Lights and Sights in Carolina

 Patty and I took a tour of the Concord and Kannapolis area in the car on a cold December 10 night. After a stop at Starbucks for some coffee and with Christmas music playing on the radio, we checked out some of the local houses. This one is a favorite of ours, it is on Union Street in Concord, NC. That is one of the oldest streets in the city and was once the home of many of the regions movers and shakers. I love to see this house, and look forward to it being lit up every year. There are many fine houses on the street-not quite tacky lights tour as in Richmond, but a great Christmas display.   

 A very fine house is seen here in Kannapolis, NC. The owner did a good job of lighting it up for the holiday, and I enjoyed the house here. Kannapolis has a good light display in the area formerly known as "Cannon Village" and also in a park downtown which has a lot of nice light displays. In fact they had a nighttime Christmas parade which we did not go to-so will bring some of those sights in a future post this month. The houses though in the area have some really nice displays-if a bit lower in wattage than those to be found in the Richmond area. I plan to see some more of those in the RVA this weekend.  

Richmond does a very artistic job with trees, and some of them are really remarkable. This tree in North Carolina (again in Concord) is typical of what you tend to see here. While perhaps not as arty as some I have posted in Richmond, it is nonetheless really impressive and fun to see over the Christmas season.
I hope you have enjoyed these photos, I will be bringing more both from Richmond and from North Carolina in the next few weeks-and perhaps if all goes well even a quick look at Christmas in Louisville, Kentucky. Best wishes to all for a very Merry Christmas! Thanks for visiting! 

Tacky (and Not So Tacky Lights)...Part 2

Took a Sunday drive to see more Tacky Lights, and enjoyed again some of the wonderful lights done by the residents of Richmond and the surrounding areas. This house for instance is very fine, and is not part of the "Official" houses of the Tacky Light Tour, but is typical of many that I came across during my travels this December 4 evening.
Amazes me (I do a bit of decorating myself to my home in North Carolina) to consider the amount of work that does into these houses, not to mention the cost of the materials as well as the monthly payments to Dominion Power that displays like this have to cost.

This house is on the Tacky Light Tour, and is located at 8009 Summerbrooke Ct which is just off Hull Street Road. It is one of my favorites over the years that I have been here, and I always get a smile when I see this place. Many people also came to walk up and stare at wonder at the house. It takes a considerable amount of time to take it all in-there is so much to see! Not just the front yard is covered with lights and light displays, the back yard as you will see in the photo below also has a number of amazing light displays.
As much fun as it is to see the houses, it is often even more fun to see the people looking at them.
As I promised, this is the back yard of the house at 8009 Summerbrooke Ct. The owner of the house came out and informed us that the tree seen here alone has more than 200,000 lights. He said that it takes his family and himself some seven weeks to get it all in place and hooked up. I did not ask him what his electric bill was, but I am sure it would be most impressive.
Blessed with some great weather over the past two days, I have really enjoyed the Tacky Light Tour. I hope before the holiday is over to see even more of it, as it covers most of the city and surrounding areas it would be quite a task to see all of the houses in the area. There are also some other light displays that I would like to see over the holiday-or during holidays to come. After all, I will be in Richmond for a while longer and a few more seasons to come.
Coming up in my next post though, will be some photos and stories of some places in North Carolina-living in two worlds as is my lot, I get to show some different views of what they do in the Charlotte area, and will be bringing that soon. It is a very neat thing to be able to enjoy Christmas from two different cities in two different states.   

Tacky (and Not So Tacky Lights)...Part 1

 Got out after an afternoon of shopping (ugh, but did have good luck out getting gifts) to check out some of the Christmas lights of Richmond. Using the Tacky Lights Tour info at Richmond.com I was able to see some really remarkable sights tonight. This tree is at 7854 Jahnke Road and is really a remarkable sight. You don't see trees done like this in Louisville, Kentucky or Charlotte, NC...this type is (apparently) a unique sort of Richmond take. I have seen a few like this, but this is the best example of the type I have seen over the last few years that I have been in this city. 

