a work related place to locate near Hopewell (upcoming forklift training) and always enjoy visiting Hopewell, VA. Its City Point section is the oldest part (founded in 1613). Hopewell was established in 1914 when DuPont built a dynamite and gun cotton factory there. The Beacon Theater in Hopewell was open from 1928-1981, but was restored in 1987. It is now used in other ways (especially it seems from visiting its web site for wedding receptions), but it a neat looking old theater. Hopewell has a very old look and feel, and there are a number of factories in the area. Nice to explore it, and very quiet on a winter Sunday in February.

Appomattox Plantation seen here has been (I believe) been re-painted since my last visit to City Point. Now part of Hopewell, it was the original town. During its founding, its location at the meeting of the James and Appomattox Rivers made it a major port in Virginia. This old house is not named for the surrender site (which is near Lynchburg, VA) but for its site on the river (guess they did not want to call it the James House....had a choice after all). Kitchen and storage were outside of the main house. Often you can tour this house, though not on this Super Bowl Sunday..it was all locked up for the Sunday. Still nice to see this fine house.
Less fine is this building, which was General US Grant's Headquarters during the Siege of Petersburg. The cabin was one of 22 on the site, but the only one preserved. That preservation included replacing some of the worn wood, so only a percentage seen here is the actual material used in the cabin. The front room was his office, and he had some rather spartan quarters in the back half. His family spent some time with him there, and President Abe Lincoln also visited with him there. The cabin was built to replace tents when it became evident that the conquest of Petersburg and Richmond would be a long hard and bloody siege.
This is a view of the Appomattox and James Rivers, and why it was such an important port. Many operations to support the Union Army were conducted there, and for a time during the period of June 9, 1864 to April 2, 1865 City Point was the busiest port in the world. Today it is much more peaceful, especially on a quiet Sunday. There are many buildings in the little town section of City Point which date to the Civil War, and they are marked with informational plaques on the buildings and often times nearby. On this day, fishing seemed to be a popular pastime on what was a very nice day. I have a few more area photos on my photo page.
On the way back from Hopewell, heading toward Chester, VA I snapped this photo of these motorcyclists enjoying a very fine winter Sunday in Virginia. There were a lot of motorcyclists out; you have to grab those days when you can. My motorcycle is in North Carolina at the house (have to keep it someplace) but I was with them in thought anyhow (though actually was in the Nissan). It is a great sport and a lot of fun, especially when the sun is shining, and the temperature is up a bit. Not just for the sights of today, it was a real fine afternoon to be out exploring in Virginia.

An American Turning Point (February 5, 2011)

On a rainy day in Richmond, nothing better than to visit one of the many fine museums in this city, and few are as fine as the Virginia Historical Society. That museum has a long history having been founded in 1831. Its first president was John Marshall, and its first member was James Madison...a good start indeed leadership wise. I went to see the exhibit "An American Turning Point-The Civil War in Virginia. This year is the 150th anniversary of that terrible war. Few wars are as violent as a Civil War, and the US Civil War was especially bloody. Richmond and Virginia was the center of that conflict with a great number of engagements happening here.
The items above were actually used in that period, as well as the gun below (which was last used in war by its owner...General J.E.B. Stewart). Over 200 objects and some 17 audiovisual displays tell the story of the Civil War in the state and in the city. It was a fine display and just opened February 4. It will continue at the museum until December 30. A great feature of the museum is that it is admission free. These photos seen here, can be seen in larger versions in addition to some other photos taken in the museum (there is much more to see there) on my Photo Page, of which there is a link on this site. I have visited this museum a number of times in the two years I have been here, and I am sure that I will be returning in the future as well.