Thanksgiving Day Drive

Following a drive to Concord, NC from Richmond, VA and a great meal here made by my wife Patty; went out to see the lights of the city. Thanksgiving night is the first night of the Christmas holiday, and the time when the city light displays get fired up. Christmas is my favorite holiday of the year hands down, and will be featuring that here on the next few posts. Seen at left is Cannon Village near the NC Research Park. I was wondering if they would do that again this year, and was pleasantly surprised (as was Patty) that the lights were on this year. Nice display along the tree lined streets, and a very festive look indeed!
View at left is of the Concord City Christmas Tree. They had the big tree lighting a few days before and it is a nice event with some music, food, big crowds, carriage rides, and fireworks. Unfortunately, I could not make it this year, but did get out to see the tree during our drive. Nice tree, though artificial it is a nice looking tree. The tree sits next to the Concord Police station, and across from the big parking garage near the old downtown section of the city. Item below is an animated Christmas display, like this one especially as Santa tosses presents into the stocking. There are many such displays (with different themes) around the city.
At any case, a good time and enjoyed checking out some early Christmas lights. For the rest of the visit, worked on my own display at the house in Concord, and on Sunday got in a motorcycle ride around the area before relaxing with the family and watching a little football. Enjoyed a very wonderful four days in Concord with family and friends, and a nice start to the holiday season.
Got some interesting stuff coming up in Richmond as well, there will be a number of Christmas displays (including some of the amazing "Tacky Light Tour" houses to check out, which I hope to be the focus of my next post on this blog.

Fall in the Carolinas (October 23-24)

Previous post was of the first day of the visit home (sounds so funny to say that, but that is much of how it is) was to the airport. On Sunday October 24, took a ride on the motorcycle around the area. Liked the place at right, which is on Popular Tent Road, very fall like with the pumpkins (the official fruit of the Halloween season I suppose) and lots of good food (which will be part of my meals for the next few weeks; jam and apple butter). I like country stores, and this is a nice one to visit. It was just a great day to be out, with clear blues skies, warmer than normal (for late October) and the light traffic that comes with a Sunday morning motorcycle ride.
Did a lot of backroads cruising on the fine day. Photo at left of the tractor was taken at the Bost Grist Mill which is outside of Concord, NC on NC200. That is one of the many great roads in the area (for a motorcyclist anyhow) with a lot of curves. It is also a very scenic road running past a number of farms, animals, and some nice small towns. Enjoyed getting out and experiencing some places that I have not had the pleasure of visiting for a while. Sometimes it seems with the long breaks between visits, and the short time I am there, that it is like seeing many of these places for the first time...again. Sounds strange, but that is how it feels.
Course being Halloween (getting close anyhow) went with my wife Patty to see this Halloween display on Union Street in Concord. Lots of sights in this yard, including the rather scary characters on the front porch in the distance. This house is a Bed and Breakfast, and puts on some great displays. Looking forward to seeing what they do this Christmas...year before it was quite a sight. Union Street does a lot of interesting things for the holidays; it is one of the oldest streets in the area, and has some fine big houses.
Enjoyed a very fine visit home, looking forward to the next one. Seemed like it lasted all of 15 minutes, but a great time with family, great dogs that I am lucky to have in my house, and good friends as well.

Warbirds! At Concord Regional Airport(October 23, 2010)

