Riding on the South Side (August 31, 2012)

 Got out on the motorcycle, put some photos from this shop on my bike page, but worth a photo here. Motorcycles of Charlotte sells Ducati, Triumph, BMW and MV Agusta, rare bikes on the roads, but some of the most interesting ones out there. A very nice motorcycle shop, located near South Carolina (at NC Exit 1, I-77) and just a stones throw from South Carolina. Enjoyed my visit there, because none (as in nada, zip) are sold in the Richmond area, so these are some bikes I have not seen in a while, but hard to see when I am in Virginia. Not to say they are not great bikes though, some of the most innovative out there.   

 Took a few minutes and rode into South Carolina where gas is much cheaper than just about anyplace (and I took advantage gassing up the Vulcan) but also is the home to Carowinds. This is the "sister park" of Kings Dominion which is near Richmond (in Doswell I believe). Carowinds is partly in North Carolina, and partly in South Carolina. It also has many of the same rides, this for instance is The Intimidator which can also be found at Kings Dominion. Big roller coaster fan, and loved riding this one in Virginia. I have been to this park in the past and am sure to return to it in the future.  

 I am a big fan of planes, and while cruising down NC-49 toward Charlotte seemed to have been along one of the active runways, so got this photo overhead (you can get photos like this on a motorcycle at a red light). Charlotte-Douglas is the hub airport for US Airways and one of the busiest airports in the US (and the busiest in North Carolina). The airport has a great viewing area for takeoffs and landings, and is also home to the Carolina Aviation Museum, which I have visited a number of times. I have also flown out of that airport on many occasions, it makes for some good flights due to the large number of direct flights out of Charlotte.   

 Made a quick drive though Uptown Charlotte, photo at left is one of the statues at Founders Square. Of course this week the Democratic National Convention is coming to town, and the traffic as well as the police presence was greatly increased. Still, its a great city to visit with a lot to see and do (and many of those things can be seen on past pages here) and Charlotte is probably my favorite city in North Carolina (though there are a number of fun places to visit in this state). I am looking forward to seeing how the convention goes, though by the time it kicks off I will be back in Richmond.  

I was finally in the area called University City, made a quick stop to get a photo of IKEA there. Buddy of mine made a big deal of going to Washington, DC where they have one, so he will enjoy seeing this. It has been in Charlotte for the last few years. University City is the home to UNCC, which is getting a football team (next year) as well as a number of stores, apartments, and the like. It is more of a suburb of Charlotte, but a fun place as most college towns are.
It was a very good day to ride, with a few things to see off the beaten path, but put a big grin on my face.