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.

Sunday in the Carolinas (July 11, 2010)

The long visit to Concord/Charlotte is winding down today. A most remarkable holiday/vacation is ending. Great time with the family, friends, and also enjoyed the fact that I had this long to-do list, and I did it all for a change. Weather was good other than the heat (one rainy night) and it was just nice to be in my own house, with my own family. This is a very interesting place. This morning enjoyed breakfast with Patty at Punchy's Diner in Concord. Good food, very reasonable prices (and a chance to try Liver Mush if you have never had it). They even have cars and bikes on display inside the restaurant. Harley out front is a customers bike, but I liked it. Seeing a lot of bikes with Ape-Hanger handlebars, to each their own.
During the morning dog walk, had a group of ultralight aircraft flying together "someplace". Could tell that from the noise of the engines, and the types of the planes. With my cousin also (this month) becoming a licensed pilot, and being an aviation nut myself, had planes on my mind, so rode the Vulcan out to Wilgrove Airport, a small private field just outside of Charlotte, NC off of NC 24/27. The fact it is a nice country ride out there also did not hurt. Classic field with grass parking for the planes, and one runway. Quiet on a nice Sunday morning, but was neat to get a look at it. A number of airports like this can be found in North Carolina.

During the morning motorcycle ride, came across South 21. I have seen this place featured on "Diner's, Drive In's, and Dives" so stopped for a photo even though it was closed for vacation. I remember back in the day that there were many places like these, and in fact Sonic is sort of bringing that sort of thing back. I have been by here a few times, but never stopped in. Have been told by a number of people its pretty good though, so will be checking that out in a future visit. That is my motorcycle by the sign by the way at far left. Often go places and then drag Patty to them later on...motorcycles are great for exploring new areas.

Last photo was at Time Warner Arena in Uptown Charlotte. Nice place; the two spindles out front are supposed to be representative of Charlotte's textile history (lots of mills were in this region for a long time). I have been in there, it is a real nice arena, and in addition to concerts (such as the upcoming Paul McCartney) they also host the Charlotte Bobcats (now owned by Michael Jordan) and the Charlotte Checkers Hockey team. I also went by the Epicenter; sort of a food/bar area which was pretty cool. Been past it but have not walked around it. That is where "Whiskey River" is located, owned by Dale Earnhardt, Jr. of Nascar fame.
At any case, it has been a remarkable and fun 10 days in the Carolinas, but will be returning to Richmond in a few hours, and am looking forward to seeing what new (and at this point) what old favorite things I can explore there. Sure feel lucky to live in two remarkable places, and have a great deal of fun in both of them.

Charlotte "Spring" Ride in the Summer (July 3, 2010)

Nice day, after all the blazing heat and humidity of late, a July 3 day felt like May on the motorcycle in Charlotte. Got out and put in some nice miles exploring "my town" for a change. Passed the 4th of July Parade in Harrisburg, which was pretty neat actually. Not a big one, but a big crowd was there, plus floats and bands. Rode on up to UNCC where I got this photo of the main entrance. I also did some riding around; quiet at the school, but a very nice campus, and of course its the home of the Charlotte 49ers. They are adding a football team to the sports program, and that will be very interesting. Looking forward to going to some local games.
I rode out to North Davidson, aka "NoDa" which is a local art community. Over the years, it has grown from a rather run down area to a nice place with restaurants (such as Cabo Fish Taco), apartments and Condo's, and of course the art galleries. Nice to explore that area, it is also a great place to check out live music both at The Neighborhood Theater and The Evening Muse where national and regional acts play. I rode into Charlotte (which is just up the road) and there watched firemen answer a fire at a parking garage. I saw the smoke and thought it was a BBQ out of control, but turned out to be quite the blaze.
After that rode out to the "Shoppes at University" having traveled sort of a big loop today. Like that place, as the lake there is really nice (and often hosts free concerts there in the summer on Sunday's) plus got to stop in to "Boardwalk Billy's to check out some of the World Cup action, as well as to enjoy a frosty cold beverage. It was a really nice motorcycle ride on a wonderful day, and enjoyed it a great deal. I have more photos on my Photo Page, and some even on my "Racing with the Wind" motorcycle blog page. I have to say, it does not get much better, especially in July, than this!

