Cloverleaf Mall/Virginia Aviation Museum

Thursday morning on February 27, took off in search of sights around Richmond prior to work. This old mall is near my apartment on the Midlothian Turnpike. I have been told there are plans for redevelopment, though nothing appears to be going on there at the present time. There is a Firestone Auto Repair place out front in a stand alone building. I looked inside the front door, it is sitting and kind of waiting. Perhaps this will be the site of a future "Blues Brothers" remake, or a new Zombie movie. At any case, an interesting site to explore from outside the locked doors.
I had directions, rolled on down I-95 to I-64 East following the signs to the Virginia Aviation Museum. It is just outside of the Richmond International Airport in a cant miss building, with a pair of can't miss planes right out front. It is not often that you see an SR-71 Blackbird (there is also an F-14 Tomcat right beside it). The museum was really interesting for this aviation fan. Lots of amazing aircraft were found in there, including some Wright replica gliders and planes, some WWI aircraft (those were not replicas) and some historic and classic planes. There are quite a few hands on aviation displays, and everything is in really good condition. I often went to the Carolinas Aviation Museum in Charlotte, NC and this collection was really in outstanding shape. Charlotte is short on storage space, and much of the collection sits outside; so sun and weather really take a hit on the planes.
I had a great visit at the museum, and also got a feel for some of the sights going into the city. Plan for the weekend is to do some exploring downtown. Had hoped to do some outdoor exploring, but looks like the weather this weekend will not cooperate. Area though seems to have a great deal of interesting sights to check out, and I am looking forward to exploring it.

Long Lonesome Highway...First Days in VA

On Sunday February 15, loaded up the car with stuff I did not have in the big truck two weeks ago, and rolled toward Richmond, Va in the early morning hours. Photo is a shot of I-85 just inside the Virginia border. Beautiful weather and a good day for driving. Made good time, though noted a lot of police working the roads both in North Carolina and also many working the roads in Virginia as well. Lots of good places for them to hide just inside of Virginia.

Got to the apartment in the early afternoon and spent the day setting up. Had food to unpack, the computer to plug in, and a few other odds and ends. First trip without my wife (will be flying solo here over the next three years other than weekend and three day visits to NC) though the third I have made here (one trip to find the apartment, one to tour work, and this one. Monday I had an appointment after work for Comcast to put in cable internet. Guess what....on time, and was quick getting it done too. Not too bad...like to have seen Time Warner in NC match that one (have DSL there, cheaper, but no complaints on Virginia Comcast service.
Wednesday did some exploring of the Midlothian Turnpike (or highway...whatever). Interesting road with a great deal of variety. Went with a friend from work looking for a computer; we picked the bones of Circuit City at the store located at the Chesterfield Town Center, but found what he is looking for at Best Buy. We also toured the mall, showing the signs of the recession in the small crowd there, but a nice looking mall. Went by it with my wife Patty on my last visit, but it was not open then and we left early on a Sunday afternoon.
Enjoyed visiting the Village of Midlothian area, interesting place and again my second visit there, but was nice to not be driving (can see more stuff better) and second look always shows more. Think this will be a road with a lot to offer, just still at the "overview point".
Have been struck by the friendly people of Virginia, both at work and people I have met out have been both very nice and helpful. That has been the best part of the time here so far. I plan over the next three years to check out all that I can that this area offers, and frankly my first impressions are very good.
Will be going back to North Carolina Friday, but will return Sunday night. Found I will be working from 3pm-11pm. Had that shift some years ago, but in the current economy have to do what I have to do. Will be great to be back with Patty, my son Robby, and our two border collies. It is also possible that a motorcycle ride will happen this weekend as well; weather permitting. Writing this on a cold and wet Virginia late afternoon.

On to Richmond!

So, finishing up the last few days of the "relocation two weeks, and its been quite an adventure. Luckily, I moved stuff to Richmond into the apartment on January 31-Feb 1 with Patty. Rental truck from Budget (a 15 foot truck, very pleased with them) went well, and got all settled in. Patty and got all set up, and the truck turned in the same day, had my Neon to drive around in.

We spent much of the 1st exploring the Midlothian Turnpike (seen here in the first photo) and checking out the area. I feel that if I need it, will find it along that road. Not much that is not there either to eat or shop for, or even entertainment. A big eight lane road that goes on for miles and miles, will be the center of my world there for some time.
Got back to Concord on Feb 1, worked a week at the factory, and got home. Have spent the last two weeks getting things ready. A funny thing happened last weekend; the furnace went out. Called some dumbasses from Motley Heating and Air in Concord, NC to fix it. Not sure those bastards could fix lunch; pretty much got screwed to the tune of $500, and two days after their "repair" on a Saturday morning, had fire trucks at my house (four of them) at 3:30am. Got a new unit last Tuesday from Carolina Cooling. I would not use Motley if they were the last company on Earth!

