Let's try this again

It's been six years since I last blogged here. Frankly, I'd forgotten about this blog. My divorce, new challenges, retirement, starting a new lifestyle that includes RVing as well as motorcycle travel, and new interests have all made for an interesting time of restructuring.
Now, with good health still intact, a wonderful travel partner and fabulous opportunities to enjoy life, I'll begin again.
If time permits, and interest seems relevant to the reader, I may try to catch you up on part of the missing time. Some of it has been interesting. The rest will be interred with the bones.
So, it's good to get back. I look forward to sharing again.
I'll leave you with a look at the morning Super Moon. The photo was shot from a bridge over the Intercoastal waterway in Oak Island, NC. I almost didn't get there in time. Notice the size and

color. It is a Super Moon (close to earth in it's orbit), it is a blue moon (second full moon this month), a blood moon (it's color) and the top left obscurity is from the eclipse taking place. The sun is rising behind me at about 07:15 hrs.

Keep looking for serendipities.

Christmas Holidays and the New Year has come and gone; why, it's February. It's been a very unusually warm and mild winter, so far. I haven't taken any extended trips, just puttering around.

I got a Kitchen Aid mixer for Christmas and a pizza stone. I have always wanted to bake, so I have been enjoying the art of baking. I've made six loaves of bread, three cakes, and numerous pizzas.  What fun!

If this weather keeps up, though, I know I'll be riding and posting some more rides. So, please check back.

Update

It's been a couple of weeks since I last posted. The hawks have been gone now for about two weeks, shortly after I posted the last story. I wasn't able to film it, but they basically took flight, circling the neighborhood and climbing higher and higher with their parents, and returning to the limb less and less frequently. Then, they stopped coming altogether. It was nice while it lasted.

I look forward to the next adventure.

I haven't ridden on a trip, recently. It's time to plan something.  I'll keep you posted.


PM

Hawks

Baby hawks

I've been watching these two baby hawks as they sit perched high above the road on a limb in the top of a pine tree. About three weeks ago, the power company was resetting a couple of power poles in order to relocate some lines. While I was talking with one of the crew, I heard what I thought was an angry squirrel that kept scolding the crew for being in the neighborhood. Normally, squirrels don't prolong their scolding, however. 

When I couldn't see a squirrel or a bushy tail wagging nervously in a tree, I spotted two objects on a limb high above the road. It wasn't long after that I witnessed a feeding, and I knew, then, that the sound was from the hawks.

Baby Hawks (Lower left and upper right)

Since that day, for about three weeks now, I have intermittently observed the hawks fly to the two juveniles with morsels of food for them. Sometimes they fly overhead in search for food, then there are other times when they are out of site for twenty minutes or so before they return with a capture.

One of the hawks has flown, but the other has flown only from limb to limb. They have persevered through several thunderstorms and all this heat. Temperatures have been in the mid to high nineties during this time, but they manage to survive.

I realize this has nothing to do with biking or travel, but it has been fascinating to have this happening right at the end of my driveway.

There is a video for you to watch if you'd care to.  Click here.

Marc 

New Bern, NC-Tryon Palace, Fireman's Museum and more

We took this trip in 2001, but it is still a memory that I cherish. Our good friends, Bill and Anne, were along, too. We were on the return leg of our Outer Banks trip, and had reservations at The Aerie Inn Bed and Breakfast in New Bern, NC.

It is well situated in the downtown historic district in New Bern. The Aerie Inn Bed and Breakfast is a Victorian styled house that was built in the 1880s. The rooms are very nicely appointed with period resembling furniture and linens. Breakfast was wholesome and plentiful. Guests were friendly and our hosts were very hospitable.

Wine and cheese was a nice touch in the evenings, as was the player piano. I can't speak for the high speed internet and other amenities as I didn't use them. We spent our time enjoying the city and learning about its history. 

It should be pretty obvious that Tryon Palace is the focal point of New Bern's history. 

The Tryon Palace

The Chelsea Restaurant, located in the Bradham's Drug Store building, is famous for its potato crusted salmon with dijon cream sauce. We waited in line for a short while, but our wine didn't have to wait. The food was excellently prepared, well served and our experience was wonderful.

One of our lunches was eaten at the Pollock Street Deli. Let me just say that it is not fancy, but it is everything one would want a deli to be. Many bread choices, meat piled high, and homemade sauces and condiments.

