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.

Exploring the Carolinas (October 9, 2010)

After almost a month away, was great to be back home. Spent a fine Friday night with my family, and then did a little sightseeing on my favorite mode of transportation. Took the motorcycle down NC-49 heading for Asheboro, NC. Made a stop (seen at left) at Tuckertown Lake, part of the lake system in the area near Rockwell, NC. Beautiful peaceful lake, and a nice place to stop along the way. The ride took me past lakes, farms, small towns, horses, cows, and was a very nice ride on a fall day. The leaves are just starting to turn, and though clear was a cool day at the start, but quickly turned unseasonably warm as the day went on.
Being an aircraft buff, I stopped at the Asheboro Airport. The NC Aviation Museum is there, but time not being on my side, I did not tour it this trip. It is a very fine museum. The airport is a small general aviation airport, but I did enjoy seeing this old Beechcraft parked on the ramp. I really enjoy old and classic aircraft, and this one was a real restored beauty. Nice twin engined plane with the twin tails, would have loved to see this bird in the air. It has been a good month for aviation events both in Virginia and in North Carolina, and best of all, there are some more events coming up soon. Enjoy seeing planes on the ground and in the skies!
A surprise along the way; in Asheboro, they had a free farm equipment show. A number of very fine tractors such as these, plus some really neat old trucks were on display. I like the ride to Asheboro both for the very nice ride, as well as the town itself. It is a nice area, is a nice distance to get to it, and fun to check out the sights there. There was quite a bit to see at the show (which I did not know about in advance) and was fun to wander around off the bike. Just outside of the town is the national forest with some great roads to ride on, and it was very peaceful early on a Saturday morning. Other than the sound of my bike, it was quiet when I headed back out.
Riding down the backroads, I headed out to the Piscah Covered Bridge. This bridge is actually a replica of the very old bridge (the original was washed out during a flood a few years ago) but is a very popular stop. Riding on an NC Scenic Route is also a very nice treat. I came across some vultures enjoying a roadside feast (they all took off in a group as I rode up) and enjoyed the twists and turns of the road. I believe I was passed by one truck along my route, and that was a wonderful thing indeed to have so few to spoil my ride. I ended up back on NC-49, and turned back toward Concord. I made a stop at the R/C field near Mt. Pleasant, NC and enjoyed some radio controlled planes flying...been to some good airshows in the last few weeks, but really remarkable what those planes can do. Chilled out there for a while and talked to the "pilots"...my late Dad used to fly those type of planes, and they bring back happy memories of those days gone by. I got back on the bike after a time, and rode on to NC-73 for the last bit toward home.

Before going back, stopped at my friend Steve's house, and checked out his new (well 1996) Harley Wide Glide. Invited to take it out for a spin, got a short ride on the bike (seen here from the seat) and enjoyed that. Love riding my Kawasaki Vulcan, but a Harley is certainly a classic and unique experience.
I got back to the house a little after 1pm, having been riding some four hours and covered some 131 miles in total. Spent the rest of the day with my fine family, and on Sunday headed to Charlotte, NC for the Chicago Bears/Carolina Panthers game. That I will be covering, and sharing photos of, in my next post!

Winston-Salem Air Show (September 11, 2010

After a hard night at work, and very little sleep (but enough) headed back to Concord, NC. On the way though, as I did last year, made a stop at the Winston-Salem Air Show in Winston-Salem, NC. It is what I hope will be one of two air shows (hope to go to the Virginia Beach Air Show next weekend) this month. I had hoped to see a Mig-21 fly which was scheduled for the show. It was NOT there, but that happens with old and unique aircraft (hard to just go to the repair shop for Russian made aircraft, but some good stuff on the ground and in the air made it very worthwhile. I love aviation, and had a fun time wandering the grounds and looking up.
There were four Harriers, flown by the USMC (and famous in British aviation...being a British design), with one seen here. The Harrier can fly straight up (vertical take off and landing) also can make regular takeoffs. A very unique and noisy aircraft, they also did overflights of the nearby Wake Forest Football game. That made for difficult traffic conditions getting in as the stadium was one exit from the air show. It was the same case last year, but I expected it; which is why I got rolling from Richmond at 6am!Nice to get to see these and a number of other military aircraft on display, some remarkable planes took to the air.