Last few days I have been getting things as ready as I can, getting a "Neon" load for the trip. A few things I forgot, the house computer (got a new one for here in Concord), and have been visiting friends. Will not be the last time to see them though; will be back here many weekends.

I will be leaving on Sunday morning February 15, and will report to work at 7:00 am on February 16. Got a letter yesterday with details (though I have the route down) to how to get to work, and where to park now.
Certainly going to be an interesting time in Richmond. I have made three trips there; have seen a lot of interesting places (such as the one to the left here), and am frankly looking at it with a mixture of fear and excitement. No one ever knows what the future holds, and that is certainly true in times like these, but the next few months and years will certainly be filled with all sorts of things new and challenging. My next post (Comcast willing) will be from Richmond, Va.

Virginia Trip #3 (Moving Weekend)

Made the move to Richmond this weekend. Used a big Budget Truck Rental 15 foot truck (very pleased with them by the way) and drove my stuff to the apartment. An older apartment (complex dates to the 1970's) but very nice inside. Patty and myself got me all moved in and set up. Nice place, quiet and well lit, neighbors friendly (one told me no problems living there in 10 years) and police patrolled (in fact we asked a cop directions to the local Food Lion which we found).
On Sunday morning did some exploring on both ends of the Midlothian Turnpike. Going toward the Village of Midlothian we found just about anything a person would need. As a motorcyclist two nice bike shops virtually within walking distance of the apartment, and down the road many places to eat, shop, and check out. One I will check for sure is the Chesterfield Town Center, the entrance of which I have posted here. Nice big mall with a whole lot of stores. It did not open till noon, so we did not get to explore the inside, but did explore the outside. Will be a great deal of things to check out over the next few years there.
It was a great trip and all went well; especially glad the weather cooperated with us. Sunny and warm this weekend made for a smooth drive there and back. Did note a lot of police on the roads, be advised they are serious about speeding, though this does not stop many from speeding (and saw quite a few getting to chat with police officers at the side of the roads with blue lights flashing).
On Sunday February 15, the move will be for real. That is when the adventure will really start!

A Blast from the Past...Two Weeks in Norfolk, VA

My first, no make that my only previous time spent in Virginia has been a two week period around 1983. I got into the Naval Reserve to make some extra money. Having spent four years in the Navy back in the late 70's, it was a job that I could do, and I had some fun experiences from those days. I had somewhat forgotten what it was like to actually be back in the Navy....in fact shortly after the trip to Virginia I resigned from the reserves (could do that as I had filled all of my Naval service requirements prior to that period. Virginia though was not the problem at all. In fact, overall (other than the military part of it) I had a very good time there. I took the photo at left at the Naval Base. As I remember it was April and the weather was wild. I can remember it being very cold some days and wore heavy coats, I also had a few days with t-shirts and shorts. The base was remarkable, easily the largest Naval base I had ever been on. The "pier" seemed to go on forever, and there were ships of all types along its huge length. Massive buildings (I worked in the Naval Supply Center which was also huge) and a great area from the pier to the main gate. It was a very cool place.

I made some good friends there, had a buddy named "Converse" and another named Jim (thats Jim in the photo below). Jim was from of all places, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. He thought it was a great place to live and work. I on the other hand worked in Louisville, Kentucky, and at the time....well, lets just say the part time job in the Reserve was not out of a sense of fun. Anyhow, we went to Virginia Beach (where the second photo was taken) and had a good time there. It was an interesting town, very crowded on the main streets, but we liked the beaches. Due to the weather that day there were very few in the water.
I also remember going to (what I believe was called) the Azalia Festival. That was cool, had a German Naval Ship there, a Renaissance Festival, and they had a huge airshow (on a hot day) at the Naval Air Station. The planes put on a remarkable display, and could really do some flying over the Atlantic Ocean. We also (being sailors of a sort) some exploring of the local nightlife. I remember a few places we went to, but they were largely the normal rock and roll dives of the period. Listened to some music, and enjoyed some of the local beverages that the locals offered to sell us (for a nominal fee). As far as fun things to do, I think we got in more than our share.