Got out to Concord Regional Airport on October 23, 2010 after driving from Richmond, Va to my home. In my last post I had photos of the three planes that visited Chesterfield Airport in Chesterfield, Va, today I saw Aluminum Overcast, which is a B-17 owned and operated by the Experimental Aircraft Association, flying over the airport. This great plane is a flying museum, and one of the few (along with the Collings Foundation planes and a very few others) of the thousands of B-17's which flew above the skies of Europe and the Pacific during the Second World War. It was amazing to see, and to hear, the plane seen at left.
This is Aluminum Overcast here at Concord Regional Airport. The Boeing built bomber is a big plane. Typically they flew around 24,000 feet, in thin air and under very cold conditions. This plane had no pressurization; so you had to deal with the elements. They also for a long time did not have fighter escorts, but relied on the guns on the plane. There were turrets top and bottom, also guns front and rear and on the sides. They also kept tight formations to protect themselves with massed guns against enemy aircraft. Nonetheless, the big planes were relatively easy prey for German fighters. Later in the war longer range escort fighters such as the P-51 were able to protect the big planes. Ground fire and accidents also took a toll on the planes.
Other planes were also at the airport, including this C-130 transport which is flown by the Air National Guard unit based in Charlotte, NC. Notable in that the Air Force (and also many other branches of the military) fly this aircraft, which like the B-17 has four propeller engines. Now though the engines are turboprops, and the plane is used as a transport. The C-130 in fact has been flying for some 50+ years! It is a most remarkable plane, and has even been used in direct combat roles. The C-130 is built by Lockheed Martin, and is still currently in production. It is also flown by many other nations.
There were a number of T-28's at the Open House, which back around the time of Vietnam were used as trainer aircraft for the pilots of the day. This type of plane also saw combat in South East Asia during the war.
In addition to these planes, saw a number of other aircraft, including some modern general aviation aircraft on display. I will be posting some of those photos, and more photos from this event on my photo page.
Had a great time, and remarkable to see aircraft from the Second World War (and other periods) over the last few days at the General Aviation airports of my two cities.

Big Hawk and the Great Wolf (September 11, 2010)

Went to Pat Rogers Harley Davidson to see the Cannonball Motorcycle Race which made a stop there, which I have on my motorcycle page (and photos on the Photo Page) but got a real kick out of this hawk which was on the sign there. I took two photos of him, he really did not seem to mind, though I believe he was watching me. Loved the bird on the sign, and thought it was really cool. He was a neat bird and later saw him fly off.
Had a great day on the 11th, the air show earlier was remarkable, and the motorcycle event was something I had never seen before. The bikes were also at Great Wolf Lodge in Concord, NC, and I had never been in it, but had wanted to see it; so Patty and I wandered in there, and got the photos below. Got the outside, the main lobby and the water park. An expensive place to stay but a lot to do there. Was fun checking it out and liked the things that I saw in there, looks like a very fun place to stay and enjoy. Might be worth a future weekend with the wife!

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.

Concord Bike Night (July 7, 2010)

Spent a few hours Wednesday night at Quaker Steak and Lube in Concord, NC at Bike Night. I don't get to do that very often at all because for one thing I work nights, and for another I am most days of the week located in Richmond, VA where I am working those nights. However, this week, I got the chance to make it. It would be on a night when the temperature was close to 100 degrees, and that kept the crowds down for a while, but they soon picked up; and got to see a number of interesting motorcycles. Another plus was seeing some good friends, including one from Richmond (who is also in the same boat I am work wise).
One of the things I enjoy about bike night is getting to see some unusual (or rare) motorcycles. This Triumph was rare enough that one friend commented "Triumph is making motorcycles again?" (actually have been for a few years now, and some real interesting ones such as this Daytona 650) but also some customs and just bikes you don't see all that often, or some older ones that you have not seen in a long time. All sorts of bikes and riders ride in for bike night and it makes for a very interesting evening. Usually also food and drink specials, and of course a band to liven things up. Often there are a number of booths and things on display to check out as well.
Crowd early on was light, but by the evening it had really picked up. Not uncommon to actually be a line to get in when it reaches "Capacity" and that point was close when I left. Bike Night here is one of the biggest ones in the region, and is always a lot of fun to visit. Much more fun was the ride back, the sun was down when I headed back to the house, and the temperature was much lower. Got back to spend a nice evening with the family. Looking forward to some more good rides as my vacation winds down in the next few days.

Raceweek in Concord (May 30,2010)

Back from a four day weekend visit to the Concord, NC area. Snapped this photo on May 31..thought it would be fun to run by the racetrack and see some of the many displays out there before the race, but thought wrong. Was a mass of traffic even early on for the long Coca-Cola 600 (have had luck doing that before, but not this year) so rode out and took a look before riding back to the house. Did enjoy the day's races (the Indy 500 and the Coca-Cola 600) from the comfort of my tv. Have been (and certainly will again) be watching from a seat at Charlotte (formerly Lowe's) Motor Speedway.


Race week (actually its more like two weeks with the All-Star Race the week before) brings a lot of interesting sights to the area. I saw the planes in the previous post flying near the house (can hear the cars on the track too...they tend to be somewhat loud) and also while visiting the planes during the visit to Concord Regional Airport on May 29 to see the planes in the previous post saw this group of motorcycle cops at the airport. The NC Highway Patrol rides BMW motorcycles by the way...an interesting thing to know if you get stopped by them in the state. There were more cops there than you often see in one place at one time, other than a police convention.


