Ashland and Kings Dominion (September 22, 2012)

 A really nice day on the first day of Fall 2012. The last weekend I was in Richmond, battled a bug that has been going around the area, but over that, and went to a company event at Kings Dominion. Spent some time in Ashland, VA - saw these ladies working some spinning wheels at the Farmers Market there, and thought it would make a really good photo (and so it does). Nice city, enjoyed the sights there, it is a college town, and so saw a lot of people on bicycles, and like how the train tracks run right through the city. Very nice place to visit and I enjoyed my time there before the event. 

 This is the Train Station and Visitors Center in Ashland, VA. While I was there an Amtrak train made a real quick stop there. I also got to check out Ashland Coffee and Tea - read about that a great deal, not only is a very cool coffee shop has a big area for bands (and some notable bands come though there. I enjoyed walking around a bit, got some really good photos, it was one of those places I had heard a lot about. I think they call their city "The Center of the Universe"....kind of bold, but I could see why the locals love it. Its the kind of place you want to visit, and would be a very fine place to live from what I saw.   

 Anyhow, got out to Kings Dominion - nice to get to go on the company dime; they paid the admission and also gave us some park bucks for dinner. I love the rides, I have always been a huge fan of roller coasters, and this one is one of the biggest I have ridden; the Intimidator 305. The ride (looked this up on Wikipedia) is 305 feet tall (taller than the observation deck at the parks Eiffel Tower) and hits a top speed of 90 mph. At times, it exerts a force of six G's; quite the ride for a fan of aviation though the theme is racing and it is named for NASCAR racing legend (and resident of Kannapolis, NC) Dale Earnhardt. It was a real event to ride this coaster which is one of the best I have ever ridden. In fact the park has something like 14 coasters, and I rode quite a few of them during my visit, as well as a number of other rides. During my visit the big Windseeker Ride was shut down due to problems with it (none resulting in injury though at other parks. Many of the rides are at other parks; this ride can also be found at Carowinds near Charlotte, NC.       

In addition to Kings Island (near Cincinnati, Ohio, another sister park) Kings Dominion has a 1/3 replica of the Eiffel Tower in France. Nice ride to the top and a good look at the view from the Observation Deck of some of the rides and the view of the Virginia countryside. This trip was my second visit to the park, and as with the first trip had a wonderful time. Love to walk and that is a good thing, as you do a lot of walking. I also enjoyed the "Dinosaurs Alive" exhibit there, felt sort of like I was in the movie Jurassic Park (though they moved, they did not walk, but did move and made dinosaur type sounds, very cool). Nice way to enjoy the first day of Fall, and a great time in Virginia. Of course, it did not feel much like fall, was rather warm actually (but sunny so no complaints); and expecting some fall weather tomorrow which will be really cool (both actually and in my opinion - I am ready for fall to be here, one of my favorite times of the year!).

End of Summer in North Carolina (September 15-16)

 Got a motorcycle ride in on September 15, which was a beautiful day. I have some photos on the motorcycle page (Racing with the Wind) but here is another view of the UNCC Football Stadium (Known as McColl-Richardson Stadium) which will be the site of the school's first football game on August 31, 2013. As I noted will seat 15,000 (can be expanded to 40,000) and is part of a massive building program the last few years at the school (which is The University of North Carolina at Charlotte-should mention that I think). Very impressive school just outside of Charlotte, NC.

 Went to the Concord Regional Airport to see the Memphis Belle. B-17's flew mostly against Germany (some use against the Japanese) in World War II, and out of some 12,732 built, only 13 still are in flying condition. 4,735 were lost during the war, and they had a crew of 10 on each one. The planes were built by Boeing Aircraft and the latest models had 13 machine guns, but fighter and flak took a toll on the planes during the war. The real Memphis Belle still exists, but is in non-flying condition, this one did not serve in the war, but did fly in the movie "Memphis  Belle" a few years ago. 

I ride a lot, and often see groups of the Patriot Guard Riders (saw this group in Concord, NC on Sunday September 16). The group began in 2005 to prevent disruption of military funerals by Westboro Baptist Church, and now has 220,000 members. They attend military funerals (when invited by family members) to prevent protests as well as Firefighter and Police funerals. They also do volunteer work at Military hospitals, greet returning troops, and assist military families with financial difficulties. I think any way you can look at it, they are a great bunch of motorcyclists. I plan to join this group when I am done with my time in Richmond, VA.
This will be my last visit to North Carolina in Summer of 2012, which officially ends on September 22 this year. It has been one wild summer, one of the warmest and certainly one of the most humid. I am looking forward to fall (in fact the last couple of weeks have been a nice preview in my book). First day of Fall will be spent this year in Richmond, and I am looking forward to some great times in both places in the upcoming weeks. There is a lot of fun events coming up this year this fall, and I will bring some of them here to you!   

