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.

Richmond International Airport, June 25, 2011

While at the Virginia Aviation Museum (see previous post) I also made a visit to Richmond International Airport. The airport, which I read is the busiest airport in Virginia, is located in Sandston, Va, some five miles East of Richmond. The airport was started as Richard Evelyn Byrd Flying Field in 1927. Among those present for the opening of the airport was Charles Lindbergh. The area had an even earlier history, some military balloons of the Civil War (the earliest use of military aviation in the US) were flown from nearby fields according to some accounts I have read. The airport has changed and grown greatly since its opening in 1927.
The airport is very open and airy as befits a place where people take to the sky. There are a number of shops just short of the boarding checkpoints, the usual airport assortment of restaurants and bookstores. Good waiting area for people there waiting for arriving or departing flights. The airport had a few cars on display, and was very clean. It was a light travel time when I was there, though there were a few people heading for flights. I think the biggest year for the airport was in 2007 when some 3,634, 544 flew out or into the airport. However, that data may not be totally accurate, though I think the recession has impacted it.
As seen in here, very open area. I like the high roof and the impression of it is very positive. The new terminal was dedicated in July 30, 2007. Eight airlines (American, Delta, JetBlue, AirTran, United, US Airways, Continental, and Air Canada) serve the airport. Local business leaders (in fact I watched the commercial on tv tonight) have been making a push to have more people fly the lower cost airlines as there is some concern they will cut back service to the airport if not cancel it outright. Richmond International once had some of the highest fares in the region, and that could well happen again.
Seen here is the control tower for the airport. In addition to passenger traffic, the airport also has a large number of cargo flights. The airport provides a lot of economic impact to the region, and is a major source of jobs and job attraction to Richmond and the surrounding areas.
Airports draw businesses to an area, and air service is an important part of that attraction. Being able to fly in cargo and commodities is also important to a community. Not everything is hauled by truck, or train, and many businesses depend on air service.
I enjoyed by visit to the airport, which is my second since I have been here.

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!

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.

Bikes and Guitars in the RVA (June 11, 2011)

Giving history of sorts a pause, went out with my buddy Keith to see some motorcycles and guitars in the Richmond area. The reason for the trip was...we like motorcycles and guitars. Keith is a riding buddy of mine from North Carolina (like me, via Kentucky) and we made quite a few stops. One of the stops (though not in order) was a quick stop for refreshment at Quaker Steak and Lube in Short Pump. A nice bar, Quaker Steak hosts a rather large (I am told, have not been able to go there due to my night work) bike night on Wednesday nights. Has a very nice motorcycle themed bar, and friendly people at the restaurant on West Broad Street. Cheers!
Not far (in fact we walked to it from Quaker Steak and Lube) is the Honda House in Short Pump. Talked about the CB1000R which I had yet to see (brand new for 2011) a very helpful salesman told me, "its not on display, and is sold, but we have one" and took us to the back to see the new bike. In fact I got to "try it on for size" and was very impressed with the motorcycle. Liked the single sided swingarm, and the inline four water cooled engine. It has been getting great reviews, but it has proven, until today to be a hard bike to see either in North Carolina, or in Virginia. Very impressed with this motorcycle, and look forward to seeing more of them on the roads.

Keith and I made a stop to Velocity Motorcycles, which has moved from its former location on The Boulevard (across from Buz and Ned's) to the new shop at 3023 W. Marshall Street. One of my favorite shops, it carries a unique collection of motorcycles. Guy seen here is getting ready to ride off on a Royal Enfield Bullet. Now made in India, the bikes were made in England starting in 1870. That makes it the oldest motorcycle brand in continuous production in the world. New models have been updated. They also carry a number of classic motorcycles. I visited the old shop a number of times, will do so with this one as well.
Finally, like to play guitar, and Keith and I visited both Sam Ash and Guitar Center in Short Pump. Funny thing is that they are side by side; park in one lot and walk to the other. Seems a bit crazy to me, though I have seen that done with a couple of pairs of restaurants in North Carolina, so I guess there is some logic to it. Very nice guitar shops (both are part of national chains..we have them both in NC) and very well staffed with helpful people. Also very noisy, as there are all sorts of people playing musical instruments, which I find very cool. If you are looking for something that makes music, this are good places to check out. Though we did not go today, also enjoy the Richmond Music Center, another fine shop which is located on the Midlothian Turnpike. Richmond is a very good town for music, and have enjoyed some great bands while I have been here.
A fun day, and enjoyed it a great deal. I hope you have enjoyed the photos!