Tryon Palace Gardens

I don't recommend places that I haven't eaten at. My tastes may not be your tastes, and I don't pretend to be a connoisseur. If the food is good, fairly priced and served with the attitude that the establishment wants me to not only enjoy it, but return, then I like to say so and give them a positive comment or two.

New Bern was settled by Swiss and Germans in the 1700s, and named it for Bern, Switzerland. It was a Colonial Capital, a State Capital, home of the state's first newspaper, and the birthplace of Pepsi Cola.

Tryon Palace Horse Stables

With such a long history, it is not surprising that New Bern boasts architectural examples that display that heritage.

Tryon Palace was built as a showplace and the first capitol building for North Carolina. It was destroyed by fire, but restored using the original architectural drawings.  Furnishings include English and American 18th and 19th century antiques and art. The gardens are patterned after formal English gardens.

The Attmore-Oliver Civil War House Museum houses furniture from the 18th and 19th centuries and a prized doll collection, as well as many historical objects relative to New Bern.

Horse drawn steamer

Firefighting wagon

We also enjoyed visiting the Firemans Museum. The town of New Bern burned and was rebuilt. The items in the museum are a testament to how primitive, but inventive people were in fighting fires. Old photos and maps of the area, steam pumpers, horse drawn wagons, and other firefighting equipment is on exhibit.

Other buildings that one might be interested in are Christ Episcopal Church, First Presbyterian Church, the George W. Dixon house, the John Wright Stanly house and the Robert Hay House.

We didn't have the time to take it all in, and look forward to a return visit.

Roanoke trip, '07

In April of '07, the group took a trip that we had planned for several months. Some of our group had wanted to ride the BRP in Virginia, while others had wanted to visit Thomas Jefferson's home, Monticello. We decided to combine those ideas and the trip was on.

We chose Roanoke as our jumping off point and sort of anchor for the three days. The first night was spent there. The next day we rode the parkway and some byways to get to Monticello. It is a fascinating place that is a definite reflection of our third President. Thomas Jefferson was a statesman, farmer, businessman, surveyor, scientist, and inventor. His life is forever imprinted on America and his contributions are herculean. I don't need to describe Monticello to you here. Jefferson spent forty years building, adding on, and remodeling the house. If you wish to know about it, there are volumes of information available. Use Google.

We left Monticello, paid a visit to Michie Tavern and filled our stomachs. Servers are dressed in period outfits and the service is personable.

With our stomachs full, we needed to replenish our gas tanks, so we took a quick trip into Charlottesville. We could have gotten gas on the interstate, but wanted to do a little sight seeing. The University of Virginia is a beautiful campus as well as the downtown area.

Then we headed west again for Staunton, VA, where we spent the night.  

Staunton had about a thousand residents in 1800. It was largely untouched by the civil war, so it has a rich architectural heritage of 19th century models.

Leaving Staunton

The next day we rode through the beautiful horse country on hwy 250. When we got to US 220 we turned south through Hot Springs, Homestead to Warm Springs. Then we headed back to Roanoke for the night.

The next day we headed home. I had hoped to go into West Virginia, but a weather front with possible snow was headed our way, so we cut our trip short, vowing to return to West Virginia another day.

Mt. Mitchell '07

Our group took a quick trip to Mt. Mitchell in '07. Mt. Mitchell is the highest point east of the Mississippi River. The elevation is 6684 feet above sea level. That's not really high by Rocky Mountain standards and some other mountain ranges, but for the oldest mountains in the USA, it's the highest.

 

We traveled the Blue Ridge Parkway to mp 355 to the entrance of the Mt. Mitchell State Park. There is no entrance fee. The state highway that winds up to the parking lot is in excellent shape. Watch for the many bicyclists who ride here as well. The posted speed limit is 25 mph, if I remember correctly. That seems slow, but remember that there are visitors here who have limited experience in the mountains, and, for some of them, 25 mph is too fast.

The mountain was named for Elisha Mitchell, who lost his life climbing the peak while exploring and measuring the heights. Mitchell was, among other things, a naturalist, surveyor and explorer who loved the area and devoted his life to its exploration.

Before reaching the top, there is a campground. There is also a nice restaurant on the property.  A little higher  you come to the parking lot, which offers a nice view of the surrounding landscape. There is still a little bit of a climb left to get to the observation deck/tower at the pinnacle. There are some rest benches along the way if you need to stop and rest.

If you have never visited Mt. Mitchell, my advice is "GO".