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.

Vehicles on the way back (September 18,2011)

Traveling you see the most interesting sights sometimes, but on September 18, got to see some of my favorite things. First was this Harley-Davidson in South Hill, VA...this biker is ready to ride, and much more so than most motorcyclists. You see a lot of cars and trucks towing bikes of both kinds, but it was a first for me to see this motorcycle hauling a bicycle for the time when he parks his bike. This was a really cool set up, and I liked how he had done this (though possible that it is some sort of commercial mount). Talked to him for a bit at the gas pumps, and interesting guy who was off on a trip with a buddy who was riding a Honda Gold Wing.
Saw this car at a rest stop in North Carolina, love to go to classic car shows (we have a great one monthly in Kannapolis, NC....the area which is the home to NASCAR racing is big on car shows in the local communities there). This car got a lot of attention at the rest stop. I often see many interesting cars on the road on the way between Richmond and Charlotte, but this was a real jewel and a fine restoration of a classic. Not sure where he was off to, but if the other cars are as nice as this one, that would be a car show really worth checking out. Got a few more weeks of car shows before late fall/winter weather puts them away for a few months.
I am a big aircraft fan, and did enjoy seeing this "seaplane" (this type can land both on the water, and on land) going down I-95 just short of Richmond, VA. He was doing a little "flying at ground level". Now and then I see aircraft hauled on the road, but this was the first one in a long time. The wings for the plane were in the bed of the pickup truck. In fact this weekend is the NAS Oceana Air Show at the Naval Air Station near Virginia Beach, Va. The forecast is not real good for the weekend, but if it goes off the Blue Angels will be there in the air. Went to that last year (unfortunately will be unable to go this year) and had an amazing time. Though I will be missing the air show, I do have some interesting events to check out this weekend, and will be bringing them here in my next post.

Quick Trip to Louisville (September 15-18)

Had to make a quick trip to Louisville, Kentucky over a four day period. First day on September 15, was to roll to Concord from Richmond, I took this photo while at a traffic light on NC-29 in Concord following a nice Thursday morning trip. I enjoyed being back for a few hours and liked this photo of the hospital parking garage (did not have to do anything in/with the hospital, just liked the view. It was a nice day, and had a good time being back in my "other city". Patty and I got everything loaded up, and headed out the following morning to have a real quick trip to the Louisville area, was going to be a real out and back experience.
I love to ride, so apparently do these guys. Saw them in Tennessee; and from the tags they came from Canada (Ontario actually) out enjoying some of the great riding America has to offer. They were mostly Harley-Davidson motorcycles, though I do remember one Honda Shadow in the bunch. Drive was nice, always remarkable to drive though the mountains, and enjoyed the views. We also were lucky (as were these riders) to have a rain free drive both up and back-it is a lot more fun riding a motorcycle or driving a car when its not raining. Had been to the mountains not too many days before this trip, nice to be back even just passing through.
Got to Louisville on September 16. We were just there a few hours, this is the view of the city from the Indiana side of the Ohio River. Louisville is a very nice city; I lived most of my life there. As I have often stated and has been noted by a number of people, in weather, being on the river, being fond of older buildings and reusing past buildings, Louisville has a great deal in common with Richmond, VA. On the river at the bottom left you can see the square building. That is the Yum Center which is the home of the Louisville Cardinals. I believe that opened for last years basketball season. Louisville is a big fan of the University sport teams-its a real passion there.
On September 18, went to Suck Bang Blow in Concord, quiet early on a Sunday, but I like this place-the big fan is made by the "Big Ass Fan" company, and of course there are some motorcycles on display in the background. I also made a stop at the nearby Speedway Harley-Davidson, my bike is still in the shop, but I am hopeful it will be out in the next few days and I can get a ride in. It has been awhile. Fall is coming up (officially on Friday September 24) and I am certainly looking forward to that,it is one of my favorite times of the year.
Certainly was a wild four day weekend, one of the things that come up with living both in Richmond and North Carolina..and with ties to a third city. All worked out well though, and looking forward to the next, and calmer upcoming weekend!