It was not just about military aircraft. I did also see a number of civilian planes including this DC-3 which is part of the collection of planes from the Carolina Aviation Museum in Charlotte, NC. Many of their planes fly, and this one is a past award winner at the big Oshkosh air show in Wisconsin (one of the largest air shows in the world). The DC-3 also served in WWII as a very important military transport; the C-47. There were a number of civilian planes of many types at the air show. There was also a Mustang car show, and a really neat police dog display which is also seen here. The guy (with a padded arm by the way) played the part of a bank robber, he ran and the dog did what police dogs do as seen in the photo.
Quite a few planes took to the air such as this C-17 Globemaster air force transport. I also got to see some other military aircraft and also a civilian display team before the rains came. It began to rain about an hour into the show, and wanted to get back to Concord anyhow (where my family is!) so left during that time. I do have a number of photos on my Flickr site, which I have a link to. I will also have photos there of the Cannonball Motorcycle Race; some really unique Pre-1916 motorcycles racing from Kitty Hawk, NC to California. They made a stop in Concord overnight, and that was a very fun event as well. It was a really fun and remarkable Saturday, which I enjoyed a great deal!

Huntersville and Beyond (September 6, 2010)

This post and the previous two posts document a motorcycle ride on September 6 in an area along NC-115 which is known collectively as "North Meck" and includes the towns of Huntersville, Cornelius, and Davidson, NC. I enjoy visiting this area, and one of the sights of the ride can be seen at left. I like that old store just across the railroad tracks. The railroad was an early engine of growth for the town which grew from the cotton and brick making industries. Early the town was the site of The Battle of Cowan's Ford on February 1, 1781 during the Revolutionary War. Of the three towns in the area Huntersville is the largest both in population of 24,960 (2000 census) and in area of 31.2 square miles.
This house is one of those in Huntersville, NC, and is home to a guitar school (being a fan of the instrument, I liked this photo). As with Davidson and Cornelius being close to Lake Norman has fueled growth. It has a number of shopping centers as well as many fine local businesses. Among the businesses that call Huntersville home is the NASCAR racing team of Joe Gibbs Racing which is located in Huntersville. In fact nearby Mooresville, and especially Concord which is also not far away are the homes to most of the race teams in the NASCAR circuit. The sport is a big deal in the region; three races are hosted yearly at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Due to the town being relatively small, and being close to both Lake Norman and Charlotte NC (with easy highway access) the town has been a popular "bedroom community" for county residents. Many new buildings (which the one at left would be one of) have gone up in the last few years. There are also a number of large businesses along NC-115 which provide jobs to some of the local residents.
I enjoy riding in this area with its interesting towns, the nearby lake (which I have been to in previous posts to this blog if you care to see some of the sights there), but I also enjoy the ride along NC-115. A nice mix of small towns, farms, and growing developments, North Meck (named for the county it and Charlotte are part of) is a very nice and interesting area to explore; a nice mix of the past and changes over a short period of time.

Cornelius, NC (September 6, 2010)

