Asheville Adventures (September 3-4,2011)

Patty and I celebrated (a few days late due to the work situation here) our 20th Wedding Anniversary in Asheville, NC. It is a fantastic area with a great history, remarkable views and some great roads. Took the car (the motorcycle is still in the shop, but out soon) and enjoyed some wonderful weather. Church at left was built with money by a Mr. George Vanderbilt. Rather rich in the day, he also had built a rather large house called The Biltmore Estate. It is a remarkable thing to see, and have enjoyed it a few times (but not this visit). Do have to say though, favorite time to see The Biltmore is during Christmas time, they really do that place up.
We made a stop to the Western North Carolina Aviation Museum which is in Hendersonville, NC (right next to Asheville, NC). Liked this photo because the plane at the bottom was a 1930's kit plane called a "Heath Parasol". It originally flew with a Henderson Motorcycle Engine, and cost around $130 dollars for the kit. I know that because the man who built it, and donated it to the museum is sitting in the chair at left. Was amazing hearing some of this stories. The museum has a nice collection of aircraft, and admission is free (which is always nice). Will have a few photos on my Flickr Photo Page.
Visited The Hendersonville Apple Festival, which as you can see from the crowd was a pretty big event. It was your basic apple and arts and crafts festival, which is to say it was pretty neat and we had a great time. Friendly and interesting town, was told that this was a fun event to check out. I was told right. We found out about this the night before the trip, and resulted in a last minute change of plans to go to it. I am glad we made that call!
On September 4, we got going after breakfast and drove the Blue Ridge Parkway from Asheville, NC to Blowing Rock, NC. Covered some 100 miles-good tunes on the radio, Patty by my side, and some remarkable views. Saw a lot of motorcycles, quite a few cars, and a number of some very hardy bicyclists riding those remarkable roads. Sure its not the fast way, but fun to drive one of the great American roads, and the views are nothing short of awesome.
The town of Asheville has a lot to offer; great places to eat, great music, friendly people, a very interesting downtown, and its a place you want to come back to again and again!

In NC (August 20-23, 2011) with an Earthshaking Return to VA.

Took this photo of the Old Cabarrus County Courthouse on Union Street in Concord, NC on August 20. Had a nice visit to my home over an extended weekend, though did get a bit of a bug apparently so was not as active as I hope to be when I am home. Got the motorcycle in the shop, it broke down during my last trip, and now I do on this one. Got better though on the last day, and a good trip even with that. Found that Claritin is pretty good stuff. Got better enough to cut the yard and do some trimming. Not a big weekend though did see most of the race. Winner of that race Kyle Busch did get his license suspended in NC, bit of thing with a sports car over 100 mph in a nearby town. Still will get to race though, and is the current points leader.

Came back to Virginia on the 23rd, getting back to the apartment around 1pm. At 1:51 PM, experienced my first real earthquake. A 5.8 magnitude quake hit the area. I was surprised at both the noise and the force, it was a remarkable event. Thankfully, the damage was not too severe, mostly minor in the area. It was felt in number of states, and did some damage to the Washington Monument (along with some other buildings) in Washington, DC.

I have some interesting stuff coming up, plan to do some exploring in the Richmond area this weekend, and have a really nice event coming up very soon. Thanks for visiting my page.

Ride to Uptown Charlotte (August 7, 2011)

On a bright Sunday morning, another soon to be hot and humid day (but not early when I went) rode the motorcycle to Charlotte, NC...and when I got off took a walk around that very interesting town. There was a lot going on there even early; with a number of people walking around, and even a crane on a closed off street doing some sort of work soon (they were putting up some tape to keep people away from it as I walked by). It was good to see that there is construction still going on in Charlotte, even in times such as these. The building here in the background is under construction. Charlotte is a city that is often undergoing change and was before the current economic crisis one of the fastest growing cities in the United States. According to the experts, when things get better (and I feel that they will...eventually) the city will once again hit that mark. I certainly enjoy wandering around it, and checking out all the sights. Unlike Richmond, which is also very cool to explore, it is filled with new sights and offers many things to see and do.

