Warbirds! At Chesterfield! (October 21, 2010)

This Thursday is cleanup night at work; which means its going to be a wet and messy night...not a lot of fun (to put it mildly). So was pleased to drive out to the Chesterfield County Airport to see the WWII classic aircraft on display there. They have been flown in by the Collings Foundation. These were three of the premier US combat aircraft of the Second World War. The two bombers were the heavy bombers used in the air war over Germany. The P-51 Mustang was the only escort fighter able to escort the bombers from England to Germany and back, preventing German fighter attacks on the big planes.

The P-51 is a legend in aviation. This is the P-51C Mustang, the later P-51D had a bubble canopy. Built by North American Aviation, the P-51 was mated with the British Merlin engine and became a war winning fighter. It was the first escort plane with the range to fly entire missions. Before that, planes such as the P-47 and the P-38 had to pull off due to lack of range near German targets, leaving the bombers at the mercy of German fighter aircraft. This P-51C is one of few flying and the only one with duel-controls (two cockpits) of what was a single seat fighter normally. Very few of the thousands built are still flying today.
The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress was the best known bomber of the Second World War. The big four engined bomber had a number of machine guns and would form boxes to prevent (as much as possible) fighter attacks. However, many planes were lost from enemy fighters, ground attack (also known as flax) from German guns, and also a number of accidents. The crews flew around 24,000 feet on the raids over Europe, where the air was thin, and it was very cold. The B-17 was a rugged aircraft, and many came home with heavy damage, but many were also lost. Thousands of crewmen died or were captured during the war.
The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was actually produced in greater numbers than the B-17. It was a faster plane, and could carry a heavier bomb load. The twin tailed plane has a sort of "flying boat" look, which comes from the fact that Consolidated was known for building those types of planes. Like the B-17, crews flew in an un-pressurized plane, in the cold, under fire, and like with the B-17 though rugged, many were lost in the skies over Germany with the crews killed or captured. It was a great thing to see these amazing historic aircraft, and I enjoyed it a great deal. My next post will feature even more, though in a different state and a different place. This is going to be a great time to see some legendary aircraft at some fine local airports. I greatly enjoyed the visit today of these planes in which so many gave so much, so we could have the world we have today!

Some Favorite Richmond Places (October 16, 2010)

Took my friend Keith (from work, another transfer from Louisville and Concord, NC) on a tour of Richmond today (our second time, he came down for the IndyCar race in Richmond last year). First stop was a favorite place: Buz and Ned's Real Barbecue. Real good Richmond style barbecue, and a fun place to eat. I find the food really reasonable, and the service is good as well. Just before that, we walked over to Velocity Motorcycles to check out the very interesting motorcycles to be found over there. It is my favorite motorcycle shop in the Richmond area, and the fact that both places are across the street from each other is a real plus.
At left is a view of Belle Isle. I was just there a couple of weeks ago, but it was fun to show it off to Keith. There is a lot of nature to enjoy there, but also a great deal of history; that Island has seen a lot of uses since it was owned by the Indian's (John Smith was there in the early 1600's). Indian camps, rock quarry, various factories, power plant, civil war prison, and now a playground for the people of Richmond and visitors from all over. The walk across the bridge under the highway and over the James River is a real fun walk with great views of the Island, and also of the city of Richmond. This was my third trip there, and will not be the last one.
Third photo is of Keith and I exploring Malvern Hill. This field was the site of a battle with some 150,000 soldiers (on both sides) during the Civil War. One of my favorite local battlefields; it has a lot of information and history to be found there. We wandered around much of the battlefield and there is quite a bit to see there. Good information on the battle can be found on the web.
Following that, we made a final stop for a cold Legend Brown Ale at the Legend Brewing Company; enjoying that Richmond made beer on their beer deck outside. Did a very interesting ride up Hull Street before dropping him off at his apartment, and then I returned to mine on a very fine night in Richmond, VA. Of note, on this Saturday night I am enjoying the Bank of America 500 live broadcast from Concord, NC...where my family (and I often) live. Certainly this "tale of two cities" gets interesting sometimes; especially when you live it as I do.