Labor Day in Concord, NC (Sept 3, 2012)

 Went for a ride on the motorcycle on Labor Day, before heading back to Richmond later (which is where I am writing this now). Enjoyed a great six days back in North Carolina, but on my last day (which again was blessed with some great weather) took a ride around the Concord area. Made a number of stops, but got this photo of Z-Max Dragway. Interesting in that it is being used as a center for police cars and buses, certainly for the Democratic National Convention which starts on Tuesday. There were a lot of events going on this Labor Day for it, but I could not make those today. 

Rode here down Union Street (for those who wonder, I stopped the bike before taking this photo, as you can see, it was a light traffic day on this Labor Day). Union Street is a very old street, but then again Concord is a very old town , settled in 1750, and established in 1806. There are a number of really neat old houses there, and its a fun place to drive (or especially ride a motorcycle) down. I love the big trees and the old houses are always interesting. There is an old mill converted to apartments at the far end (well behind me) and there is a "Forest Hill" section of the street (which is neat, as I live in Forest Hill in Richmond now). 

This is the downtown of Concord, though as with many places the "downtown" has moved (for Concord it is probably the massive Concord Mills complex and the surrounding area), but downtown has a lot of history, plus some really cool businesses. A few places were open (visited the guitar shop located there during this visit) but many closed for the holiday.
I have to say, its been a good time. A number of photos from around the region can be found on these pages as well as on my "Racing with the Wind" page. I had a fun and remarkable visit during the Labor Day holiday. 

Sunday Ride (September 2, 2012)

I went out for a ride on the motorcycle on September 2, and have a few more photos on my Racing with the Wind blog, but this photo at left I took in Davidson, NC. Its a great town, like the fact that they are trying to limit development, and to keep it a "small college town". It is not far from the Lake Norman area, and has a number of small shops, and a really tight (and you need to pay attention to it) speed limit. You normally see a lot of people jogging, and riding bicycles, and walking, it is a quiet sort of place. It also has a lot of places to eat and drink, great book stores, that sort of thing.   

 Davidson is the home to Davidson College, a very old school, in fact President Woodrow Wilson spent some time going to school there (was US President during World War One). I like the very old buildings there, such as this church, it is a beautiful school, and a very respected school as well. It has a first rate football and basketball team there - in fact the basketball team went real far in the NCAA tournament a few years ago.
Davidson is a very nice area to ride in, with a lot of history and some really big and fine houses. It is not far from Lake Norman, and also has some first rate entertainment both of the kind that charges admission and also for free as well in the centrally located park in Downtown Davidson.
It is well worth a visit, easy to get to, and a fun ride. If you are a motorcyclist, you will find some of the best roads in the area. 

This is Michael Waltrip Racing, one of the big(er) race shops in the area. I like Michael, as he is a real hoot as a person, but is doing really good in NASCAR as a team owner. Of course there are a lot of race shops in the area, the Charlotte area (Huntersville, Concord, Charlotte itself, and Cornelius where this shop is located) is home to the vast majority of teams in the circuit. Neat to live in two cities where there are major NASCAR tracks (Richmond, VA and Concord, NC) . Richmond races next weekend, Concord's last races of 2012 are coming up in October of this year.    

Finally, I was going back to the area from the motorcycle ride yesterday to get a photo of the lake. I made a turn down a neighborhood in Cornelius and came across some houses like this, and had to get a photo of one of them. I see some amazing houses in Richmond, but the Lake Norman area has some really "nice" neighborhoods as well. Of course though you can't see it here, the back yard of these houses are the amazing Lake Norman (and I have a few photos of the lake all though this blog, its a favorite riding area of mine). I have to say, its fun living in this area, though seriously doubt I will ever see myself in any sort of house like this....ever.  

Riding on the South Side (August 31, 2012)

 Got out on the motorcycle, put some photos from this shop on my bike page, but worth a photo here. Motorcycles of Charlotte sells Ducati, Triumph, BMW and MV Agusta, rare bikes on the roads, but some of the most interesting ones out there. A very nice motorcycle shop, located near South Carolina (at NC Exit 1, I-77) and just a stones throw from South Carolina. Enjoyed my visit there, because none (as in nada, zip) are sold in the Richmond area, so these are some bikes I have not seen in a while, but hard to see when I am in Virginia. Not to say they are not great bikes though, some of the most innovative out there.   

 Took a few minutes and rode into South Carolina where gas is much cheaper than just about anyplace (and I took advantage gassing up the Vulcan) but also is the home to Carowinds. This is the "sister park" of Kings Dominion which is near Richmond (in Doswell I believe). Carowinds is partly in North Carolina, and partly in South Carolina. It also has many of the same rides, this for instance is The Intimidator which can also be found at Kings Dominion. Big roller coaster fan, and loved riding this one in Virginia. I have been to this park in the past and am sure to return to it in the future.  