My early impressions of Virginia were that it was a fun and interesting place. I did not return for a long time; really until I came back here. When going to Louisville via Charlotte there are two routes; one is through Tennessee, the other is via Virginia and West Virginia to Louisville. I can go up I-77 into West Virginia and pick up I-64 which runs into Louisville, Kentucky. It is a little longer than the I-40 route, requires the payment of tolls, but is a easier drive. Funny thing about I-64, not only does it run into Louisville, Kentucky, but taken in the other direction it runs straight into....Richmond, VA.

Some notes on Richmond, VA

A very productive day yesterday, in that I got my actual address of the apartment which will be home for the next three years. With that,

will be able to get the power changed over (though not yet, people living there now) and also was able to find what internet providers provide service as an exact address is needed. Much like the Charlotte move, the internet has been a real good tool. I have been able to get a great deal of information on many necessary things from the web. Great sources of information are the local newspapers (always good for many points of information), various web sites (some good and some not so good) and for this transfer bloggers. I have gotten a real feel for parts of the city by reading blogs. Of course some are shall we say "artistic" to a point that its difficult to figure out what they are actually about, but even some of those are pretty informative. The web is a great tool though once again as it has been in the past. Back in the Navy days, different places were learned about via asking people who had been there, and of course books. All those are still important, and have been lucky to get information from those sources as well.

Of course, while all that is good, nothing beats actually being there. This photo above was another taken during the November 8-9 trip, and is of downtown Richmond. It was interesting to me in that the two large buildings are Bank of America in the center, and Wachovia to its left. Funny, in that the two largest buildings (or at least Bank of America is) are those same banks.

Charlotte is a town I have really enjoyed exploring....one which calls itself the city of the "New South." Constantly growing and adding to itself, the skyline of Charlotte is dotted with overhead cranes and new construction. Charlotte looks at an old building and sees a condo, or a NASCAR Hall of Fame (opening soon) or a new arena. Going to Charlotte after a few weeks, one is struck with the changes you discover. Charlotte is like a thing alive, constantly changing.

Richmond on the other hand, seems to change much slower. Both Charlotte and Richmond are older cities; both have history dating back to the American Revolution (though Richmond is much older I believe). Richmond though uses its old buildings in new ways. There are few old things in Charlotte that one can point too, but Richmond has a great many old buildings. That gives the city a certain charm I am used to. Louisville, Kentucky where I am from has a lot of older buildings as well. I often visit Louisville, and am sure to have some photos of that city on my Flickr page. You can also see some photos of Charlotte there as well on my page, in addition to many of the Richmond photos.

My next visit to Richmond will be the first weekend in February. That is also when I will be moving into the apartment; before that have to get some items for "the second household" and also of course will be doing more research. More on that in an upcoming post.

Countdown To Richmond (January 1,2009)

Took this photo in McAdenville, NC; have been in Concord for ten years but have never driven to see the lights in "Christmas Town, USA". Got to say it was well worth the ride. Have had (still a few more days off) a very fine break from work over the holidays; got in some good motorcycling, had a nice Christmas with my wife, son and two border collies, and have been able to do some serious research on the upcoming move.

I spend a bit of time every day reading The Richmond-Times Dispatch on line....getting as much of a feel for the local Richmond region as possible. I have been getting some information on a small truck to move the things I will be taking there, and also have been looking some at things I will need to get to make life better there. Having just made a move from Louisville, KY to Concord, NC 10 years ago, I do have some idea of what all will be involved in the move. Doing this is never easy.....a great deal of unknowns will happen along the way. I did enjoy the trip there in mid-December, and the company gave me a good book full of information on the job which will be a huge help while I am there. Got to say, they are doing a much better job than they did 10 years ago. That move really was a mystery.

Richmond looks to be a really interesting place. I did read this week that parts of an old hotel downtown fell onto the street (just a few bricks). A blogger noted that the hotel was built in 1929, and was one of downtown's "newer" hotels. For sure to be the age of the city is certainly part of its charm. I do like older towns; spent some time on the motorcycle this week in Salisbury, NC an old town in North Carolina (dating back to the 1700's, heavily damaged in the Civil War) and fun to see the older areas. I like to explore and am looking forward to doing some of that in Richmond, which appears to have a lot to see.

I will be there in six weeks from today. There is a lot to do in that time, and will be working to get things ready for the transfer. Will be more difficult this time as my family is staying here, and I will be doing this solo....but will be home on (hopefully most) weekends. Patty and I though do have plans for her to make some trips there, and together we will also do some exploring of the Richmond area. It ought to be a lot of fun, hopefully the three years I will be spending there will be just that!