Bears/Panthers in Charlotte, NC (October 10, 2010)

Game day was hot and sunny, though happy for the carolina blue skies for the game in the open air of Bank of America stadium. Parked at the usual place we found a few games ago, and Robby and I took a walk toward the arena. Took a few photos of Charlotte. I really enjoy that city, its a fun and interesting place with a lot to do (such as football games for instance) . I have been there a number of times, and enjoyed the walk on Sunday. Had a "country" sort of day on Saturday, nice to have a "urban" one on Sunday. Cities are special places and usually packed with many things of interest.

Did a number of pre-game things, we got some free nachos at one booth, checked out the music all over the place, people partying, and had fun amid all the sights and sounds. Near Bank of America Stadium, Mike Rucker was signing autographs. My son Robby posed for a photo with him, and I thought that was pretty cool. We like to get to the game early; we rolled into our parking space earlier around 11am. Don't do the whole tailgate thing (though we have in the past, and may again in the future) but did enjoy a few frosty adult beverages (as well as some cola drinks later on) . Did notice a large number of Chicago Bears fans were on hand.
The game started at 1pm with the kickoff seen here. I had hoped for a flyby (kind of fond of aircraft, especially loud and pointy nose jets) but no such luck. The Chicago Bears came out swinging and scored with just under two minutes in the game; and it was downhill for the Panthers after that. Cutler was out for the Bears, Todd Collins was the QB for Chicago and despite throwing four interceptions, the Panthers could do nothing with it, scoring all of their six points with field goals. Chicago mixed it up more, for their twenty-three game winning points. Carolina went to 0-5 in what is looking to be a dismal season. Fan reaction from the stands was understandably negative (except from the Chicago group which was loud and happy) , but it was great watching the game with my son, and we had a great if hot time. Did not have a hat unfortunately, did drape a handkerchief on my head to shelter it from the 90+ degree heat. May have looked silly, but there was a lot of silly looking going on at the game along with the colored hair and face paint. Football games bring out all the interesting people.
At any case, we left a bit before the end, as had most of the people though in the photo at left from our lofty seats, there was still hope alive when I took this photo (and a neat view of Charlotte above the crowd). Enjoyed a nice walk back to the car; a few blocks in which we also saw a Bear fan arrested for something during the post-game fun. Had a nice ride back in the car, checking out the post game show, and enjoying seeing the city. Lots of routes out of Charlotte, and having been there a few times, was easy getting home. Sure beat years ago when games in Indianapolis, and Cincinnati took a major road trip to get in. It was a very fun time even with the loss spent with one of my favorite and most loved people.

Exploring the Carolinas (October 9, 2010)

After almost a month away, was great to be back home. Spent a fine Friday night with my family, and then did a little sightseeing on my favorite mode of transportation. Took the motorcycle down NC-49 heading for Asheboro, NC. Made a stop (seen at left) at Tuckertown Lake, part of the lake system in the area near Rockwell, NC. Beautiful peaceful lake, and a nice place to stop along the way. The ride took me past lakes, farms, small towns, horses, cows, and was a very nice ride on a fall day. The leaves are just starting to turn, and though clear was a cool day at the start, but quickly turned unseasonably warm as the day went on.
Being an aircraft buff, I stopped at the Asheboro Airport. The NC Aviation Museum is there, but time not being on my side, I did not tour it this trip. It is a very fine museum. The airport is a small general aviation airport, but I did enjoy seeing this old Beechcraft parked on the ramp. I really enjoy old and classic aircraft, and this one was a real restored beauty. Nice twin engined plane with the twin tails, would have loved to see this bird in the air. It has been a good month for aviation events both in Virginia and in North Carolina, and best of all, there are some more events coming up soon. Enjoy seeing planes on the ground and in the skies!
A surprise along the way; in Asheboro, they had a free farm equipment show. A number of very fine tractors such as these, plus some really neat old trucks were on display. I like the ride to Asheboro both for the very nice ride, as well as the town itself. It is a nice area, is a nice distance to get to it, and fun to check out the sights there. There was quite a bit to see at the show (which I did not know about in advance) and was fun to wander around off the bike. Just outside of the town is the national forest with some great roads to ride on, and it was very peaceful early on a Saturday morning. Other than the sound of my bike, it was quiet when I headed back out.
Riding down the backroads, I headed out to the Piscah Covered Bridge. This bridge is actually a replica of the very old bridge (the original was washed out during a flood a few years ago) but is a very popular stop. Riding on an NC Scenic Route is also a very nice treat. I came across some vultures enjoying a roadside feast (they all took off in a group as I rode up) and enjoyed the twists and turns of the road. I believe I was passed by one truck along my route, and that was a wonderful thing indeed to have so few to spoil my ride. I ended up back on NC-49, and turned back toward Concord. I made a stop at the R/C field near Mt. Pleasant, NC and enjoyed some radio controlled planes flying...been to some good airshows in the last few weeks, but really remarkable what those planes can do. Chilled out there for a while and talked to the "pilots"...my late Dad used to fly those type of planes, and they bring back happy memories of those days gone by. I got back on the bike after a time, and rode on to NC-73 for the last bit toward home.

