Exploring Concord (May 22, 2016)

 Had time before going back to Richmond for a quick tour of some of the area. Lived there for 14 years due to another job transfer from Louisville. Same job but closed factories; and that happened to me twice. Plan to remain here in Richmond after retirement (its a fun town as you can see from older posts.
This at left was taken on Union Street which was always a favorite street to drive down or to walk. Lots of really big and very cool houses such as this one. In fact the founder of  the mills, Mr. Cannon's house is for sale. Not this one but very cool.    

This is downtown Concord, with lots of cool businesses and many neat things to see. Like Union Street a lot of older buildings can be found there. The big Cannon Mills Mall is the place to go now, but some very fine restaurants keep this place very alive though not so much on a Sunday morning. Still it was fine to wander around, saw some of the sights and even some of the Memorial Gardens. Did not get to wander in there was their gates were locked till noon and this was prior to that. I did however get a few photos.      

Before going home went to Cabarrus Brewing Company. I got one (and only one) beer and some lunch there. Nice place, and I think its the first craft beer brewing company in Concord. Reminded me much of places in Richmond, which is a very big craft beer brewing town in its own right. Was located in a former mill...one of the many which have closed over the years and is being re-made into places for a number of businesses. The food was good, and the beer I had (tasted two, got the brown ale) was excellent. Did a big of visiting, saw a riding buddy, my former neighbors across from my former house and a co-worker also from Louisville who has retired to Concord. Trip back to the RVA was fine with just one little road construction delay. Had a great time and will be back probably in December to see some more of the sights there.  

Road Trip to the All-Star Race (May 21, 2016)

Fun trip the last weekend of my vacation, went to the Nascar All-Star Race in Concord, NC. That used to be where I lived prior to the transfer for the job from there.
This is Kannapolis, NC which was the home town of Dale Earnhardt Sr. There is a statue of him there that I have posted many times. Here is the NC Research Center. It was supposed to be a real job creator, did not really reach the promise but some nice buildings there. This town was formerly also the home of Pillowtex which employed a few thousand back in the day.  

Going to the racetrack there were a few displays such as this one by Chevy, and Toyota had a few. A lot of changes to the track over the years. Many of the bleacher sections have been torn down (the entire back half in fact) and a lot of things have been scaled back. Former race week (the 600 is in just a few days) there was a lot of displays to see...even a few jet aircraft (military) from time to time. That is no longer the case. However it was fun to wander around and see the things that were on display as well as the people which are always interesting.

There was a huge, and I mean huge rainstorm prior to the race which cancelled qualifying for the All Star event. However, they expected that (been raining a lot here in Richmond, and so it is the case in Concord). There was a fleet of jet dryers, some brought in from other tracks.
Got off later than expected but they did get the race underway. The prerace events were pretty cool, there is a giant tv screen across from the seats (still one of the largest in the world) and there were certainly a lot of fireworks to be seen. Different seats from last year but liked them.  

As for the race there were three segments: two 50 lap portions, and the final 13 lap finish. It to me was a better race than last year in that cars in the previous year basically played follow the leader and in this one there was some passing, including a rather thrilling one which decided the race. Stayed for the fireworks and the burnout at the end.
The police and the track did a great job of getting us all out. The race was over a bit after midnight and got back to my son's apartment right around 2am. It was a fantastic time and sure feel lucky to make this event again this year.  

Virginia Aviation Museum (May 17, 2016)

On a rainy day in Richmond, went to the Virginia Aviation Museum. Nice museum even if it does charge a (very low at that) admission charge. Had not been there for a while though had been by a few times to see the Tomcat outfront and (formerly the SR-71 Blackbird also outside. The SR-71 has been moved to the Science Center on Broad Street. I do like this museum though with some very historic planes. Among many they have the first American plane to fly to Antarctica by Admiral Richard Byrd and this Spad. Not a replica, this is the real deal dating to the First World War.  

They have many replicas of the Wright Brothers Gliders, and this one replica (sans Engine and Propellers) of the Wright Flyer. The real one is a bit over an hour just up the road. The rest of the Aircraft is the real deal.
Many of the aircraft are historical and a few are one of a kind. It's not a massive place but has a fine collection of not just aircraft but many historical artifacts. They also have a great number of some very fine aircraft models as well as a lot of items which display flight and the hows and whys that make aircraft fly. Their engine displays over a wide period.    