 Saw this house from across a lake, so not sure where it is located street wise...but it is very near the amazing houses at 9606 Asbury Court (which will be coming into your view next). I love this house though, for one thing blue is the perfect Christmas color to me (or at least one of my favorites) and I love the way it was reflected off of the lake as well. Tacky Light Tour happens in all sorts of weather, for this December 3 night it could not have been better...clear skies and close to 50 degrees. Good night to get out, wander around and see some amazing houses. I am sure a lot of work went into this one. 

 However for sheer hard work, for maximum impact, for total visual overload-here is Christmas with a sledgehammer! The two houses on Asbury Court, just off of Patterson Avenue (and just in Henrico County) are nothing short of remarkable. Limos, tour buses, and many people who drove by or walked up as I did marveled at the sights of these houses. Fun to just spend a lot of time (and I did) checking out the sights at these side by side houses. You could spend hours checking out all the items that you would find there. A favorite yearly visit to these houses is a major part of my Christmas season in Richmond.

Had to make a stop at The Jefferson Hotel. I posted a photo of this area just a few posts ago (in late November) but this is the Christmas tree there. I am told it is a popular place for Richmond to stop in and check out this area. The Jefferson is certainly a beautiful hotel, and a very old one at that. It was brought back from the dead a few years ago, and it is just a remarkable sight over the holidays.
There was a private party going on, so did not get to see it real close up, but there are a few more weeks till the holiday is over, and sure I will get another chance. The big staircase there is also a remarkable thing to check out, as I noted the place has a lot of history.
Downtown Richmond had a lot of decorations. I am planning to take a drive soon down Monument Avenue, that should be something to see and I am looking forward to checking that out. So much to see and so little time!

  Finally, I did make it out to the James Center. I like that area during the holidays-The Grand Illumination was just Friday night, and like how the buildings are lined out in white (the skyline is striking from I-95) and there are a lot of things to see in the center as well as a really nice tree there, as well as carriage rides, and just a lot of people taking it all in. I also enjoyed a electric train layout-fun to see the trains running in there, nothing reminds me off Christmas past like train sets. If you are a boy you probably had one way back when.
Anyhow, a typically great night of Christmas lights-for it is the season after all, and tomorrow night looks like another good night to get out and check out how Richmond does the holiday season!  

Thanksgiving Weekend in NC

 I had a great time with my family in North Carolina over Thanksgiving; a fine time with my wife Patty, my son Robby, my very good border collies, and some nice days to enjoy a good motorcycle ride. I often note that Charlotte is not real big on history, but many of the smaller towns such as Landis, NC do keep history alive. For instance, there is this old train station in Landis, NC which is still on display (though needing some work to really be able to tour it) still on the railroad tracks of that small town. It is a mill town, which still has a working textile mill (one of the few still in the area) and is a nice place to visit.      

Downtown Landis can be seen here, it is right next to China Grove, another old and small town. Top photo and this one was taken on November 25, and that is my motorcycle at the far right, and the railroad tracks I mentioned can be seen at the bottom. Those tracks are still used, fright and passenger trains run on them (one of those trains runs to Richmond, Va and beyond). I wish the train was faster, would be a great way to get between the two cities I currently live in, but right now its a slow way to get between the two points-and time is not often on my side when I head to North Carolina.

 Of course post Thanksgiving means the start of the Christmas season. This is a view of one of my favorite animated light displays in Concord, the package seen at the top of the stocking has been tossed by Santa...he does that all night long! Amazingly he also never misses! The city has a number of such displays around town, they go on when the Christmas tree is lit, which was on November 18 this year. The event kicks off with fireworks and music, and I have gone quite a few years. However, this year I missed it being in Richmond, and missed the Stony Point tree lighting in Richmond as I was in Concord.  

This is the Concord, NC city tree, which was lit in the previously mentioned event. It was seen here (as was the previous photo) on November 26. After putting out lights around the house, and also putting up our Christmas tree, Patty and I went out to see some of the sights around Concord. Sure it is early, but there were a number of displays up and enjoy listening to some Christmas music on the radio (some of which have been playing that since early November!) and seeing what the area has to offer. I love this time of year, and frankly even love it better when as this weekend temperatures were warm and the skies were dry. Cold is fine also, and a little snow is sure seasonable, but I can wait on both for a little bit longer.
The tree is a new one, though it has been in use for a few years, but not very long. It is also not a real tree, but is artificial. I have seen them put it together in the past, in sections. I like that, hate to see real trees cut down for a short event such as the holidays.      

