Celebration of Flight (October 29, 2011)

On a chilly brisk Saturday at Concord Regional Airport, went by to check out the "Celebration of Flight at the airport. It was free except for a $5 charge for parking, but that also paid for the shuttle buses so it was cool. Plus, one of the food booths had very good, and free coffee, so it was well worth it. Got to see some really neat aircraft such as this private plane. I liked this photo, and many of the other planes I saw of this type. They had a good variety of aircraft though, and some that people just don't often get to see up close and personal. They also had some interesting fly-by's planned, but I did not get to see those this trip, had a full weekend planned.
Plane seen here with Tony Stewart's car is actually Tony Stewart's plane of a sort..it is the team plane of Stewart-Haas Racing. While the cars are hauled by truck to the races, the team members are flown. Also at the event was the team plane of Joe Gibbs racing, and being held in the home of Nascar teams (most are based in the region, and have been to many of the race shops which you can see in previous posts here) there were also a number of team's cars here. Of course they build quite a few during the season, though some of these at the airport may have been raced during the season. In fact many of the drivers in the series also are pilots.
As far as interesting planes, this one was sort of special. This P-51 Mustang is owned by Jack Roush, who is a team owner in NASCAR (and a quite successful one). He is also a pilot, and had a close call in a plane (though not this one) a few years ago. The P-51 was the best fighter plane of WWII on the American side, and really changed the war for the good when it came out. This is not the original "Old Crow" but is based on the one which was flown by Bud Anderson. He also owns the P-51 "Gentleman Jim" which was also flown in for the event. Seeing these planes alone was in my opinion worth the parking fee and the cool weather.
Also very cool was this plane at left, which is an L-39 Albatros. It was built by the Aero Vodochody company which is located in Czechoslovakia. The plane was used both as a trainer and as a light attack aircraft. Of course it was used by the air forces of the Warsaw Pact, but it also was sold to a number of Western Nations after the collapse of the Soviet Union. It has now been flown by some 30+ nations. Many of them have been sold to private individuals in the US, such as this one. In fact the type even did a demo race at the Reno Air Races a few years ago. It is said to be a rugged and relatively easy to fly plane.
Finally, the US Army flew in this AH-64 Apache, the current state of the art attack helicopter used by the US Army. The Apache is still in use, and has seen action in all of the battles and wars of the past few years. A North Carolina C-130 was also at the event. I will post a few more photos on my photo page.
The event was really nice, Concord has had air shows in the past, but while this was more of an open house with some fly-by's, it was really a nice event with some good variety. It is a great way to see some interesting aircraft, meet some pilots, and to see the great variety of planes that can use the local airports.

Summer, NC 2011! (June 21,2011)

Went after a fine first day of summer motorcycle ride on an amazing hot day the first day of summer. Temperature was 99 in Concord, summer indeed! Met my wife Patty (that is her hand at right) at work, and took her to Three Monkey's for lunch. Have nice lunch specials there (we had the Chicken Salad) but the focus of the photo is the Fried Pickles. Yeah, not the healthy way to enjoy pickles, but really really good. I like those, and I like that restaurant. Good food and great prices, plus the owner is really nice. Made for a nice time, and being a migrant factory worker I don't get to have lunch out with my wife all that often.
My son got me (among other things) a six pack of "Samuel Adams Summer Ale", so this was actually the first photo of Summer that I took, right after 1pm on June 21. Nice view of the backyard as well in Carolina. Like different beers, there are some interesting ones out there to check out (life is too short to drink bland beer). I am also a fan of locally brewed (in Richmond, VA) Legends Beer, and also like going to Capital Ale House in Richmond which has a HUGE selection of craft beers. On a hot summer day there is nothing like an ice cold beer, though ice tea runs a very close second. I never really had ice tea before NC...where sweet tea is an art form.
Finally, cooling in the AC are my border collies. Talk about something that gives you joy; a big part of my family these gals (both are female) keep me moving and on my toes. They love to play (except when its 99 outside, then they like to chill in the A/C) and love morning walks (and we did that each morning I was home, early before the heat built up). Border Collies have a lot of character and of all the dogs I have enjoyed over my life they are among the most amazing. I am constantly amazed at how smart they are; they as I have seen others do, can find many of their toys by name. Tell them to "bring me the football" and they do it. They also are masters of playing catch, and love to do it for hours on end. They are always glad to see me (thankfully, so is my wife and son) and always ready to get out and moving. That is good for them, but also good for me....beat having rarely used exercise equipment. Plus, not sure that anything can love you as much as a dog can. They are remarkable friends and a great joy in my life.

