U. S. National Whitewater Center

Gerry, Barbara and I decided to visit the National Whitewater Center today.  I read about it earlier and it was rated one of the best tourist attractions in Charlotte.  We weren't sure what we were getting into, but it sounded like an interesting place to check out.

Barbara had some chores to take care of in the morning and arrived here at the motor home just before noon and we left for the center right after that.  I plugged the address into the Tom Tom GPS and let it guide us there.

We were hungry and decided to have lunch at the Center.  They had a nice menu and we sat outside and watched people taking the zip line.  There were about 25 people waiting all the time and the line moved fast.  Barbara & Gerry decided to try the zip line, but they didn't have closed toe shoes so that ruled that out.  They could have rented shoes, but neither of them like the idea of wearing shoes that so many people had worn before.  The next time we go there, closed shoes will go with us.  Probably a swim suit also since most activities revolve around water.

As my sil Henry says, put this on your bucket list if you are in the Charlotte, NC area.  I just wish I were 25 years younger and didn't have bad knees.  It looks like a fun place to spend the day, all day that is.

Barbara

Main complex

Part of the canopy trail

Barbara & Gerry

The center is the world's largest and most complex recirculation artificial whitewater river and costs $38 million to build and about $7 million a year to operate.

Activities

Water Sports

• Whitewater Rafting - Rafters with trained raft guides can paddle Class II, III, and IV rapids on the artificial whitewater channels. In 2010, the USNWC had 100,000 rafters.
• Whitewater Kayaking - Whitewater kayakers, from beginner to expert, can paddle, with or without instructors, alongside Olympic contenders. Periodic slalom races are scheduled for all ages and all skill levels.
• Flatwater Kayaking - Flatwater kayaking is offered on the Catawba River, which is adjacent to the USNWC’s property.
• Stand-Up Paddle Boarding - Stand-Up Paddle Boarding is new to the USNWC in 2011. Participants stand on a board similar to a surf board and use a long paddle to maneuver along the Catawba River.

Land Sports

• Mountain Biking - The USNWC has over 14 miles of trails, ranging from beginner to advanced trails. Bikers can bring their own bikes and helmets or rent equipment from the USNWC.
• Eco Trekking - Eco Trekking is based on the geo caching system. Participants are given a GPS device and the coordinates to cache points located throughout the trails and facility.
• The Trail System - The USNWC has over 14 miles of trails which are shared by bikers, runners, and walkers. The trails are used for various races including the River Bound Race Series and the XTERRA Whitewater Trail Race and Triathlon. 
• Rock Climbing - The USNWC’s climbing center is one of the largest outdoor climbing centers in the world. The open-air climbing wall has over 40 roped climbs and reaches a height of 46 feet.

Aerial Sports

• Canyon Crossing - The Canyon Crossing opened as a new activity in spring 2011. The Canyon Crossing consists of a circuit of sky bridges with five different aerial challenges that span the south ridge gorge at heights of over 50 feet. At the last platform is a 250 foot zip-line which returns participants back across the gorge.
• Mega Zip - The MegaZip, which opened in 2009, is a 1,123 foot zip-line which begins at the top of a 46 foot tower, goes over the whitewater river and ends at Hawk Island.
• Mega Jump - The Mega Jump is a controlled free fall from a 46 foot tower. The Mega Jump, which opened in 2010, utilizes the POWERFAN® assisted free fall system, technology that was pioneered by the film industry.
• Adventure Course - The Adventure Course is an aerial obstacle course 20 feet high in the trees.
• Climb 2 Zip - The Climb 2 Zip is a 100 foot zip-line which begins at the top of a 32 foot platform.
• Canopy Tour - The Canopy Tour, which opened in 2011 and goes along with the recent demand for eco tourism, consists of 14 tree platforms linked by 7 zip-lines, multiple sky bridges and other aerial challenges. The Canopy Tour reaches heights in excess of 60 feet and goes across wetlands and a 90 foot deep canyon, along the Catawba River and through portions of the Historic Tuckaseegee Ford and Trail. Guests are accompanied by two trained guides who provide educational information about the region of participants as they go from tree platform to tree platform.