Showing off the RVA Part 1 (June 4, 2011)

View from Drewry's Bluff site of the Civil War era defenses called Ft. Darling. On May 15, 1862 the Confederate Marines (read it was the base for the Marines in the war), 8 cannon (some salvaged from the CSS Virginia) , drove off a force of five US Navy ships (including the USS Monitor) which were headed to shell Richmond. The fort, located some 100 feet above the river, was too high for the ships to shoot at, and the Confederates won the three hour battle. The Union Navy never again attacked the Confederate capital. During the battle, US Marine John Mackie's actions lead him to be awarded that branches first Medal of Honor.
Following the visit to the battlefield, we headed for Buz and Ned's Real Barbecue. We were also going to check out Velocity Motorcycles which was next door to it on The Boulevard, but it has moved to a new location on Marshall Street. Being bikers though (the three of us have gotten to be friends from work, but all of us rode motorcycles together in North Carolina) we enjoyed seeing the Harley-Davidson V-Rod in this photograph. As for the food it got a thumbs up from all of us, though two of us had eaten there before. Nice place, and as for Velocity will check on where that is moved to, and will take a look at that in the near future!
Of course, had to take the visitors to Monument Avenue. Not just for the impressive statues such as this one of Robert E. Lee, but also to see the houses. I believe I read (though can't remember where) that Monument Avenue was named one of the most beautiful streets in North America. I always enjoy visiting it, and like the sights to be seen there. Many great statues can be found there of the Confederate generals, and also one of tennis legend (and Richmond native) Arthur Ashe. We rolled up and down the street making a few stops to take photographs. I think this street is one of the must see locations in Richmond, and seems to be popular with visitors.
This is the group that went with me. The son at left is Chris, his dad Eddie (from Louisville, Kentucky, a connection we all share) is next to him, and at the far right is Keith. We all worked at the factory in Louisville, Kentucky, transferred to Concord, NC. Following the closing of that factory, Keith and I now work in Richmond, Va (Ed did not make the move). Ed's son is studying history at U of L and thought Richmond would be interesting to see for that reason. I think Ed was interested in what he missed. We did much more during the day, and visited a lot more places, and those will be seen in my next post. It was a great time though and fun to check out this very interesting city that I have come to appreciate and enjoy so much!

Sights from Charlotte Motor Speedway (May 27,2011)

Nothing quite like race week in Concord, NC around Charlotte Motor Speedway. There is also Speed Street in Uptown Charlotte, also worth a visit. On May 27 though, when I got back into town, I went to the race track to see some of the sights. Unfortunately, there was not a great deal going on, but some of the trailers were open and selling items of some of the favorite drivers, such as this one (one of many) selling Jeff Gordon items. There are also some corporate displays from phone companies, insurance companies, automobile manufacturers, The US Army, and other companies. There is a lot of things to see all around the racetrack.
Seen here is a good way to get to the track if you are a driver, part of the racing team, or just a mover and shaker. Helicopters bring in a lot of people to the race, which is a good way for them to beat the (usually) heavy traffic in the area. Many people spend quite a few days, or in some cases weeks in the area, the white items in the background are trailers and there are literally hundreds all around the racetrack and in various campgrounds (some are even camped inside the infield of the racetrack. It turns into quite a village over the weeks; many have been there since before the NASCAR All-Star Race the previous week.
While many of the events of the week are at Charlotte Motor Speedway, there are also events at the nearby (actually just across NC-29) Dirt Track. Seen here is "Grave Digger" which is one of the Monster Trucks. There is also an Outlaw race which is very popular. Over the weekend in addition to the racing there were concerts, flyby's by military aircraft (I saw a pair of USN F-18's over my house after they flew over the track) and a B-2 Stealth bomber flew over the track during the Coca-Cola 600. The race itself had a wild finish, which is fairly common for this race which is the longest race in NASCAR. While home to two big events in May, its not over for the year...there is a 500 mile race ahead in October!

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!

