Charlotte, Christmas Eve Eve (December 23, 2012)

 Took a short motorcycle ride to Charlotte on December 23, and it was rather brisk temperature wise, but a good ride nonetheless. Saw this statue in Uptown, thought it was pretty cool, and a nice view of Charlotte directly behind it. Rode around Uptown for a bit, made a quick stop at Mac's Speed Shop mon South Blvd (good BBQ and cold beverages of note) before heading out a little later. Got a photo of that place on my Racing with the Wind blog. There was a football game going on; Carolina played Oakland while I was there, so parking was hardly to be found, so mostly just cruised around for a bit while I was there. 

I did get a photo of this light rail train, I find them really interesting. Strangely, I have yet to ride on one, but hope to get out and check one out in 2013; think it would be cool to see what that is like. Seem to be pretty popular and a good way to get around Charlotte and the surrounding area. They are working to expand the service routes of the train - plan is to run it into the University area of the city very soon. I think they have obtained much of the funding for that project. All in all it was a very good day, nice to get out, always enjoy visits to Charlotte, it is a most amazing city, and offers a lot of things to see and do.

Kannapolis Lights (December 22, 2012)

Finally the rains have stopped, and the high winds have died down (been quite breezy the last couple of days here) and Patty and I got out in the car to check out some of the holiday sights and lights. We drove around quite a bit in some of the local neighborhoods, and got some coffee for some exploring. One of our stops was what was formerly known as "Cannon Village" but is now (mostly) some offices of the NC Research Center. While they have toned down the Christmas decorations I still enjoy the trees there, and its a nice place to drive around this time of year.   

Went by Village Park, which is quite the light display. It is located in Kannapolis, and has a number of really nice light displays. There is a small train which takes you around to see the lights, or you can walk along the trail. Seeing as it was pretty cold out tonight, and the line for the train was pretty huge, we opted for the trail. There are lots of other things to see there as well, for instance they had these talking and singing bears, which also moved and played instruments, which we thought was pretty cool. There were a lot of things to see in Village Park besides the many lights.    

Lights however were a big part of the reason for going. They had lights as seen at left, light displays, moving light displays - all kinds of cool stuff to see. We did the train ride last year and even that is pretty cool. A nice event in a nice place, and made for a really good evening.
After Village Park we drove down Union Street, seeing some favorite houses. Still have not made it to the big light displays at either McAdenville, NC or Charlotte Motor Speedway, but hoping to get those in this year if possible. Always really neat (both of them) but also amazingly crowded with traffic. 

280 Miles Apart (December 19-20, 2012)

The Christmas holidays are nearly upon us, and for me the vacation period is underway. On the 19th, my last day in Richmond this year, went to see a motorcycle at Velocity Motorcycle. While in that area, also made a stop at The Diamond which is the home of the Richmond Flying Squirrels. Nice ballpark if a bit dated - the team and the city is working on a replacement site. Nonetheless, got to see the field while I was there; a sight to give hope as when I took this just two days away from the official start of Winter. Baseball is still a few weeks away as I write this.   

Not so far away is the start of the long NASCAR season. That cranks up in February, but today during a motorcycle ride in the Concord, NC area made a stop at Stewart-Haas Racing. Car on the left is Tony Stewart's, and the one on the right is Danica Patrick's...though as I could tell from the shop directly behind these cars there are quite a number of those cars for all these drivers, as they will, over the course of the season, crash quite a few of them. I put a few more photos from the ride today (and the motorcycles I saw in Richmond on my "Racing with the Wind" blog. Looking forward to some interesting days ahead - quite a bit coming up in the next few days and weeks to come. 

Tacky Lights III (December 15, 2012)

 Got out for a few hours, went back to a few of my favorite places, due to the forecast tomorrow (rain expected) this could be my last night to see the wonders that Richmond offers this time of year. I did get a couple of photos though on Monument Avenue, at left I was very glad to see "Santa's Cadillac" which is one of the very unique things that you can find here this time of year. I love this stuff, and was glad to see it again this year. I went by there a couple of weeks ago, but it was not out at that time. Thankfully, saw it on Richmond.com and headed out to check it out again.

