A Big Wet One in the RVA (January 21-22)

 Busy rainy Saturday in Richmond-stopped at Sedona Tap House, a new place which opened a couple of weeks ago on the Midlothian Turnpike. Nice setting, and a wide beer selection (they also have live music some nights I was told) but a bit pricy. Still, I enjoyed it. Also enjoyed the movie "Red Tails", though I am an aviation and history buff. Still an important story, and a good look at a period in American history that is well worth remembering. Movie was by George Lucas of Star Wars fame, and told he wanted to make it for some 20+ years. Good day along Midlothian Turnpike.  

 Sunday before the football playoff games went to Church Hill. Friend of mine lives there, and went with another friend. We took a walk in the Shockoe Bottom area, here at the Lucky Strike condo. At one time this was a tobacco factory, one of many in the Richmond area (now only the Philip Morris factories remain). Indian at top here used to be on the Richmond baseball stadium (aka "The Diamond"). Formerly the Richmond Braves were the team that played there, now the current team is making noise about moving as the new stadium they were promised is years away from being built. 

Bridge here is part of the old Canal system, from what I read nearby it dated to the 1920's and could be raised to allow boats to pass underneath to bring supplies to the tobacco factories in the area (see the photo above). All those of course are gone, though Philip Morris still has some facilities in the Richmond area. Also near this site back in the day was the Confederate Naval Yard in the Richmond area, nothing remains of that from what I was able to read. Not far from this location also was the Confederate "Libby Prison". That building is also long gone though a plaque remains to mark the former site.    

Finally, here is Poe's Pub-love the "Sorry, we're Open" sign near the door. Great place and found today they have a Sunday Brunch (from 10-2). Always meet some interesting people in there, and there are many good beverages in there as well for beverage fans such as myself. It is real close to Libby Hill Park which has the Confederate Soldiers and Sailors monument at the top of the hill. Went to a real fun bbq festival with some great bands at Libby Hill Park last summer-it was a great time.
It was a cold and wet weekend in Richmond, but can't complain-its been a very good winter so far.    

Riding in Kannapolis, NC (January 15, 2012)

 Spent a pleasant weekend (with a bonus day thanks to the Martin Luther King Holiday) in North Carolina. Though cold (it is winter after all) bundled up and took a Sunday morning ride to the area that was formerly known as "Cannon Village" in Kannapolis, NC.This was once the site of a many million square feet complex of textile mills, but they are since torn down and long out of business. This survives-which is now offices for the NC Research Center, some stores and restaurants, The Gem (a great place to see movies) and even (as I found) the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame. A statue of Dale Earnhardt can also be found there.

The NC Research Center can be seen at right. This is one of a new complex of buildings designed as part of a bio-tech research campus. The promise has not yet quite matched up to the massive investment, but everyone is hopeful that someday this will be a major job creator. It certainly is a beautiful collection of buildings, and some employment and research is going on there. It is certainly a beautiful campus and sure hope that it turns out to work out in the future. I think that the economy hit this project pretty hard and that things have a way to go yet. Hopefully it will soon take off.  

Trains run though Kannapolis, this one comes from Charlotte, NC and runs to (ta-da) places east including Richmond, VA. It takes a while to get there from Kannapolis, high speed rail being a dream, but given some rising fuel prices and this may be a future way for me to get between Charlotte and Richmond. Rail is (I am told) an important way for many to get to Washington, DC and back from Richmond. Rumor has it that many live in Richmond and commute via this method back and forth to work due to the high cost of housing in the Washington, DC area. I don't know for a fact this is true, but I have been told that it is that way. At any case, a very nice weekend in the 40's in North Carolina. Still a wacky winter to this point (not that I am complaining) with no snow either in the Charlotte or Richmond area, and in fact some very fine temperatures in the last few weeks. To this point, it has been a very mild and pleasant winter. Got out to enjoy the day, enjoyed the ride, and was fun to be back in the Kannapolis area to do some exploring. Saw some new things there-nice to spend a bit of time there on a cold but quiet Sunday.    

