Thursday, September 29, 2011
I love to be in my car and going places. Going places means that the car is moving. Sitting still surrounded by cars should take place in a parking lot, not on Interstate 485 south of Charlotte, N.C. I have to ride this road a couple of times each month and try to avoid certain times. Today I chose the wrong time.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Biltmore Estate
During our Summer trip to Asheville we had not planned to visit Biltmore Estate, but I wish that we did. Since we didnt get to go in June, I decided that September would be a nice time of year to visit. The temps should be cooler and maybe the crowds wold not be as large. It was worth the wait. We had a beautiful weekend to tour the house and surrounding area.
FACT: Biltmore House is a Châteauesque-styled mansion in Asheville, North Carolina, built by George Washington Vanderbilt II between 1889 and 1895. It is the largest privately-owned home in the United States, at 135,000 square feet.
The large home and surrounding land is the vision of the bachelor, Vanderbilt. This was by far an ultimate bachelor pad designed to host various parties and other events. In addition to the house, there are stables, winery, lodging facilities and several areas for outdoor activities.
When I purchased admission tickets, I took advantage of additional offers for the winery and reservations at Biltmore Deerpark Restaurant. When we arrived to pickup tickets, the lines were already very long. It appeared that my attempt to miss large crowds didn't work and I was concerned about parking. Visiting the home and gardens with enough time to make it back to the van and to deerpark in time for our reservations was going to be a challenge. Fortunately, the CSR at the ticket counter offered valet parking. I can happily say that this was the best $15 spent all day. We parked in front of the house, took our time visiting an shooting pics (when allowed) and the van was returned to the home for us to arrive at Deerpark in time for our reservation..
Copyright - Jimmy McDonald Photography
Colorful Asheville North Carolina
Our second trip to Asheville, N.C. this year was planned with extra time to enjoy downtown Asheville to witness the colorful cultural entertainment and enjoy some good food.
I enjoy walking around downtown Asheville to experience the artists and street musicians that line the streets. There are many locations that we attempt to visit when in Asheville. The Grove Arcade is a beautiful building built in 1929 as one of the first malls in the United States. Ownership of the building has changed a few times with the Federal Government several developers and currently the Grove Arcade Public Market Foundation. The building is currently home to many shops featuring local crafts, boutiques, fresh food and several restaurants.
Mast General Store is another highlight of our visit with over 500 old-fashioned candies available, we usually leave with a bag or two of goodies. There are old fashioned toys, jams and jellies, real maple syrup, stone ground cornmeal, comfortable rocking chairs, hiking boots, clothing, and more. They stock a little bit of anything.
Pritchard Park is a great location downtown to rest in the shade and enjoy live music at the mini-amphitheater. There also are several restaurants located in the area.
A couple of other Asheville areas that are worth visiting are the The North Carolina Arboretum
and the The Western North Carolina Farmers Market.
I enjoy walking around downtown Asheville to experience the artists and street musicians that line the streets. There are many locations that we attempt to visit when in Asheville. The Grove Arcade is a beautiful building built in 1929 as one of the first malls in the United States. Ownership of the building has changed a few times with the Federal Government several developers and currently the Grove Arcade Public Market Foundation. The building is currently home to many shops featuring local crafts, boutiques, fresh food and several restaurants.
Mast General Store is another highlight of our visit with over 500 old-fashioned candies available, we usually leave with a bag or two of goodies. There are old fashioned toys, jams and jellies, real maple syrup, stone ground cornmeal, comfortable rocking chairs, hiking boots, clothing, and more. They stock a little bit of anything.
Pritchard Park is a great location downtown to rest in the shade and enjoy live music at the mini-amphitheater. There also are several restaurants located in the area.
A couple of other Asheville areas that are worth visiting are the The North Carolina Arboretum
and the The Western North Carolina Farmers Market.
Copyright - Jimmy McDonald Photography
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
NASCAR returns to Rockingham Speedway
9/7/2011- Gov. Bev Perdue of North Carolina made it official Wednesday
afternoon: NASCAR is returning to Rockingham.
Perdue announced that the Camping World Truck Series will run at the
historic Rockingham Speedway on April 15, 2012, crediting the dogged
determination of track owner and former NASCAR driver Andy Hillenburg
and the eventual support of local and state government officials with
making it happen. Formerly known as North Carolina Speedway, the
1-mile track first opened in 1965 and hosted NASCAR-sanctioned events
for 40 years before the last Cup race was held there on Feb. 22, 2004.
- NASCAR.com
Upon arriving at the speedway there were many happy faces walking around waiting for the announcement that NASCAR was coming back to Rockingham. This is great news and I was glad to be invited to shoot photos of the announcement.
Copyright - Jimmy McDonald Photography
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