Certainly not Richmond's Tacky Light Tour (which I hope to bring some of the "brighter lights" to you this upcoming weekend) but one of the houses in my neighborhood (not mine though) decorated for the holiday. Thanksgiving weekend was not just the weekend the lights went up at my house, there was a lot of activity which extended into Sunday just before I left town. Drove back a few hours ago, and though the highways were busy, it was not too bad (have seen worse over the years). Enjoyed Thanksgiving in NC, looking forward to some great sights and sounds of the season in both NC and VA this holiday season! 

This old Mall is located on Midlothian Turnpike, and has been largely empty and abandoned since I have been here, which is almost a three year period now. However over the last couple of weeks, work to tear it down have been underway. One of the outlying buildings is completely down, and work is starting on the big complex. Coming is a new development which is supposed to have a very large Kroger store, some sort of apartments/condos sort of thing, and perhaps some offices and other stores of some sort. Will be interesting to follow this, and to see how it all goes down the road. I will be keeping an eye on it.   

I read a neat review in Richmond.com on Station 2 which is on Main Street in the Shockoe Bottom/Church Hill area (not quite sure in what "section" it really lies) but the review sounded good, and being a fan of fried pickles I thought it would be worth a trip and a visit. Nice place inside, found the service friendly, and the prices reasonable (though no weekend happy hour prices on beer...damn the luck). I did enjoy a pair of Virginia brewed beers (and finding Virginia has some really good ones!) and thought the fried pickles were really good. Had the usual ranch sauce and a sort of mustard based (and hotter) sauce, I really liked the latter one a great deal. Certainly no food critic (my food favorites tend to be of the fast food variety, and I am a big fan of cheap) but I did like what I had there. Think I will be making a few return visits to Station 2 which also has a nice outdoor area which some people were enjoying. However, that outdoor area will probably have to wait until spring, because winter and the Christmas holiday will soon be here.   

Part of the days adventure was looking for Christmas. Last couple of years have enjoyed the holiday decorations at The Jefferson, and went by there today. Apparently I am a little early, but the place (which opened in 1895) is certainly a beautiful and remarkable place. The hotel has a remarkable history having been around for so long. It was built by noted Richmond resident Lewis Ginter. The hotel had a decline in the 1980's and then was reborn a few short years later. 12 Presidents have spent a night (or in some cases a few) in the hotel, as well as a long list of other notable people. The hotel web site (which I referenced for this) has a long and interesting history of this remarkable place. I will be back there in a few weeks, the Christmas display has in the past been one of the highlights of the Christmas season in Richmond, and I am sure this year will be no exception. Be looking for those photos in the next few weeks. If you get the chance go by and check it out in person - it is a most remarkable display!

Owned by the very wealthy James Dooley and his wife Sallie, Maymont House is currently all decked out for the holidays. It is a nice way to look at Christmas as it was done at the turn of the century  shortly after the Civil War. Maymont House was built on some 100 acres near the James River, and has some 33 rooms. The lower floors were servant quarters and are very interesting, the upper floors were the house of the millionaire railroad baron who built it. It is very elegant and it is quite interesting to see all the remarkable items inside. The cost of the very interesting and informative tour was $5, and I have to say it was well worth the price.

Finally, after a bit more driving I went to see the Christmas tree at Stony Point Fashion Park. Got to see it lit the first two years, this year I was in North Carolina when it happened for 2011. I did enjoy seeing the tree which is all new for this year. The tree lights change color to music which is a pretty neat effect. Pretty sure that most of the other area malls are either decorated or in the process of doing so.
I love the colors of the leaves in the fall, and I love the Christmas light displays. I will be exploring some of those in the next few weeks; North Carolina has some nice ones to see and I will be showing some of those, but Richmond really does Christmas all out with the remarkable and amazing "Tacky Light Tour" which I have been enjoying for the last two years. I am hopeful that the third year of my time in Richmond will bring me some more remarkable sights.
I put up my Christmas tree (smaller than this one) in my home away from home here in Richmond, and will be doing some decorating in North Carolina very soon as well (as my actual place of residence). Looking forward to a great and fun holiday season in both places this year.   

