An American Turning Point (February 5, 2011)

On a rainy day in Richmond, nothing better than to visit one of the many fine museums in this city, and few are as fine as the Virginia Historical Society. That museum has a long history having been founded in 1831. Its first president was John Marshall, and its first member was James Madison...a good start indeed leadership wise. I went to see the exhibit "An American Turning Point-The Civil War in Virginia. This year is the 150th anniversary of that terrible war. Few wars are as violent as a Civil War, and the US Civil War was especially bloody. Richmond and Virginia was the center of that conflict with a great number of engagements happening here.
The items above were actually used in that period, as well as the gun below (which was last used in war by its owner...General J.E.B. Stewart). Over 200 objects and some 17 audiovisual displays tell the story of the Civil War in the state and in the city. It was a fine display and just opened February 4. It will continue at the museum until December 30. A great feature of the museum is that it is admission free. These photos seen here, can be seen in larger versions in addition to some other photos taken in the museum (there is much more to see there) on my Photo Page, of which there is a link on this site. I have visited this museum a number of times in the two years I have been here, and I am sure that I will be returning in the future as well.

Home and Garden Show, Concord, NC

Patty and I went out on a remarkable January 30 day (remarkable in that 70's and January 30 do not usually go together even in Concord, NC) to the Home and Garden Show in Concord, NC at the Cabarrus Arena. The Arena is seen at right, but it actually covered two of the three buildings there. We were lucky in that we got two free tickets, and the parking was free as well. This arena was built a few years ago, and is really an improvement over the old one (which was torn down last year) and is located just outside of Concord, NC on NC-49. It has lot of parking and lots of space for exhibitions. It also is the site for the Cabarrus County Fair in the Fall.

This is the inside of the arena, and a look at a small part of the show. It was pretty big and covered a lot of home and garden items. There were a number of displays, as well as wine tasting by some local wineries. Much of the wine was very, very good; North Carolina makes some good wines and they are getting better as I have noticed over the years. There was in addition to the wines to taste, a lot of free stuff to pick up and got some really good information on some possible future projects. It was fun to walk around and check out all the things to be done to a home and yard. Even saw an all-electric riding mower which I thought was very cool.
Paul James was there, and the former host of HGTV's show "Gardening by the Yard" was funny (as he was during that very missed show) but also gave some really good tips on growing things, as well as bringing all of us up to date on what he has been doing since the end of the show. The man has a lot of information on plants and landscaping; there was not a question that he did not have an answer for. He also spoke highly of the Carolinas; said that if he could live anyplace else in the US, that Carolina would be a place he would pick.
I have been to the show in the past, and certainly enjoyed this one. It was part of a great weekend, which included a fine motorcycle ride with some good friends, some nice dinners out and at home, and even some great TV watching (the X-Games this year were incredible). Nice weather, time with the family, playing and walking my good dogs; it was a most wonderful weekend! Can't wait till the next one, but will be doing some exploring of Richmond again in my next post here.

In the Grip Of Winter: January Hull Street Drive

On a cold, mostly gray day in Richmond, feeling the grip of winter with storms past and future looming in my mind, took a ride to Honda House at 14760 Hull Street Road. There I checked out some of the motorcycles. I love to ride (have a 2005 Kawasaki Vulcan 1500 back in Carolina) and wanted to see some of the new designed Honda motorcycles. The ones I wanted to see were not there (of course) yet, but I did enjoy checking out some last years "new designs". This one at left (in blue) is the Honda Fury. Uses the VTX-1300 engine, this bike is designed as a
"factory chopper" and is a big change from the Honda Shadow that I used to ride before the Vulcan. A very sharp motorcycle indeed.
More conventional, but along the same lines is the Honda Sabre, seen here in red. Uses much of the same items (as does the Honda Interstate, which looks much the same as the Sabre but with a windshield and saddlebags) this bike uses much the same items as the Fury, but with a lot less rake, a slightly different front wheel, but the same VTX-1300 engine. Sat on both bikes, on the Fury you sit a lot lower (with the Fury feeling longer and lower) but for my taste really liked the Sabre. Not sure that the bike of the future in my case will be another cruiser, but I like what Honda has gone to update these bikes. Had a few Honda's over the years, and they were great motorcycles; and I am sure that these are no exception.
During the day made a short stop at Swift Creek Reservoir. Have not been there since my visit to The Boathouse with Patty a while back, but a very nice place. The area around it is called "Sunday Park" and is a very peaceful place. I enjoy the boats along the shore and in the water, the ducks and other water type birds, and various people you see there. Even on a crisp cool and overcast Richmond day it is a fun place. I also made a short stop at the nearby "Glory Days" which is a nice sports bar/restaurant. As the NFC and AFC Championship games are tomorrow (and sure to back the bar) today's visit was peaceful. Checked out some hoops and a very refreshing beverage from the taps.
Last visit on Hull Street was to Richmond Harley-Davidson. They do have some nice 2011 models, though due to the down motorcycle market can't really say they had anything really "brand new" model wise, but some interesting bikes nonetheless. Hull Street certainly has a lot of things to do as far as eating and shopping; other than Swift Creek though not a whole lot of scenic things to check out (though have learned on previous visits there is a lot further up the road such as the Richmond Zoo for instance) on what is a very long road. Not a road that I often visit (though did some this year for some of the "Tacky Lights Tour") but does have some places of interest during my visits. Its one of those places where if you are looking for something, generally you can find it on Hull Street.