As with the previous post, took a motorcycle ride up NC-115, a favorite road and area in the Charlotte area. Also some 30 miles from Charlotte, and next to the college town of Davidson, NC (previous post) is Cornelius, NC. Like Davidson, Cornelius is an old town dating to 1893. It was founded around the industries of mills and farming. What has really moved the town forward is the Lake Norman area which has made the region a popular engine of growth. The town is a mix of the old and the new with older businesses and also a number of large shopping centers. In the 2000 census the population was listed as 11,969. The Town Hall is at right.
Cornelius has some very nice streets, is also home to one of my favorite motorcycle dealerships (Interstate Cycle) though I did not visit that on my Labor Day ride but can be reached via the street seen at left. Nice houses on that street, plus a number of small businesses. Being Labor Day many of them were closed, and the roads were not as busy, a perfect day to be out exploring on a motorcycle! Though I live in this area, with the house in North Carolina and the apartment (and job) in Virginia I have of late been enjoying a chance to re-discover the area that I have lived in since 1991. It was a real fast changing and growing area, though that has slowed some of late due to the economy.
However, thanks to Lake Norman, many new developments and apartments have gone up in the Cornelius area. The town (as is Charlotte) is located in Mecklenburg County, which with a total of close to 1,000,000 residents is the second largest county in North Carolina. Many areas such as Cornelius with smaller populations, but much to offer are getting very popular in the region as places to live. It is a beautiful and interesting town to explore and to visit. Photo ar left is a mixed use development with apartments and businesses. Those type of developments are getting very popular in the region; some of them are on a much larger scale.
The ride went on...and I have one more section to share!

Davidson and Davidson College (September 6,2010)

Part of a perfect motorcycle ride on a wonderful late summer day, was my visit to Davidson on September 6. Davidson is some 30 miles from Charlotte and is just off NC-73/NC-115 with access also from I-85 (but I did not go via the highway). The college was founded in 1837 as Presbyterian Davidson College (the town the same year). Davidson itself is a small college town with a population of around 7,188 according to the last census and covers 5.1 square miles in area. Above is one of the campus buildings; while there watched the border collie which can be seen laying in the shade at far right catching a ball in true border collie fashion!

Building at left is Philanthropic Hall which was built in 1850. Davidson has under 2,000 students, but a long distinguished history having graduated 23 Rhodes Scholars. A private liberal arts school, it does compete in Division I athletics and has some notable successes to its credit in sports. The "Wildcats" play in the Southern Conference; the school has the second smallest enrollment of any Division I school. Among its notable students was Woodrow Wilson, a former President of the United States. As a private school, costs are high to attend, but some of the graduates and their history make the school costs worthwhile.
Davidson is a small college town. The town works hard to manage growth, and while filled with some beautiful houses both old and new also works to provide lower cost housing as well. I read that former Chesterfield resident and NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin is a resident of the town. It is a town where you often see joggers and bicyclists. For a town of its size, it has a number of parks and greenways. The local town square is also the site of a number of musical events during the year, and also various festivals. Many local businesses line Main Street, and there is also a Ben and Jerry's on the street. As would be expected of a college town there is also a very fine local coffee shop, and a very nice bookstore (side by side in fact). It is a beautiful and fun place to visit, and I have in the past brought visitors to the area there to walk around as I did during this visit, and to check out the local area. Davidson is near Lake Norman, another very popular spot in the area.
I had a great visit to the town and the school...but the ride went on; and I will be sharing some more posts on it in my next update to this blog.

The Durham Bulls (September 3, 2010)

Thought this was a cool stop. On the way to North Carolina from Richmond on September 3, 2010, stopped at Durham, NC. Saw the sign for the "Historic Baseball Field" and came to the home of the "Durham Bulls" and as we remember that was the field where the movie "Bull Durham" was filmed. Course I am told that field was torn down some years ago, but I think this was the bull from that field (and that movie) which is the batter hit he got a free steak!!! Nice to check out that ball park, I like baseball, and thought this was a really nice field. That was also a great movie (Bull Durham) which along with "Field of Dreams", and "For the Love of the Game" are some of the best baseball movies out there.
This is the view of the field from the upper section looking down. Not sure when the built this, but a fine looking ball park. I am a big fan of minor league baseball, as it tends to be a really good value, and a good time. Richmond has a new minor league team, which unfortunately I have missed this year, but will check out next year. Was not a great time to do that work wise, and also was a brutally hot summer in 2010. Hopefully, it will be better in 2011 as far as the weather. Photo at bottom is "American Tobacco" which I assume was once a tobacco factory, but is now a collection of stores and shops. I liked my very short visit to Durham, NC...told it is a very fun and interesting city, and from what I saw during my short stop certainly deserves a closer look in future visits to the area.

