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".

Spruce Pine and the Blue Ridge Parkway

One of my favorite places to ride is the Blue Ridge Parkway (BRP). It is a wonderful motorcycle road that extends about 469 miles from the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia to the Great Smoky Mountains at Cherokee, NC. I must admit that most of my favorite parts lie in the NC stretch of the road. Virginia does have some beautiful places, however.

One of the areas that I visit often is around Spruce Pine, NC. Accommodations are not plentiful, but there are a couple of campgrounds, mom and pop motels, and a couple of B&Bs.

The location is a great starting point for exploring the area's roads and byways, not to mention the BRP. To the northeast is Boone, Blowing Rock and the northern stretches of the BRP.

Our group in the parking lot at Mt. Mitchell in '06

To the northwest is Roan Mountain, TN and some really great motorcycling roads around such places as Buladean, Loafers Glory, and Bandana.

If one wishes to explore the BRP to the south of Spruce Pine, he will come upon Mt. Mitchell, the highest point at 6684 feet east of the Mississippi River.

Then there is Craggy Gardens and the Folk Art Center just outside Asheville at mile post 382.

Unpacking at Mt. Mitchell '06

To the north, above Boone, are the Jeffersons, and on NC 16 N is the community of Shatley Springs. Here one will find a wonderful restaurant that serves family style meals at a very reasonable cost. On the grounds is live music while you wait in line. It is very popular. Arrive early.

Some of my favorite off road rides intersect with the BRP and are maintained by the Forest Service. Some run along rivers and are public access roads to primitive campgrounds. These are unimproved roads, subject to natural changes due to weather, and are usually not heavily traveled by the general public. That is sometimes a liability, but also offers the traveler an opportunity to experience undisturbed activity.

Group photo with Grandfather Mtn. in background '06

Some of the roads that I enjoyed on my trip in the Spring of '06 included the aforementioned Mt. Mitchell, NC 80, the Town Mountain Road in Asheville, which connects the BRP with downtown Asheville. US 19 W to Erwin, TN, NC 297 and NC 226 are all excellent roads for the motorcyclist to ride again and again.

Later I will post about some other trips and roads that I have "discovered" and enjoy riding.

Myrtle Beach Pavilion Closing

The pavilion closed in 2006. It was an icon of Myrtle Beach family fun. Roller coasters of various styles and types, a merry-go-round of antique quality, a Calliope of unsurpassed elegance, kiddy rides, a Scrambler, and carnival food. Best of all, it was located almost on the beachfront. Today it is but a memory. I have a few pictures of its last days. We were privileged to be allowed to attend a closing preview before the dismantling. 

 

Most, if not all, of the horses were sold for charity. I understand that the calliope was salvaged to be used at another location later.

After a few years, Hard Rock built a theme park out of town on US 501 on the site of the former Waccamaw Pottery. It was opened for one season and filed bankruptcy, I think, the following year. 

Another group bought the park assets, changed the name and the theme to a Rock and Roll experience, built one roller coaster, and also lasted about one year. Now, unfortunately, the park sits quietly and looks like an abandoned afterthought.


I hope that there will, again, be a major theme park in the Myrtle Beach area. We have something here that no other park has, that I am aware of...the Atlantic Ocean. People will continue to come here and vacation here. Water, wind, beaches and sunshine are what draws them. A really nice park, full of rides and carnival food, a place where one can spend most of the day with family and still find something to do would be an important asset, I think.

Outer Banks NC trip

When I started my blog a couple of years ago, I wanted to post some information about my motorcycle trips and adventures. That experience didn't work out too well for a lot of reasons. So, I thought that this time I would go back to the beginning (of the pictures, at least) and post some of those items.

I got back into motorcycling after some years of raising a family and getting the kids out of college and working on their own lives.

My wife had never ridden, so there was a lot to learn for her, and for me, as I found out.

In the late '90s, I bought a mint condition 1991 Suzuki GSX 1100G. It is a wonderful sport/touring motorcycle that is capable of exhilarating speed, long distance comfort, and great gas mileage. It was not a bike that was suitable for my wife, however. So, on a trip to a Honda Hoot rally in Asheville, NC, we met some good folks from Georgia who allowed her to nestle in on the seat of a Honda Goldwing. Life changed at that moment.

I still have the G and enjoy it as a solo bike, but it didn't get ridden much for five or six years.

We got involved with GWRRA, Gold Wing Road Riders Association, and remain members of the association. 

Our first bike together was a 1986 GL1200 SEI. We started taking longer, and longer trips and that required more and more stuff. So, we bought a trailer and added a hitch. The motorcycle worked nicely for us for a couple of years, but we decided that we wanted more power, so we bought a 1990 GL 1500 SE that had a matching trailer paint scheme. Both the '86 and the '90 were pearl white of their respective years.

Ocracoke's Silver Lake

Many of the photos of these years were taken with 35 mm film, and I have not scanned them into digital media. I do have a couple of photos from a trip we took with some friends to the Outer Banks of NC.