Bike here is from Grumpy's Custom in Charlotte, NC. A big thank you goes to them; they worked on my bike, doing a bit of maintenance work and also fixing the electrical problem I was having. I like dealing with small shops, and this one was one of the better ones I have come across. The work was first rate, the price was more than reasonable and I left there very happy. Felt good to ride again, it has been awhile thanks to the time of year (bad time of year being "the season" to have either a motorcycle or a boat in the shop) but beat "dealer time" and price hands down. They also build some fine looking motorcycles, and believe come highly recommended by this motorcyclist. Enjoyed a great time in Carolina; got a nice upcoming event which involves my motorcycle (which by the way the blue bike here is not it unfortunately, though very fond of my Vulcan Classic), but also a lot of exciting things coming up this weekend in Richmond also. You have got to love this time of year!

Warbirds at Concord Regional (May 29, 2010)

Bruton Smith puts on a big show over the Memorial Day weekend at the local track known as Charlotte Motor Speedway. He also likes to honor the armed forces that weekend, and brought a few planes to town. The photo at left is the Memphis Belle, though not the original plane (that is currently at the Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC) but the plane that was in the movie of the same name. Still an impressive B-17 from World War II. Those were remarkable aircraft flown by remarkable men in a very amazing time in our history. The crew of the Memphis Belle was famous for being the first crew to fly the missions needed to get to go home. Before that none had accomplished that feat, being shot down before meeting the number needed.
The Skyraider seen here, was a Vietnam era plane. Noted for its rugged construction, it was used for ground attack over the jungles. I believe it could actually carry a larger bomb load than the B-17 could, and the Skyraider was flown both by the Air Force and the Navy. The plane in flight is a C-47, which was developed from the DC-3 airliner. It flew in war from WWII to Vietnam. It was said to be one of (if not the) most important aircraft of WWII flying in supplies, weapons, and men. Seeing these flying examples of these historic aircraft was a real thrill. To hear the old engines, see the smoke and to see what the planes actually look like in the air was a real thrill.

Before the Roar..laid back in Concord

Nice "visit"...not sure of the correct term when home is two places anymore...to Concord, NC over the May 14-17 weekend. Was blessed with good weather there; both the sunshine of Saturday and most of Sunday, and the Sunday night-Monday rain. I drove that rain (and dodged the crashes) on I-85 on Monday morning. Took the photo at left on Saturday at the Cabarrus Arts Festival. The Old Courthouse is a art center now with locally produced art for sale. A very old building, it is the centerpiece site in Downtown Concord, which has a number of old buildings and many stores to check out. The festival is always fun and enjoyed it this year.
There were a lot of arts and crafts displays there, bands played and there was even a beer garden along with lots of things to eat. The library up the street had a book sale. Patty and I wandered around checking out the sights and sounds of the festival. Not quite Riverrock (which I missed this weekend unfortunately) but nice to get out and wander a bit on a hot and humid Saturday afternoon. Summer seems to have come early. My motorcycle is still in the shop (though I got some news on that...should be out soon as I have a big ride coming up in Carolina in a few weeks) but enjoyed the time with Patty both there, and during a walk on Sunday.
As noted, Sunday Patty and I took a walk along the Greenway. A nice development by the city, has views such as the one at left, and is a great place to walk, jog, run or bike away from traffic. Peaceful and cooler on a early Sunday morning, we enjoyed the stroll along its path.
Coming up the next two weeks will be more explorations of the Richmond area, plus two weeks of racing in the Charlotte area with both the All-Star Race and the Coca-Cola 600 coming to town (the first on May 22, the second Memorial Day weekend). I will be checking all of that out over the next three weeks, and will have some interesting sights to show here.

