Army Museums at Ft. Lee, Hopewell, VA (August 13, 2011)

While in Hopewell to help a friend move a tv, went to Ft. Lee which was just up the road, and is home to The US Army Quartermaster Museum, and the US Army Women's Museum. Saw a number of interesting things there. Photo at left was at the Woman's Museum, and is a piece of The Pentagon which was damaged in the attacks on 9/11. Both museums had a great number of interesting items are are located on the base. Had to pass through a checkpoint, and provide some information before being allowed on base. It was my first visit to this military base which is located in Hopewell, Va. Very nice looking post, as were the ones I served at in the USN some years ago.
This gun carriage dates to the Civil War era, and was used in the funerals after the war of Jefferson Davis, and of General George Pickett, both of whom are buried in Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond, Va (which I have been to a few times, a very nice place with beautiful views of the James River. There was a lot of Civil War era items including the saddle that US Grant used during the Civil War (donated by him) and a wagon believed to have been used to haul his personal effects around the battlefields he lead troops in during the war. There were also a number of other items from the war on display there.
I found this item very interesting; it was one of the Jeep's used by General George S. Patton during WWII. Certainly one of the most colorful and interesting military leaders not just of WWII, but of any period in US history. He was most famous for his leadership of the US Third Army during that war.
The museum has a number of items from virtually all the periods of warfare in US history. To be honest there was a lot more there than I expected, and the museum was very nice to check out. I think a visit to this museum is very worthwhile, and is worth the time to visit it. Though a donation is suggested, there is no charge to enter it.
Finally, again from the Woman's Museum at Ft. Lee, is this display to the WASP's of WWII. That was the Womans AirForce Service Pilots (though the Air Force was the Army...it did not become a separate branch until after WWII). Some 1,074 pilots were trained for duties such as ferrying aircraft (they flew all US military aircraft) and freeing up male pilots for combat. All in all, the WASP's flew some 60 million miles.
Enjoyed my visit to this museum as well, and have a few more photos from the visit on my photo page, which you can find via a link to this page. Like the Quartermaster Museum there is no admission charge, the museum is right next to the Quartermaster Museum at Ft. Lee.

Virginia Aviation Museum, June 25, 2011

After an early afternoon with the Harley Owners Group at the VA State Rally (don't ride a Harley, have a Kawasaki Vulcan, in NC at that) but enjoy being with bikers. I also enjoy aircraft, and made a return visit to this very fine museum. Located near the Richmond International Airport, the museum has some 37 aircraft on hand. A few you can see right out front without paying the admission (but its reasonable and worth it). One of the stars of the collection is the SR-71 Blackbird. Flown as a "spyplane" the SR-71 was never shot down, thanks to it being able to fly at "over Mach 3" and "over" 85,000 feet. They were retired, and Richmond has this one.
Also retired, and also on display outside is the F-14 Tomcat seen here. The Tomcat served in the US Navy from the 1970's till just a few years ago. Time and maintenance requirements caught up with the big Grumman fighter-bomber. The big twin engined swing-wing plane was one of the "Stars" of the movie "Top Gun" , and was involved during its service life in many of the nation's military actions. It was flown by a crew of two, and its primary role was air defense of US Carriers at sea. Noted it was a fighter-bomber though that last role was added late in its lifetime. Now the F/A-18 does both roles in the United States Navy.
As noted, there are a lot of planes there. Some of the planes are very rare, and many are virtually (if not literally) one of a kind. The plane that Admiral Richard E. Byrd (a Virginia native by the way) flew over the South Pole is on display there. There are also a number of flight simulators (entertaining to young and old) as well as other aviation displays. There are even some really good aviation movies. I watched one on the SR-71, which was really good. There is something there for everyone, even those with only a passing interest in aviation. I enjoyed a good three hours there, and this was my third visit to the museum since I have been in Richmond!
The museum has many classic aircraft of the 20's and 30's such as this Stinson Reliant, which is one of the most beautiful aircraft of the period in my book. This plane could fly 3-4 passengers at a then dazzling speed of 165 mph a bit over 800 miles. I love the flared wheel covers, and the big radial engine. Planes of those period were part of what was known as "The Golden Years" of Aviation. Many planes in the collection include these type of planes, general aviation planes, a hang glider, and a large number of commercial and military biplanes. The fact that they all have a history, and are not recreations is a huge plus, and there are some remarkable examples.
I am also impressed with the military warplanes of the WW1 era on display, such as this remarkable SPAD VII seen here. Back in that war, pilots flew without parachutes for the most part, in planes without such things as self-sealing fuel tanks, and often in aerial combat faced the choice of burning to death or falling out of the plane to the ground (many carried pistols to save themselves the choice). Many pilots had a combat history measured in hours. Very few of the planes of that period remain, and this is one of the few SPAD VII's in existance. It is a real treat to check out this museum, and if you get the chance in Richmond, take time to explore its wonders!