Morrow Mountain On Monday (August 30, 2010)

Photo here is of Phil on his Star Stratoliner, a very fine bike. Phil was a former boss in my previous job (for the same company, he retired though) and a good friend. He met up with me for "a ride" which I lead down some of my favorite backroads, and finally ended up at Morrow Mountain in Albemarle, NC. One of my favorite places, the State Park there offers camping, fishing, swimming, and of course the view from the top of Morrow Mountain which is the highest mountain in Stanley County. It is a great ride, and fun also the way we came which took us through the town of Baden, NC. Like riding past Baden Lake, one of the lakes in the area.
Morrow Mountain is free, and has some great views from the lookout at the top. Usually pretty packed (normally draws motorcycles like flies to sugar) it was devoid of people on the Monday afternoon. We checked out the views from there; was surprised to learn Phil had never been there, and was quite pleased to discover it. I enjoyed the ride from beginning to end; good company, great roads and really nice near the end of summer Carolina weather. Hot for sure (lower 90's) but low humidity and not a cloud in the sky. Nothing I enjoy as much as a good motorcycle ride, and this one certainly fit the bill.

A Carolina Motorcycle Ride (August 28, 2010)

One of my favorite things to do, is to take the Vulcan out on the streets of Carolina. I find this an interesting area to ride around, and there is a lot to see. Part of this ride was done a few posts ago, but some events in the area brought me back. Last time on a Sunday the Triumph dealership was not open, and there was a motorcycle event at Charlotte Harley-Davidson. Photo at left was taken on NC-601. That is the Corning factory at Midland, NC. Employment tapered off a few years ago, I was told it was a great place to work. Hopefully it will be again some day. Like riding down 601, lots of farms and animals and some beautiful houses there. I have ridden it deep into South Carolina (all the way into South Carolina), but today turned onto NC-74 or "Independence Blvd". Stopped in and got a photo of this new development there which I saw last time. Seems to be a sort of business/medical complex near Monroe, NC. Riding down NC-74 saw a lot of places closed, but also a number of new places. Tough economy, but being handled in different ways.
Went to "Red,White, and Brews" at Harley-Davidson of Charlotte, and that was a fun event. I have photos of some of the sights there on my phot0 page, but was a good time. Course after driving down from Richmond, and then the ride to get there, the event was starting to wind down, but did get to check out some of the bikes at the bike show and also some of the band. Prior to this stop I also got to see the Triumph/BMW/Ducati dealership, which I found was open on Saturday for the last time...moving to a new location after 18 years at the old one in Uptown Charlotte.
After a visit to this stop, went on to the house via Albemarle Road, and then back to the house via some back roads. Nice riding day, still hot, but the humidity has gone way down and its pretty pleasant riding. Was great to be back, and had a remarkable time indeed out in the breeze.

Planes, Trains and Automobiles (August 28, 2010)

Spent a nice couple of weeks in Richmond, but on August 28, 2010 went back to Concord to spend some time with family and friends. Always good to get back, and it was a nice drive with good weather and traffic was not bad either. Visited the NC Transportation Museum in Spencer, NC. It is one of my favorite places to visit and always is a lot of fun. I thought that the Honda Gold Wing Show was this weekend (I am sort of a motorcycle nut...in fact next post here will be sights of the region via motorcycle) but there was no show. There was though this plane, which was formerly on display at Kitty Hawk, and is now at the museum.
NC Transportation Museum was once a train shop, a large maintenance facility. I like this steam engine at the roundhouse (which still works and offers turntable rides for a $1). The museum also has low price (like $5 I believe) train rides using some of the old trains. Steam engines such as these are used generally in the fall, on Saturday they ran the diesel electric engine. There was a large crowd there, and there was a fire engine show going on, which was pretty cool. There is a lot to see, and you can't beat the price of admission which is free. I always enjoy my visits to the museum, and I am a frequent visitor.
Course, being an NC museum, can't not have an automobile section (which also completes the "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" theme of this post...which was also the title of a very funny John Candy/Steve Martin movie of a few years back). Nice car and motorcycle display can be found in this building (so I did get to see bikes there after all) which has some unusual examples of both. The museum will be doing some expanding soon, has a whole new/old building due to open up soon with some more exhibits. If you are in Spencer, NC be sure to stop by here...it is a great place to visit and explore and experience some neat transportation items.

