First Snow (December 8-9, 2017)

 Really was not too bad as snow fall goes, but it was damn cold the day the snow came down. We had a pretty scene with this storm which came out of the Gulf of Mexico and up though the south.
Snow fall predictions changed in the course of the storm from just flurries to a few inches to what turned out to be maybe 2-3. For a very short time there was some on the road, but it was just for a few short hours. Never did get very click though it was very cold.
It was also very pretty. Did get out and get a walk in it. Photos I have are of my house (that tree as was all of them were amazing coated in white) and then the train tracks behind my house and a look down Forest Hill Avenue. The snow was pretty much gone by Monday though some remains in shady places here in the area in very, very tiny amounts. 

Lewis Ginter GardenFest of Lights (December 3, 2017)

 I love going to this every year and it is always something magical to see. The place is located at 1800 Lakeside Avenue, and does charge admission (though there are some free days to visit). It is the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden and they make magic during the Spring, Summer and Fall but really outdo themselves during the Winter when they transform the gardens into a winter wonderland. 

 I liked this tree which was really something to see. As well as sights such as these there are places to get something to eat and drink (hot chocolate was popular) and there were other things to see. Conventional Christmas trees were on display as well as a very large and interesting model train set. They also had a wonderful childrens garden for the kids to explore and that was a great deal of fun for older kids such as me.

 It was just an amazingly beautiful explosion of color and tranquility. A good tip if you visit go early as this exhibit gets pretty packed as the night goes on. It will be open from November 24-January 8 though it is closed December 24-25)There are a lot of special events scheduled though the month so checking the web site is a really good idea. Hours of the display are from 5-10 PM

This is the view from the lake. I would also mention that all of these are just a small sample of what the garden has to offer. They even have dog nights (though they dont like the dogs run free). Not sure if the dogs would really enjoy the lights but I do know they would a good walk...and this area is a very good walk indeed. Not sure how many acres but it is a lot and each step is special and magical.   

More Lights in the Night (December 1, 2017)

 Nice House on Grace Street in the Fan. I like coming by this house the past few years and it is always a fun place to see. Of note is the "Christmas Tree " in the front lower left, which is always pretty neat. You see a lot of those kind of trees outside this time of year, that one is one of the best I have seen so far. 

This is a very cool house. The guy who does it dresses like Santa Claus and was out on this very busy night. Always fun to go by and to see him and to check out the amazing lights he has in his yard. Have to give him a whole lot of credit, as he is an older guy and this sort of project takes a lot of work and love. Needless to say though, he puts both into this amazing house and display. 

The Jefferson Hotel (November 30, 2017)

Went by The Jefferson Hotel on the last day of the month after work to see the Christmas displays there. Always remarkable in that place and this year was no exception. They made this airplane out of gingerbread and candy. I love aviation and sometimes wonder if they did not know I was coming. At any case a remarkable and wonderful piece of work. Fun to see this site and enjoyed looking it over a great deal. 

 This is the tree in the hotel, always a grand sight and just a beautiful piece of work. The hotel is Richmond's only 5 star hotel, so let us just say I have never spent a night in it.
However, I have spent many fine hours visiting it and enjoying its fine restaurants and checking out Christmas sites such as this.
The hotel has a long history and it is something special  to visit if you are in the Richmond area, especially during the holidays.

Finally made a stop at Oregon Hill where I saw this amazing house. It is a yearly favorite and this year was no exception. Very bight and beautiful and always enjoy visitng this.

The Trip Back to Richmond (November 25, 2017)

 On the way back from Virginia Beach made some stops in Hampton, VA. Here is Fort Monroe which is a very old and impressive fort which dates before the Civil War. During the Civil War Confederate President Jefferson Davis was imprisoned here. Spent a lot of time chained to his bed looking at an American Flag on display. It was also a site of additional fortifications during WW1 and WW2. Very neat place to visit. 

A favorite place of mine in Hampton is the Air Park, which has a number of very interesting planes and rockets. Some are very rare such as the Kestrel (forerunner of the Harrier) and a test rocket (the last remaining) for the Mercury Spacecraft program. Both the fort and the Air Park (which is a few short miles away) are free to visit and very interesting to check out. The Hampton area has a lot of things to see and visit and is well worth a trip. I have been a few times 

Got home just before dark but this house was a stop before I got to my front door. Many places light up here in Richmond, Virginia on Thanksgiving night and they certainly go all out when they do. Fun to see them and there will be many more to see in the days to come on this page!

Thanksgiving Virginia Beach (November 23-25, 2017)

Wonderful Thanksgiving at Virginia Beach. It was a nice day to travel though sure the day before would not have been...with everyone going to and from their various destinations. It was sunny during the whole trip; of course it was just warm during the last day. Did enjoy taking the night beach drive along the Boardwalk (which is now concrete) to see the Christmas light displays. Very nice and enjoyed it a great deal. 

Was fun to see people on the beach. Here are some people feeding sea gulls. Get some sort of chips or cheetos, throw them in the air and presto...instant friends.
Was great to eat there. Yeah they had turkey dinners on Thanksgiving but we enjoyed the fish. Richmond has some great food but not not a lot of great fish. Was told to get that, go to Virginia Beach. They got that right. We had a lot of dinners at Murphy's Irish Pub. It was one of the few places open due to the holiday, and fresh off the boat fish. It was outstanding! 

View from the room. We stayed at the Oceanfront Inn, and I highly recommend it. This is the 25th, Debbie and I got up to see the sunrise (did that both mornings we woke up there) and it was beautiful.
I like going during the off season. Lots of things to see and do, virtually everything is open (except as noted on Thanksgiving) and the crowds are so much less as are hotel room prices. It was a wonderful few days in a special place.

NASA Langley Open House (October 21, 2017)

Up early and down the road for a very rare visit to the NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, VA. It was the first open house in a long time, this one to celebrate the center which has been in operation since 1917 (that is a 100 years in case you didnt do the math). For much of that it was as NACA (National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics. Became NASA in the 1950's but this Aeronautics is still the first "A" in NASA. 

 Still doing some amazing flight research. A lot of history for the past 100 years have been made in these buildings. Much of the developments in aviation and certainly many in spaceflight have come out of the minds that work in these buildings and do the research there. I got there early and stayed for some four hours exploring the buildings and meeting some of the people who are making the world of flight so amazing and changing the world we live in. 

 One of the coolest things I saw was this. You are inside what is known as the "14-by 22 foot subsonic tunnel. It is a wind tunnel used to test models and larger models of fixed wing and helicopters (and other V/STOL) aircraft. They can be set up in a number of ways such as seen here, or on a tether.
Got to see a number of models, as well as the amazing control room where the tests are conducted.

 This is the outside of the Subsonic tunnel. There were a number of amazing things and buildings and can't forget again to mention the people who make it all happen. It was a very fun and exciting day and want to thank everyone at NASA for making this remarkable event happen. I just hope they do it again real soon...would love to go back again!