More from October 22, 2011

Had some problems with the previous post, so here are some more photos. I mentioned Aluminaut at the Virginia Science Center, here you can see it. One of the great deep diving submarines, it was used to explore the deeper parts of the oceans. This display is open at one end so you can look inside the submarine. As I noted in the previous post, it is a very fine museum, and is located on Broad Street. As I also noted went there to see the Air And Space Museum (in Washington, DC) space suit display, and that you can see a photo of on my previous post. I had a good time there on a very fine fall day in Richmond, but there was more.
I went to the Chesterfield County Airport to see the planes from the Collins Foundation. Not often you can see history fly, and these were some rare and flying aircraft. There was a P-51C fighter, a Consolidated B-24 and a Boeing B-17. Those planes were some of the major planes for the United States during WWII against Germany, and in fact the types were also used against Japan. Very few flying examples exist today out of the many thousands that were built during the war years. Most of them were scrapped at the end of the war, and in fact propeller planes were obsolete due to the jets which came on scene near the end of the war.
In previous post I mentioned the car/bike show I came across on West Broad Street, here you can see one of the cars there. I have a few more photos on my Photo Page, of what turned out to be a very interesting day. Often I find out about events in the area via the Richmond Times web site, or Richmond.com but in this case I was driving and just came across this event. Glad I did there were some remarkable things to see. I also made a visit during the day to the Virginia War Memorial which now has a very interesting museum (opened last year I am told) with some really unique items to check out there. It was a very fun day, and I enjoyed it a great deal!

Exploring Richmond on an October day (October 22, 2011)

An interesting day in Richmond, one of many I have had here, just got out to see a few things. One of the events I came across was the Car/bike show on West Broad Street. I was heading out that way to see some motorcycles, did not expect to see ones like this. Did not know the show was going on...saw it happening and turned in to check it out. Have another photo (of one of the cars) below, and also more photos on my Photo Page from sights seen during the day. This is a very unique sort of custom; some are built for looks and some are built for speed-this bike is built for both, and I really enjoyed this and some other motorcycles I saw there.
At the Virginia Science Center they have a display of space suits which is part of a display from the Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC. These were training suits, but if you wanted to take a walk on the moon, this is what you would want to wear. Good photos there of some other suits worn over the years of US Spaceflight, and many other related items to check out.
The museum was years ago the Broad Street Train Station, and the building is on the National Register of Historic Places. Lots of displays to check out there, and I enjoyed my second visit to the museum. They do charge admission, but there is a lot to see and do there:many of the displays are interactive and they cover a lot of areas. There is also a train there to see, and the research submarine "Aluminaut" which was used to explore the deepest parts of the ocean. Well worth checking out the Virginia Science Center-one of the fine museums in this city. The space suit exhibit runs through the end of December.

Views from the Motorcycle (October 16, 2011)

Well, the photo from left was part of the motorcycle ride, it is the Union County Courthouse in Monroe, NC. I had not been on the motorcycle (other than a short ride to bring it home from the shop three weeks ago) and this was my first real ride on a warm Sunny Sunday this October 16. Like riding to Monroe, its a neat Carolina city-something like 32,000 live there. An old downtown with some really neat houses, and there will be an air show there November 4-6 at the Monroe Airport. The courthouse seen here was built in 1886 and is a very beautiful building. I enjoy seeing these old places, and to be honest there are very few places that old in Charlotte-or even near that old. Some of the outlying towns and cities though have kept and restored some of the old historic buildings and even re-use a great many of them for other purposes. Textile Mills seems to be very popular as office buildings and condos for instance. Concord has a fairly old racetrack, which got a lot of activity this weekend- the Bank of America 500 was run this weekend, watched that on tv, but could hear the cars from my back deck at the house.
As for this sight, this was prior to the ride, took this photo of the Dinwiddie County Airport. I was told fuel was cheaper in Dinwiddie than in Richmond (and it was!) and before heading back down the road, I stopped for a quick visit at the airport (though I have been there before). A while back there was a C-130 there, but that now has been moved to its new home at Ft. Lee. Nice airport though-this terminal I learned (from the web site) was built in 2002. The airport was started around World War II and I suppose the site was given to the county at the end of the war, It has been greatly improved since then. The airport is located at I-85 and Rt 460 in Dinwiddie.
In addition to the ride to Monroe, I also rode to Charlotte. I love going to Charlotte, there is a great deal to see and do there. In fact I will be back over the Halloween weekend-On Saturday October 29, a number of Charlotte Museums and other places of interest will be free to explore. It is part of the Wells Fargo Community Day in Charlotte, NC, and there will be other events as well. Of course also going on is Occupy Charlotte-as that is the home to many banks including Bank of America which has its Headquarters there (that is the big building in the center of this photo). Politics aside (though the Democratic National Convention will be held in Charlotte, next year), the city has a lot to offer and is a very interesting place. My ride today covered some 80 miles over 2.5 hours and also took me past North Davidson (the art district of Charlotte, aka "NoDa") and into University City (the home of UNCC). I enjoyed it a great deal, it felt good to have my "knees in the breeze" once again after a long down period to get the motorcycle repaired, and also due to some rainy weather. Neither was a problem today.
After a great weekend at home, back in Richmond as I write this, and looking forward to an interesting week. Missed (again) the Richmond Folk Festival, but will get that in hopefully in the next year. Have enjoyed many fun musical events the last few weeks in Richmond, and I am sure there will be more to come. Blessed to get to spend time in two very interesting states with a number of very interesting cities.

