A very Hot Ride in the City (June 30, 2012)

 On June 30, got out early on the motorcycle-temperatures were expected to be well over 100 by noon, with a heat index even higher then that. A heat wave had much of the area in its grip, and that is expected to for the next few days. Rode out to Charlotte, NC, in this photo you can see some of uptown from the motorcycle, and the Time Warner Cable Arena at the right. The arena is home to a number of sporting and musical events. I always enjoy riding in the city, as there is always a number of interesting sights to see and often quite a few new things are either going up, or going on.   

This is one of the big buildings in Charlotte, I like the look of this one both from a distance and from up close looking up. Again, took this photo from the Vulcan while stopped at a red light.  Charlotte is filled with a number of interesting parks, many fine places to eat, and a lot of good events happen there. It has a great variety of neighborhoods, wards, and downtown apartments to check out. A lot of people live in Uptown Charlotte.
There are some really fine museums there, also I enjoy watching the light rail trains run. I have been to a number of sporting events, such as the NFL, NBA, ECHL hockey, and soon to be coming will be AAA Baseball. Last month Charlotte city officials agreed to kick in on the Charlotte Knights baseball stadium. It will be built near the Carolina Panthers Bank of America Stadium, and construction is planned to be finished for the start of the 2014 season. The Charlotte Knights now play in nearby South Carolina.   

I did make a short stop in North Davidson, seen here is the Dog Bar (where you can enjoy a drink with your dog) one of the many interesting places in the area. Nice part of Charlotte with a lot of nice developments. One of the earlier ones which was lost due to termites (as I remember) was the mill which was turned into apartments. That development was closed by the city. However, quite a few have sprung up since then, and the area has a lot to offer. Not bad for a rather decaying former mill town section of the city. Artists and musicians flocked to the area for the cheap rents and have turned it into one of the most interesting areas of the city.