Taste of Harrisburg...and the big screen(May 14-15, 2011)

Back in North Carolina for another weekend, love it when that works out (and it took some work to work that out). Patty had to work at "Taste of Harrisburg, which was held in Harrisburg, NC. Nice event if a small one but really nice. Harrisburg, NC is the kind of small town that John Mellencamp would sing about; just a pleasant place. Town is working to prevent the big box stores from coming to the area, making a push to keep businesses small and local. So far, they have been successful. Its a nice change from a lot of communities in the area; gives it a different perspective than you find in the other towns.
Of course, if there is any sort of event, there is a car show. Like to see engines like these from back in the day when gas was ultra-cheap, and mileage was ultra-low. Big horsepower in big heavy cars. Technology is giving us some interesting designs; cars of today are safer and give us a lot better mileage, plus they tend to last a lot longer without major repairs. Still there is a bunch of history in these old cars, and its neat to see them again. Bring back a lot of memories from when I was a kid, and these sort of cars with these sort of motors were the "Kings of the Road". Some of them look like they just have come off of the assembly line.
Course its not an event without music. This was the band "Skinny Velvet" which played during Taste of Harrisburg. Music was sort of a mix between Southern Rock and what I would call "Da Blooze". Loud and proud, they played some good sets and I enjoyed them. In addition to the music and cars, there was good food, and a number of local businesses had tents and were showing off what they have to offer. In fact the area it was held in was innovative; it is a mix of stores, restaurants, and apartments..all within walking distance of each other. Seeing a number of developments like that in the region, think its a cool idea.
Final photo is NOT from a Taste of Harrisburg, took this during the motorcycle ride (a short one) on Sunday May 15. What you are looking at is the world's largest HD Video Screen (this week anyhow) which is at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, NC. The screen was built by Panasonic, and is 200 feet wide, and 80 feet high. Pretty impressive, got to hand it to the track owner Mr. Bruton Smith, he does nothing half way. Former biggest was at the Cowboy's football stadium, but I am sure that someone has something bigger in the works someplace in the world even as this one nears operation. It will get a lot of use in the next few weeks as the All-Star Race and the Cocal-Cola 600 is starting up once again.

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

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

Gaines Mill/Cold Harbor (May 1, 2011)

On Sunday, continued exploring with a history buff buddy of mine. We went to Cold Harbor and Gaines Mill to see the Civil War Battlefields there. At left you can see the Gaines Mill Battlefield. The battle was fought on June 27, 1862 and was a major part of the "Seven Days Battles". Forces numbering around 32,000 Union met 57,000 Confederate. The Union goal was to capture Richmond and end the war. At this battle troops under Robert E. Lee drove off Union forces which retreated. The defeat also caused General McClellan who lead the overall Union armies to withdraw his forces toward the James River, ending this threat to Richmond, Va.
Cold Harbor Battlefield seen at left happened two years later; from May 31-June 12, 1864. Again the goal was Richmond, Va, this time the Union Commander was General U.S. Grant, and the Confederate forces were under Robert E. Lee. Lee's army made some seven miles of earthworks some of which survive to this day. On June 3 Grant ordered an assault on those lines. The night before troops put their names on pieces of paper, seeing what would be coming a little before dawn. The Union forces out in the open were mowed down by the Confederate fire. In minutes as many as 7,000 Union troops were killed to a loss of only 1,500 Confederate.
Grant later said Cold Harbor (again some Earthworks seen at left) was his biggest regret; that had he to do it over again, he would not have ordered that charge. Over trenches on both sides, the two armies took mostly pot shots at each other until June 12, when Grant suddenly withdrew his army toward Petersburg, Va. There, they would lay siege to the city (as well as of Richmond) in a long battle which would eventually result in the defeat of Lee's Army of Northern Virginia, and the end of the Civil War. I went to the Petersburg battlefield a few weeks ago (and with these two places, not for the first time) and have some photos in previous posts.
One new place we visited was the Cold Harbor Cemetery. There we saw a number of monuments such as this one, which is a cannon mounted in concrete. The plaque there notes that some 1958 union soldiers are buried there; 673 known by name, 1279 unknown. There are monuments there as well from Pennsylvania, New York, and a large monument from Congress. I also came across the grave of Medal of Honor winner Augustus Barry, who won the nation's highest award for service in the Civil War. Bodies found some time later at Gaines Mill unburied were a big reason for the establishment of the cemetery. Many of the bodies there were also killed at Cold Harbor. They have been joined over the years with fellow soldiers killed in other US Wars including the Spanish American War, World War One and Two and Vietnam. The cemetery is a quiet and mournful place especially on an overcast day such as May 1 was. So many gave so much in that time, and faced such terrible fates to keep this county united as one nation. Battles such as the fought were literally hell on earth from all accounts.
Another look here at Gaines Mill Battlefield. The battle was interesting in that both Union and Confederate forces flew hot air observation balloons. While they gave good information on troop movements, they were discounted in many cases by the commanders. Confederate balloons were flown from a area which many years later became the site of the Richmond International Airport. A small monument to them can be found just outside of the Virginia Aviation Museum near the airport.
I enjoyed a great two days of exploring in the Richmond area, an area which is both rich with history and has a bright future as well.