Monument Avenue though is hardly "Tacky" as many, if not most of the houses look like this one. You really get to see some remarkable sights there, they really do a good job this time of year putting out lights (including a number of those "Richmond" trees that I am so fond of, and you can see some of those in the previous posts this month).
There is something really special about Christmas in Richmond, it is always a magical thing in my book. This one has been very good. All that said, sure would not mind seeing some more of it tomorrow, so will keep my fingers crossed.  Course, still a few days before Christmas, and will be bringing some sights from this area if possible, plus more from the Charlotte area, and hopefully even a surprise for the season.
  

During a Midlothian Turnpike Drive (December 15, 2012)

A short stop from "Tacky Lights" (which I will resume tonight) but made a visit to Midlothian Mines Park to see this structure which was put up like this last summer. It is a recreation of a device used to bring coal up (and men up and down) a mineshaft. Park has added a few items to the historic park - one of the first coal mines in the US. In the park the ruins of an old structure stand above the Grove Shaft. In February 1882, a methane gas explosion trapped 32 miners. Despite efforts to get them out, none were saved, and they are at the bottom of the shaft to this day.   

Speaking of rising from the ashes, this is the inside of the new Super Kroger which opened a few days ago at the site of the old Crossroads Mall. Always closed since I have been here, the old mall was demolished earlier this year and the new Kroger was built on the site. Certainly is the largest Kroger I have been in, and I believe it is the largest one in Virginia. Has food and many other items there. Good to see one of these old retail areas reused. Earlier posts have some photos of the old Crossroads Mall.
Looking forward to seeing some of the sights in the City of Richmond tonight!
 

Meanwhile....back in NC (December 8, 2012)

Patty and I did one of our favorite things, got out in the car, turned on some Christmas music, got some coffee, and drove around the area a bit to check out some of the houses during Christmas time. This is one of my favorites back home...one of the very old houses on Union Street in downtown Concord. There are some fine places there, and most of them are decorated for Christmas. Unlike Richmond, not really a lot of wild houses, it is a fine but different sort of thing there. Though, as I have noted, there are a few places that really pump out the wattage (and run up electric bills) in the area.  

Lots of nice houses, such as this one at left) in the neighborhood. Of course, it has not felt much like Christmas yet, being as it was last year, warm for this time of year (in fact on Sunday it got up to 70 degrees, which also is what is happening in Richmond, VA as I write this on Sunday December 9). The Charlotte area gets some snow (I read the average for a year is a bit over four inches) but normally the winters are pretty moderate (get a lot more winter upstate, especially in the mountains). This though has been pretty unusual. Nonetheless, it was a very good time, and a nice way to spend a Saturday night in NC.    

Tacky Lights - Day 2 (December 2, 2012)

 Another fine day in the RVA, warmer even than yesterday, and sunny again. Enjoyed a nice walk earlier, and watched some football on tv, and then once again got in the car and took a drive. This time, it was shorter, and basically in the N. Chesterfield area. Loved this tree which is to be found on Janhke Road. You don't see trees like this in North Carolina or in Kentucky/Indiana for that matter, I happen to think that they are amazing. This was not part of the Tacky Light Tour guide, but I remembered it from past years and I was hoping that they still did it. I am happy to say....they do.

 Another place that is not listed in the Tacky Light Guide at Richmond.com (which is a great place to see some of the houses and get directions) is this house off of Walmsley Road  which is just off of Hull Street, or via Turner Road. You can't miss it - the tall tree seen at right of the house and below in a better photo, can be seen from the road. I love this house, the detail that goes into it, and of course the hours and hours of work. Something like this has to be an on-going project lasting many weeks. I just thought it was a hell of a thing to see, and enjoyed wandering around and looking at all of the items in the yard.   

This is the tree, and some of the blowups and other items in the yard. There are a lot of things to see there, and the owner of the house was out and about handing out candy canes. I was there for quite a while, took quite a few photos and just kind of looked it over. It was also fun to watch the other people and the kids - I can see why people like to do this. It was a grand thing indeed!
So, saw these and actually saw a few more places. Though not "Tacky" there are a lot of lights around the Midlothian Turnpike area, many nice looking houses. As I noted in a neighborhood walk, many houses have been tastefully done, and those are also very nice too.
So, a nice weekend in Richmond, very colorful and just fun as so many are - but this has been something special because this tends to be a magical time of year. I appreciate all the the work, and the designing, and the sure to be very impressive electric bills that are generated during this period of the year. Be watching, more to come soon!