Here is seen the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center, with one of the newer buildings in the background. I love all the different buildings in the city, and many of them (though not the one seen here) are apartment buildings. Many people both work and live in the city and it gives it a very interesting feel. There are some great neighborhoods in Charlotte, and a wide range of places to live in the city.
The Statue at left is one of four to be found at Founders Square which is right in front of the Bank of America Building (Still the largest building in Charlotte. The train seen in the photo was photographed downtown (or Uptown as it is known locally) and runs North to many cities, including a stop in Richmond, Va. Though I have not taken the train to Richmond, it is not out of the range of possibility that I will not do so in the future. Sure like to see high speed trains running between Charlotte and points beyond. Charlotte also has a growing light rail system; reaches quite a few points in the city and is quite popular. That system is planning expansion to other points outside of the City of Charlotte. I have posted these and a few others on my Photo Page, which you can find via a Link on this page. I hope you have enjoyed these photos, and thanks for visiting my page!

Hot Days in NC (July 24-25,2011)

It was another toasty, but mostly dry weekend in North Carolina. Took a pair of early morning motorcycle rides to do a bit of exploring while I was home. Always nice to get out on the bike, but even nicer when the heat index is not yet up to 100+. Photo at left was taken in Huntersville, NC. Huntersville is a nice community about 12 miles from Uptown Charlotte, population around the 30K range I would guess. Seen here is the fairly new Town Center. I like riding around there, plus there is a great series of roads out of the town; this was actually near the end of the riding on July 24. Did like the look of this building though, and there are many interesting ones locally.
I also on July 24 rode to the college community of Davidson, NC. The school there is private and very old; Woodrow Wilson (President of the US during WW1) went for a time there. I like the downtown, as they are very restrictive of the types of businesses (no big box chains) that they allow there. They are not alone in that, Harrisburg, NC is also trying to keep things "local" which is different but a nice touch. I have seen the effects of unrestricted growth; urban sprawl, empty big box stores when they move to "greener and bigger" pastures, and a lack of variety that comes with such development. It is a nice small town area.
On July 25, rode out to High Rock Lake with Phil. Great ride as its country twisty roads and traffic was light on a week day too. Like the lake, its a remarkable peaceful place (though on this day a guy with a boat engine problem was sending up huge clouds of oil scented smoke) but nice to visit the Marina there, and enjoy a cold coke with a good friend. We enjoyed the ride, continuing on to Salisbury, NC (which is very close to the lake) and back down some more fine roads to Concord and the end of the days ride.
Had a great visit, and though not long trips, nice to see these places and to get out on the motorcycles.