Pub Crawl in Church Hill (January 7, 2012)

 A good friend of mine and his girlfriend got one of the old houses in Church Hill, which I consider one of the most interesting and fun areas of Richmond, VA. Nice place with a nice history, I really envy him getting that place. We went out later on a pub crawl, as there are a number of interesting places in the area to explore. This was actually the end stop...Sette which is a pizza place in the Church Hill/Shockoe Bottom area. Nice specials though, and enjoyed the bartender there who was a lot of fun,and the game which was on the TV at the time. Made for a nice final stop for the day. 

This photo gives a good idea of "Hill" part of the Church Hill name, definitely the high county with some great views looking down at the city. Church Hill has some of the oldest and the most interesting buildings in the city, many of them date back to the 1800s if not before. It is a very interesting area to just wander around and explore, in fact I got a big kick out of the gas lights in the area-sure I had seen them but did not know they still worked! As usual in Richmond was pleased with all the nice people you come across, few cities are as friendly as you come across in the Richmond area, and I like that.    

 Speaking of friendly, The Hill Cafe was very friendly, and a nice place to enjoy a few frosty cold beverages (or a glass of wine judging from the selection I saw in there). Nice group of people, one of which had a small dog in a sort of computer case (Richmond is the most dog friendly town I have ever seen, and this again is a wonderful thing). I am told the food here also is pretty good, though did not get to sample it this trip, but I will on a future visit. There are a number of places in Church Hill that are going to be worth checking out,and sure that Tony and Tina will point me in the right directions.

Of course, St. John's Church is the site where Patrick Henry gave his famous "Give me Liberty or Give me Death" speech, plus it is the burial ground of the mother of Edgar Allen Poe and the gravesite of one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. One of my favorite spots in Richmond and it is right in Church Hill.

Finally , made a stop at Patrick Henry Pub, but they were not yet open when we visited there. Still, they could not have been nicer and I hope to make a future visit there, as it looked to be a very interesting place to spend a few happy hours checking out some of the local beverages in the Richmond area and to meet some of the local people  

 

I had a great time during the short exploration of Church Hill, an area I have visited before and will many time again in the future.

Last Rides of 2011 (December 30-31, 2011)

 Took this photo on Saturday December 31, for the last ride of the year. It was a beautiful day in North Carolina, temperature in the mid-60s and under Carolina blue skies. It was a remarkable ride, went out to see some friends from work (two who did not come to Virginia) and to also get in a few miles. Over the holiday I ended up getting in 240 miles of riding, which considering it is late December is not bad at all. Few things I like to do as much as to ride the motorcycle-it really puts me in a unique place and is a very relaxing, if somewhat dangerous thing to do. Still, its something I have been doing a long long time and with proper care and a watchful eye, it is a safe and fun sport.
I am looking forward to some more rides in 2012, think it is going to be a very good year. Looking forward also to more four wheeled adventures in Richmond, Va...enjoyed checking out the sights there, and find it a fun and interesting city and certainly will see a lot in 2012 there as well.  

Made a short stop at the Concord Regional Airport where I saw this helicopter flying around. It is the hospital helicopter, I have seen that close up, and posted a photo of it on the ground a few posts previous to this one.
I enjoy aviation and have over the last year quite a few photos of planes, helicopters and other flying objects.
I enjoyed visiting a number of museums in 2011, did not make any air shows though for the first time in many years. I plan not to say that last in 2012, also hope to get to Washington to see the Air and Space Museums located there.  

 This tree was in the lobby of the Concord Regional Airport on December 31. Christmas 2011 was really special, enjoyed the time home, and I also enjoyed the sights and sounds of the season. Richmond sure does Christmas as few other cities do, and it was a joy once again enjoying the Tacky Light Tour, and the other events in the Richmond area. I also enjoyed the sights and sounds in North Carolina, in both places I got to see some really wonderful, and in many cases new sights during Christmas. I also this year spent some time in the Louisville, Kentucky area visiting family and friends. This will be long remembered.