Tacky Lights - Day 1 (December 1, 2012)

On a beautiful Saturday night, Day One of December 2012, got a cup of coffee at "Micky D's" and rolled out to see some of the sights of Tacky Lights. Since I have been in Richmond, I have been doing this, and have to say it is one of my favorite things about being here. I went to a number of places, and this is just a few of my favorite sights from the evening. The houses at right are an amazing pair, owned by two family members. Address of one is 9606 Asbury Court in Richmond. It is one remarkable light show, and one of the most amazing things you can see over the holidays. 

I made a stop at the Jefferson Hotel. I always like to see the big tree at the bottom of the Grand Staircase (and it always seems there is a private party going on down there) but still got a great photo (and a few others during the night) while I was there. Thought this was really cool though, also at the Jefferson. It is a gingerbread train, and it is massive. Last year they had a rather large gingerbread house, but this to me pulled out all of the stops. Just a beautiful and remarkable piece of work, and made for a very nice photo. Not to mention, that it also put a rather huge smile on my face.  

Not really "Tacky Lights" at all, these are some of the light sat the James Center downtown. Before this I took a short ride down Monument Avenue, which like this is also not "Tacky", but really a nice display. Also of note, all the buildings downtown (well, many of them anyhow) are outlined with white lights as well. There was a horn band playing some Christmas tunes, and it was fun to see all the people enjoying the sights and the sounds. There is also a train (model train set, but a nice one) in a nearby building, be sure to check that out. It made for a really nice visit, and I enjoy this yearly as well.

 Finally there was 9716 Wendhurst Drive, in Glen Allen, VA. Oh wow sums this one up just as well as anything else could. Just an amazing sight, and another smile crossed my face seeing this. This is among the many "Tacky Light Houses" that have been featured on national tv shows over the years. I have quite a few photos from tonight on my Photo Page, and there will be more to come, because I will be heading out again tomorrow night to see some more, and again before the lights go out shortly after Christmas. I have said it before, and will say it again...no one does Christmas quite like Richmond.        

A Ride in the Neighborhood (November 26, 2012)

 Some of the most interesting things to see in this area, can be found in my "Backyard." Concord, NC is a most interesting town with a lot to offer. I have a few more photos at my "Racing with the Wind" page where I visited Charlotte Motor Speedway. Being the Christmas season, I also made a stop at Pat Rogers Speedway Harley-Davidson, and being the Christmas season got a photo of both of the tree and the bikes there. I love to ride, and this was a fine day in North Carolina to do so with sunny skies and some warmer temperatures (around 60, but I will take that in late November) to roll around the area. I did not get in a lot of miles, but I did enjoy some remarkable weather. On this Monday I also enjoyed some light traffic having gotten out before the rush hour traffic rolled in. It made for a very good day on the motorcycle and it is nice to see some of the sights in the area of which this is one of the better areas to explore. Spending so much of my life in Richmond....explore is the right term.     

 Took this photo in the Bass Pro Shop at the massive Concord Mills Mall. Concord Mills is a huge (and still growing with a lot of construction going on nearby) mall in Concord...and is said to be the #1 tourist attraction in the state. This time of year it's good for that label - though was not bad on a Monday a few weeks before Christmas. You can see it is decked out for the holiday. Way off in the background of this photo is the big fish tank, and there are some impressive fish in there. Quite a place for the outdoorsman (or outdoorswoman) on your Christmas list, I liked visiting this store.  

 Made a stop at Roush-Fenway Racing, many of the race shops in Concord have a museum, and this one is no exception (most but not all are free admission - this one was free). Car in front is the prototype  GT-40 Ford, there is a cut away car in the background, and a crashed car way off in the photo as well. Has a nice gift shop, and a number of drivers cars for the team are also on display there. Roush-Fenway is located on the grounds of Concord Regional Airport, the airport is a big deal for the teams, who travel both via the roads, but also by air to the major races around the US.
There are a number of race teams located in Concord, and also in nearby Huntersville, NC in fact of the teams in NASCAR most of them are located right in this area. Charlotte Motor Speedway is considered to be the "home" track for the series, and it is one impressive place, hosting two races during the season and the NASCAR All-Star Race in the year as well.   

