Saturday, September 24, 2011

From Charleston, SC we have arrived in Atlanta, GA. Our pictures are up to date, but not in very good order. Enjoy
Stone Mountain, Georgia

Another shot of Stone Mountain



The train we took around the park





A shot from the train







From Charlotte, NC we went to Charleston, SC. Took in all the tourist sights: Fort Sumter, the battery, the farmers market, a plantation.
The pictures that follow are of our time spent in Charleston.
The market in downtown Charleston

A horse & carriage in front of the market

A street musician, playing the violin







One of the old houses that are on the bay







Our campsite at the J. Strom Thurmond Lake. It is on the border of SC and Georgia. We were invaded by ants here. Little tiny ants that took us 3 days to get rid if after we left here.









The drive up to the plantation outside Charleston, SC

Some turtles in the pond on the plantation



The Haywood plantation house





Spanish moss hanging from one of the trees







An alligator in the pond on the plantation









Another alligator

























The bridge across the James River in Charleston, SC















The boat we took to Fort Sumter

















Fort Sumter









































One of the holes in the side of the fort with a cannon























The inside grounds

























Another view of the inside grounds



























The five different flags that have flown over the fort, with the current US flag in the center





























Dolphins in the bay where we boarded the boat out to Fort Sumter































The USS York - in the bay - you can tour this ship from WWII

































We left Virginia and went south to North Carolia, specifially Charlotte to see the home of NASCAR. We spent the whole time around Charlotte seeing NASCAR related places.
We saw Richards Petty's home (well, the gates to his home), his old racing garage, his museum, the Victory Junction Gang camp, Hendricks racing, the NASCAR Hall of Fame, Charlotte Speedway, Dale Earnhardt's memorial park, well, you get the picture.
The followiing pictures are from all these above places.
The following pictures are of Charlotte Motor Speedway



































This is a huge TV screen













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A statue of Dale Earnhardt in Kannapolis NC, at a memorial park for Dale






















































































In the memorial park



























This is the NASCAR Hall of Fame Building





























Ashley Force's funny car - outside the Hall of Fame































John with M & M's iin the Hall of Fame


Bobby Isaac's car


































































One of Richard's old car







Inside the Hall of Fame - in the back of the picture, you can see the banked 'road' where the race cars are shown





































































This is in Hendricks' racing









































Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s car











































Another Dale Jr.'s car













































A Carl Edwards car from a win at the Daytona 500 - you can see all the confetti still on the car; there was also the pop and other liquids still on it from victory circle.

















Outside Hendricks racing















































































This is a car being worked on at Petty's garage






































































































A Challenger that Petty's garage enhances, for just 36,000.













































































































A caricature statue at Petty's museum

























































One of Richard's race cars in the musuem.







The race car of Richards that John first saw racing at Michigan Speedway back int he 70's.


























































































































The entrance to the Victory Junction Gang camp




























































































































































































In the sidewalk that goes to the little gift shop.





































































Shrubbery shaped like a chair, table & footstool.





























































































































































































































The water tower at the Victory Junction Gang camp









































































This is the gate back to the camp