"Gypsy" Race Shop Tour (April 5, 2010)

Finally the planets aligned, and got out on the motorcycle this fine day (as can be seen by the photo at left) in Concord, NC and visited some of the local race shops in Concord, NC. At left is the first of the bunch; Hendrick Motorsports. Actually much to see in a collection of buildings you can see people building the cars, the cars, awards, and all sorts of items. Many such as Hendrick show in detail items that go into the cars, how they are assembled, and tell the stories of many of them on display. Most are right off the race track; damage, rubber and dirt included. They also have gift shops where you can purchase items, but admission (at least to these three is free to everyone.
The second photo was taken at Roush Racing. Roush has a very interesting shop, and this shop also has a small movie theater in addition to all the features of the other shops which shows a history of the racing team. Great variety of items including some aircraft parts from Jack Roush's 2002 plane crash are on display. As with Hendrick race teams at work can be seen, and as with Hendrick its a massive collection of buildings. The race teams have certainly gone a long way from the old "Garage teams of old" but are now multi-million dollar operations employing hundreds of employees per race team. They are something to see.
The last photo is the race shop where the cars are built at Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing. It is a big area and many of the teams cars are assembled here. As you will note, they build a number of cars to meet different needs, replace crashed cars, and for other uses for each driver. I have put a number of photos on my Flickr page from today's ride, and I hope you enjoy those. If you want to see these shops in Concord, all can be found within a mile or so of each other at the Concord Regional Airport in Concord, NC. All are also very close to Charlotte Motor Speedway (formerly Lowe's) which is actually located in Concord, NC as well.

Back in the Saddle Again (March 27, 2010)

Hard to believe that it has been since January 18 when I last rode the motorcycle thanks to a dead battery (almost five years old...rest in peace), snow, rain, bitter cold, and a little bit of forced overtime in Virginia. However, all that ended actually yesterday when the battery I ordered earlier in the week came in, I put it in the bike, and today rode out. A beautiful Carolina day, if a bit on the chilly (around 60) side, but it was time to ride. Covered a fair amount of ground in a 3.5 hour ride; here the bike (and I) are at Dale Earnhardt, Inc just outside of Mooresville, NC. DEI was closed, but still nice to see the outside of the complex located on (natch) NC 3.
I rode into downtown Mooresville, NC. Got of the bike for a bit and walked around awhile. Always liked this old sign, and always enjoy the old buildings there. As I have often noted, Charlotte is not much for old buildings, but many of the outlying cities do have an appreciation of history. Some of the buildings in Mooresville are over 100 years old (and have the plaques to prove it). I liked walking around a bit, and enjoyed watching some kids having an easter egg hunt by the old train depot (now an art museum). They seemed to be having a great time and I enjoyed watching them have one. There are a few empty stores there, but also a number of new ones opening.
This is a photo at left of the downtown in Mooresville. After a bit of time well spent there, rode on down NC-115 to the college town of Davidson, NC. Nice town there as well, with a lot of old buildings. I did not stop, as I was meeting a friend from work (and a former riding buddy) for a short while in Concord, NC. We met and talked for a while, was good to see him (also not bad to warm up inside the restaurant). Back to my driveway at 1pm to my wife, son and dogs. All of us have had a fine time today. Have to say on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being the best today was a definite 11, perhaps even a 12.

Closing out February in Concord, NC

After a much better than usual Friday night at work (amazingly, done early for a change) and a good nights sleep, drove the long lonesome highway to Concord, NC to see my family and friends. Enjoyed a very good drive, and had a great Saturday with Patty, Robby and the border collies. Before getting home, made a quick stop downtown, where I took this photo at left of the old Cabarrus County Courthouse (now an art museum). It is an interesting town. For Saturday, mostly hung out with the family, watched the Olympics (they were great this year) and relaxed with the people (and pets) I care about the most.
It was a very fine Saturday.
On Sunday, Patty had a quilt guild meeting, so after the morning paper, a dog walk, and a bit of tv, went out near Concord Mills to Pat Rogers Harley-Davidson. Took this photo there of my friend Keith (who used to ride with me, though sold his bike last year) standing next to this very fine Harley (a "bit" of chrome on that one!). We went to Iron Thunder, a biker themed bar/restaurant near the HD dealership, and had a great visit. For the night, enjoying the closing Olympic ceremonies, and will get some rest tonight; for tomorrow is the long drive back to Richmond, VA and another day of work. Enjoyed a very fine visit home in Concord this weekend!