Mentioned the importance of the airport to the teams, this is one of the team planes of Joe Gibbs racing at the airport. I was told they are going to be flying to Las Vegas for the big award ceremony coming up soon, as the season is now over. However, they only get a short break, Daytona happens in February. Racing is a big deal in this part of the country, and it is not unusual to see a number of drivers and owners out and about in the area.
As I noted, this was a very good day, had a good time checking out some of the sights in what is one of the most fun times of the year. For my next post, will have some neat photos from Richmond, VA

Preview of Christmas, Concord, NC (November 24, 2012)

 Back in Carolina, and an early look at the season. Patty and I took a post Thanksgiving Day drive on Saturday November 24 to see some of the lights in the city. Spent the day decorating the outside of the house, and then went out to see the lights in the area. At left is the Concord Christmas tree, which is downtown and was lit quite a few days ago in what is shaping up to be an early Christmas season both here and in Richmond. A few houses have already been decorated, and in fact we plan to get back out tonight to see some. Patty and I get some coffee, and ride around a bit in the car to see the lights. Certainly, Concord and the Charlotte area as well have some interesting things to see (such as the lights at the Speedway, and of course McAdenville is remarkable) but as I have noted (and as will be shown here) few places do as much as does Richmond with the remarkable Tacky Lights Tour, and of course downtown Richmond is something to see as well.  

Still, something familiar here with the city light displays, such as seen here at left. Having spent so many years here now, many of them are like "old friends" and remind me both of Christmas past, and of those to come. Of course over the years in my journeys I have lived in three places and this year will bring some sights from Louisville, KY, Charlotte, NC and also Richmond, VA. It does tend to make Christmas time both very interesting and fun. I will be bringing more photos from all of those cities in the days and weeks to come, in what is always one of my favorite times of the year!

Preview of Christmas, RVA (November 17, 2012)

 Let it be known, I love the Christmas holiday (I am also a huge fan of Thanksgiving, just a few days from now) and the fact that the stores are having an early start is fine with me. After all I have Christmas in two states to check out, and there will be a lot of great sounds and sights to experience both in North Carolina and in Virginia. Started with Virginia, at the Short Pump Town Center this tree was lit up just the day before, and I went out to see it, as in this case...I never had. West Broad Street is a very busy road, and very retail with a number of strip malls, and of course the massive complex that is Short Pump Town Center. A big mall should have a big tree and this was the largest one that I got out to see today. Wandered around for a little bit there, but for me at least it is too early to do any real shopping. Nonetheless, got a feeling that just about anything you could want, need, or think you need could be found at Short Pump Town Center. As malls go, it was pretty impressive. 

From West Broad Street, drove back to the Midlothian area. Checked out the tree at Westchester Commons, and also one at Chesterfield Towne Center (the latter has the tree inside). Also at Chesterfield I got to talk to Santa for a little bit (which was kind of cool), and wandered around for a short while at Garden Ridge. In between those two places is this dentist office at left. It seems to be one of the first places to light up in the area, and is usually one of the last to turn the lights off after Christmas. This, to me, is not a bad thing at all. I tend to go by there quite a bit. Also worth a lot, are the bears in the dentist chairs in the three lower front windows. I always enjoy seeing this.       

Ended my night at Stony Point Fashion Park, which is certainly a cool mall. For one thing its outdoor, and for another it is the most (hands down) dog friendly mall in Richmond (and Richmond is a very dog friendly town). As for the tree, it was lit up November 10, and this tree is really cool. Had a really good sound system, and the lights dance to the music (which happens in regular intervals) during the course of the night. I also enjoyed some Christmas music by a solo electric guitarist. It was a good day for that, also two other good guitarists performed (but not Christmas music) at the South of the James Market today in Forest Hill Park.
The holiday season is off to a really good start, and there is a lot more to come! Of course have to give a word to the "less than a week away" Thanksgiving holiday - while not as colorful as Christmas, it is certainly the most tasty holiday, and I am looking very forward to that.    