SouthPark Mall, and Bike Shops Nearby (May 21, 2011)

As I feared, photos kind of got mixed up, but got in a good day in the Colonial Heights area. Seen at left is Commonwealth Power Sports, which is in Colonial Heights. It is a Honda, Suzuki and Kawasaki dealer. It is also a rather large one, and has a good selection of motorcycles, as well as some ATV's, and some watercraft (jet ski type boats). They also have a parts and service department and a good line of accessories for those vehicles. Good friendly staff from what I have seen, liked that they let you wander around without hassles which is nice. I had a good time there in what is my second visit to the dealership, I was there last year.
I also made my second visit to Colonial Harley-Davidson, which is nearby (within sight of Commonwealth Power Sports). A very nice Harley-Davidson dealer, they have a very nice selection (the best I have seen in the area to date) of Harley-Davidsons. They can be quite pricy in comparison to the Japanese models, with one (a CVO HD with a 110 Cubic Inch "Screaming Eagle" Engine package) coming in a bit over $32,000 dollars. It was a beautiful motorcycle, but a bit pricy for me. However, Harley owners are a special breed, and they have a "money is no object" attitude when it comes to their Harley-Davidson motorcycles!
Here is another view of Colonial Harley-Davidson. Harley had all its dealerships upgrade a few years ago to more modern designs. Some in Richmond are older type dealerships (such as Richmond Harley-Davidson on Hull Street) though I noticed today that they seem to be building a new HD dealership there (but will be some time before it opens). The current dealership there is in a strip mall store. There are some impressive HD dealers in the US, some with some very unique designs. A few years ago they were mostly clothing stores it seemed, with a handful of bikes, that has changed in the last few years as production has increased. Now most have a good selection of bikes.
Seen here is a photo I took inside SouthPark Mall which is just off of I-95 in Colonial Heights. I have gone past it many times between North Carolina and Richmond, and finally made a stop in there today. Very nice mall, with a good military crowd that comes in there as the mall is very close to Ft. Lee. Nice mall with a nice selection of stores, very well lit with lights and also a lot of light from the sun. It has a lot of stores all around it too, kind of reminded me of the Concord Mills complex with all the little strip malls around it, in Concord, NC. I am not a big shopper but enjoyed exploring the mall for a bit, and that today was my first stop in today's exploration.
Last photo here is something I have been looking for. One of the all new bikes this year is the Honda CBR250R. Takes some nice styling cues from its bigger brother (the Honda VFR1200) and gives the Kawasaki Ninja 250 some competition. It also matches that bike in price. Many motorcycles do not get all that great gas mileage, this bike however does, and would be a fun motorcycle to commute to work with, or for fun rides down some beautiful roads in Carolina or Virginia. For a good economical motorcycle, this bike could be a very good choice. Honda makes some reliable motorcycles, I have had a couple over the years and have loved them!

Very Late Fall Virginia Wonderland (December 13, 2010)