Weekend Ride in NC (August 8, 2010)

Weekend was the chance to make a quick trip to Carolina....and I took it. Left on a Saturday morning, came back Sunday night due to early overtime on Monday that I have to be in for. Grateful for the overtime though; certainly in my Sunday morning motorcycle ride, noted that while quite a few new things have gone up, a lot of businesses that I used to see are closed and gone in this economy. Hoping and praying for better times for America; too many people are suffering for sure. Great time with my wonderful wife, son and the border collies (aka Cassie and Mollie). It is always good to sleep in ones own bed. I did get in a good motorcycle ride on Sunday.

Photos here and below were taken in Monroe, NC. Top photo is of the Old Courthouse: monument is to the Confederate Soldiers. Like Virginia, North Carolina was part of the Confederacy during the Civil War. Monroe is a great old town, with a lot of interesting sights. I got in a good ride around the area, also went riding up Independence Blvd to Charlotte, and even some motorcycle time on I-85. For that last with the traffic felt like I was in the movie "The Road Warrior". Both the ride, and the two days spent at home really recharged me for the days ahead here. Got a busy work week coming up, and good to relax for a few hours at least. Even the weather seemed to want me to chill..gone this weekend was the oppressive heat and humidity that has been the hallmark to this point of this summer.

Thunderstorms and a Thundering Bike Ride (July 10, 2010)

Shot this photo out of my back door on Friday night July 9. Been a very dry time in the area, in fact officially the region is close to drought conditions, but that ended with this storm (at least for a while) Friday night. Was quite the light show and thunder boomed like cannon. No damage though a lot of people lost power and quite a few trees came down. It is amazing what nature can do; and this storm dropped close to an inch (according to local weather reports) in the Concord, NC area. It also scared my dogs a great deal, but I found it remarkable to watch the rain, wind and light show. This was the first rain I have seen since I have been home this trip.
Went motorcycle riding today, and had a fantastic time. The storm front last night brought cooler temperatures (lower 90's vs the 100+ of the last few days) and lower humidity. Went with Phil down some fantastic roads (he on his Yamaha, I on my Kawasaki). During the ride passed 20,000 miles on the odometer of my bike (purchased new in June 2005). Photo at left is at Lake Norman, of the McGuire Nuclear Power Plant there. The lake, man-made, was built to provide cooling water for this plant. I have seen the lake from the air, and it is quite a sight. There is a sort of visitor center/museum at the plant site, and I took this photo there.

This is Phil, checking out some of the sights on the lake. It is also a nature preserve, and of course fishing is real big on the lake. There are a lot of high dollar houses on the lake and it is the home to many of Charlotte's "movers and shakers" plus many of the Carolina Panthers, Charlotte Bobcats, and many Nascar drivers have homes on Lake Norman.
Ride took us down some beautiful roads, and also through towns in the area such as Huntersville, Denver, and Mooresville. Amazed as always, and even in times such as these to see all the new construction and new businesses that have popped up since my last trip down those roads. Always fun to ride the motorcycle, and that is a very good area to take a cruise on a nice summer day.
This visit is winding down this weekend, but it has been a remarkable time, and great fun with family and friends. Still have the rest of Saturday and Sunday...so sure to have some more to do before it is time to take the drive back to Richmond on Monday morning.

Exploring Kannapolis, China Grove, and Landis, NC (July 5, 2010)

At times feel like a stranger in the area that has been my home for the past eleven years. Living both in Richmond, VA and Concord, NC will do that. However, been getting back in touch the last few days. Photo here is the NC Research Center in Kannapolis, NC. That was a big hope of the area; promise was that the bio-tech industry would employ thousands who have lost jobs due to the closing of the textile mills, and the tobacco factory, but, so far at least, the promise has been pretty empty. However, they are some impressive buildings, this being the main lab building, and there are some others. Kannapolis is an interesting town to explore.