Exploring Salisbury, NC (November 12, 2011)

Phil is a former boss of mine at work, also happens to be a good friend (thankfully that sort of thing happens often) with motorcycling a common interest. We took a ride on Saturday November 12 to check out some of the fall colors before they are all gone (and at the rate the leaves are falling, it won't be long). That is Phil and his bike (more photos can be seen on my "Racing with the Wind" blog which is more motorcycle focused) of our visit here to the National Cemetery in Salisbury. Graves from the Civil War to the present day wars are the focus of the cemetery. A confederate prison was once located in Salisbury, NC during the Civil War.  

Salisbury is a very old town, dating some 250 years. This is a bank building in downtown Salisbury. Salisbury was the hometown of Elizabeth Dole, and is the site of the headquarters of Food Lion. Many of the buildings remaining in the city (which has a population of around 33,000) date to before the Civil War. The downtown is very interesting, and a favorite stop for me is the nearby NC Transportation Museum in Spencer (which has been featured a few times on this blog). It is well worth a visit if you are ever in the area-as is Salisbury which has a number of interesting things to see.It is one of my favorite places to visit in North Carolina.    

The ride though was to check out the fall color this trip, and our main stop was at High Rock Lake. The lake is a prime fishing stop, but I don't fish-I ride. Enjoyed checking out the colors along the way, some great riding can be found along Bringle Ferry Road which takes us to the marina at High Rock Lake. Stopped there for some refreshment while checking out the leaves and the cotton fields which were in full bloom along the way. Some great rural riding in that area, with some fine twisty roads and above all light traffic along the way other than the occasional car or truck, and of course a number of motorcycles on this fine day. I always enjoy riding my motorcycle, and fun to go along with Phil who has been with me on a number of adventures in Carolina. This fall was not as colorful as years past, but did get to see it in peak form and enjoyed a wonderful day with a good friend on some outstanding roads.    

A fine Fall Day in the RVA (November 5, 2011)

Had a great day in Richmond under blue skies, and temperature in the 60 degree range. During the day made a stop at Hollywood Cemetery where I took the photo at left of the James River. The James is a big part of living in the Richmond area, and the city is known as the River City (though Louisville, Kentucky also uses that title being on the shore of the mighty Ohio River). Love the big rocks in the river and the rapids they have here. You see a lot of activity on and around the river in Richmond. Hollywood Cemetery is a remarkable place, among its many "residents" are 2 US Presidents, and the only CSA President.   
 Made a stop at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. I like that museum a great deal, and go there often. This was part of a new display, like how they change them up from time to time. Often lots of new displays and new stuff to see. 

 The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts also had a big Egyptian display, talk about some very old and historic stuff! I put a few more items on my photo page (there is a link to that on this page).
While near there,  went to the nearby Cary Street Cafe, which is billed as "Richmond's Oldest Hippie Bar" and enjoyed that a great deal as well. Nice place, and usually had live music (and today was no exception) . Also while I was out saw a number of motorcycles, have some of them on my "Racing with the Wind" blog...I like to ride, and enjoyed checking out some of the bikes of Richmond. Saw some interesting motorcycles today!

Went out to see the fall colors, and no better place to do it than Monument Avenue. Like the big statues there, and the trees made it very colorful as well. I have remarked before many times on how Richmond preserves its history, doing much better than many other areas in the US. The Lee statue is one of many along the street, which has been named as one of the most beautiful in the US. Many fine old houses can be found there, and certainly some very interesting people live there. It is a fun place to take a walk and to check out the sights. It is especially special on a fine fall day as was today.    

Finally made a stop at Legend Brewing Company to end the days adventure. They have some good seasonable beer and I checked out one of the Stouts with a chocolate taste. A friend at work told me about Legend's and I am glad he did. Why drink boring corporate when you can drink locally brewed? Virginia has a big and growing brewing industry and they have some really fine beers out there, and are doing a lot to advance it. I enjoyed my visit there today, and look forward to the next one in the very near future.
Had a great time in the city, always fun to explore it, and that is especially so in the fall. I love this time of year when the air is crisper, the skies seem to be even bluer, and the colors in the trees are so striking.
November is a great month to get out and to see what the area has to offer, and that holds true both here and in the Carolinas. Most of the mountain color is gone, but Richmond will be at peak in the next few days; get out and enjoy it!