Taste of India/OystoberFest (October 8, 2011)

Interesting sort of day in the RVA, hit a couple of small festivals starting with the Festival of India 2011 at the Greater Richmond Convention Center. While I was there, saw this car, which was last owned by one John Dillinger. He was of course a famous Indiana Depression era outlaw, and had quite a colorful history. He had this car for a long time, finally crashing it in (I believe) 1934. Later he became quite fond of Ford's (this is not one, I can't remember the brand but it is no longer made) and wrote a letter to Henry Ford. He died right after watching a movie in Chicago on July 22, 1934. He has a very interesting story, and was one of the more colorful gangsters of the day.
Festival of India was held at the Greater Richmond Convention Center. I believe it is one of the oldest festivals of its time, celebrated 30 years this year. It was a cool thing, while in the USN never made it to India, but enjoyed the colorful clothing worn, the smells of the good food on hand (tis quite the food festival) and some very interesting dancing as seen here at right. A very interesting culture, and a fine and friendly people. I liked both that, and the first visit to the Greater Richmond Convention Center which is an interesting and massive place. Nice to visit this event, as a man who did a lot of flying around much of the world-we are not that far apart.
Finally, the Orderlies are seen here at OystoberFest which was held at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Ginter Park. It was a first time for me both for the festival and for that area of Richmond. Had a good time, marvel both at the skill of musicians in the area, and also the fine beer selections at the festivals. Lots of good stuff besides "Miller and Bud" which is pretty cool. I also am a big fan of oysters, and the theme of this event was pretty cool. As always, nice people here and had a great time at this event.
Seeing some hints of fall here in the RVA, won't be long until this area is a blaze of color and I am looking forward to it. Hope to bring some of that in my next post here. Thanks for visiting this page!

Richmond, A Fine Fall Day Part 2 (October 1, 2011)

I had a GREAT time in one of my favorite areas of Richmond (Church Hill) at Libby Hill Park, where I went to Hogtober held there on October 1. It was a nice (and free admission) event with bands, good food and as they called them "golden beverages". Nice selection of those golden beverages too. Barbeque was there from Halligan Bar and Grill, Alamo Barbeque, Buz and Ned's and Extra Billy's. It was a good chance to check out some different places to eat in Richmond. I had the Extra Billy's and it was really good and my first time to have it. I got there early before the crowd really rolled in, though not long after this it was packed, and the music cranked up.
I had a lot planned for the day (see Part 1 of this post for the rest of the day) but I did check out the entire set by "Rosie Soul and the Rock and Roll Cowboys". I had seen them (and learned of the event, which was put on by Style Magazine by the way) on tv the day before and thought they were pretty good. They were pretty good, and greatly enjoyed the music. Richmond has some really good and creative bands, and have been lucky to see a number of them. They had a full day of music there, unfortunately I did not have a full day to check them all out, but I had a great time with this band. It was a really fun event!
Libby Hill Park has some remarkable views. This one is especially notable. Founder of Richmond named the city for this view which reminded him of an area named Richmond in the London, England area. The James River is a major part of the city of Richmond, and the center of much of the city activities. There are some great and interesting things to see and do along the James River and over the past few years I have seen and done many of them...but there is still much to do and much to see in this very interesting town. I do have a good time here, and enjoy what Richmond has to offer, it is a fun town with fine people.
This view is also from Libby Hill Park, looking toward nearby Shockoe Bottom, and downtown Richmond, VA. Many of the old tobacco factories (which the Lucky Strike building was one of) have been converted to apartments and condos. Richmond does not bulldoze the past, they tend to re-cycle it as seen here. Of course, there is a lot of new in Richmond. I have a few more photos from the day out on my Photo Page and there is a link to it on this page if you would like to see a few more. Thanks for visiting, and I hope you enjoyed the photos here!