Last Day of Spring (June 20, 2011)

Back in Carolina for a visit, went out on a hot, and cloudy day. Ride ended at Iron Thunder which is out near the big Concord Mills complex. That is North Carolina's #1 tourist attraction. Liked this place, Steve's favorite stop...good lunch special and good beverage prices. Nice to be on the bike again after a long visit in Richmond (been here like three weeks since the last trip home) and enjoyed the ride. Was a hot weekend there with temperatures close to 100 most of the visit, and some periods of big rain. One of the storms did some real damage to a number of trees in the area, and put a couple of those trees on some houses.
This is the view from my bike, looking at Steve's Harley-Davidson trike. First time to really ride with him; bit of a change from following a motorcycle as such, but got used to it pretty quickly. Steve has been fighting cancer and the old Harley he had (an Ultra Classic) was a lot for him to hold; so he got this. In just a few weeks he has some 2500 miles on it, which is pretty impressive. Due to the skies we did not go very far, but did hit some backroads behind Concord Mills. Amazed at the development that was back there; a lot of housing has sprung up even in times such as these. There were some really nice places, and some fun roads to ride.
I had seen the medical helicopter at the hospital landing when I arrived a couple of days before; was too excited about being home to stop for a photo, but did take a quick post ride to see if it was still there (it was not) , but got a few more miles. Did take a short ride though Oakwood Cemetery in Concord, where I snapped this monument photo at left. Very old cemetery, and it is the final resting place for many of the founders and "movers and shakers" of Concord history. Plus, its pretty close to the house, as you can see from the skies, certainly not a blue sky day. Sometimes to have to ride in the rain, but always enjoy avoiding it if it is possible. Still it was a very fine ride, got in some 60 miles, and that was very nice. Clouds did keep the temperature down, and I did appreciate that part of it.
Always good to be back in Carolina. Previous days (Saturday and Sunday) spent some pleasant times with my wife, son, and the dogs who were all glad to see me. Always good to have that and grateful for a supportive family. This is a difficult thing to do, this living in two places.

Sights from Charlotte Motor Speedway (May 27,2011)

Nothing quite like race week in Concord, NC around Charlotte Motor Speedway. There is also Speed Street in Uptown Charlotte, also worth a visit. On May 27 though, when I got back into town, I went to the race track to see some of the sights. Unfortunately, there was not a great deal going on, but some of the trailers were open and selling items of some of the favorite drivers, such as this one (one of many) selling Jeff Gordon items. There are also some corporate displays from phone companies, insurance companies, automobile manufacturers, The US Army, and other companies. There is a lot of things to see all around the racetrack.
Seen here is a good way to get to the track if you are a driver, part of the racing team, or just a mover and shaker. Helicopters bring in a lot of people to the race, which is a good way for them to beat the (usually) heavy traffic in the area. Many people spend quite a few days, or in some cases weeks in the area, the white items in the background are trailers and there are literally hundreds all around the racetrack and in various campgrounds (some are even camped inside the infield of the racetrack. It turns into quite a village over the weeks; many have been there since before the NASCAR All-Star Race the previous week.
While many of the events of the week are at Charlotte Motor Speedway, there are also events at the nearby (actually just across NC-29) Dirt Track. Seen here is "Grave Digger" which is one of the Monster Trucks. There is also an Outlaw race which is very popular. Over the weekend in addition to the racing there were concerts, flyby's by military aircraft (I saw a pair of USN F-18's over my house after they flew over the track) and a B-2 Stealth bomber flew over the track during the Coca-Cola 600. The race itself had a wild finish, which is fairly common for this race which is the longest race in NASCAR. While home to two big events in May, its not over for the year...there is a 500 mile race ahead in October!