I rode next into China Grove, NC. Nice town, and due to the holiday, largely closed for the day. It is an older town, but the ride to it is a very good motorcycle ride and its fun to see the old buildings there. Likewise, the train station at Landis (single building with the chimneys) is a neat thing to see. Not much there, both were at one time "Mill Towns" close to Kannapolis and also tied to Cannon Mills (later Pillowtex). Still nice and interesting places to visit, explore and probably also to live. In fact I know quite a few people who live in those places.

The Charlotte Museum of History (July 4, 2010)

Patty and I have never been here to the museum, but had heard about it, and as it was a Free Admission Day, figured it was worth a look. The Museum is located at 3500 Shamrock Drive in Charlotte, NC...and yes has a fine web site at http://www.charlottemuseum.com if you would like more information than I have here. Building is very nice, seen here is the front. Had some nice displays inside, including a good Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police display that rated some photos on my motorcycle blog. I will also be posting some photos on my photo page soon, but some of the best ones you can see here. It was a very interesting place to visit.
The "American Freedom Bell" was donated by the Belk Foundation (Belk is a big name in the Charlotte area). The bell is also big, being some seven times bigger than the Liberty Bell. I also read that it is "the largest cast bell in the world viewed at eye level" (from the museum handout). Had a nice recorded presentation with it, and then they rang the bell (quite a few times in fact during the course of the visit). Had a nice tone, and unlike the Liberty Bell, no cracks appeared in the bell. Thought it was a very cool thing to hear and see, plus considering the date that I saw it, thought it was a perfect place to visit.


As for the house here, this is the oldest house in Charlotte; the Hezekiah Alexander Homesite which is also known as "The Rock House" and was built in 1774. Mr Alexander was an important local figure in the Revolutionary War and the house was restored some years ago, and the museum is built on the original land. There is also a period kitchen, and a barn, but they are not original to the property. Another building that is original to the property is the Spring House. It was a building built over a spring which kept items like milk and butter cool for a time. Always around 50 in the Spring House...better than nothing prior to the age of refrigeration. Got to explore the various buildings there and toured the house as well (though the second floor was not open for tours) but was pretty cool considering the age and condition of the house (which would be old in the first case, excellent in the second case). I think the museum was well worth the road trip today!

Harrisburg SummerFest, June 19, 2010

Good time at the SummerFest in Harrisburg, NC. Held on the grounds of the town hall, Harrisburg is one of the bedroom communities of Charlotte, NC. The town hall area is pretty interesting; around is government offices (as seen in the photo at left) apartments, and a number of businesses such as restaurants, child care, grocery stores, coffee shops, bars, medical offices, etc. Those are getting pretty common in the region, and have proven to be interesting places to live, and to visit as well. The band that played yesterday was pretty good; enjoyed them a great deal. Was a good crowd on hand though many were wandering around the booths on the site, and seeking what shade there was on a hot and humid Carolina June day.

Course as with any event, there was a car show. I think that in Carolina, most events are an excuse to show off the cars that people have restored. That said, they do have some remarkable restorations and some amazing cars from the past have been known to come back to life. Due to the fact that winters tend to be mild, and the use of salt on the roads is light (along with snowfalls as a rule) you don't see the damage from that on many of the cars here. There may also be the fact that there are some really good mechanics in this area, and when you combine all that, you get some pretty good rides to check out at these events.
This is a view of some of the booths that were there,also games for the kids, and you can also see some of the apartments I mentioned in the earlier paragraph. My wife Patty was working one of the booths, so I came out to be with her, but had a really good time. Events such as these are common in the area, and tend to be a pretty good time. Other than the heat and humidity, it was a really good day for it, at least the rains held off, and made for a nice day out in Harrisburg, NC.