Headed back to Virginia after a great weekend with my family at home (see previous post for photos). The night before we got a very light dusting of snow, not even enough to measure. Did get some word though that things were a "bit" different in Virginia. Took this photo on I-85 across the Virginia line. There was no snow to speak of in North Carolina, but not far into Virginia I started to come across sights such as these. At first the snow was very light, gradually becoming heavier as I got deeper into the state. The roads (thankfully) were fine, though wet they had no ice or snow due to VDOT cleaning them, traffic and the temperature.
Took this photo at the rest stop in Dinwiddie, VA which made for a good late fall (keep wanting to say winter, but a few days away from that official event) snow storm photo. Snow is quite pretty to check out, and I do enjoy seeing it, but I do hate to drive in it, though thankfully this day was nothing to worry about. I was able to enjoy it without worry about damage to the car, others, or myself during my journey. Snow is to be expected this time of year, so not a total surprise. We don't get a great deal of snow in Carolina, though it does happen from time to time, but in Virginia it is much more common, and generally in greater amounts.
Last photo was taken pulling into the apartment complex. Getting back to the apartment right about news time found that the area got around 1-2 inches, though some areas were higher. Also, while it did not affect me, did hear on the news this morning that the mountains of North Carolina did get a substantial snowstorm which made even this one look like nothing. All this was the bottom end of a major snow storm which smashed into the mid-west this weekend so it could have been a whole lot worse than this. This one we can admire the beautiful view of the white coated world, and wait to see what the next few days bring to us..for more is said to be on the wat later this week!

Hampton, Virginia (October 30, 2010)

In my last two posts I wrote about Air Power Park (the latest one after this one) and before that a visit to the Virginia Air and Space Museum. Being an aviation and space fan both (the museum I planned to see, the Air Power Park I just stumbled across by luck), but I was also pleasantly surprised by Hampton itself. I did not have a great deal of time to see a lot but I liked what I saw of this very interesting town. One such area was "Riverwalk" with its great variety of ships. I saw pleasure boats, fishing boats and sailboats during my visit there, and enjoyed walking around and checking them out up close and personal. There were also places along the docks to enjoy some food or a beverage.
In the area near the Virginia Air and Space Museum was the courthouse. This one was rebuilt from the ruins of the old one which was burned during the Civil War. There were a number of old and interesting buildings in the area, and many of them has historical plaques attached to them. Many of the old buildings were used as offices, stores, and restaurants. There was a good crowd in many of them, and the streets were clean and very well kept. I enjoyed walking around and checking out some of the sights in the area, it is a very comfortable place to explore. It is a city with a lot of history, and a lot of fun places to wander around.


One of the oldest places in the area was this church site. St. John's Church seen here was built in the 1700's, but is on the original site where three other churches of the same congregation stood since 1610. Yes, the church is celebrating its 400th year, and is the oldest continuous Anglican Church in the United States (well before it was the "United States." With an amazing aviation history (Langley Air Force Base and at least one NASA facility if not more are nearby) as well as being close to NAS Oceana and Norfolk Naval Station (the largest Navy base in the World if memory serves me right) there are many interesting things to see in the air and on the water. From what I saw in a short time, as is much of Virginia, it is filled with interesting people of many types. I have no doubt that I will return to Hampton, Virginia in the days to come.

Air Power Park, Hampton, VA (October 30, 2010)

Made a visit to the Virginia Air and Space Museum (previous post), and after exploring some of the area around it and especially Riverwalk (which will be my next and third post) headed back to Richmond. A sign on the highway which told of "Air Power Park" caught my eye, so I took the exit, and headed up the road. I came to this roadside park which featured a number of interesting and rare aircraft, plus missiles of various types. The combination was both interesting and amazing. I saw a great many rare and unique items, and spent quite a bit of time walking around the site. Many of the items could use a coat of paint, and some repair, but it was still amazing to check out.
Rare planes such as this F-100 Super Sabre were common. This plane was in pretty good shape as many were, though some had seen some damage from the weather. There were a number of Vietnam era planes, some dating to the Korean War and before (though nothing earlier than just after World War II). There was even a NASA flown Hawker Kestrel which was the direct forerunner of the AV-8B Harrier which is (still) flown by the United States Marines, and the Royal Navy. In the background of this photo you can see (left to right) a US Army Jupiter missile, and a US Navy Polaris submarine missile. This is stuff you just don't see everyday!
In much better than typical shape, was this Mercury/Little Joe combination. Very, very rare, the Little Joe was made to save money (costing some $200,000 each) in testing of the Mercury escape system. The orange rockets at the very top were designed to pull the spacecraft (and its single astronaut) away from an exploding or failing rocket in the event of an emergency. Some eight Little Joe's were used to test the system. Though this system (also used on the Apollo Spacecraft) was never used in the US, a Russian crew was saved when their rocket exploded and rockets much like this lifted their capsule away and parachutes lowered them back to earth away from the blast. Such a system is being developed for the Orion spacecraft which looks much like Apollo and is planned to replace the Space Shuttle (though that program is facing some problems due to being behind schedule and over budget. Plans are to let private companies run flights into Earth orbit outside of the government (who would pay for their services) rather than running "government spacecraft".
Many of the planes were common type aircraft such as A-7's, F-86's, and F4's (not that it was not neat to see them) but also very rare types such as this F-89 Scorpion which first flew in 1948! Neat to see a very early US jet fighter (this one built by Northrop) as well as a research aircraft such as the NASA flown Kestrel. Throw in rockets such as the Jupiter (seen behind this plane) as well as some "badly needing paint" rockets such as the Nike-Ajax and the Nike-Hercules and you have a very interesting park to visit. I should also mention that admission was free, and you can't beat that in times such as these. From the condition of many of the items, it was apparent that they do get attention from time to time, so while some may need some work, others have gotten some. Air Power Park was a neat and very fun find indeed!