Driving to Short Pump (November 17, 2012)

 Amazingly, got out to see some of the Christmas sights in Richmond (yeah, its rapidly getting to be that time of year) which will be the subject of my next post. Along the way, got some interesting sights. Got a photo of Monroe Park, which is Richmond's oldest park (established in 1851). The park was also used as a training center and campground for Confederate troops during the Civil War. As can be seen in the center, still a good place to catch some rest. There is always a lot going on there, and there are a number of historic markers at the park, which is located on Main Street. 

The Science Museum of Virginia resides in the former Broad Street Station which was built in 1919 according to Wikipedia. I have been in there a couple of times, nice museum with some interesting exhibits. I like the Aluminaut, which is the world's first aluminum submarine. It was also a very deep diving submarine. There is an IMAX theater in there, and a number of interesting exhibits. It is a really kid friendly museum, in fact it is mostly geared for kids. Has a nice train exhibit there, and the tracks and the boarding areas from the station still remain in the back of the museum.  

 I have passed this quite a few times, and have wanted to get a photo of it, now I have and know that it is called the "Enterprise Center". Wonder if that is due to it's purpose, or that it looks somewhat like the saucer section of the starship USS Enterprise from Star Trek. At any case, quite a different sort of building, and I enjoyed seeing it at last. Wanted to get a good photo of it, well pleased with this one. Richmond has a lot of old and historic buildings, but in all sorts of neighborhoods you often come across some more modern and different ones such as this one. They have been, and will be, some neat neighborhoods to explore here.

I took this photo on West Broad Street, thought it was a scenic sunset. I went out close to night, wanting to check out some of the Christmas trees at the local malls. I rode to Short Pump,Westchester Commons, Chesterfield Towne Center, and Stony Point Fashion Park to see some of the sights and sounds of the season. Being Richmond, I was not disappointed  at all, even saw some extra sights along the way. Few cities do Christmas with as much color as Richmond does, and it creates some magical sights and memories. Looking forward to the upcoming year, and will bring the first of those sights with my next post!

A Warm Day in Charlotte (November 11, 2012)

November 11,  took a ride out to Charlotte on the motorcycle. I also got in some county roads...took a sort of backroads route on a beautiful day with 70 degree temps. Can't beat weather like this in near Mid-November. First stop was Eastland Mall, which closed a few years ago. Charlotte purchased the property in August this year for a reported $13.2 million. Much like the Cloverleaf Mall on Midlothian Turnpike in Chesterfield, Eastland was once a premier mall which fell on hard times as the neighborhood changed. There are plans to re-develop it - will revisit this in the near future.   

Out on Central Avenue, wandered around there a bit. This is one of many "Fuel Pizza" which are usually found in old gas stations, there are a few of them around Charlotte, and the surrounding areas. Pizza is pretty good (I have had better, have also had much, much worse) did not stop into this one, but have been to the one at Davidson, NC. Lots of neat stores there, many good places to eat (a number of Vietnamese restaurants can be found on Central Ave), and a number of the restaurants were packed both inside and outside. Great weather will do that for you. Well, that and the fact that the Carolina Panthers were in town playing a game.  

Speaking of town, this is a view of "Uptown Charlotte" basically from the Fuel Pizza location seen above. I rode into Charlotte, always fun to ride around there. Game was underway when I got there, so traffic was not bad (it was I am sure when the game is over). Have been to a number of games at Bank of America Stadium, nice place to see football (even if the Panthers are not all that good this year). On the way back made a short stop in NoDa at Revolution Pizza and Ale (not for the pizza there either though) and then got back home after a 2.5 hour ride. Had a great time, and always fun to explore the city. After that ride, chilled out a bit at the house (watching the Panthers game with Denver) before taking a drive this time back to the RVA where I will be spending the next few days, and a weekend here. Looking forward to some adventures in this very fun town!

Beer Fest at 17th Street Farmers Mkt (November 4, 2012)

 Went to the beer festival at the 17th Street Farmers Market today. I enjoy those sort of events, for one thing the market is a cool place to be with a number of events occurring outside there, and usually some really good bands during the year so far. The neighborhood is also pretty cool, a lot of history there (not far from there is a very old train buried in a train tunnel collapse many years ago)  I thought this building with the art on the side was neat. You see a lot of that in the Shockoe Slip/Shockoe Bottom part of Richmond, and I like that. One thing you can say for Richmond, it is certainly unique.
  