Sliding to Carolina

Over the "Valentines Day" weekend, took to the road to be with my wife over the holiday. Patty had surgery this week on her ankle while I was working here (ah the joys of being away from home), but rolled out late Saturday morning. The roads were fine in the late morning, the latest snow fell more to the South. As typical for the most part, by late afternoon most of the 3 inches that fell in the Charlotte area was melted by mid afternoon. Night before though was crash fest in Charlotte and South Carolina (where snow fell as far as Charleston, SC...a friend sent me some remarkable photos) . I did get a kick out of this biker riding in my direction and had to snap a quick photo, ride on brother! For sure winter in Carolina; rain, snow and unusual cold have curtailed my riding this year. Usually riding year round in North Carolina is not a big deal, but that has not been the case for the winter of 2009-2010.
With Patty on crutches, we had a quiet Valentines Day. Nice to be together, and had a good time all weekend. My son Robby and the two border collies were in rare form; we all shared a lot of laughs, and extended play time indoors. Did enjoy some good basketball on tv, the Winter Olympics were good, and kind of followed the race and track repairs at Daytona. Sunday, Patty and I went to Mayflower Seafood in Concord, NC. Good place to go with Patty on crutches, and its good seafood. Something like Mayflower is hard to find in Richmond; a good mid-priced place with large portions; something between a Captain D's and The Boathouse. Got a big portion of flounder (NC's favorite fish, was Cod in Kentucky), shrimp, slaw, and a baked potato for $5.99. Also have to give a shout out to NC sweet tea; that really grows on you, not sure if its the sugar in it, or the caffine, but it really packs a wallop!
Good though to be back again in Richmond safe and sound. Loads of snow falling (with more to come) in my old stomping grounds back in the Ohio River Valley region, but Richmond getting a rare for this winter break. Hoping to get out this weekend for some exploring of the area, which has been a great deal of fun and a very welcome change from the days of snow, ice and slush of the last few weekends.

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.

Once More...with Feeling

Interesting perspective on the weekend snow storm; experienced this one in Concord, NC. There we got 1-3 inches basically (and according to my wife Patty, it is melting quite quick today), and was nothing more than a minor problem. Well, except for driving. This is I-85 just outside of Salisbury, NC where traffic came to a halt for about an hour on Sunday January 31, 2010 as I came back from the Friday-Sunday visit there. Got out and wandered around with some others; met some interesting people (including a truck driver hauling a load to New Jersey) while we waited for the mess ahead to clear. In fact, it was a pretty epic drive back to Richmond, Va. Saw quite a few crashes (and aftermath of earlier crashes) along the 280 mile way from my house to the apartment in Richmond, VA. The roads were in better shape than I expected, actually left a bit early; figuring that doing the drive back Monday morning with rush hour and 15 degree AM temperatures was NOT a good idea, Like adventure, and certainly got my share with that drive today.
Back to Richmond, and took this photo near the apartment. Looks to me like we got a lot more snow than the December experience; and the roads were just as rough if not rougher (though the highways at least in the late afternoon were fine for the most part). Saw a lot of VDOT crews out salting and scraping. Bad thing is that there is more possible on Tuesday and also over the upcoming weekend apparently. While I enjoyed the X-games on tv this weekend (TV was a big part of the weekend, most of NC shuts down when the first flakes of snow hit the streets) not a big fan of winter. My motorcycling experience was a visit to Davis Harley-Davidson and Burlington Yamaha on Friday on the way down to Carolina, and starting my bike for a while before heading back to Richmond today. Strangely I did not see any motorcycles on the road today. I can say that because one winter in Louisville, Kentucky right after a massive snowfall (and with snow on the roads) saw a wreck on I-65 caused by a guy on a Triumph motorcycle who had crashed in the snow and piled up some cars behind him. No one ever said motorcyclists were a totally sane bunch (but we do have a good time!). However, today was a day for driving in the car, and I have but three words for you all....All Season Radials. Believe me, I am a huge fan after the last storm, and especially after today.

Three Days in Concord (Jan 16-18)

Got out a bit on the motorcycle today; after all the cold for the last month both in Carolina and in Virginia felt like t-shirt weather when it got up to 60 today. Under blue Carolina skies, went for a ride on the motorcycle. Actually ended up at Lowe's Motor Speedway which is seen here at the left. A very impressive track, and interesting to see when its all quiet and nothing much is going on. It is a huge powerful thing, but will be very busy very soon; NASCAR will be cranking back up in in a very few weeks. In fact the Daytona 500 is February 14, 2010 this year. Looking forward to that, and should be a great race. NASCAR will be at Lowe's three times this year.