Another view of Silver Lake

If you have never been to the Outer Banks, OBX, you should plan to visit. A ride to Ocracoke Island on either the Cedar Island Ferry or the Swan Quarter Ferry is the access point that I like. Then spend a night on Ocracoke Island so that you can enjoy this quaint fishing village with its restaurants, shops, and lighthouse.

The photos above were taken from our hotel room at The Anchorage right at the ferry landing. If you look closely you can see a ferry approaching the inlet at the top center of the photo.

Ocracoke Lighthouse

Ocracoke Island was a favorite hangout of the famous pirate, Edward Teach, alias Blackbeard.


 There are several famous light houses located along the Outer Banks. The shifting sand bars and changing inlet channels were treacherous to sailing vessels. Many of these bars were hidden underwater. The light houses were erected to guide sailors and warn of the dangerous waters. On Ocracoke Island is the famous Ocracoke light house.

Before electricity was available to burn the lights, oil was used. Light house keepers lived in or near by the light houses and kept them fueled and burning.

Below are a couple of photos photo of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. The old site of the lighthouse was about to erode the base and cause the aged signal to succumb to the Atlantic. The waves of the Atlantic were just about ready to claim the historic light. The lighthouse was moved to its new location and it's light is now protected from the ocean's encroachment.

Moving Hatteras Lighthouse

Hatteras Lighthouse at new location

There is a free ferry that runs a schedule daily from Ocracoke Island to the mainland at Hatteras.

From Hatteras one can take the Ocean Highway north to Nags Head, NC. You will pass through communities of Avon, Waves, Salvo, and Rodanthe. Then there are 24 miles of the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge. 

The Bodie Island lighthouse is the next attraction, followed by your arrival to Nags Head, Kitty Hawk and Kill Devil Hills. On this trip we didn't stop at the Bodie Lighthouse. I need to go back and take some pics.

Wright Brothers Memorial

If you remember your aviation history, you will recall that the Wright Brothers, Wilbur and Orville, successfully flew the first powered airplane at Kill Devil Hills in December of 1903. One must visit the museum and see what they did. The persistence of these pioneers of flight was amazing.

Flight path

At the left is a view of one of the flight paths as viewed from the memorial. The museum is in the distance with Kitty Hawk and the Atlantic Ocean beyond.

One other feature that is close by and worth a visit is the State Park that is called Jockey's Ridge. It is a 100' high sand dune from which one may hang glide most days, as the prevailing winds make it possible. Permits are required.

Elizabeth II-Manteo, NC

Across the sound from Nags Head is the town of Manteo, home to quaint shops, restaurants and historical sightseeing. The English first tried to settle here in 1585.

Historic Fort Raleigh has an interactive village depicting life in an early English settlement. There is also a replica of one of Sir Walter Raleigh's merchant ships, the Elizabeth II. 

Aboard Elizabeth II, Manteo, NC

Another feature of the park is the seasonal production of "The Lost Colony", the story of the disappearance of the first English colony in America. Andy Griffith of "Matlock" and the "Andy Griffith Show" acted with the company when he was a student at the University of North Carolina, I am told.

Lake Mattamuskeet

Sommerset Place

As we returned home we visited Lake Mattamuskeet, another wildlife refuge. I actually took this photo when I was on a solo trip a year earlier.  Much of the lake is very shallow. As a protected waterfowl fly way, there are many interesting sites.

Just up the road from Mattamuskeet is Phelps lake and, nearby, Pettigrew State Park that bears the same name. The property was once a plantation and grew many crops, including rice, wheat and corn. The visitor can see the remnants of some of the slave buildings.Three buildings have been restored. At the right is a photo of Somerset Place, the main house restoration in its Greek Revival splendor. 

Lake Phelps in front of Sommerset Place

Pettigrew SP campsite

One of the fascinating things to me was the way the hand dug canals were laid out so that barges could bring the crops out of the fields. I should return and take some more photos. On that trip, I camped at the state park. It is a primitive campground without facilities, but it is quiet.

If you can make the time, try to spend an hour or so and visit Phelps State Park and Lake Mattamuskeet.

We made an over night stay in New Bern, NC on the rest of this trip. I think that I'll make a post about that visit as a separate post, since this one is getting a little long.

Our accomodations in New Bern were at The Aerlie Inn Bed and Breakfast. Our hosts were wonderful and the visit to Tryon Palace, the Firemans Museum and  Bradham's Pharmacy, birthplace of Pepsi Cola gave us a glimpse into New Bern's historic past.

You may wish to look at the New Bern/Tryon Palace post.

Restart

I started a blog about two years ago and quit. It seemed more of a chore than fun. Maybe this time it will be different. I hope that readers will find my blog interesting. I travel a good bit on my motorcycle and those trips and events will be the focus of my blog. I have a real interest in the many facets of South Carolina history as it has been preserved in artifacts, museums and historical renovations and preservations. So, as I travel the Palmetto State and other environs, I'll try to share, verbally and pictorially, what I experience.

I also enjoy traveling in the mountains of GA, NC, SC, TN, VA, and WV. There are so many interesting things to see and experience.

I hope that you will find this blog interesting, informative and entertaining.