One more in Charlotte (April 17, 2010)

Saturday morning took a motorcycle ride with my friend Steve; he fired up the Ultra Classic, and I took my trusty Vulcan and we tackled the mean streets of Charlotte, NC. Took this photo at left on Tryon Street in what is known as Uptown Charlotte for my second visit in as many visits to the Queen City. Always nice to wander around there though, and a lot to see and do in the town. It was a really nice morning for a ride, a little overcast, but warm and mostly sunny. I like riding around Charlotte on Saturday, like with Richmond, traffic is generally a whole lot lighter, and that is a fine thing when traveling by motorcycle.
Steve and I went to lunch at Mac's Speed Shop (again my second visit since my last visit) but he had never been there and it is damn fine BBQ! These tanks (storing something I suppose) are across from Mac's....find them interesting for sure, and thought they were worth a photo. South Blvd is an intersting part of the city, goes a long way (in fact all the way if you follow it into nearby South Carolina) and is a really good ride. We did not have time for all that, but enjoyed a fine lunch with some good people. A C-130 flight crew also was having lunch there, and that was pretty neat. Today was the start of the Kentucky Derby Festival with Thunder Over Louisville...did not get to see the air show, but did get to eat with an air crew!
Rolling back toward Uptown in this last photo. I think (not positive) that the pink building houses condos, have been a lot of them going up in Charlotte. A few posts back I have some more photos of Charlotte and where I had lunch (two weeks ago, its a fun place) but one of many in the city. Like exploring Charlotte, though today was a relatively short visit. I will be posting these and some other photos on my photo page (have a link to that) if you are interested.
Next weekend will be doing some exploring in downtown Richmond, seeing some old and hopefully some new favorite places there.

Uptown Charlotte, April 3, 2010

Back in NC over Easter weekend (hope you all had a happy one) and yesterday took the motorcycle "uptown" as they call it here into Charlotte. I put a few more photos on my flickr photo page (there is a link to it on this page) but wanted to share a few here. Like getting into Charlotte, it is a fun town, and has a lot of sights to explore. I covered a lot of ground in a few hours. There are of course a lot of tall buildings in fact this monument is right in front of one of them. The Bank of America Building (and this statue) sits at "Founders Square"; and that is the BOA building right behind the Mother and Child. There are four statues in the square.
This second photo is the NASCAR Hall of Fame Museum, which (if the newspaper is right) is due to open on May 11 of this year. Looks to be pretty close to done (at least on the outside). There are quite a few museums in Charlotte, including a really good science museum, quite a few history museums, a not too far away (at the airport) aviation museum and the new Bechtler Museum of Modern Art which is the photo directly below. Quite a lot to see and do downtown; Time Warner Cable Arena has Charlotte Bobcat basketball, Charlotte Checker hockey and during the year quite a few concerts of notes. There are some nice parks uptown, and nightclubs on College Street.
I enjoyed a great ride; ran all over downtown, went out to Myers Park to see the big houses and trees, wandered around one of the light rail stops to watch the train run, and made a stop at Mac's Speed Shop for some North Carolina style BBQ, and a visit with my fellow motorcyclists (its a popular motorcycle stop in Charlotte, NC). Always nice to be back, a nice time on a beautiful spring day. One of the best times of the year other than the green pollen which coats the cars literally overnight, but its a sign of good things to come in the Carolinas. Looking forward to a spring of great adventures both here and in Richmond, VA.

