Sunday Park/Church Hill Irish Festival (March 23, 2013)

Good day in the RVA, day four of Spring though not as warm as expected, but bundled up and went for a ride on the Motorcycle early in the day. I took a ride down Hull Street visiting a couple of motorcycle dealerships (just to look, not in a buying mood, happy with my Vulcan) but did stop at Sunday Park and took this shot at The Boathouse Restaurant. Two of those in Richmond, the one here, and another at Rocketts Landing. I have eaten at this one, some very good food. The ride though short was a lot of fun, and glad I got this in. Considering we have a 100% rain chance tomorrow....I am very glad!

 This was very cool...went to the Church Hill Irish Festival; and as you can see nothing like enjoying some beer and music with a vast gathering of my close and personal friends. At any case, it was a fun crowd and had a great time there. I have learned this in the four years I have been here...Richmond really knows how to throw a party. I had a great time, went with Tony, a friend from work and we wandered about the crowd (such as we were able to) and enjoyed the day. Church Hill is one of the most interesting sections of Richmond, there is an awful lot to see and do there, and we often do it.
Finally got a photo of one of the band stages, and they also had an Irish band playing (in addition to some rock bands). We got some dinner, and went to his place to watch the Louisville game (which they won, now going to the "Sweet 16"). We are both originally from Louisville. It was just a fantastic day, in a wonderful place...sure glad to see Spring here at last!  

 Went to get an oil change in the car on Monday March 11, and very pleased with that (both service and price). Wanted to get out a bit and do a little sightseeing. Made a pass by Monument Avenue, which I think is the prettiest street in Richmond, and is said to be one of the prettiest  in the USA. Got to this statue, which is the Stonewall Jackson one; and there are quite a few along Monument Ave.
Whole area is one of my favorites; road I am on here is called "The Boulevard" and has this, plus Buz and Ned's (where I had lunch), also the history and art museum, Maymont and Byrd Park and Carytown. All of those are areas that I like to wander around and see some art, history and sights.
It is a fun place in a very fun city, and all that is within a few blocks of this statue. Getting out and exploring everything is pretty neat and a great  time. It has been four years that I have been here, and never get bored.

 This is the dog at Hollywood Cemetery, said to be looking at the grave of a little girl. Amazingly large cemetery it has a lot of Civil War notables (both Officers and Enlisted), plus a lot of Richmond movers and shakers and is a great place to explore both some history and some beauty.
The notables include President James Madison and John Tyler as well as the first and only president of the Confederate States of America Jefferson Davis.
It was nice there on a Monday, usually it is pretty crowded, but on this day the crowds were very light and it was fun to do some walking around. 

This is the James River as seen from Hollywood Cemetery, got a lot of rapids there (we have had some rain lately) as well as a view of Belle Island on the other side. I have been there a few times too; it is a fine place to walk around.
All in all, a very good Monday, nice to get out and see some interesting sights, many of which are favorites of mine.  

Byrd Park/Malvern Hill (March 10, 2013)

 Nice day to get out, Sunday March 10 had blue skies, and mid-60 temperatures, a perfect day to get out and ride. Went to Byrd Park to the Bell Tower, which was a WW1 memorial when it was built. Enjoyed the ride there, and it was fun to hang out at the park. Its a cool place and is right next to Maymont which is also worth a visit. I have to say Richmond has some very cool parks to check out, and I do have fun doing that. Today, there were a lot of people there, both on two wheels and four in the park.....to be honest it has been a wet cold winter here, and I am ready for Spring (which actually starts officially on March 21). While there visited the lake and also checked out the houses there, lots of really old places and some of them are quite amazing. It is one of the neatest places in the city, and sure have a great time there.

I also made a stop to the lake there, where I got this photo of these birds. There were quite a few there, and they put on quite a show for me. Lots of sea gulls and also a number of Canadian Geese. I like the lake and afterward rode down The Boulevard to Broad Street and then downtown. Had a great time checking out the sights in the city, and then headed to Highway 5. I was headed to Malvern Hill, one of the many battlefields in Richmond, It is one of the best preserved and has a lot of historical markers to let you know what happened there in one of the biggest battles in the Richmond area.    

Malvern Hill was a stand by the Union Army (which was in retreat) which stood off Confederate attacks by a line of cannon. The battle was considered a classic of artillery for many years.
Following that, rode back and made a stop at Poe's Pub (for a Guinness Stout ) before heading back to put the bike away. It was a great day out,and I had a great time.
As I said, looking forward to some Spring here soon, hopefully the winter weather is over for 2013 and better days, such as today, are coming up very soon!

Two Wheels in the RVA (Feb 24, 2013)

 Nice little ride on a pretty warm day in the RVA...got out cause next weekend looks a lot worse. Made a stop at Poe's Pub which is on  Main Street near Rockett's Landing...near bar with some very interesting people. Richmond will engage you in conversation which is pretty interesting as a rule, I certainly meet some interesting people here  as well as many other places. This is a very friendly town. Considering my current marital status is sort of in flux, that may well turn out to be a very wonderful thing indeed. Charlotte and area is not quite so friendly as a rule, lots of New Yorkers there.

