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! 

Celebration of Flight (October 29, 2011)

On a chilly brisk Saturday at Concord Regional Airport, went by to check out the "Celebration of Flight at the airport. It was free except for a $5 charge for parking, but that also paid for the shuttle buses so it was cool. Plus, one of the food booths had very good, and free coffee, so it was well worth it. Got to see some really neat aircraft such as this private plane. I liked this photo, and many of the other planes I saw of this type. They had a good variety of aircraft though, and some that people just don't often get to see up close and personal. They also had some interesting fly-by's planned, but I did not get to see those this trip, had a full weekend planned.
Plane seen here with Tony Stewart's car is actually Tony Stewart's plane of a sort..it is the team plane of Stewart-Haas Racing. While the cars are hauled by truck to the races, the team members are flown. Also at the event was the team plane of Joe Gibbs racing, and being held in the home of Nascar teams (most are based in the region, and have been to many of the race shops which you can see in previous posts here) there were also a number of team's cars here. Of course they build quite a few during the season, though some of these at the airport may have been raced during the season. In fact many of the drivers in the series also are pilots.
As far as interesting planes, this one was sort of special. This P-51 Mustang is owned by Jack Roush, who is a team owner in NASCAR (and a quite successful one). He is also a pilot, and had a close call in a plane (though not this one) a few years ago. The P-51 was the best fighter plane of WWII on the American side, and really changed the war for the good when it came out. This is not the original "Old Crow" but is based on the one which was flown by Bud Anderson. He also owns the P-51 "Gentleman Jim" which was also flown in for the event. Seeing these planes alone was in my opinion worth the parking fee and the cool weather.
Also very cool was this plane at left, which is an L-39 Albatros. It was built by the Aero Vodochody company which is located in Czechoslovakia. The plane was used both as a trainer and as a light attack aircraft. Of course it was used by the air forces of the Warsaw Pact, but it also was sold to a number of Western Nations after the collapse of the Soviet Union. It has now been flown by some 30+ nations. Many of them have been sold to private individuals in the US, such as this one. In fact the type even did a demo race at the Reno Air Races a few years ago. It is said to be a rugged and relatively easy to fly plane.
Finally, the US Army flew in this AH-64 Apache, the current state of the art attack helicopter used by the US Army. The Apache is still in use, and has seen action in all of the battles and wars of the past few years. A North Carolina C-130 was also at the event. I will post a few more photos on my photo page.
The event was really nice, Concord has had air shows in the past, but while this was more of an open house with some fly-by's, it was really a nice event with some good variety. It is a great way to see some interesting aircraft, meet some pilots, and to see the great variety of planes that can use the local airports.

More from October 22, 2011

Had some problems with the previous post, so here are some more photos. I mentioned Aluminaut at the Virginia Science Center, here you can see it. One of the great deep diving submarines, it was used to explore the deeper parts of the oceans. This display is open at one end so you can look inside the submarine. As I noted in the previous post, it is a very fine museum, and is located on Broad Street. As I also noted went there to see the Air And Space Museum (in Washington, DC) space suit display, and that you can see a photo of on my previous post. I had a good time there on a very fine fall day in Richmond, but there was more.
I went to the Chesterfield County Airport to see the planes from the Collins Foundation. Not often you can see history fly, and these were some rare and flying aircraft. There was a P-51C fighter, a Consolidated B-24 and a Boeing B-17. Those planes were some of the major planes for the United States during WWII against Germany, and in fact the types were also used against Japan. Very few flying examples exist today out of the many thousands that were built during the war years. Most of them were scrapped at the end of the war, and in fact propeller planes were obsolete due to the jets which came on scene near the end of the war.
In previous post I mentioned the car/bike show I came across on West Broad Street, here you can see one of the cars there. I have a few more photos on my Photo Page, of what turned out to be a very interesting day. Often I find out about events in the area via the Richmond Times web site, or Richmond.com but in this case I was driving and just came across this event. Glad I did there were some remarkable things to see. I also made a visit during the day to the Virginia War Memorial which now has a very interesting museum (opened last year I am told) with some really unique items to check out there. It was a very fun day, and I enjoyed it a great deal!

Exploring Richmond on an October day (October 22, 2011)

An interesting day in Richmond, one of many I have had here, just got out to see a few things. One of the events I came across was the Car/bike show on West Broad Street. I was heading out that way to see some motorcycles, did not expect to see ones like this. Did not know the show was going on...saw it happening and turned in to check it out. Have another photo (of one of the cars) below, and also more photos on my Photo Page from sights seen during the day. This is a very unique sort of custom; some are built for looks and some are built for speed-this bike is built for both, and I really enjoyed this and some other motorcycles I saw there.
At the Virginia Science Center they have a display of space suits which is part of a display from the Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC. These were training suits, but if you wanted to take a walk on the moon, this is what you would want to wear. Good photos there of some other suits worn over the years of US Spaceflight, and many other related items to check out.
The museum was years ago the Broad Street Train Station, and the building is on the National Register of Historic Places. Lots of displays to check out there, and I enjoyed my second visit to the museum. They do charge admission, but there is a lot to see and do there:many of the displays are interactive and they cover a lot of areas. There is also a train there to see, and the research submarine "Aluminaut" which was used to explore the deepest parts of the ocean. Well worth checking out the Virginia Science Center-one of the fine museums in this city. The space suit exhibit runs through the end of December.