Before going back, stopped at my friend Steve's house, and checked out his new (well 1996) Harley Wide Glide. Invited to take it out for a spin, got a short ride on the bike (seen here from the seat) and enjoyed that. Love riding my Kawasaki Vulcan, but a Harley is certainly a classic and unique experience.
I got back to the house a little after 1pm, having been riding some four hours and covered some 131 miles in total. Spent the rest of the day with my fine family, and on Sunday headed to Charlotte, NC for the Chicago Bears/Carolina Panthers game. That I will be covering, and sharing photos of, in my next post!

Patty's Richmond II (October 2-4, 2010)

Very exciting weekend, with a visit by my wonderful wife Patty to Richmond, VA. Usually I just go home, so this was just the second visit here by her since I made the move. We hit her favorite quilt shop, Quilters Corner on Saturday, and also went to Carytown (one of my favorite places in Richmond) where we had lunch and took a short walking tour of the very interesting shops and restaurants. We had lunch at "Nacho Mama's" which was ok; not a bad meal, but sort of on the pricey side in my opinion. It was not bad, but I have had better. Still the waitress did a very fine job, and enjoyed it, especially due to the company I was with! That is Patty in Nacho Mama's at left, which is in a converted house. Carytown is very funky with a lot of interesting things to see and do; enjoyed a walk with her to my favorite stores, and to check out the Byrd Theater near the end of Carytown. In fact this trip, exploring with her saw a number of new things and places that I have not seen. Took her down some new roads in the area and saw many new sights. Considering I have been here almost two years, that is pretty cool!
One new sight was the Bell Tower in Byrd Park. That is a very neat place; have been to Maymont Park, but had not been into Byrd Park. More nice lakes, lots of peaceful areas, and this very cool tower. It was a WWI War Memorial judging from the dates near the top of the staircase at the tower. Thought it was a very beautiful construction. So much of Richmond is filled with such neat things to check out.
We did some relaxing after a few hours of touring (and Patty had been on a long drive from NC to get here) on a very nice weekend. Saturday was cool; starting to feel like fall, and a very beautiful day. Went to dinner at Chicken Fiesta; I HAVE eaten there before, and like that very much. It is both a very good value, and really fine food!
Enjoyed relaxing with Patty and watched some of our favorite shows on tv for the rest of the night. Enjoyed the cool evening and the great company I was blessed to have in my apartment! We enjoyed a fine evening in Richmond, VA and planned the next day.

Next day was a trip to Shockoe Bottom. Got there via some new roads; fun to explore this very interesting town. Rains held off till later Sunday night, but was an overcast day. Enjoyed lunch at Bottom's Up; which is a very good pizza place. We wandered around the area, went up around the 17th Street Farmers Market, and drove around the area a bit, checking out some of the new stuff I have found since her last visit here. Last photo I took was of this art at the James Center, she really liked this, so got a photo of it before we left the area. Cooked dinner in the apartment, and made breakfast this morning before she left. It was a fantastic visit, and I enjoyed it a great deal. I am very lucky to have such a wonderful wife, and she really made this weekend in Richmond special.