Virginia Air and Space Museum (October 30, 2010)

Day in Hampton, Va turned out to be most amazing; and will be the theme of three posts; starting with this one. On a cool, crisp Saturday morning, got in the car and headed to the Virginia Air and Space Museum in Hampton, Va. A nice pleasant drive and less than 90 minutes later and I was paying the admission price plus the cost of the IMAX 3-D movie (that was " Frontiers of Flight" and I enjoyed it a great deal) for a total of $18. Liked the very striking building that houses the museum, and enjoyed the walk up to it. Inside though was what I had come to check out, and was amazed at the variety of sights inside the massive complex.

Have been a fan of the space program for a number of years, so was excited to see the Command Module of Apollo 12. Apollo 12 launched on November 14, 1969 and landed on the moon in the area known as the "Ocean of Storms" November 19 in the Lunar Module "Intrepid". Richard Gordon orbited alone in the "Yankee Clipper" seen here. Both were Navy names, as the crew was all-Navy. The LM left the moon on November 20, and the three men landed back on Earth in this ship on November 24. Many other space items can be found in the museum, including some other spacecraft such as a Mercury capsule and many unmanned craft.

Of course, there are a number of interesting aircraft, such as these seen at right. Not just warplanes though, they include civilian aircraft, replica aircraft (including a good replica of the 1903 Wright Flyer), and a number of rockets of various types. Also of interest to me were a number of space and flight simulators covering a wide range of air and spacecraft. I was pretty good on the aircraft simulators, not so good on trying to land the Lunar Module (managing to crash it into the moon in all three modes). I did have a great time trying it. There is a lot of things of note for just about anyone with any interest in space or aviation.
Many of the displays can be seen up close, many others from the raised walkways around the displays. The aircraft and other displays were all in good working order (in the case of those items that simulated or demonstrated something of aviation interest) and and the planes being indoor were in very good shape (that will be of note in my next post on the Air Power Park in Hampton, VA). There were also a number of other items such as flight suits, and other aviation artifacts of note. I thought the museum did a good job of covering flight from its earliest days, to future missions to Mars and beyond. I felt it was well worth the money. The IMAX had good comfortable seats, and was in good repair.
Finally, had to close this section with this moon rock. Seen here, the photo does not do it justice, it was the largest one I have seen on display (and I have seen a few. Brought back from Apollo 17's mission in December 1972 it was found to be some 3.67 billion years old. There was also a piece of Mars which came from the famous Mars meteorite of many years back.
I did not know quite what to expect, but found the visit very worthwhile, the museum staff friendly and helpful, and my time spent there very enjoyable. The variety of items and the quality of what was on display made me glad I went, and I can see myself returning for another visit in the future.