 As for the festival, it was pretty good. Good celebration of beer (at $6 a pop) but have come to expect that here. Beer and food tends to be really pricy here, though in general its just expensive to live here in comparison to a lot of other places. Band seen at top was really good, and got to enjoy some craft beers from Virginia. Nice crowd and some friendly people, which made for a good day in the RVA. 

Wall at left is a favorite of mine, another example of the wall art common here. I also like the cobblestone streets of the alley here, you see a lot of that in this area.
I have been to Shockoe Bottom quite a few times, and I always find it interesting to be there.Along with nearby Church Hill, the area offers a lot of interesting and fun events to enjoy year round.  
As weekends go this was a really good one - visited some favorite places and had a blast doing it. Looking forward to the next weekend in the RVA.
  

November 3 in the RVA (November 3, 2012)

 Nice day in the city of Richmond, started it off with a visit to the South of the James Market. Not sure how long it runs (will check on that) but it was up and running today. Lots of food booths and other items for sale, live music of course, and a big crowd bundled up in the morning chill. Of course there were a number of good food trucks. Food trucks are a big thing in Richmond (in a lot of places around the US as well, but just seem to be even more popular here) and I have had some really amazing food from a number of them. I liked this one, as it was pretty colorful. 

Later in the afternoon, made a drive to Maymont Park. I love going there, in fact just wish I could go even more than I do. Always lots to see there, such as the Japanese Gardens seen at left. Lots of animals to see there as well, and many interesting types; wild animals, farm animals, and speaking of wild animals they even have at least three Bison. The old house there is something to see over the holidays, it is also a great site for a number of special events during the year, and can't beat it as a great place to see the end of Fall. Colors are certainly past peak in the Richmond area, but there is still a lot of beauty out there right now.   
I also made a stop at Byrd Park, is seen here, it is a WWI memorial and has a number of bells in its tower. Byrd Park is real close to Maymont, and it has a number of lakes there in addition to this tower. Like with Maymont, there are a number of events held there throughout the year.  

At the end of the day went to Carytown to Galaxy Diner. I had read some reviews of the place, and a friend of mine told me it was just ok. Just ok hardly, really enjoyed the food there, and was real happy with $1.50 PBR drafts. Both the servers and the customers are real interesting, seems to be a popular place with VCU students, and locals, plus a number of interesting people there. Seems to be a great place to go when you have tattoos...which I don't, but think they can be pretty neat. Carytown is an interesting place, I am not much of a shopper, and certainly no foodie, but like those "Diner, Drive-Ins and Dives" sort of places, and this one would be a real pick for that show in my opinion. Enjoyed my visit there, enjoyed the food, and I will be back.
While this was a sunny cold day, with another to come tomorrow, I really enjoyed it, and am looking forward to a fun day tomorrow as we celebrate Beer Week in Richmond at the 17th Street Farmers Market.

 

Fall at Morrow Mountain (October 28, 2012)

Took a motorcycle ride to Morrow Mountain on a beautiful Sunday October 28 where I saw this view at the park which is just outside of Albemarle,NC (which is the home by the way of Kellie Pickler). Figured that it was a beautiful day, and probably my last chance to see the colors as the next time I will be home will be later in November. I was really lucky in that there was a lot of color, and also it was a warm day for late October, I was very comfortable on the motorcycle without needing my "heavy" motorcycle gear.  Quite a few other bikers as well as some leaf fans in cars were there. 

From the overlook (a few of those at the top of the mountain) Got this photo of one of the lakes in the area. The region is a popular fishing area with Baden and High Rock Lakes all nearby. There are some great roads in the area as well, while I enjoy city rides to Charlotte and other NC cities, country rides are also nearby. Get to see a number of farms and a lot of wildlife as well during those rides. I have a few more photos on my Racing with the Wind Page, and also some photos on my Flickr Photo Page. It was a good few weeks for seeing some Fall color, thanks to this ride and the previous weeks ride on the Blue Ridge Parkway which is featured on the previous post.
On my return to Richmond, Hurricane Sandy was coming in which is resulting in both high winds and heavy rain (which could really impact leaves in the RVA) as well as the first snows of the year in the NC and VA mountain ranges. I got in before the storm hit its full fury in the Richmond area (impact was really light in the Charlotte area.