Carolina(s)...on a Snowy Day in Richmond

Enjoying a snowy day in Richmond; as expected getting a good amount here, though less than originally forecast, but enough to keep it indoors. Watching qualifying in sunny Daytona, a nice track; went there a few years ago though not to the race, but rather as a stop on the way to the Kennedy Space Center.
However, as mentioned in my previous post, giving equal time to North Carolina today. Last post talked about Richmond, today a bit on the Carolinas. There, I ride my motorcycle usually with friends, and we have done a lot of exploring over the years. Like with Richmond and my transplanted co-workers here, there many of those I came with from Louisville (where this current journey started) were amazed at some of the things I mentioned seeing. To be honest, so were some of the natives.
At any case, what is cool about North Carolina ,and for that matter South Carolina for Charlotte is on the border of the two states. In fact the Charlotte Knights AAA baseball team plays actually in South Carolina. Sports I guess would be the first item. Been to quite a few Carolina Panthers games, went to see the Hornets (not the Bobcats yet, though my son is a big fan), and also enjoy hockey games with the Charlotte Checkers. Fair basketball team at UNCC, though college football is a few years away with them (but coming).
NASCAR is also huge, as is the track the (formerly) Lowe's Motor Speedway. It is in nearby Concord, NC which is also the home to Concord Mills (which is North Carolina's largest tourist attraction...go figure!). There are a lot of raceshops in Concord. Hendricks Motorsports, Roush Racing, and Earnhardt Ganassi are all within a stones throw of each other. Nearby Mooresville also has a lot of teams (pretty much the rest of them) based there. There is drag racing at Z-Max Dragway; Bruton Smith sure had a time building it, but its a first class facility. There is also a little used dirt track as part of the racing complex on Bruton Smith Blvd. Richard Petty runs often at the big racetrack; where for a price you can do Ride Along's and drive the cars. I have done both, its a rush!
North Carolina is famous for its barbecue, and are quite passionate about it. Different than what you get in Richmond and Louisville for that matter, though pretty good. Usually comes topped with slaw (and usually "red" slaw), and slaw is also a popular topping on hot dogs. Not bad, just different.
Motorcycling is great in North and South Carolina. Been on some big rides, but fun just riding around the small towns. Not a lot of Civil War history; was a Confederate Prison at nearby Salisbury, NC but not many battles there (at least in the Charlotte/Concord area). Was a hot bed during the Revolutionary War, though one battlefield is under Lake Norman, but a nice one at Kings Mountain. Lots of Civil War sites in South Carolina (especially Charleston, SC) and around the state.
Speaking of Charleston, SC...one of my favorite cities. Patty and I have been often; great seafood, nice beaches, lots to see and do. Any city with US Navy ships to explore is pretty neat in my book. Myrtle Beach is pretty good, though tends to get crowded at times. Made a motorcycle ride (a day trip) to Carolina Beach in NC...came back impressed.
Though a former sailor, the mountains are really remarkable. Asheville is a cool town. The Biltmore is something to see, especially at Christmas time. Beautiful area and a nice drive. I also like both Chimney Rock and Blowing Rock...make quite a few yearly motorcycle rides to the mountains. Lake Lure is really something to see (and even has a small beach). I mentioned a few places to eat in Richmond, if you are ever in Blowing Rock check out "The Canyons"....great prices and views to die for. Daniel Boone Inn at Blowing Rock is also remarkable, with great food. Course, the big attraction there is the mountains; both Grandfather Mountain, and Blowing Rock give remarkable views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. For a biker, nothing beats The Blue Ridge Parkway, a remarkable ride (and also runs into Virginia). I have seen it from a drive last year through Virginia back to Louisville, beautiful here too.
The Carolinas are a real melting pot, was a popular area for transplants. When I first got there, seemed like everyone I knew was from someplace else. Much of New York especially seems to be moving there. So you get a lot of regional attitudes; not always as friendly as I have found in Richmond, though it can be. When the locals get to know you, they tend to really open up, but seem sort of wary at first. Unlike Richmond, history takes a back seat to progress. There are few "old" things in Charlotte. They tend to ram things through (like the downtown arena which replaced a not very old Charlotte Coliseum at the airport). The airport is growing like a weed and gets a lot of use. Lots of direct flights just about everywhere you would want to go. Not a great many old things to see though and buildings don't tend to be re-used. Rather they tend to be torn down. Housing is cheap in comparison to Richmond, and (at least until the real estate meltdown) was springing up all over.
It is an interesting and fun place. Nothing like the James, but Lake Norman is pretty nice a few rivers in the area; though not as many fun things happen as they do along the James. It is a good place to live with great weather, and many interesting things to do and see.