Carolinas Aviation Museum, July 8, 2011

On July 8, Phil and I rode our motorcycles to Charlotte, NC to the Carolinas Aviation Museum. It is at a new location, and I visited it for the first time there with him during my visit home. Seen here is a bit of a hometown plane of sorts, this McDonnell Douglas F-4S Phantom II Fighter-bomber was stationed at NAS Barbers Point. It last flew with VMFA-235. Built in 1985 it was one of the last models of the Vietnam era fighter. The plane had a Pilot and a Radar Intercept Officer who sat sort of "motorcycle style" in the aircraft. The plane was capable of supersonic flight and carried a mix of missiles and also (later on anyhow) a 20mm cannon.
Phil is seen in this photo in front of this Douglas DC-3. This was a former C-47, which was the major transport aircraft of WWII, and the DC-3 was a major airliner prior to the war, and for a time after. In fact many are still flown today (mostly hauling cargo) many years after they were first built. This plane was built in 1942, and is still flown by the museum. It won an award at Oshkosh a few years ago. This plane never flew with Piedmont Airlines (which was a Carolina based airline which later was merged with US Airways) but has been outfitted in that role. It flies to many airshows in the region, as well as many others in the US.
Plane seen here is a Boeing PT-17/N2S Kaydet. It was the primary flight trainer for US Navy and US Army Air Force (the US Air Force was established after WWII) pilots. It is a two cockpit plane, which held the student and the instructor pilot. The small blue unit next to it was a WWII Link Trainer. One of the first "Flight simulators" the Link was used to teach the basics of flight to new students.
The museum has a nice collection of planes and other flight items. Unfortunately, many of the planes in the collection are outside the hanger beyond a fence and can not be easily seen as they are on "Airport property". Much of that is due to the new addition to the museum, which takes up a lot of room.
That new addition is this historic aircraft. It is the Miracle on the Hudson plane, aka US Airways Flight 1549. Flown into the Hudson River by Captain Chesley B. Sullenburger after the engines quit shortly after striking a flight of Canadian Geese on takeoff on January 15, 2009, the plane made a successful ditching and all 155 on board were rescued. The plane was moved from storage in New Jersey, where it had been stored, and arrived at the museum on June 10, 2011. US Airways and Airbus mechanics are restoring the plane for display; where it will remain at the museum at its "Final Destination". The plane can be seen in the water on tv as part of a movie on the event.
Before leaving the airport, Phil and I rode to the airport viewing area, and watched a few US Airways (and a Delta jet) takeoff on the very hot and humid day which was July 8, 2011. Had a great time during the ride and enjoyed the visit to the busiest airport in North Carolina. There were a lot of planes departing and arriving when we got there. The museum is very nice, and though there is a small admission charge, it was well worth the price and we enjoyed the visit. I will be returning in the near future, enjoyed the combination of aircraft and a great motorcycle ride as well.

Cornelius/Huntersville, NC (July 5, 2011)

Took an early morning ride to Hunstersville/Cornelius, NC on a July day. Nice to get out on the bike early, before the heat kicks in (and its also been a big week for late afternoon thunderstorms). Came across some interesting things (more photos can be seen on my Racing with the Wind Page) during the ride. For instance, Gator's seen at left. Was a favorite family restaurant in University City, but found this location near Michael Waltrip Racing (also a Mac's Speed Shop near there). Will be back to check that out, nothing like a little gator tail to enjoy here in North Carolina. Lots of good places to eat in the Lake Norman area.
Took this photo at Birkdale Village which is in Huntersville, NC. It is right off of Sam Furr Road near I-77 and is an interesting large development. Has businesses (and many) plus apartments/condos in the complex. That is getting to be a popular thing in this area; everything you need (for the most part) within walking distance. Lots of nice landscaping, and nearby is even more things. As an added bonus, this is very close to Lake Norman (see below). I can see this catching on, and in fact a number of places like this have been popping up in many nearby communities. I enjoy wandering in there, and there is a lot to see.
Michael Waltrip Racing is one of the regions NASCAR race shops, Michael is team owner, one of the drivers, and frankly one of the more interesting and colorful characters. It is located at 20310 Chartwell Center Drive in Cornelius, NC. This shop which is 14,000 feet of racing items and the shops where the cars are built, charges admission, but gives more access than many of the free shops in the area (though many of them do a great job). It is open weekdays from 9-5. Due to time, I did not get to tour it but I will be b back to do so in the future. I enjoy the racing in the area, and the race shops are an amazing plus to living in the Charlotte area.

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.