Taste of Harrisburg...and the big screen(May 14-15, 2011)

Back in North Carolina for another weekend, love it when that works out (and it took some work to work that out). Patty had to work at "Taste of Harrisburg, which was held in Harrisburg, NC. Nice event if a small one but really nice. Harrisburg, NC is the kind of small town that John Mellencamp would sing about; just a pleasant place. Town is working to prevent the big box stores from coming to the area, making a push to keep businesses small and local. So far, they have been successful. Its a nice change from a lot of communities in the area; gives it a different perspective than you find in the other towns.
Of course, if there is any sort of event, there is a car show. Like to see engines like these from back in the day when gas was ultra-cheap, and mileage was ultra-low. Big horsepower in big heavy cars. Technology is giving us some interesting designs; cars of today are safer and give us a lot better mileage, plus they tend to last a lot longer without major repairs. Still there is a bunch of history in these old cars, and its neat to see them again. Bring back a lot of memories from when I was a kid, and these sort of cars with these sort of motors were the "Kings of the Road". Some of them look like they just have come off of the assembly line.
Course its not an event without music. This was the band "Skinny Velvet" which played during Taste of Harrisburg. Music was sort of a mix between Southern Rock and what I would call "Da Blooze". Loud and proud, they played some good sets and I enjoyed them. In addition to the music and cars, there was good food, and a number of local businesses had tents and were showing off what they have to offer. In fact the area it was held in was innovative; it is a mix of stores, restaurants, and apartments..all within walking distance of each other. Seeing a number of developments like that in the region, think its a cool idea.
Final photo is NOT from a Taste of Harrisburg, took this during the motorcycle ride (a short one) on Sunday May 15. What you are looking at is the world's largest HD Video Screen (this week anyhow) which is at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, NC. The screen was built by Panasonic, and is 200 feet wide, and 80 feet high. Pretty impressive, got to hand it to the track owner Mr. Bruton Smith, he does nothing half way. Former biggest was at the Cowboy's football stadium, but I am sure that someone has something bigger in the works someplace in the world even as this one nears operation. It will get a lot of use in the next few weeks as the All-Star Race and the Cocal-Cola 600 is starting up once again.

Concord Views and The Brewery

Nice weekend in Concord; beautiful time of year with the trees turning white in that sort of magical way they do; sort of like they all get a sudden signal. From bare trees to blazing white overnight, its a very cool thing and a real sign of spring (which comes Sunday March 20). This was taken on the 13th, took my dogs for a walk in the neighborhood. It is fun strolling with border collies, and they really enjoy getting out and wandering the streets, woofing at other dogs, and smelling all the things that dogs find interesting on the ground. I would like to think they also enjoy the scenery, but can't be sure of that. Nonetheless, we had a great time.
Nice view of my motorcycle at the Vulcan Materials Quarry which is located near the Concord Regional Airport. Since it is a Kawasaki Vulcan, liked the sign there as well. Have taken that motorcycle on many great adventures and that is my favorite way to explore the Carolinas. I have been to a lot of different parts of the state though with the current working in Richmond situation the rides have been a lot shorter due to the fact my time in the state is a lot shorter. I do enjoy a few hours though on an occasional weekend in North Carolina, and always look forward to the next visit. It is a great place to ride and you see a lot of motorcycles on the roads.
Photo at left is Concord Mills (actually that is the food court). I have read that it is North Carolina's #1 tourist attraction which in a way is sort of sad, but its an interesting place for sure. It is BIG mall, with a whole lot of stores, and in fact there a a number of smaller strip malls around it. I can remember when Concord was this very sleepy little town, but this really put it on the map (well that and the Charlotte Motor Speedway which is just up the road. I don't go by there very often (went for the Nissan Leaf display which was the subject of my previous post) but do enjoy wandering around from time to time. It is laid out something like a racetrack...very interesting.
Final photo is not in Concord, but rather is the Red Oak Brewery which I believe is in Gibsonville, NC; sort of between Greensboro, NC and Burlington, NC. Took this photo on the way back to Richmond on March 14. Front of the brewery is glass and you can see the big tanks where they make the beer. Have not made a stop there yet on the way home (or to Richmond) but its in the future plans. Often I will make a stop at places of interest along the way; have been in Durham, NC, stopped at Tanger Outlet on the way to Concord this last trip..been a few other places I have checked out. Sometimes its a nice break to just see what is out there along the road. There are a lot of interesting places between Concord and Richmond, as well as many places in those areas.