 I am a big fan of planes, and while cruising down NC-49 toward Charlotte seemed to have been along one of the active runways, so got this photo overhead (you can get photos like this on a motorcycle at a red light). Charlotte-Douglas is the hub airport for US Airways and one of the busiest airports in the US (and the busiest in North Carolina). The airport has a great viewing area for takeoffs and landings, and is also home to the Carolina Aviation Museum, which I have visited a number of times. I have also flown out of that airport on many occasions, it makes for some good flights due to the large number of direct flights out of Charlotte.   

 Made a quick drive though Uptown Charlotte, photo at left is one of the statues at Founders Square. Of course this week the Democratic National Convention is coming to town, and the traffic as well as the police presence was greatly increased. Still, its a great city to visit with a lot to see and do (and many of those things can be seen on past pages here) and Charlotte is probably my favorite city in North Carolina (though there are a number of fun places to visit in this state). I am looking forward to seeing how the convention goes, though by the time it kicks off I will be back in Richmond.  

I was finally in the area called University City, made a quick stop to get a photo of IKEA there. Buddy of mine made a big deal of going to Washington, DC where they have one, so he will enjoy seeing this. It has been in Charlotte for the last few years. University City is the home to UNCC, which is getting a football team (next year) as well as a number of stores, apartments, and the like. It is more of a suburb of Charlotte, but a fun place as most college towns are.
It was a very good day to ride, with a few things to see off the beaten path, but put a big grin on my face.    

A Damp Sunday in the RVA

Took this photo on a clammy, overcast Sunday August 26. Day before it rained all day, was a good day to check out "The Dark Knight Rises" (and that was a really good movie, in my opinion the best in the series). On this Sunday, was heading for a short time to Richmond, but stopped in this little park short of the James River and took this photo at the top of the Floodwall Walkway. I like this old bridge, and this is an interesting area to wander a bit. I think it is fair to say that the James River is the center of this city, and there are a lot of interesting things to do and see along its length. 

Also from the overlook is this view of Richmond, VA. I do have a lot of fun there, and its a fun place to explore and to check out new things. Did not do a lot of it today, been a long week at work, and thought it would be fun to just get there for a bit and to check out some sights in the Shockoe Bottom area. I was just there a couple of weeks ago for the BBQ festival, which was a lot of fun, and thought it would be a good place to spend a little time. Traffic was pretty heavy on this Sunday and parking was a little hard to come by (free parking anyhow) but made a stop at Station 2 for a beverage before I headed back.   

Have been to Station 2 before, does not seem as good as I remember. Has an ok beer list, the food is ok, though got the fried pickles and they are not as nice as I remember. I like that it is in an old fire station (which is sort of unique) though frankly doubt I will be back in the future....there are better places in Richmond by far to drop a few dollars.
Will be spending some quality time today at Forest Hill Park, as there is a band which is supposed to play there later tonight, though the weather will for sure be a factor. It looks like the skies will unload anytime now, a real mixture of sunshine (limited on that though) and some very, very dark clouds. Course the area needs the rain, getting seriously dry lately, and Chesterfield (which is nearby) is under water restrictions. Like much of the US, Richmond is below normal water levels as far as rainfall.
Nothing else, this will be a good day to relax, chill out and to enjoy the afternoon. Got some pre-season football tonight, so it could be worse I suppose. 

Sights in Concord, August 18-19, 2012

 Headed out to dinner with my wife Patty on August 18, and it was a good dinner indeed (ate at K+W, love that place), but on the way home, caught sight of two powered parachutes flying and went after them. They have been common sights since I have been in Concord (over 14 years now, off and on anyhow) and they seem to be a really neat way to fly. Not all that fast (though fast enough) and as flying goes pretty safe - if the engine quits, you land under the parachute/wing. Anyhow, got this photo, close to dusk in Concord. Sort of like seeing old friends again, they always bring a smile to my face, and think they are very cool. Tend to see them early in the AM, or late in the day, when the winds tend to be calmer.  

Seen here is the site of the Cabarrus Arts Council, which was once the old Town Hall (they have a newer one now a few blocks away). Love these old buildings, and this one is one of my favorites. Downtown is centered around Union Street, which is a pretty good place to see some really old houses. One of those is on my motorcycle page  which I have a link to on this page. Rode the motorcycle around the downtown area on August 19 between the rain showers (should have gotten out on the much more sun kissed day before, but hindsight is 20/20). Tried to find some info on when this place was built, and so far have not been able to, but its old...and its fairly unique (though there is a building much in the same style but bigger in nearby Monroe, NC. Downtown has really changed over the years, with a lot of nice places to eat, some good stores, and even Robert's Place which has a fine collection of craft beers. In fact there are a few places to have beers which a few years ago was impossible, Concord was once "dry", but all that has changed. Concord was settled in 1750, and was incorporated in 1806. So it has a long history, and a lot of interesting sights to see there. While Charlotte often reinvents itself, some of the surrounding towns have a lot of historic sights to check out.