St John's Lutheran Church, Concord, NC

While home for a few days, made a visit to St. John's Lutheran Church in Concord, NC. Read an article on Civil War graves and a marker put there during this 150th Anniversary year of the war. I have always found that period of interest, and had family members that served in the Union Army during the war. The church was founded in 1745, and I also read (from their web site) that they were the site of the first school in Cabarrus County. The building at left is the third (I believe) that was built and dated to 1844. Some additions to the structure were added over the years. They celebrated their 250th Anniversary in 2005, and this was my first visit.
Learned about the graves there from a Sunday Charlotte Observer newspaper article which stated some 100 Confederate soldiers from the congregation were buried there. The red building
seen here dates to the 1700's. One of the graves in front is a Confederate grave, marked by the small cross to its right which says "CSA."A number of those are seen in the graveyard. Of note in the other photo are two "new" markers; those soldiers served in the Revolutionary War. As noted the church had a very long history. Many of the graves (according to the web site) are lost to history as the stones have long since weathered and records have been lost over time. My wife Patty and I enjoyed the visit here (probably though me more than her to be honest) but I find history to be quite interesting, and this was a new discovery of sorts in Cabarrus County.

A Fine Day in the RVA (January 9, 2011)

Clear but cool on a sunny Sunday, took a drive out to one of my favorite Richmond areas; The Boulevard. There is a lot of interesting things out there; connects to the Diamond, borders the Fan, Carytown, Byrd Park, connects to Monument Avenue, and for today especially, has some really interesting museums. The perfect thing to do on a chilly day in Richmond. This building always has interested me; great use of a small piece of land between two streets. It is just a block from the trees, big houses, and the statues of Monument Avenue. It is also close to two very fine museums, the Virginia Historical Society and its right next door neighbor the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. Both offer a lot to see, and free admission (which is great in times such as these). Took a great walk around the Virginia Historical Society, and especially enjoyed their "Oddities" exhibit; some very interesting things to see in there. I have a number of photos on my photo page which you can see via the link at this site. Been there quite a few times and enjoy my visits there every time.
Went for the second time to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. There is a great variety of art there, and some really remarkable things. Since my first (which would be the last visit) they have changed a lot of the exhibits. Some of the galleries DO require admission, but general admission is free. This room was very interesting. It was donated by New York City from what I read, and dated to around 1860, was the furnishings of a New York City Apartment. This museum is a lot more than paintings and sculpture, though they have a great deal of that as well. This though was a very interesting time capsule and a rare look at a long gone period.
Another interesting long gone period was these two pieces of Roman art. Read that the statue was of the Roman emperor known as Caligula. Like Julius Caesar, he was stabbed to death and all of his statues were ordered to be destroyed. This is one of only two known to exist. "Box" at right was a Roman coffin; the custom of burial rose in Rome with the rise of Christianity (according to the information on the wall nearby). VMFA is the kind of place where you can learn something or see something brand new (even when its very old) every time you visit it. Today's visit will certainly not be my last to either of these two museums.
Finally, have been interested in checking out some of the local music in the area. Made my way to the nearby Cary Street Cafe, which is said to be "Richmond's Oldest Hippie Bar", but was filled with very nice people, a large group of which was making some very fine music. Very friendly people behind the bar, very reasonable food and "beverage" prices, and a very nice vibe was what I found there. Frankly I could have listened to that group play all night long. It was their "Old Time Jam" and saw people while I was there come and go in that circle. All instrumental music, but it was very fine, and like with the museums I will be back to the Cary Street Cafe.
Have posted previously a number of Christmas photos, and got a kick tonight (and a smile) while up Midlothian Turnpike near 288 where a dentist office was all lit up with its Christmas lights still; and that brought a smile to my face on this cold January 9 night. They had a big display, and it was nice to see that again (even have bears in the dentist chairs at the front windows). This was a very fine day in Richmond, where I think it is safe to say, that if you are not having a fun or interesting time in this city....you are not trying!