On December 30, I visited the motorcycle museum inside Iron Horse Motorcycles in Monroe, NC on another warm but very windy day. They have a very unique and historic collection of motorcycles-and you can see some of them on my Racing with the Wind Blog.
I love the history of things and places, and certainly have enjoyed that this year. My own history has been a lot of fun, and it has been a most wonderful year. I have enjoyed sharing some of the sights of Richmond and Charlotte and I am looking forward to bringing you more of them in 2012. Happy New Year and best wishes to everyone who reads this blog, thanks for dropping by, and will see you in 2012!

The "Other" River City

View here was taken around 6PM, December 26, in Jeffersonville, Indiana looking at Louisville, Kentucky. In between the two places is the Ohio River. I often compare Louisville to Richmond, Va, and the river is one big reason. Like the James in Richmond, the Ohio River defines the city, and in fact was the reason for its founding. Falls at the Ohio River were a crossing point and at that point the city was founded. It is especially impressive at night and I liked this photo that I took. Much of the city is new, but a lot of the city is reused and recycled, it is a new and growing place, but also with a vibrant history as well.
 

 This is the old Colgate factory. The clock there is one of the largest in the world (at one time it was in the top five). I will have a nighttime photo of it on my photo page very soon (probably as you read this, but if not soon). Colgate was built as a State Prison, and was later converted to a factory. Colgate closed it a few years ago, those were some great jobs, but as with so many manufacturing jobs in so many places, many such places in both Indiana and Kentucky have gone over the last few years (and this is also before the election of Obama..its been a long ongoing process). The future use of this complex is unclear but it remains silent and empty for now.   

 A nice view of the Ohio River and the Big Four Bridge. It is being converted to a walkway across the river in a long term ongoing plan. Bridges are a big problem in the area. There are three across the river in the Louisville area, the Clark Bridge, the Kennedy and the Sherman-Minton. The Sherman-Minton had some damage which has closed it, making traffic problems huge in the area and resulting in massive traffic jams. Louisville has grown substantially since the 1960's, but has not built a new bridge since that time (the Kennedy being the newest around 1962 or so) and they are paying a high price for that mistake now.     

Jeffboat has been building ships and barges since before the Great Depression when it was the Howard Shipyards. The Navy took it over during the war and it built a great number of ships (especially landing craft) during that period. It is one of the largest employers in Jeffersonville, Indiana and is the largest inland shipbuilder in the US. Those giant cranes are really impressive. Along with barges, they also build casino steamboats, which is what they started out doing (without the "Casino" part) when they began operations way back in the day. A most impressive company located along the shore of the Ohio River.
I enjoy my visits to the area, this one was short (basically two days) and due to the travel situation with the bridges I did not make a trip over to Louisville this time. The bridge is supposed to be repaired by March, and that should improve matters greatly in that area. Hopefully, things will be back to normal for everyone, across the river traffic has been a real adventure according to family and friends in the area.  I look forward to my next visit there, and hope you have enjoyed this short look. More photos can be seen on my photo page of the Louisville area. 

Christmas Eve in Charlotte, NC (December 24, 2011)

Took a motorcycle ride (some more photos on on my "Racing with the Wind" Blog) to Charlotte, NC. Second ride in two days, it was a much cooler, and more overcast day, but bundled up I rode to one of my favorite cities. On this Christmas Eve, the Panthers were playing Tampa Bay at Bank of America Stadium seen at left. I did not attend this game (though I have been to many games in the past)  but enjoyed being around "football people"-they are always a very interesting and lively crowd. Not a huge crowd on hand for this game so close to the big day coming up tomorrow.

 Charlotte has many museums, in that it is common to Richmond, and like Richmond many of them are new. At left is the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African American Arts and Culture. Outside of the building is based on "quilt designs from the Underground Railroad era and woven textile patterns from West Africa", I just think its cool. In the background to the right in the photo is the Westin Hotel, which is also a very interesting building. Many of the museums (but not all) are centered in this area of Tryon Street -so there is a lot to see centered in this area.   