Nissan Leaf Tour

During a motorcycle ride on March 13, went by Concord Mills to see the Nissan Leaf. They had a big event there, with a number of displays and even allowed test drives of the cars. The Leaf is all electric; it has a 90 mph top speed, and a 100 mile range before it needs to be recharged. The car is seen here (the flipped up part in the front of the car is where the car is recharged). Depending on the charger that time can range from "a few" to "around" 8 hours. That is the current drawback of all electric cars though I believe development will continue on these vehicles. In fact other companies are working on other variations of these cars as well as motorcycles.
The engine compartment is seen here. To be honest, if you did not know would be hard to tell this has an electric motor. Current cars have so many covers and protective housings that it is hard to tell what is under the hood at times. I happen to drive a Nissan (it is a Versa) and really can't get a good look at that motor either. What was interesting about it was the lack of a tailpipe and the lack of noise as it went down the road. Being used to internal combustion engines, it is a real change. Course there is a lot of maintenance that does NOT come with these cars; no tune ups, oil changes and a lot of other problems with motors. Electric engines tend to be pretty reliable.
Again the dash is really basic, and looks like the typical small car. Roomy in a small car way; the Leaf had a really good sound system. Braking the car at stops also puts power into the battery. The car would be a great commuter car with its range; for people who drive less than 100 miles at a day, or at work who would have access to chargers for the car, could save a ton of money on fuel. It had the typical fit and finish we all have come to expect from the Japanese; I found it to be a nice little small car. The one problem with it now is the price is very high as production is limited. If it catches on, I expect the price will fall, though there is a Federal Tax Credit to kind of cushion the cost a bit.
This is a look at the Leaf battery pack. That is also a matter of interest, not sure how long the batteries will last; over time most batteries tend to lose the ability to recharge/hold a charge. Also some question about how it will work in cold or very hot weather, but the car has been extensively tested. Nissan thinks a lot of it, and the tour brought a lot of people and cars to Concord Mills, and there was even early on a Sunday morning a lot of interest in seeing this modern version of the old idea of the electric car. It will be an interesting story to follow in the months and years to come. I believe we will see more electric vehicles not fewer.
This is a look at a charging station. With oil getting both harder and much more expensive to find, and as we have found in the last few weeks, very subject to rapid price rises due to events such as the problems in the Arab countries, and the disaster in Japan (and my heart goes out to the Japanese people in this time of trouble for them) such vehicles are on the way to being a viable alternative. Range and cost are issues now, but with development and more production, that could change, and will. It will be some time before they become a great alternative for the mass of people, but there are some interesting concepts and new ideas under development. Chevy's Volt will have both electric power from batteries and a gasoline engine generator to extend its range to virtually unlimited distances. As I have noted there are also a number of electric motorcycles out there which are doing some surprising things. Some of those vehicles have reached some amazing speeds..the idea that these are golf carts could not be more wrong. I will watch this developing industry with interest.
The ride took me to a number of places, and I will have some more photos in my next update from the March 13 ride. Thanks for visiting my blog.

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!

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.

Home and Garden Show, Concord, NC

Patty and I went out on a remarkable January 30 day (remarkable in that 70's and January 30 do not usually go together even in Concord, NC) to the Home and Garden Show in Concord, NC at the Cabarrus Arena. The Arena is seen at right, but it actually covered two of the three buildings there. We were lucky in that we got two free tickets, and the parking was free as well. This arena was built a few years ago, and is really an improvement over the old one (which was torn down last year) and is located just outside of Concord, NC on NC-49. It has lot of parking and lots of space for exhibitions. It also is the site for the Cabarrus County Fair in the Fall.

This is the inside of the arena, and a look at a small part of the show. It was pretty big and covered a lot of home and garden items. There were a number of displays, as well as wine tasting by some local wineries. Much of the wine was very, very good; North Carolina makes some good wines and they are getting better as I have noticed over the years. There was in addition to the wines to taste, a lot of free stuff to pick up and got some really good information on some possible future projects. It was fun to walk around and check out all the things to be done to a home and yard. Even saw an all-electric riding mower which I thought was very cool.
Paul James was there, and the former host of HGTV's show "Gardening by the Yard" was funny (as he was during that very missed show) but also gave some really good tips on growing things, as well as bringing all of us up to date on what he has been doing since the end of the show. The man has a lot of information on plants and landscaping; there was not a question that he did not have an answer for. He also spoke highly of the Carolinas; said that if he could live anyplace else in the US, that Carolina would be a place he would pick.
I have been to the show in the past, and certainly enjoyed this one. It was part of a great weekend, which included a fine motorcycle ride with some good friends, some nice dinners out and at home, and even some great TV watching (the X-Games this year were incredible). Nice weather, time with the family, playing and walking my good dogs; it was a most wonderful weekend! Can't wait till the next one, but will be doing some exploring of Richmond again in my next post here.