Charlottte Views from January 2

From the previous post at the hockey game, while I was in Charlotte, took a couple of quick photos prior to the game. Really enjoy going to Charlotte, where there is a lot of things to see and do. The city is home to a an NBA team, an NFL team, an AHL hockey team, and a AAA baseball team (though the team actually plays right across the state line in South Carolina). There have been some plans in the works to bring that team to the city; though it is an on-going process. Charlotte has a number of interesting parks. Charlotte is the largest city in North Carolina, and its airport is one of the 10th busiest in the United States, as well as one of the busiest in the world.
In the years I have been there, the city has added quite a number of new buildings. In comparison to Richmond it is a much larger city both in population and area. One thing that is very different about Charlotte is that many of the older buildings (the city dates to before the Revolutionary War) have been torn down, so there is very little "history" as you find in Richmond. Most of the city is new construction with little or no of the re-use you see in Richmond (which adds a great deal of charm to Richmond in my opinion). The city is also home to many great museums, the NASCAR Hall of Fame (plus most NASCAR race teams are located nearby, as well as Charlotte Motor Speedway which is actually in Concord, NC) and offers a wide variety of things to see and do. It is an interesting and fun city to explore, and I have enjoyed wandering around it....and still do.

Hockey! In Charlotte ! (December 2, 2011)

View here is of the Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, NC; nice place which was built for the Charlotte Bobcats NBA team to replace the old Charlotte Coliseum which was imploded a few years ago out near the airport. This was built in what Charlotte calls "Uptown". Charlotte is a fun city, and we go there quite a bit to check out all the things to do. In addition to this is Bank of America stadium, a number of museums, some nice parks, and some really great places to check out live music. There are also a lot of places to live in Uptown, though many of the newer ones have really taken a hit due to the recession. I often ride my motorcycle there.
On January second though, Robby (my son) and I went to see the Charlotte Checkers vs The Binghamton Senators on January 2. This is the inside of the arena; and the team had a good crowd for a Sunday. The concessions there are pretty high; I paid a record price for a "barley pop" (total was I believe $8.24!), and quite a bit for an order of nacho's and two very small cokes (close to $15); so be prepared for a hit to the wallet for concessions. That said, enjoyed walking around a bit before the game; had not been in there in a while, and nice to check it out. It is a first rate arena, and they did a nice job on it. Parking was not bad...$5 in a local parking garage.
This is a faceoff during the game, which was very good. Robby and I have been hockey fans since living in Louisville (though that town lost its hockey team after I left there), and Richmond had a hockey team, but it folded the year that I came here (never got to see game one of that team). Charlotte has had a hockey team though for a long time. They are having a good year so far, currently being in third place in their division. They upgraded last year from the ECHL, and are the farm team for the Carolina Hurricanes; and have adapted some of their logos. In addition to the game the mascot (Chubby) did a lot of things during the game, and they had a nice promotion to try to win a car. They also had what is a "hockey hallmark"; a remote control flying blimp inside the arena dropping Chick-fil-A food coupons.
Was a couple of fights there (with the players, in the stands it was family day) , and quite a bit of scoring. In the end it was the Checkers who stood victorious with a score of 4-2. In fact this is one of the Charlotte goals; note the red light shining just behind the goal. Enjoyed the drive back home, traffic was light and it was fun heading out in the car with Robby....and the new 30 Seconds to Mars CD playing on the CD player. It was dark when we headed out after the 3pm game, and noted a few last Christmas lights lit in a few places, including some of the lights of Uptown Charlotte. As always a great time with my son, and a fun time in Charlotte. Looking forward to more fun coming up in this new year, but off to a really good start!