Legend Brewing Company/Belle Isle Walk

After a night at work, and following a few hours in dreamland, got in the car for a little tour in Richmond. Both are places I have been, but not for a while. Although the first I visit from time to time in a different sort of way; Legend Beer which is brewed in Richmond, VA is fast becoming a favorite of mine. Today went to the brewery itself, which is just off Commerce Road with a quick turn down Porter Avenue, which is just outside of Downtown Richmond. Enjoyed a single beer, but it was (as always) very good. Took this photo outside of the deck at Legend Brewing Company. Has a view of the city, though somewhat tree obscured; but still nice.
Being a rare less than 95 degree even this point into fall, next stop was Belle Isle. I went there last year, and enjoyed a great time with my wife Patty checking out the sights of this very interesting place. It has a long history with Richmond, being used by Indians, business, farmers, as a Civil War prison, quarried, fortified, and now as a major park for the Richmond area. Crosses the James River by a walkway which is suspended under the highway, and gives some good views of the James as well as the city of Richmond. Wanted to see the river and the effect of the drought on it. Depth was from a sign "less than five feet" though looked to be much less.
As I have noted, a great variety of things to see in there; great nature scenery as well as a number of old firms. This wall is what remains of a very old nail factory on the island. The quarry where much rock was mined, an old power plant, a dam, plus some of the old prison remains as well as a few other structures still exist on the island. It is a very popular place, good crowd there, but still peaceful. It is a popular place to get into the river to swim, especially from the rocks just off shore and easily accessed. Certainly picked a good day to walk around it, and it was good to be back. As with so many great Richmond places, there is absolutely no admission or parking charge. Said I would be back, and will be again in the near future to this great Richmond treasure!

Forest Hill Park Farmers Market/43rd Street Art Fair

Due to my employer giving me a "special" invite , am having unexpected weekend in Richmond, VA. However, off to a nice start, as I was told by a friend about the 43rd Street Art Festival in Richmond, VA. Forest Hill Park is one of my favorite places to wander in the city. It is easy to enjoy the lake, the trails, and the views of this very old park. In fact, this house was once part of the estate that was located on the grounds, and was built back in 1843 out of stone mined at the site. Though Fall happened last Wednesday night at 11:09PM, this is my first photo of Fall 2010, and will be looking forward to some cooler temperatures and rain.
In Forest Hill Park, this is the Farmers Market, which I was told is a weekly Saturday event. Enjoyed wandering around, checking out a lot of interesting booths (where else can you find a place selling boat or kayak "do it yourself" kits?). One thing that I noticed at this event, the Art Festival, and just about any event I have visited in the town is the fact that Richmond is a dog loving town. Dogs are common at a lot of places (also welcome at a lot of malls) and they are brought along and welcomed at most events. I think that is very cool...dogs are great companions, a lot of fun, and they seem to enjoy these sort of things as much as people do!

Photo at left is a shot of the 43rd Street Art Festival. Drew a huge crowd with a lot of cars parked both in the nearby Forest Hill Park, and also on the neighborhood streets. Festival covered around a four block area, with a lot of booths such as seen here with some very interesting art. Nice to check out what people can do with their hands, and create....always some really creative people out there. Crowd was really nice, and kids were in the street with chalk making art of their own. Like the Farmers Market above, lots of dogs checking out the people, booths and each other. For the third day of Fall, was hot, and once again very dry.
Not only was the day hot, but the music was also, enjoyed checking out this band in the church parking lot. There were a number of musicians at both events, and that gave it all a very nice vibe. Under a tent right across the band a lot of people were sitting and checking out the band. This was a very nice and free (both of them were) pair of events to do. Where the band played was the "food court" sort of area; food prices were very reasonable, and cold cokes and water was just $1 which was welcome on a hot day in the RVA.
So...a pleasant surprise this morning; nice way to spend a couple of hours before work, and a festival that I will be sure to check out again next year. No longer surprised at the fine things I come across in the area, and glad that I was able to see this today. Fall is a great time for festivals in most cities, and looking like Richmond is no exception to that.