Around Town (October 20, 2012)

After yesterdays mountain adventure, a much more quiet and short ride around the Concord area, rode down some back roads, and enjoyed some of what is another beautiful day. Nice to get out and get on some roads in the area, and also took a quick ride past Charlotte Motor Speedway. Around 70 degrees and very sunny, part of what makes this time of year so wonderful. Rode out to RideNow Power Sports for a while, and also got out to visit a friend. As this vacation week in North Carolina winds down, enjoying some great times with my family, also out in the breeze on the motorcycle. Have had some great riding this week for sure! 

A ride to the Blue Ridge Parkway (October 19, 2012)

 Friday October 19 was a great day for a motorcycle ride, and enjoyed the time spent at Blowing Rock, NC and on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Blowing Rock is found right up NC-321 and is a great little mountain town. Kind of "touristy" and some places have prices to match, but there are also some good deals. I always like to make a stop at The Canyons (right at the top of 321) which I have found has some great food and drink prices (and a very friendly staff as well as some great mountain views. Blowing Rock is a great town to stroll the streets and check out some sights. This time of year though parking is a real adventure.   

 The Cone House seen here was a stop I visited on the Blue Ridge Parkway. It is now home to a Craft Center of the Southern Highland Craft Guild, and there was a big crowd and some neat crafts to see inside the house. The house was built by the Cone Family and construction started in 1899. The house has 23 rooms and 13,000 feet of living space. Known as Flattop Mannor  it was donated to the Blue Ridge Parkway in 1949. It is an impressive house and the view from the front porch is remarkable. Of course the word remarkable does not cover all the sights I saw during this ride.  

Seen here is the road itself, one of the great roads of America. The Parkway runs some 469 (I think that is right) from North Carolina through Virginia. It has a low speed limit which is great for seeing the sights. There are a number of overlooks to stop and see the views and a number of interesting places to stop and check out. I have ridden (and for that matter driven) some big sections of the road over the years. It is a place and area that I have (and will) come to again and again, and is easily one of my favorite places in North Carolina. I have posted some more photos to my Flickr page, and also have some on my Racing with the Wind Motorcycle Page, links to both can be found above. Fall is one of my favorite times of year, and I was very happy with the sights, smells, and feel of this fine fall day in the Blue Ridge Parkway! 

 Took a ride on an overcast Sunday to Charlotte, NC....was dry the whole ride though, and warm on a mid-October fall day. Rode out by Bank of America stadium (seen at left) in Uptown, home of the Carolina Panthers. Enjoy going by the stadium (its a bye week for the team, which is not off to a great start being 1-4 at this point) but a neat place where I have spent some very happy (and some not so happy if you count losses) with my son. Still, its a first rate stadium, and the team has had some really good seasons. Fun to see NFL football and nice to not to have to make a long drive to do so.   

 View here is near the stadium, and will be the home of "BB+T" ballpark, soon to be the home of the Charlotte Knights, the AAA baseball team, which actually has been playing in South Carolina (which is right across the border). Soon they will play in Uptown Charlotte, work has started on the stadium, and it will be up and running next season (I believe). Took a lot to get this going, there was a lawsuit by a local lawyer who wanted Charlotte to get a major league team instead. Nice to dream big, but think this is a very good start, and love AAA baseball, so it should be a good match for the city and looking forward to them playing uptown. 

Liked this, saw a number of horse driven carriages running around Uptown, and nice on a Sunday to take a ride in them. Course my horse is 1500cc's and two wheels, but still enjoyed being in Charlotte on a Sunday afternoon. Lots of people were wandering around, people eating inside and outside (at tables) in restaurants and visiting the museums. Charlotte is a fun city and I enjoy exploring it - quite a few people live Uptown as well. Got the name "Uptown" I read the other day due to the elevation of the area. At any case, it was a very good time, and I enjoyed my visit to the Queen City.