Concord....So Far

Got out this morning a bit before noon, taking the motorcycle for a ride. Been a great visit so far, even the bike seemed happy to see me (started right up) on Thursday, and again today. Went for a good long ride on a chilly North Carolina day under blue skies with light white clouds. Photo at left is Dale Earnhardt, Inc. Nice race shop, kind of shoots down the image of these little shops building race cars (instead they are multi-million dollar operations). DEI was closed today, but it was fun to ride by there. The road its on (believe it or not, its NC-3...and yeah got that number for Dale Sr.) is a very nice road out of Kannapolis, NC.
I rode on into Huntersville, NC on NC-115, another nice Carolina rode. Huntersville, like Concord is home to quite a few race teams, as well as this Christmas tree display downtown. Many of the houses in the area spent the weekend taking their Christmas lights down, but still a lot of displays (and quite a few houses...including mine) with the lights still on, and the Christmas trees still up. Christmas, and in fact the entire visit so far with family and friends has been fantastic. Having a very good time to this point so far. Everything has been going well, and looking forward to the next few days.
Have been following the news from Richmond while I have been here. Seems to have been a pretty good holiday in Richmond for most people and over the weekend. I assume (due to lack of mention) that the remains of the great snowfall are gone at last. Will be back there in a few days, but in the meantime, nothing could be finer, than to be in Carolina (as the song goes).

Panthers Game Day and Charlotte, NC (October 11,2009)

My son Robby and I went to the Carolina Panthers/Washington Redskins game on Sunday October 11 in Charlotte, NC. For me, it was a short drive from my home in Concord, NC though did run into a lot of Virginia based Redskin fans who had made the drive I make every couple of weeks from my "other home" in Richmond. Photo at left is a view of the city taken from the walk from the parking lot. Charlotte is a pretty neat town, and has a number of new buildings going up (th0ugh read one of them is "on hold" and only partly completed due to the economy). Big thing in Charlotte last few years has been condos, and there are a great many there.

Walking on up, got this photo of Bank of America Stadium. I have been to football games when I lived in Kentucky; saw the Bears, Bengals, and Colts on various road (and in the case of Chicago by air) games. Bank of America stadium is very nice and a first class facility (though have not seen the new ones in Indy and Cincinnati) and a very nice place to see a game. The stadium is right at the end of NC29 (which also runs through Concord). One of the neat things about the area is the road system; can take I-85 to downtown, or the "backroad" route of NC-29 to the stadium. Parking is pretty wild though; we paid $10 around a mile from the stadium, up close it was running $35 (but the lots were packed even at that price).

I like the big cats at the entrance(s) pretty neat statues; two on each side of the (four) ways in. There was some things going on outside, saw the Top Cats perform, and a local radio host was working the crowd. There were some parties going on in the parking lots, and some of them were pretty remarkable. One group had a very large screen tv under a tent, and a grill they had towed in for the game. Lots of music playing of all types, and some huge crowds for the game. Weather looked bad all day long, but the forecast held and we never got a drop of rain.


Got this photo of the team coming out for the game. As for the game itself, got to say that neither team (have seen the Panthers play on tv during a few visits home, Washington play on tv when I spend weekends here) that if either team is planning to go to the Super Bowl they had better get tickets soon (heard it tends to sell out early). I don't see either one getting into the playoffs at this point in the season. Enjoyed the game though, and it was the first win for Carolina in 2009. It was a strange game in a lot of ways, but enjoyed being there. The Redskins have a lot of local fans from the days when Charlotte did not have a football team, also that so many people in Charlotte have other teams from their days in other parts of the country. Had a good group as noted earlier from Virginia and enjoyed visiting with them. Mostly good natured bantering during the game, though I did see a couple of fights in my section, which is unusual for a football game (though not for NASCAR races). As some of us noted, kind of strange considering the record of both teams at this point.
Great thing was that we got back home in less than an hour; again the highway was pretty backed up (judging from the slow movement up the ramp) so we rolled down NC-29 and had no problems getting back. Plus, enjoy seeing University City and that was a treat as well. It was a very nice day in Charlotte, NC.