 Also near the museums is "The Green". Places to eat range from upscale to more modest fare. Some really interesting art can be seen there,  in the 1.5 acre park such as these fish at left. Lots of fun and funny stuff. I can hands down suggest eating at Matt's Chicago Dog..its cheap, and I am of the opinion that the best hot dogs are made in Chicago, though I am sure many will disagree with me (and that is fine...never met a hot dog that I did not like!). Also near the park is the new Wells Fargo Museum where you can see an actual period stagecoach, and some other cool stuff free, which is neat. 

Uptown Charlotte is pretty cool. Heading back down Tryon Street I saw some really cool buildings. While most of Charlotte is shiny and new there are (especially on this street) some buildings dating to the 1920s. There are also some very old churches going back even earlier than that. While Charlotte does tend to bulldoze the past, it does like to keep its old churches intact. There are some very interesting areas in and around the city. I love to explore Charlotte and being gone so often, it is remarkable to see the changes that happen-for this city if nothing else does not stay still.
I have read this week that North Carolina remains the #2 state for new arrivals in the US; many people continue to move here for the great climate, and the growth that has come here. Though things have slowed down the last few years and the unemployment rate is certainly nothing that Richmond would smile at, better days will be coming soon, and hopefully very soon.  

Final photo at left is of "Firebird" which is a sculpture by Niki de Saint Phalle. The sculpture is 17 feet tall and covered in mirrored and colored glass. It stands in front of the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art which has a large collection of art (1,400 works) by artists including Warhol, Picasso, Calder and many others. As it was a private collection, only a handful of the art has ever been on public display.
Also in the area is the Mint Museum of Craft +Design, quite a few performing arts centers on Tyron Street and also the very fine Discovery Place Science Center. The NASCAR Hall of Fame is just a few blocks over as well.
I enjoyed my visit to Charlotte and hope you have enjoyed these photos, as well as from Richmond as well. I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and the best one ever this 2011. In my next post will be showing a few sights from Louisville, Kentucky, will be visiting my hometown right after Christmas for a few days, and that is a most interesting city as well with a lot in common with Richmond, Va in my opinion. Be looking for that in the next few days!   

 

Christmas Lights in Concord and Kannapolis (December 23, 2011)

 Got out with my wife Patty last night to see some of the sights in Kannapolis and Concord, NC. Like this house in Concord, NC on Union Street with the balls suspended in the air. Union Street is always a neat street to check out, lots of sights and some of the old elegant houses do a remarkable job of putting lights out as well as other decorations. Many of the houses are decorated much like those in Richmond's Monument Avenue area. Union Street is one of the oldest streets in Concord, many of the founders of the city lived there back in the early days of this city. 

This is one of the displays at Village Park in Kannapolis, NC. I liked this display, it changed to the music and put on quite the light show (it is seen here "at rest"). Kannapolis once was a huge mill town, it was the home to Cannon Mills and employed many thousands. That was still going when I first got to North Carolina, but it soon went out of business and those massive buildings were torn down. It is now the home to the NC Research Center which is quite impressive but is so far not the job generator that everyone was hoping for. Still, who knows what the future will bring.   

 Patty and I took the small train ride around Village Park to see the many light displays. It was really neat and we enjoyed it a great deal. The park is very nice as is often a center of events in Kannapolis from concerts to firework displays and to other events of interest. Kannapolis is a nice little town, and is most famous as the hometown of Dale Earnhardt Sr. Nice area to explore with a lot of interesting sights.
Many of the houses in the downtown area are mill houses, which were built for the workers in the mills and later sold to the workers. 

This is Cannon Village (or what was called Cannon Village)-once a sort of outlet mall area, now some stores remain, and some offices for the NC Research Center which starts at the end of this road.
I have enjoyed the Christmas lights in this area and also once again this year the fantastic lights in the Richmond, VA area. I enjoy the sights and sounds of the season, and this has been a most remarkable one for me, and I hope also for all of you.
Best wishes to all for a very Merry Christmas and a season of joy and peace!