Among the aircraft engines on display are some from WWI and WWII. The WWII engines include the first US jet engine and the engine from the ME-109 which was the first actual jet to fly in combat. They also have an SR-71 engine on display.
It is a fine collection of aircraft and always enjoy my visits there. I have been there a few times in the past, and it is my plan to be there a few more times in the years to come. Of note some very fine people there to tell you the history of the aircraft on display. If you are near the Richmond International Airport and have the time be sure to check out this museum.        

Art in the Park (April 30, 2016)

Fun time on Saturday at one of my favorite Spring Events....Art in the Park which is held every year in Byrd Park in Richmond, VA.
There are well over 400 art booths at the show and there is an awful lot to see with a great variety of art items on display. The show has a lot of Virginia artists as well as artists from all over the United States.
The park is a fun place to see the show as it is in my opinion one of the most beautiful parks in Richmond. The tower is the back is a bell tower and is part of a WW1 War Memorial.

As followers of this page know, I am a fan of aviation, and these art works really grabbed my attention. Fun to see these very creative takes on aviation.
Nice place to pick up some items...I even did that this trip. Weather for the weekend did not look real good, in fact Sunday was fairly rainy and not sure how that day went, but Saturday was real good and though kept one eye on the sky, the rains held off for the couple of hours I was there. I make this trip every year with few exceptions,a and will be looking forward to the show next year.
If you are in the Richmond area during this show, make this destination a part of your visit.  

Airpower over Hampton Roads. (April 24, 2016)

Up early on a Sunday morning to go to Hampton, Va  for the Airpower Over Hampton  Roads Airshow. It was held at Langley Air Force base which I learned is the oldest military base in the state, and one of the oldest in the world. This was a celebration of its 100th year. The show had been rained out Friday and rain shortened on Saturday, but Sunday was a day with blue skies and that held from beginning to end. There was a lot to see and do with many vendors, displays of aircraft and some remarkable flying during the day.

Some planes there did not fly. This B1 did not take to the air, though that is how it got there. There was a lot of planes to look at, and all of them were really remarkable. Touring some of the bigger aircraft was also possible. Planes ranged from WWII aircraft to the most modern in the United States Air Force inventory.

The Budweiser Clydesdales pulled the wagon around the airfield as seen here in front of the United States Thunderbirds Aircraft. The Thunderbirds closed the show with a typically great performance. Watching them you are struck with the great skill of those pilots and the hard work that goes into their performance.

 Many things to see and experience. There were a number of aerobatic acts, the Golden Knights parachute team from the US Army. The Army also brought a helicopter as did the US Navy. The Navy also flew an F-18 Hornet from the nearby NAS Oceana which is in Virginia Beach, VA. There were no dead spots in the skies.
This is Shockwave, which is powered by three jet engines and this truck holds the speed record for Semi trucks. That record is 376 mph. A problem developed with the truck so we did not get to see its speed, but it sure was impressive to watch it belch fire.  

As I noted the Navy brought a F-18 seen here at left. Lots of great flying by what I think are the best pilots in the world. I also want to give a big shout out to all the military people who worked hard during the show to make it happen, and also could be seen both working and checking out the show as well. Langley is a big base and had a number of people who were off duty at the show. Everyone was real friendly and enjoyed talking to many of them while I was there. A big thank you to the Air Force for all they do for this country.

Many older aircraft flew including this P-51 Mustang (silver plane at bottom) and the F4U Corsair (blue plane at top). These two plane types flew in both WWII and the Korean War. In fact as was said during its solo flight the F4U actually flew during that conflict in combat. Many of the older planes survived because they did not, and were saved by that fact.
Enjoyed seeing the B-25 fly and a number of P-51's. In fact one of the planes I enjoyed seeing was a Mig-17 which was built in Russia and flew during the Korean War.    