To and from the Air Show (September 18, 2010)

As I noted in my previous post, visited Naval Air Station Oceana to see the 2010 Air Show held there (and can see some photos in my previous post). I enjoyed a most remarkable time at the event. This was my first visit to the area, and I liked it a great deal. It is always nice to be surrounded by heroes in the sky and on the ground of the US Navy, Marines, and the US Air Force of which I was once proud to be a member. Being by the sea, and unfortunately after getting out of the show short of daylight, I did stop off the highway and took this photo of sunset at a nearby beach near the tunnel just outside of Virginia Beach.
Photo at left is of two Navy aircraft carriers, and really put the "snap" in snapshot...took it real quick with my camera as I drove by what I believe was the Norfolk Navy base. I have been on that base (also on Oceana) "some years ago", and Norfolk Naval Station is still (I am pretty sure) the largest Navy base in the world. Navy pilots land multi-million dollar high performance aircraft on the ships pitching decks manned by thousands of US sailors and Marines who spend long periods of time working long hours far from home and family. It is a tough job, but they are the best in the world in what they do. They are a remarkable group of men and women!
One more quick shot from my dirty windshield. The tunnel on the way to Virginia Beach was a remarkable thing. For one thing, it was very long, and for under it went under the water. I was told to go early before the traffic got bad as it could back up (and as you can see, I took that advice). On the way back though, the tunnel was packed though moving heading toward Richmond. Heading back toward Virginia Beach, the tunnel traffic was at a virtual standstill for miles!!! Talk about a piece of luck, if I was heading in the other direction, I would probably not be writing this now, I would be trying to get back home to Richmond.
Certainly a very interesting area, I look forward to checking out Virginia Beach proper when I have more time in the very near future. As with the Carolina and their love of "The Beach" (usually, but not always they are talking about Myrtle Beach...though Folly Beach in Charleston, and Carolina Beach near Wilmington, NC are also visited often) Richmond likes to go to Virginia Beach. There is nothing like being near the ocean, and I enjoyed my time in the area today!

Pony Pasture (August 5, 2010)

Second time is the charm; found the Pony Pasture Rapids on my second trip to the area. Suspected that I had missed a turn, and that was the case (though did enjoy the drive a couple of days ago, and in fact re-drove the area after visiting the park). Nice area with a great view of the James River. Good crowd there on a very hot (like 100 degrees hot) Richmond day. As I have noted in the past, lived for a few years in the Louisville, Kentucky area and loved the Ohio River. The Ohio River was the center of much of the really good activity (Thunder Over Louisville and a slew of concerts) in the city, and for Richmond it is much the same.

Rapids on the river bring a lot of tubers and kayaking, and photo at left has a group setting off. The James is very rocky at spots, but those make some great areas for swimming platforms, and make it a different sort of river. Lots of ducks and other birds and animals there; was a really peaceful place indeed. I was very glad I found it, and will be returning there from time to time in the months and years to come. In fact, both this and Forest Hill Park are a few of my favorite places to visit, which also would have to include Maymont Park, which is a remarkable thing. I wonder what parks remain to be found that I have yet to see?
In fact, Maymont Park will be having a Jazz Festival on August 14-15 which will have some 25 acts for a very reasonable price. Some of the proceeds will benefit the park, and it should be a really good event. There is certainly always something interesting in Richmond to do and see. I do get frustrated with people at work who like me have come from Carolina; afraid (I imagine) to go out, and have nothing to say but "there is nothing to do or see here". I frankly have been amazed at what I have discovered here, and look forward to seeing what will be coming up. Richmond I have found is a fun and interesting town with a lot to offer to those who get out and explore it. To this point, it has been a real pleasure to live here!

Cherokee Road Cruise (August 3, 2010)

Was not really the plan, via Yahoo directions I was going to check out the famous "Pony Pasture", but I must have missed the turn. Did enjoy the drive down this road though which runs (for the most part) along the James River. In fact, the items at right were pulled some years ago out of the James River (according to the sign at the bottom of the item in the left in the photo). According to the info found there; that left item is a "Cannon mold"...hot metal was poured into it to make Confederate cannon such as the one seen at left. Always wondered how they did that, know now I guess. The Civil War is never far away in the Richmond area for sure.

Second big surprise were the many large houses on Cherokee Road. Had quite a few (for lack of a better term) "mansions" both new and old there. Course, as I know from Louisville and Charlotte living waterside living seems to bring out the big money places. This one though at left I thought was very interesting; something different than the usual run of the mill house. Not a great photo (did not want to be on the road too long, some big logging trucks were running on the road, and sure one had my name on its front end) but this was one house. Made for a very interesting drive today, and enjoyed that area.
Also of note were the houses on Old Gun Road which took me back toward Midlothian Turnpike. Like Cherokee Road, some really remarkable places to see. Glad I got out even though missed the Pony Pasture (still lots of time here to find it though).