Richmond, A Fine Fall Day Part 1 (October 1, 2011)

Had a full day in Richmond, VA on October 1. Went to downtown following a great time at Hogtober (the Part 2 of this post) in Church Hill, but also went by Octoberfest. While walking to that, wandered by the Capital of Virginia. The building was designed by Thomas Jefferson, and is quite an impressive sight Entrance is right in front of it, have to go through security to walk through it. Worth that, cause there is a lot of history in that building, and it is quite a sight to check out inside. In fact older posts of this site have some photos from inside. The Governor of Virginia also lives on the grounds of this area, and has a very nice house there.
Took this photo at Octoberfest at the Capital Ale House. Was quite an adventure to get to it, due to the fact that section of Main Street was closed, and as you can see from the crowd parking was quite a job, so I got a little walk in. Walking in Richmond though is pretty cool, and I got some good photos while I was out, so no problem. Actually, did not get any beer there, I did however get a collectable beer stein there, which was pretty cool. Always fun being downtown, and they also had some German food, German bands, and people in ethnic German clothing. Crowd seemed to be having a good time, and it was nice being there.
Earlier I went (actually the start of the day) to Drewery's Bluff (aka Ft. Darling) where a group of Civil War Re-enactors were set up. They had a lot of displays of period items from the Civil War, and there was also a park service ranger there to give details on the Naval Battle on the James River there. Basically, during the Civil War, a Union fleet came up the James River (which included the famous Ironclad USS Monitor, and was driven off from guns based on the fort above the James River. Some of those guns were from the scuttled Confederate Ironclad CSA Virginia (formerly the Union ship USS Merrimack) I enjoyed seeing these displays at the fort.
Finally, the day ended at Mulligans Sports Bar, where I watched with a friend from work the University of Louisville vs Marshall University football game (Louisville lost). We had a good time though, and that is really nice place. I liked the upper deck and got a photo of it when I checked it out. It was a very good time, and win or lose Mulligans was a nice place to watch the game. I have a few more photos on my photo page and there is a link to that on this page. Saw a lot of interesting things in what is a fun and interesting city....Richmond, Virginia, USA.

Carolina Hurricanes in Charlotte (September 25, 2011)

Though after Irene, the name "Hurricane" brings a sigh to Richmond, VA, enjoyed a different sort at Time Warner Cable Arena when the NHL Carolina Hurricane met the Winnipeg Jets on the ice. Thankfully, Time Warner is not the owner of the arena. I don't use them in Charlotte, there I have more options for internet and television. Here in Richmond the choices are more limited; stuck with Comcast or the equally expensive (and pretty much as poorly rated) Verizon. Customer service is a real challenge (seems to be outsourced for the most part from the people I have been talking to). I send in the check every month, but sure hate writing that one!
Anyhow, as you can see in the first photo, and at the left, Charlotte has a light rail system. It got a lot of heat from right wing groups who said it would be a total failure. Actually, it has done quite well, being both a great way to get around much of the city and also has been a driver for a whole lot of local businesses and development especially along South Blvd. Not to mention that it saves a bunch of cash on fuel charges. Government it is said does nothing right and private business can do no wrong-well as I have noted with Comcast and in the case of the Lynx Light Rail, that is not always the case. Public transportation is an idea I think which is going to be growing in the future.
As to the game, it was pretty cool. First time the Raleigh based Carolina Hurricane had played in Charlotte, and though a pre-season game attendance was a bit over 10,000. Good action, Time Warner Cable Arena is the home to the ECHL Charlotte Checkers and the NBA Charlotte Bobcats. The Winnipeg Jets were formerly the Atlanta Thrashers. The game was won by Carolina 4-0, and though it did not count in the standings of the upcoming season, it was pretty cool to watch. I like hockey, and these guys were flat good, and the best of the best. Enjoyed the game though there was not one fight on the ice, which is strange at a hockey game. Went with my son, and we had a great time in Rainy Charlotte; really poured all weekend. Still, nothing like a little indoor entertainment in the Queen City on a rainy day.

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!