Sights around Richmond (April 30)

Did a bit of wandering around Richmond on Saturday April 30. Took a friend from work with me, kind of enjoy showing off the area, and though it was around some places that I have been, it was still a great time. One of the great things about finding places in Richmond is going back to them. For instance this is the Bell Tower in Byrd Park. It was built as a War Memorial for (I believe due to the dates of its construction) World War I. It is a very neat structure and very massive with a lot of very nice detailing. I really enjoy wandering around Byrd Park, it is a very nice and in fact have another photo at the end of this photo section. While there saw a Art Fair (was also told it would go on Sunday) and enjoyed that. Often come across surprises in this town, there is something going on in Richmond virtually all the time if you look for it. Saw lots of really great art, and also it was fun to watch all the people. As always there were quite a few dogs with the people, this is really a dog friendly town and I like that a great deal. Any town that likes dogs is fine with me!
As for dogs and people watching, hard to beat Carytown. Though traffic is something to see (as seen at left) it is a very interesting place. Great variety of places to see, stores to visit, fine places to eat, and often even music and art in the street. Galaxy Diner is one such place. There you can get breakfast all the time (in addition to other meals). Being a motorcycle sort of guy I liked the guy on the Can-Am Spyder Trike also in this photo. Good place to walk on a nice sunny day as this April 30 day was. There are a lot of eye catching places to explore, and I think there is really something for everyone in Carytown. It is one of my favorite areas of the city to be in.
Though I have yet to see a movie there, the Byrd Theater is one classic looking place. In fact it is on both the National and Virginia Historic Registers. It was built for $900,000 ($11 million in today's prices) in 1928. First movies were shown in 1928 for a cost of 25 cents for a matinee, 50 cents for an evening movie. Movies are now $1.25 cents and there are 1300 seats. Named for the founder of Richmond, Virginia, the Byrd has a donated Dolby Sound System which was donated by none other than Ray Dolby! I am looking forward to checking out a movie there, as it is said to be remarkable on the inside with a number of amazing features. Richmond is a town which really protects it's past and I have the feeling the Byrd Theater is a real tribute to the city. In addition to movies, the Byrd is also home to a number of interesting events, and for more information on this place, some photos of the inside, and more on the history of this movie treasure, check out the Byrd Theater website via your favorite search engine. I hope soon to have a few photos myself from an upcoming visit.
Speaking of visits, went to the Virginia History Museum. I don't know how many trips this makes to check out this fine Richmond treasure. it is located on the Boulevard which is not far from Carytown. It was actually my first stop during the day with my friend. Both of us being Civil War buffs, checked out the big Civil War display (plus other items) to be found in the museum. The Statue seen here is a monument to horses from the North and South that were killed in battle during the Civil War. The museum is just a little distance away (easy walkable) from the remarkable Monument Avenue. If it is statues you like Richmond is a great place to check out.
Finally, back to Byrd Park, and this Fountain in the lake found there. Nice place to hang out and check out the beauty in the area. Saw a lot of people fishing there, and quite a few birds as well. One bird I did not see so often were Canadian Geese. Saw a sign that border collies are being used to chase off the birds in the area, while leaving alone the ducks in the area. I can think of no better dog for the job, border collies are among (if not the) smartest dogs out there. Again, the fountain is very beautiful and the lake is a nice place to hang out on a wonderful day. I have a few more photos on my photo page from the day out in Richmond which I hope you enjoy!