NC Transportation Museum/Village Fest (May 7,2011)

Great day in Carolina, beautiful weather, and some fun events. Photo at right was taken at the Village Fest in what was "Cannon Village" in Kannapolis, NC. Nice event with food, arts and crafts, and also a car show. Lots of great cars there, and I have quite a few on my Photo Page, in fact this was a great time for the camera; it got a lot of use this weekend. Saw some former co-workers from when I worked in North Carolina (miss that job bad) though doing the same thing for the same company in Richmond. Can't knock Richmond, but that was a nice factory to work in compared to the older one. That decision was not mine to make though.
Went to NC Transportation Museum first which is in Spencer, NC. It is a former working train yard, and is now a free museum. Lots to see there, the classic planes, trains and automobiles. This is the plane part, though they have a few aviation items. This plane is located in the "Back Shop" which is being restored. Also being restored in that building is a DC-3 which they got from a museum in Raleigh, NC and which once flew for Piedmont Airlines. They think they will have it finished (got a lot of damage from sitting outside for a number of years) within the next five years according to a newspaper article I read just last week.
Here you see a steam engine being moved. The train museum was a working museum, and this turntable at the Roundhouse works. Volunteers work on the trains, the vast majority of which are in running condition. In fact for a fee (usually just $5) you can go on the train ride around the grounds. There is usually just one train, but they run a number of them over a season. They have a big collection there of all sorts of trains and train items, plus some really interesting train cars. You can also check out the shops where many of them are getting work, or being restored. Just for the trains alone it is well worth the short drive past Salisbury, NC.
The museum also has a fine collection of cars, including this one which is a 1918 Rouch & Lang electric car. The model by the way is BX-7, the company made electric cars from 1905-1928. I read the top speed was 25 mph, and have no idea what the range was. With all the focus on electric cars, neat to know old ideas are new again. They also have some interesting motorcycles and often have some special shows with some classic cars and bikes. In fact I rode out to see the Carolina Classic Motorcycle Show, some great old bikes were there, and I have them on the motorcycle page, and also on the photo page to this site. It was a remarkable day.
Last photo is back to the Village Fest, certainly a very interesting creation. They don't get much more basic than this creation, its stripped down and real light, with an ultra-basic interior, and even sparing the "weight" of paint. That motor though is nothing short of remarkable!
I always have a great time in Carolina, but especially this time of year. Tough thing on this Saturday was not finding something to do, it was to decide what to do from a long list of options. I live for problem decisions like that, but could have gone to a lot more things on a fine day in North Carolina. Great people, great times and some amazing and interesting things to see, it was a fine and fun weekend indeed!

Easter Ride Uptown (Part 1) April 24

On Easter during my days at home with the family, got out for a motorcycle ride. Previous posts have shown the Chesterfield Mall which has been empty and abandoned (largely except for an outlying auto repair and a bank) for the last few years, well this is Eastland Mall in Charlotte, NC. Like that mall, it is now empty. It was opened in 1975 and the last store left in 2010. There are, as with the Chesterfield Mall some plans to redevelop it, but will be interesting in this economy which one (if either) gets redeveloped first. I remember going to this a few years ago when it was open, was a rare mall with a ice skating rink inside...unique for sure.
There are many airports in the state, and quite a few in the Charlotte area. This is Wilshire Airport which is located near Albemarle Road and just (barely) outside of Charlotte, NC. One of the many small airports of which some are publicly and some privately owned. This airport is actually surrounded by a neighborhood and has a single concrete runway. I enjoy at times watching planes take off and land from this facility. Good that in the state where the Wright Brothers first flew that there are so many good airports to check out. Some of them in the area even have grass runways and that is quite a nod to the past days of aviation.
Also on Albemarle Road is Jakes Good Eats, which has been featured on the Food Network and the show "Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives". It was closed on Easter Sunday, but is said to have very good food (my motorcycle club went there during a group ride...just a riding club not an outlaw gang by the way) and very friendly people from what I am told. Location was a former gas station, a rare local reuse of an old building (though many old buildings are reused outside of Charlotte). Charlotte though does not do that a lot, which will be seen more clearly in my next post. They like to build new stuff and it certainly shows.
Post here was not actually during the ride. Patty and I went on Saturday April 23 to Memorial Gardens in Concord, NC. It is a very old cemetery with some beautiful flower gardens (though Easter being late this year, we missed some of the better ones, most of the Easter Lilly's were gone). It is a popular place for photos, in fact a wedding party was taking photos in the gardens during our visit. I will put a few photos on the photo page, in Concord in the early spring it is a very popular place to visit, and in fact it still was even late in April. There is also a lot of history inside that area; many notable people with some interesting stories are buried there.
This was taken during my motorcycle ride on April 24. A look at the street in North Davidson, just outside of Charlotte, NC..but is better known as NODA. It was a mill area (textile type) until the mills declined. Artists moved in, and the area has become very popular. Many of the old buildings were reused, but also many have been torn down, and new condos and construction has gone up in the area. Sort of sad that the place is getting too costly for the people who re-established it as a thriving area of the city. Goes like that sometimes I suppose. Many interesting places to see there, and it retains a funky feel. It is also a good place to check out live music with a number of great small places where some notable bands sometimes play from around the country.