Child Savers Ride/Greek Festival (June 5, 2010)

To be honest, had planned to be riding my motorcycle today to Lincolnton, NC to a big bike, bbq and band festival held there called "Hog Happenin"; but work had other plans. Yeah grateful to have a job, lucky (blah, blah, blah) but at any case made the best of it. For work is later in the day, right now there is a lot going on in Richmond. For instance, note the sign at right. It is at the old abandoned (mostly abandoned as there is a Bank of America branch and a Firestone still there) mall known as Cloverleaf Mall. Told that back in the day it was really something, but now is mostly closed. Yesterday though it was given this new sign...will soon be Stonebridge and a Kroger is coming in 2011. Will keep an eye on this in the months to come as I go by it about every day on the Midlothian Turnpike. This was the site where the Child Savers Charity Ride was going to leave from. Expected were some 500+ motorcycles and of course their riders and some passengers as well. If I can't get out and ride my motorcycle, its always fun to hang out for a while with some bikers and to check out their rides.
Here you see part of the group which was due to head out at 9:30 am. The ride is sponsored and put together by The Tuskegee Airman Motorcycle Club of Virginia. Not a gang, the Tuskegee Airmen ride for the fun of it, and do this as well as other charity rides and events during the year. The group is named in honor of the famous Tuskegee Airmen of WWII who broke racial barriers flying P-51 Mustang fighters in bomber escort missions over Germany. They were one of the most effective escort groups of the war, and proved that black pilots were fully the equal of white ones. Many bomber pilots owed their lives to those brave men. As for me, checked out the fine motorcycles and enjoyed talking with some of the riders.

I left from there, and went to the Greek Festival. I got there early (as noted, don't have a lot of time today) and checked out some of the great food, enjoyed some of the music, and noted that the lines got long early. There was a lot to see and do there. I also enjoyed a pre-event walk down Grove Street, which is a very nice street with some interesting houses and condos. The event (which runs through Sunday June 6) was a lot of fun; and the food is remarkable.
Having to work kind of spoils a day, but Richmond sure takes a lot of the depression out of spending a Saturday inside with much going on. Even more happening tomorrow, and looking forward to a great Sunday in the city. Certainly there is a lot going on in town, and that is a beautiful thing indeed!

Jamestown, and Back to Richmond

Back on the remarkable Colonial Parkway for a second time from Yorktown, drove to nearby Jamestown. This was the site of the first English settlement in the New World. Think its kind of wild that it is so close to the battlefield that largely ended the British rule in nearby Yorktown, Va, but that would be a long time later. This monument was put up many years ago at the 300th anniversary of their landing at Jamestown under the leadership of John Smith. Jamestown was at a beautiful place, on the shore of the mighty York River, and on an island. The built a fort there, housing, government buildings, later a tavern (to me...a mark of civilization), and it eventually turned into a thriving community at least for a time. Certainly they had many difficult days. In a museum on the grounds are the remains of one colonist who was killed by a bullet to his leg (and the bullet is still lodged in his bone!). James town is interesting both for the recreations there, and the actual things that can be seen from the colony. It is both a historical site and a research facility used to study the past.
The church here is the fourth or fifth built here, and has some of the oldest remains building wise in Jamestown. There are a lot of above ground recreations of what has been found under the ground. I read that those were reburied after being dug up to preserve them; exposure to air would soon decompose the materials used back in the colony. In addition to those recreations, and the old buildings, a museum on the site shows many of the relics that have been found to date on the site. They have ranged from bodies, to weapon parts (metal as the wood of guns for instance is long gone), and many day to day items that have been found.
This is a photo of the recreated fort on the grounds of the original fort and an on-going excavation which has been underway. Jamestown still probably holds a lot of discoveries and that makes it all the more exciting. I really enjoyed the visit to Jamestown.
However, it was a very remarkable day with a visit though short to three fine places: Jamestown, Yorktown, and Colonial Williamsburg. I will certainly be returning to that area and ranging beyond, in addition to more exploring in the Richmond area. This region certainly has a great deal to offer!