 Took this at a distance, it is the Soldiers and Sailors Monument (Confederate) at Libby Hill Park. Nice park in the Church Hill neighborhood, and one of my favorite areas. In fact, really enjoy an event here, the "Hogtoberfest" around each October in this very park. Good foods, interesting beer and some really good bands have played there. I always have a great time at that event and plan to this year. Church Hill is really amazing, with some neat old houses (and a friend of mine and his girlfriend rent one), gas lanterns, and some great places to eat and drink. I like to wander that neighborhood, which is full of history and also offers some great views of Richmond. The more time I spend here, the more enchanted I have become with this city. I did not really plan to end up there, but I sure have come to enjoy being here in Richmond. I think as Casablanca (the movie) said, "This is the start of a beautiful friendship". I do which the roads were better, potholes can sure be jolting, but then again, nothing is perfect. At any case enjoyed a wonderful day in the RVA. 

Sunday in the RVA (January 27, 2013)

Nice but cool day in Richmond on Sunday January 27, which was a good day to visit some favorite Richmond museums. The first was the Virginia History Museum, which is free and has some great exhibits covering the long history of this great state. I have visited there a number of times and sure that I will many many more times. I liked this display, the horse, the streetcar and the car in back is a "Kline" car (which as I remember, did not get very many miles before the motor quit). I think there is something for everyone at the Virginia History Museum.  

This is actually part of the Chihuly exhibit which was not free, but the museum itself, it being the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, is free admission and is right next to the Virginia History Museum, both being in the area of Richmond known as The Fan, and on the Boulevard. One could spend days there and there is sure to be something for everyone. Like the VHM one of my favorite places and one I have visited often. Amazing to look at some of the very old stuff (as far back as 2500 BC) which is on display here.
Following the visit there, went to the Cary Street Cafe to see the Old Time Jam; nice little bar real close to the museums, and also a favorite stop when I am in the area. The music was really good, and the people are really friendly there; you feel welcome when you drop in. I enjoy checking out the jam which usually starts at 2, and is always a large and diverse group of people. By the way, if all this sounds like an ad for these places, its not, as I don't get paid for things I like, I just like em! 

Final stop was Hollywood Cemetery which is one of the oldest in Richmond. Just a beautiful place located right on the James River and directly across from Belle Island. Two US Presidents, and Jeff Davis (a President of sorts) are buried there, plus a number of other famous people from history (most with a Richmond background). Grave here is of General George Pickett, famous for "Pickett's Charge" at Gettysburg. His wife is buried next to him, and many of the troops he lead in that attack are nearby...most in unknown graves. It is a quite haunting place, but an interesting place to explore.
It was a good day for this. Been kind of down lately, and this all got my mind (at least for a time) off of my troubles. However, things are going to brighten up very soon, a couple of events that I believe will make my time here better will be coming back with me from North Carolina. Always hard to part company, but as I am told things happen for a reason.    

The Lemons of Life (January 20, 2012)

 Took a long walk today, went to Carolina last night and came back the same day after being told my marriage is over. Pretty tough news and a lot of years. House will be sold, and we will go our separate ways - hopefully if not as husband and wife, then not as bitter enemies. I will remain in Richmond, doing the job that brought me here, and enjoying a city that over the (one month away from ) four years in that I have really come to enjoy. I look at this as the start of a new adventure, and one that if forced upon me, I will do the best with that I can.
As for the photo, took it near the James River, liked the hint of snow from last weeks storms; though most of the snow is long gone, bits of it remain. Somewhat of stubborn snowfall as the temperatures today got into the upper 50's. Nothing like a good walk, and in the area of Forest Hill Park and Riverfront Drive there is some good walking to be had. Lots of really neat neighborhoods to enjoy there as well.    

As for the James, over four inches of rain last week, have really moved it up. There is a creek that runs next to it, and that creek is now a river. The river is raging along as well, made a remarkable booming sound as it slammed into the rocks there. This was as close as I could get to it.
The James is something I really enjoy, came from Louisville, Kentucky to here (via Concord, NC) and there the Ohio River runs along the town. As I have noted many times, much in common with those two cities, and nice to be back in a river city. For a bit longer then I planned, will be here, but that is not a bad thing at all.  

Winter and 70 Degrees (January 13, 2013)

Wandered Richmond on a Sunday January 13, with temperatures of 70 degrees it was too nice to be in all day, even with some excellent NFL playoff  games going on. I visited some favorite places today, wanted to give some different views. For instance, this is on Monument Avenue which is a place you can find some great historic statues, but also some remarkable houses such as these seen here. Monument Avenue has won awards as one of the most beautiful streets in America, and in my opinion that status is very well deserved. A good day to park the car and take a walk. 

 Likewise, if you love historical places, I don't think you can do much better than Church Hill. That area has a long history. A few photos from there, and from the other areas I visited can be found on my Photo Page (link to that on this site) and even some (though mostly of motorcycles) on my Racing with the Wind motorcycle page. Church Hill has a whole lot of history, plus a lot of really neat things such as gas lanterns, cobblestone streets, friendly people walking dogs, very nice parks (such as Libby Hill Park), and of course St. John's Church. A few photos of that can be found on this blog in past posts.   

Finally made a stop at the Virginia War Museum. It is a way to remember the cost paid for the freedom we all enjoy - and these are some captured items from some of that history. Weapons from WWII Germany and Japan, plus some from North Korea and North Vietnam. Many people have seen the monument there, fewer have seen the museum which is located in the building. All sorts of history can be checked out there and some of it dates back to the Revolutionary War! The museum was open on this Sunday, and admission is free, which is always a good thing. Nice to have a place such as this to remember those who gave so much.
For a winter day this was a really good one. I sure find this to be a very interesting town. I also enjoyed a great lunch at Buz and Ned's - made a really good start to what turned out to be an outstanding day in the RVA.