Carolina Weekend (April 9-11)

Last few days of the vacation I spent at home in North Carolina. Went for a ride on April 10 with my friend Phil on the motorcycles. Got this photo at left of Gary's Barbeque in China Grove. Closed on Sunday (as many places in North Carolina often are) this place is packed when it is open. Barbeque is a way of life and a passion in North Carolina. Been on a few great rides to the home of North Carolina Barbeque (Lexington, NC to be exact) which has a very neat festival centered on pork in the fall. I believe in some of my older posts, some photos of that event which brings something like 500,000 people to that town for the one day festival.
During my vacation, I did a lot of work to this bike. I got new brake pads for the front wheel (though I will be putting those on) and also got a new rear tire (cause you only have two, and it was time for some new rubber on the back). Phil took this photo at RideNow in Concord, NC. I have had that bike since 2005 (purchased new) and have (as I write this) a bit over 24,500 trouble free miles on it. Part of it is that it is a very well made machine, the other part is keeping up with the maintenance. Motorcycle or car they last a lot longer, and give you a lot fewer problems when you take good care of them. I love riding in the Carolinas (North and South!).
Threw this in, another view of the mountains of North Carolina from the end of the trip to Indiana and Kentucky which can be seen in the previous few posts. That was a remarkable trip, and this vacation was a remarkable time indeed. Think this would certainly go down as one of my best vacations, had a great time on the road, a great time with family and friends in "Kentuckiana" and a great time with my family back home in North Carolina. Always good to be with people you love in places that mean a lot to you.

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.

Charlottte Views from January 2

From the previous post at the hockey game, while I was in Charlotte, took a couple of quick photos prior to the game. Really enjoy going to Charlotte, where there is a lot of things to see and do. The city is home to a an NBA team, an NFL team, an AHL hockey team, and a AAA baseball team (though the team actually plays right across the state line in South Carolina). There have been some plans in the works to bring that team to the city; though it is an on-going process. Charlotte has a number of interesting parks. Charlotte is the largest city in North Carolina, and its airport is one of the 10th busiest in the United States, as well as one of the busiest in the world.
In the years I have been there, the city has added quite a number of new buildings. In comparison to Richmond it is a much larger city both in population and area. One thing that is very different about Charlotte is that many of the older buildings (the city dates to before the Revolutionary War) have been torn down, so there is very little "history" as you find in Richmond. Most of the city is new construction with little or no of the re-use you see in Richmond (which adds a great deal of charm to Richmond in my opinion). The city is also home to many great museums, the NASCAR Hall of Fame (plus most NASCAR race teams are located nearby, as well as Charlotte Motor Speedway which is actually in Concord, NC) and offers a wide variety of things to see and do. It is an interesting and fun city to explore, and I have enjoyed wandering around it....and still do.

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.