Also while out on the bike (though earlier) went to Kannapolis, NC, Landis, NC and China Grove (China Grove is the city in this photo at left). Landis and China Grove are very small towns outside of Kannapolis, NC. Like Kannapolis, they were mill towns and have fallen on some hard times, but are still hanging in there. Was nice to get out today. Before coming back, a few former co-workers (and in two cases motorcycle riding buddies ) gathered to see Steve who learned this week that he is facing a very serious battle with Cancer. Where there is life, there is hope, but will be a tough struggle for him.
Had relatively good weather for this trip though like Virginia got some rain on Saturday and a bit Sunday morning before it cleared Saturday afternoon. Had a great time with my wife Patty, son Robby, and the dogs Cassie and Mollie. As with all my time home, too short; but will be back soon. In the morning its back on the road for the long drive to Richmond and the adventures that await there!

Sunday in Concord, NC (January 3, 2009)

Back to Richmond in the morning, photo at left is (Thankfully!) not me; but will be time once again to run the gauntlet between here and Richmond, VA. Police tend to be heavy it seems around Salisbury, NC, Durham, NC and also in that great void between Durham and Richmond, VA. Especially love that one section just outside of Petersburg where the 70 mph speed limit winds down in 3 quick stages; tends to be a popular speed trap. Thankfully no tickets in 2009, hope to maintain that pattern in 2010. The problem is really in North Carolina, while I have been impressed with the Virginia drivers, on the highways of NC its turn one at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Can make for some gripping driving; tend to keep a firm hand on the wheel.
Last week did get out to Concord Mills. Entrance to the Bass Pro Shop (one of the most popular stores in the mall) is seen at left. Concord Mills is largely an outlet mall, and a very popular one. Patty and I wandered around with the "after Christmas shoppers"; and they did have a lot of really good values. Sometimes think that be best to give rain checks for Christmas, and do the shopping after the holiday. At any case, was fun to wander around. It is a huge mall with different "sectors" following different design themes, and laid out like a race track (oval). I should also mention that it is North Carolina's #1 tourist attraction which is sort of sad in a way.

Photo at left is the food court; got quite a selection of places to eat, sort of like the Chesterfield Towne Center in Richmond, though on a much larger scale (and has a Merry Go Round in the center...it works by the way). A great many smaller malls have opened by Concord Mills; gets to be quite the traffic jam around the Christmas holidays backing I-85 up for miles.
As for me, have had a great visit here. Will roll back into Richmond in the morning. Have enjoyed a great break from work, but will be good to get back into the routine. Besides its too cold to ride the motorcycle. However on that note do have to mention that went to the Vulcan Riders Association meeting (Charlotte chapter) yesterday, temperature was a balmy 22 degrees and roughly 2/3s of those attending rode their motorcycles in. As for me...I passed on that (though did get some good rides in this week and last). Looking forward to new explorations of Richmond and the surrounding area in 2010!

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).

Christmas Lights in North Carolina

Spent a good four day weekend in North Carolina with family and friends. Always good to be back home, and especially nice to be there for four days. Great food and a wonderful time over Thanksgiving; plus good traveling weather up and back. Got the lights up at my house, and the "Santa on the Motorcycle" yard display (have that on my motorcycle blog). Sunday night Patty and I got some coffee, and took a ride to see some of the light displays. The one at left is the lights at Cannon Village in Kannapolis, NC. Sadly, many of the stores there (due to the economy) are closed, but they still have it all lit up. Not a great many houses were decorated, but enough to make it an interesting drive around the area.
In Downtown Concord, this is the city Christmas Tree. They have a big event lighting it with all sorts of food, music, stores opened up, and even a fireworks display after the tree is lit (and last year it was a pretty good one). This year for the lighting I was in Richmond (which also does a really good job of Christmas displays as I have seen so far) so missed it, but the tree was nice to see.
For the upcoming weekend, hope to see if I can find any of the famous "Tacky Light Houses" in the Richmond area. Patty and I got to take a bus tour of the lights in the area, and it was remarkable. There are a few houses in the Charlotte/Concord area that would qualify for Tacky Light status, but not on the scale here! To me this is one of the best times of the year, and am looking forward to a fun Christmas in both cities this year.