Colonial Williamsburg

Took my show on the road (as if I don't get in enough driving) but a worthwhile road trip in Virginia today. First stop was at Colonial Williamsburg which is just up I-64 from Richmond. Williamsburg was the original capital of Virginia, and the "Colonial" section of the town is a recreation of what life would have been like in Williamsburg of the period. The journey was suggested by a friend of mine at work, who knows I am a history buff and figured I would enjoy it a great deal. He was absolutely correct in that regard. Was a great day under blue skies and with 70 degree temperatures for a nice walk, and this was a nice place to walk around.
Photo at left is of the "Governors Palace" which is one of the larger buildings in the area. As I understand, many of the recreations are on the original foundations of what was there "back in the day". There is a lot of attention to detail, including many who portray from the era on the site , and that ads a nice touch. It was a very beautiful area to explore and I enjoyed the walk to see what they had to offer. It is certainly not perfect, and maybe a bit commercial in places, but it was a great deal of fun. It helped to make history come alive of an era that at least in my old part of the world gets short attention over more modern times in history.
This is one of the many houses, liked this photo both for the house and the look of spring. While in the area also took a walk around nearby William and Mary College. Very pretty campus, and I believe that it is a the second oldest college in North America, which is pretty cool. Only got a quick look at Williamsburg outside of the Colonial Williamsburg part, but it had a great deal to offer. I will be putting more photos on my photo page from this visit, and you can see more of the area there.
While it was a great visit to this area, the day was not over yet...I had more to see!

Virginia Drizzle Drive (September 26, 2009)

Spending another weekend in Richmond, and this one has been gray and overcast, with bits of spitting rain. However, figured it was a good day to get in a little morning exploring. I started out with a drive to Colonial Harley-Davidson and nearby Burcham Cycles in Prince George, VA. I am a motorcycle fan, and enjoyed visiting those shops. Colonial sells (duh) Harley-Davidson (but also Buell Motorcycles...many HD dealers have dropped the Buell line) and Burcham sells Kawasaki (I have a Vulcan Classic waiting for me in Concord, NC), Suzuki and Yamaha motorcycles. It was a nice quick drive out to the shops; Burcham was a nice surprise.
As for the photo above, that is the library at Hopewell, VA. I have been to Hopewell on a previous visit, but liked the town and wanted to give it a "second look" to see some of what I missed last time. Library building is striking on the outside, but really liked the inside as well.
Not far from the library is the Beacon Theater. I read someplace that it has been fixed up on the inside, and is used. I like old buildings, and Hopewell had quite a few. Kannapolis, NC has a great old theater (The Gem, previously featured on these pages) which is used to show first run movies, and is a great place to see films thanks to its great old balconies. Not sure what The Beacon is used for, but nice to see it in use and not in ruins. Charlotte, NC does not keep old places, they tear them down and build new ones; and I do miss the history there that can be found here.
In fact, I really got a feel for that at City Point. Wandered around the area there looking at many of the old houses. Many dated to the Civil War period when City Point was a major Union supply depot, and had roles to play in the war. Some of the houses were used by Union troops and the river was filled with tents, cabins, ships, horses pulling wagons, and thousands of Union troops.


Among those troops was General Grant, and this was the cabin he stayed in as City Point was also his headquarters during the Battle for Petersburg. I had another photo of it during my earlier visit, but this is another view. The cabin has been on display (moved from another site to where it was) for over 100 years, so only 10% of the wood is "original", but the design is the same. City Point also has the big house nearby to tour, and best of all, its all free. It also has great views of the river, and was a nice place to wander on a cool gray Virginia day.


It was a very enjoyable morning and early afternoon in Prince George, Hopewell and City Point, Va. I got to see more of Hopewell than I planned, as I got a little lost during the drive; but that is part of the fun of exploring. It was a very good day!