St John's Lutheran Church, Concord, NC

While home for a few days, made a visit to St. John's Lutheran Church in Concord, NC. Read an article on Civil War graves and a marker put there during this 150th Anniversary year of the war. I have always found that period of interest, and had family members that served in the Union Army during the war. The church was founded in 1745, and I also read (from their web site) that they were the site of the first school in Cabarrus County. The building at left is the third (I believe) that was built and dated to 1844. Some additions to the structure were added over the years. They celebrated their 250th Anniversary in 2005, and this was my first visit.
Learned about the graves there from a Sunday Charlotte Observer newspaper article which stated some 100 Confederate soldiers from the congregation were buried there. The red building
seen here dates to the 1700's. One of the graves in front is a Confederate grave, marked by the small cross to its right which says "CSA."A number of those are seen in the graveyard. Of note in the other photo are two "new" markers; those soldiers served in the Revolutionary War. As noted the church had a very long history. Many of the graves (according to the web site) are lost to history as the stones have long since weathered and records have been lost over time. My wife Patty and I enjoyed the visit here (probably though me more than her to be honest) but I find history to be quite interesting, and this was a new discovery of sorts in Cabarrus County.

Carolina Christmas 2010

Amazing and wonderful time in Carolina. Enjoyed a great Christmas Day with my family. Got a photo here (left to right) of Addison, Harper, Nicky (behind the Bobcat shirt) and Brittany from Indiana...being my son, daughter in law, and grandson and granddaughter. We had a really fine time over the weekend; they got here on December 23, and stayed till the day after Christmas. Got to do a lot of fun things, and it really made Christmas Day special. It was a nice Christmas morning, and had a really good afternoon as well. My wife Patty made a great meal and we really feasted on that, and enjoyed each others company.
Christmas night, Patty and I went out with Addison and Harper to Charlotte Motor Speedway to see Bruton Smith's winter wonderland, aka "Carolina Christmas. It was pretty neat actually: 2.5 miles around (and on the big racetrack) of lights and light displays set to music. Had a lot out there, it was $20 (actually $17 with a discount from Lowe's ) but was well worth the money. The kids loved it a great deal, was just about (with the exception of Christmas morning) the most excited that I had seen them. I posted a few more photos on the Photo Page, we all wished we could have made another pass though the lights, but one to a customer.
We saw Carolina Christmas during the falling snow, and in the morning, this is the sight on December 26 that greeted us as we woke up.Counts (since it was started on Christmas) as a Christmas Day storm, got something (as of now, cause its still coming down) of some 2-4 inches. Beautiful to look at and the first White Christmas in the Charlotte area since 1947! Enjoyed seeing the snow and sure glad to check out the trees bushes and ground seen in a whole new light. Hope everyone had a fine Christmas, and looking forward to seeing what the days ahead will bring here in the Carolinas. Warmer weather will be here in a few days, but will enjoy this view for a while.

December Concord Lights (December 11, 2010)

Back in North Carolina, Patty and I got out for a drive after a very good dinner at Mayflower Seafood, and a couple of seasonal coffees at Starbucks. We went to see some of the sights of the season in the neighborhoods. There were a number of great houses on Union Street in Concord, NC and the one at left is my very favorite. Not quite as dramatic or as bright as the Tacky Light Houses of Richmond, but nonetheless a joy to see. Many of the old houses on Union Street do a great job of lighting up for the Christmas season, and have over the years loved to see this one each year, and look forward to riding by it.
In Kiser Woods in Concord, I liked this tree and the way it was done. We rolled though a lot of the local neighborhoods, as a light rain (unlike the snow of the Tacky Light Tour) fell later in the drive, so what you see are rain drops rather than snow. For the record we did get a dusting of snow on December 12, but nothing like the snow which fell in Richmond Sunday night/Monday Morning (around December 13). On this night though, it was just a very light rain. There were a lot of really pretty sights and bright lights. I also enjoyed a few of the light shows set to music, saw a couple of those while we were exploring the area in the car.
Photo does not actually do this house justice, it has some very nice LED lights, and the back of the house is really remarkable. Saw it as we went by and pulled into the subdivision to check it out. It was a short weekend, and some more places remain to be seen in my next visit to Carolina including McAdenville, NC (which is always remarkable) and also the new light display at Concord Motor Speedway (which is new for this year). Nice though to enjoy the sights of the season with my lovely lady by my side and Christmas music playing on the radio. I look forward to my next visit to North Carolina, and sharing some more photos with you all.