Fall in Virginia and Carolina

Fall is absolutely my favorite time of year, and wanted to share a few fall views as the peak of color came to both Richmond,Virginia and Baden, North Carolina at about the same time. It also made for a pair of beautiful drives between my two places of residence. The photo at left was taken during a walk around the neighborhood, where I checked out the colors in the area. This is actually at a nearby Industrial Park; but loved the lake side view and the color that was popping all over. Love to walk around the area where I can see the sights here up close and personal, without having to stop a vehicle and head back to see something remarkable just passed.
This was actually taken just outside of my neighborhood in Richmond, a very nice tree lined road. I did not think we were going to get much of a fall this year, due to what has been a very hot, and abnormally dry summer. Seemed that trees took a real beating this year, saw dead trees in both Virginia and in Carolina in great numbers. In fact, had to cut down a tree in my backyard which died this summer due to the drought. I thought this view though was a gift indeed; as yellow, orange and red were seen all over during the walk. Walking is good for health, and also good for the soul on days such as these, and it really made my day to enjoy views such as these.
One of my favorite things to do is motorcycling; and one of my very favorite areas to ride in the fall is near Baden, NC. I did not make it to the North Carolina Mountains this year. The Boone, NC area is remarkable in the fall, one of the great wonders in the Blue Ridge Parkway (which also runs through Virginia) but I did ride on November 14 to Morrow Mountain where I saw this amazing sight. Fall was in full bloom, and a number of people were for sure in "Oh Wow!" moments there. A lot of "do you believe this?" comments from both fellow motorcyclists and people in their cars (and being North Carolina, their pickup trucks).
Nothing brings people together like the beauty of nature, and this was a remarkable ride during the day. Morrow Mountain is where the last two photos were taken near Baden, NC and really enjoyed both the ride, but especially getting off the bike and wandering around the multi-color display before me. To be honest, I did not want to leave when the time came, but spent a great deal of time at the overlooks and just wandering around the area. There is nothing like a beautiful day with average temperatures (which certainly beat the ride to the air show the week before) on a great motorcycle, surrounded by nature and bright blue skies. It was a remarkable ride!

Warriors and Warbirds (November 7,2010)

Great weekend in Carolina, lots of fun family things during my latest "migrant factory worker"life phase. I also got in some motorcycling, and another great combination of airshow and riding. A previous ride to the RideNow Open House (a bike shop in Concord, NC) got me a new (and warm) motorcycle jacket. That came in handy on another clear but unseasonably cold day in the Carolinas. I rode to Monroe to the air show; this being my third in the last few weeks! Been on a roll with planes, and I do enjoy them. Seen at left are three classic WWII aircraft: A P-40 Warhawk, a USN Dauntless Dive bomber, and (mostly hidden) a P-51 Mustang.
I like air shows, where you get to see some thrilling flying, and some very amazing machines. This is a biplane, which takes flight back to an earlier era. I like these classic aircraft, and it is fun to meet the pilots who fly them. It also is fun to see how aviation has changed over the years. This air show was the smallest of the three, but its local, and has grown over the years. I have some more photos posted on my photo page which you can check out. I wandered around a bit, and saw the booths that were set up. Nice airport and this show was a good source of revenue for the airport; read they were expecting 100,000 for the two days of the show.
I took this photo of the replica Japanese aircraft of "Tora Tora Tora". I believe they were used during the filming of the movie "Midway" and a few other WWII films. Tora Tora Tora puts on a thrilling show, and the planes are interesting as well. Unfortunately, I did not stay for much of the flying; having to settle due to time constraints with checking out the planes as they sat (though I did see the Black Daggers Parachute team, and some flying). Got in a great backroads ride (took a more direct route there) on the way back to my family and some fun with them during my stay. Visits to Carolina seem to last a matter of hours, but always something wonderful to do, and great times with the family to get me though the rest of my time spent in Richmond. It helps that Richmond is an interesting town, and I have found a number of fun things to do and see here. I will be bringing more from Carolina and Virginia in my next posts. Coming up is the holiday season, and that is a most interesting and special time in both places as I have found over the last two years in Richmond, and many more years in Carolina.