On the Rest Stop Issue...A Road Warrior Perspective

As expected as I saw the signs posted near the planned closings on my last trip to Richmond, the state today closed 18 rest areas in Virginia, including a number along my well traveled route from Richmond to basically the NC border. I like the rest areas, they offer a peaceful oasis along the route, have at times been a good place to duck during severe storms, good location to check out real and possible car problems, and of course those all important rest rooms. Sometimes its just a good place to get out, and get away from the seat of the car for a bit. I have used rest areas for picnics (when traveling to other places with my wife) though not during these solo trips to Virginia.
Will just have to adapt to the change; often make a stop in South Hill, VA for food on the way back, and often on the way up. Have made a fuel stop during my trip to move into the apartment here in the rental truck; many places along the road are sort of well off the road and kind of isolated. Sure this will make a lot of changes to the traveling public....but not much else we can do.
West Virginia travel centers are pretty commercial; have a number of places to eat in them, and also many gift shops. I guess that will be (if I had to bet) the future of the rest stops here, think that they will eventually go that route. Better that then to just leave them closed.
I understand the state has to save some money, and its always sad when its your ox is gored. This may be a safety issue for some, especially big rigs, and older folks (plus a real issue for families with children). It has even gotten to be a issue with the election as candidates are promising a quick re-opening.

Two weeks in Richmond

Coming near the end of a two week period in Richmond, VA. Work has been a real slog lately, with a lot of problems with equipment, and long hours. Friday nights tend to go into the early Saturday hours.....yeah, I am grateful to have a job, but sure would not mind a little less of it. Over the weekend just stuck close to the apartment. Interesting place, saw a car towed the other night. Owners and passengers came running out of their apartment (saw this as I was pulling up at 11pm after work) and talked to the tow truck driver. Looked like some money changed hands, the pickup truck was lowered from the lift, and they all drove away. Anyhow, visited the pool some, gave the DVD player a workout (watched The Dark Knight....yeah, its been out a while, but sure glad I saw that one, best of the Batman movies), and mostly relaxed. Good thing, as this is shaping up to be another wild week.
Probably will head back to NC this afternoon. Did see that there is a Motorcycle show at Hooters of Chesterfield this Saturday from noon to ? (ad did not say ending time). Depending on when I head out, will be possibly roll out there. Course, have my motorcycle in North Carolina and the only thing better than looking at motorcycles is riding them. In fact, due to the bike being there, and me being often here, looking at getting a PC Motorcycle game. As a former flight crewman on a Navy plane miss flying, and enjoy my flight simulators. Think it might be fun checking out a motorcycle sim (and as a bonus, get to ride a MotoGP sportbike at least virtually). Amazing how real the flight sims are; after many hours of Microsoft Flight Simulator, doing the real thing in a "Discovery Flight" had that been there/done that feeling.
Have also been reading some local blogs. One of note that really made me smile when I needed it was "Working Stiff" which is about working in Richmond, VA. I really enjoyed that blog. I also have enjoyed reading "Journey to Ironman" which is about bicycling, but some good stuff in there. Makes me want to put some new tires on the old Huffy and get out for a bit on that (plus with the rising fuel prices, be a cheap way to get out in the wind).
Next post will be on the weekend in North Carolina, looking forward to being back with family and friends there.

A short visit to Petersburg, VA

On my trips past it, heading to North Carolina, have seen Petersburg from the highway. On Friday, having time to make a easy drive for a change, I stopped to take a look. While there just an hour, got a good interesting look at some of the city, and liked what I saw. For instance the Courthouse at left dated to the Civil War, and the clock tower was used to track time both by Confederate and Union Soldiers. When the American flag was raised over the city on April 3, 1865 it signaled the end of the battle for Petersburg.


I also wandered around the old section of Petersburg. I saw many interesting stores there, and enjoyed checking out the old buildings. Seems to be a lot of history to be found in that area, as well as many shops, places to eat, and things to explore. I have been told that it can be a rather dangerous town, but did not have any problems in the area, rather as with most of Virginia found the people I encountered to be very friendly and in fact did not see a great many people at all on what was a very quiet Friday morning.



This third photo was the old railyard. During the Civil War,Union troops burned the trains that were there. Petersburg was an important supply and communications depot for Richmond, and with its fall the door to Richmond was open, and the end of the war was just days away. The battlefield is nearby and I will in a future trip to the area explore that as well, and am looking forward to it. All in all, it was a most remarkable visit, and a very pleasant one as well. I have been amazed at all the sights that I have seen so far, and pleased at the things that I have come across in my travels. This is certainly a most remarkable state.
Writing this from my home in North Carolina, where I had a very enjoyable motorcycle ride today with a good friend, and am looking forward to sharing some of that in my next post.