Richmond on the Last Day in July (July 31, 2011)

Have not spent a long time wandering Richmond lately, due to circumstances, but did today. Took the photo at right at Rocketts Landing in Richmond, very nice area of the city with a new place (its further below). Its a high dollar area of the city with some pretty pricy condos and apartments in what is an up and coming area of the city. Have been surprised that Richmond being a river town makes so little use as far as businesses of its river view; but now as I learned this weekend there are now three places where you can enjoy the view: Legends, The Boathouse (at Rocketts Landing) and also now Conch Republic (photo below).

Got two photos here from Shockoe Bottom. Very neat part of town, but also areas that get a lot of grief from the police. All sorts of warnings there about traveling in groups, but never have had any problems there. Not sure if it is because I am careful or lucky. 17th Street Market is interesting, but never seen anything of interest there. Do like the Canal Cruise there though have yet to take the cruise (but while I am here, I will). Richmond put a lot of money into that project, not sure it has really paid off in the way the investment planned. That happens though.

Photo of the building in Shockoe Bottom is the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, posted by Thomas Jefferson in 1777. In 1786 the Virginia Assembly made it state law. It is one of the three achievements in his life that Thomas Jefferson had put on his tomb. It was the foundation of separation of church and state in the US, and for those who worship the thoughts of the founding fathers, a message to those who would make this nation a Christian republic.
The last photo is of Conch Republic, a new place at Rocketts Landing in Richmond. Nice place and has very nice happy hour prices. Food prices from what I saw were very high, but a good Sunday crowd, and I hope this place makes it...I can easily see myself coming by there again and again. Liked the music, the view, and the service was very good.
Nice time in Richmond on a less than it has been hot sunday in the city, and looking forward to the next one. This is a very interesting city.

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.

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.

Last Day of Spring (June 20, 2011)

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

Southside Super Show: The Cars and Trucks (June 12, 2011)

Great show at the ROC, June 12 on Midlothian Turnpike. It was free and open to the public, and they brought a number of great vehicles in (motorcycles of note can be seen on my "Racing with the Wind" page via this site, as well as on my Photo Page). Enjoyed seeing vehicles such as these trucks, one very tall, the other very long. A nice contrast and some massive trucks at the show. I really enjoyed these two and thought it was a really good pair among many. There was a lot to see at the show, had a really good turnout. Of course $5,000 in prizes will bring some of the best in the area out and this did. As Car/Truck/Bike shows go, this was pretty good!
Seen here is a fine looking Chevy truck, a lot of chrome on this one. I have a friend in NC who has a truck along these lines, they are really popular vehicles in the South. The pickup truck is your basic vehicle both in NC and in VA from what I have seen. They are great for hauling people, as work trucks, and as just fun vehicles to drive. In our family we owned a very fine Chevy S-10 for a number of years and it came in very handy quite a few times. This truck dates back to the time when trucks were made of steel and were built to last. This one has been on the roads for many decades, but you would never know it from the look of it. A very fine custom job!
I threw this in because it is very unique. I am pretty sure I saw this last weekend at a car show that we stumbled across in Chesterfield, its a VW Bus. This is the favorite vehicle of Deadheads, who filled them up in going around the country following their favorite rock and roll band, "The Grateful Dead".
Speaking of music, the event had a lot of music, though that was Christian Rock and Rap, though I enjoyed that. Most car shows have 50's sort of music, so it was a nice change, and considering the venue, it was to be understood (as was the total lack of beer sales there). Had a great time though wandering around, was no problem!
I liked this car because it was unique, and also that I had one of these. Its a Ford Maverick, which is like one I drove back in 1971. Surprised to see one of these, you do from time to time but not very often. An early Econo-car from the US, they had a lot of problems with how to make one that would last back in the 1970's. This Maverick though was outstanding, and really brought back some memories. I even had mag wheels on mine back then; though not as nice as I remember as what was on this version (though it has been a long time ago). Nice bit of engine work in this engine too, the original Maverick was a lot more basic. Enjoyed checking out this car.
Finally this truck (also a Ford) is notable as it was one of the many "low riders" in the show. To be honest, not a big thing in North Carolina. Thought they were very cool though.
The show was a very neat thing, with great music, motorcycle stunt shows, a whole lot of interesting cars, trucks and bikes, and a whole lot of fun and friendly people (the people part is typical of being in Virginia). Had a great time, and if they have this again in 2012, I will make it a point if possible to check it out again. They have some really good car shows (for lack of a better term) in Virginia from what I have seen, for sure they give NC a run for their money.