I really enjoyed seeing the flight demo of the F-22 Raptor. It is a Fifth Generation Combat aircraft and may be the only one that can do all the things this plane can do.
I was amazed watching its performance which was nothing short of awe inspiring. While the Thunderbirds were remarkable this was a real highlight for me. Not only is the plane supersonic but it is also stealthy and is seen here in flight with its weapons bay open. It carries all its weapons internally and opens the doors as they are needed to keep down the radar profile. I can also tell ya, at full afterburner the Raptor roars.

Seen here is a group from top to bottom which consists of a P-51 Mustang from the WWII/Korean War period, the Air Forces (and also will be flown by the US Navy and the Marines) F-35. The F-35 flown by the Navy will have a tailhook and some other features, and the Marines version will take off and land vertically. The F-35 is the plane in the middle. The plane at the bottom is the F-22 Raptor.
It was a great day! After the Thunderbirds (jaw was hanging open too much to take photos) headed back to Richmond with a big smile on my face and a lot of pride in the men and women of the US military of all branches of the service who have in the past, do in the present, and will in the future protect this nation.

Maymont: 90th Anniversary (April 16, 2016)

 Normally would have put this on my motorcycle page...though really was not a motorcycle ride. It is a just a few miles to these parks from my house, and only takes a few minutes. Byrd Park (which is where I took this photo) and Maymont are right on the other side of the Nickle (which is actually now 35 cents) Bridge. One thing I like about Richmond is the amazing parks in this area (or in Virginia for that matter). In fact the day before I did take a huge ride to Jamestown and Yorktown, but this was in total due to a little ride after a 17 mile ride. I had cleaned up the motorcycle earlier and just took it to get to this.  

Good thing as parking was slim...Maymont was packed. Some 90 years ago the Dooley family donated the house and the lands to the City of Richmond, and they have maintained it ever since. The day was filled with a number of events including period music, period clothing, tours of the mansion which is really something to see, and of course a car show with period cars. I really got to see some amazing vehicles. As all were from the 20's and 30s it was not your typical car show.

 As I said, there was quite a crowd, and this is just a small sample. I saw some Revolutionary War "National Treasures" at Yorktown Battlefield, and certainly some more at 400 year old Jamestown but Maymont if not a National Treasure is certainly a Richmond Treasure and is one of the most popular places in the city to visit. When friends come to see Richmond, this is either at the top of the list or not far below. Just a remarkable place.

One thing they had a lot of was horses and carriages. I saw quite a few of them, but this one just really captured my attention. You can see part of a bigger one with a full size horse just out of view, off to the left.
This was one of those shot in the dark things, but sure glad I went to this. Of course I cannot name a time that I have not been glad I went to Maymont. In addition to events such as this they have a zoo, Japanese Gardens, Italian Gardens, a great carriage collection, some amazing old buildings, the house, and just some remarkable grounds. It has been featured many times on this page and I can surely say that if you are in Richmond for a visit make sure to add Maymont to your list of must see places. You will find it at least very worthwhile if not amazing.    

Opening Night at The Diamond (April 14, 2016)

 So....after work on Thursday night decided to go to Opening Day at The Diamond to see the Richmond Flying Squirrels take on the Altoona Curve. Both are Double AA teams and it was a neat thing to do. I have never been to an Opening Night anything...so this was pretty neat. Not to mention that though I have been in Richmond now for a number of years I had not seen a game at The Diamond. Throwing out the opening pitch was none other than Jerome Bettis which I thought was pretty cool. This is the man himself shortly after the throw which he got over the plate.

 There was a good crowd for the game. General Admission was $9 being the day of the game ($8 normally but it was an on the fly decision to go) and parking was up to $5 from last years $3. It was a lot of fun being there, Vendors brought beer and food with the usual exchange (you give them money and they would give you beer and food) and there was a lot of entertainment and giveaways during the game. Was a fun bunch of people, Virginia always seems to be a really good time and this game was no exception to what I have found to be the case.      

As for the game it was pretty good. It was a cool night, think at the end it was around 51 degrees but we all had coats (well most of us, there were some hardy souls running around in t-shirts and shorts).
Richmond won the game 2-1 which is good. After the game there were fireworks which I did not stay for...after a day of hard work at my job this was a push even going. However I was certainly glad I did and sure plan to do this again in the very near future. It is not an expensive night out and is most certainly a fun one indeed!