Locale	Charlotte, North Carolina USA
Managing agent	U. S. National Whitewater Center
Website	USNWC
Main shape	Two Loops
Length	Slalom: 300 metres (984 ft) Long: 550 metres (1,804 ft)
Drop	6.4 metres (21 ft)
Slope	Slalom: 2.1% (113 ft/mi) Long: 1.2% (67 ft/mi)
Pumped	7 pumps (usually 6 or 3)
Flowrate	Slalom: 15 m3/s (530 cu ft/s) Long: 19 m3/s (670 cu ft/s)
Surf wave	Adjustable M-Wave plus others
Lighting	yes
Canoe lift	yes
Opening date	2006

Dinner at Jared's & Watches

Our grandson Jared and two friends rent a house in the Charlotte area and Jared and Lee are the cooks, so they invited Gerry and me over for dinner tonight.  Blake, the other roommate works afternoons and wasn't able to join us.  We made the drive over there and found the house quickly with the aid of our Tom Tom GPS.  

We had before dinner drinks and took a tour of the house.  It's a 3 bedroom home in a nice neighborhood of single family dwellings.  They have a nice yard, but not so big that it's a problem to take care of without a lot of work.  Bachelors usually have other things to keep themselves occupied. 

Jared prepared beef tips over rice for dinner and it was super tasty.  He put the beef into a slow cooker and left it on all day and it was ready in a jiffy when we got there.  It was so tasty I was about to go back for seconds but held back.  Great job Jared and Lee.  You can cook for us anytime we are in the area.

Jared, Gerry and me.

Gerry's watch battery went dead a few days ago and she has been trying to buy a new one since then.  We called Jared's Jewelry store and they wanted $40.00 to replace the battery.  WHAT!!  We then called Reed's Jewelry store and they wanted $10.00 for the same service.  That is more like it.  The battery in my watch has been dead for a couple years and I decided to get a new battery at the same time.  They said the watch was too old and they didn't have a battery that would fix it.  Ok, take it to the Quick Fix store and they had the battery and now I have a "new" watch.

What does a watch battery and dinner at Jared's have to do with each other?  Well, there is a connection to be sure.  We were living in Costa Rica in 1989 and Barbara was pregnant with Jared.  Barb, Henry, Ryan, Stephanie and Sean flew down for a vacation and visited with us for a week or so.  Henry had to go back to work and left Barb and kids behind.  Gerry and I were scheduled to travel to Bangkok and Singapore for a conference and Barb stayed behind to watch Larry Jr.   Hold on for a minute.  I am getting there.

We did stop in Singapore and visited with our friends Hanne & Niels for a few days.  While we were there I bought the watch that I needed the battery for today.  The one that was too old.  So, there you have it.  The watch and Jared are the same age and both work now.

Barbara was a real trooper in that she stayed behind in a country where she didn't know her way around, didn't speak the language and didn't know anyone.  Our maid only spoke Spanish, so they had to communicate somehow.  It all worked out in the end.

Ryan, Sean & Stephanie

 
There you have it, all over dinner and a watch.   

Man Of Steel - Review

It is rare that Gerry and I go to see a first run movie.  We are so far behind on movies that the ones that Redbox has are first run movies for us.  All you have to do is skip going for a year or so and then rent the DVD and watch it at home.  

It is more reasonable that way since you don't have to spend $7.00 for popcorn, $4.50 for a drink and a small fortune to get into the theater.  Plus, you can pause it if you have to take a break.

We broke all our rules and attended a viewing of the movie "Man Of Steel" with Larry Jr., Jane and Grant today.  It was showing in one of those huge theaters with 14 screens and 9-10 different movies showing all day long.  We thought it would be difficult to get tickets, but there were a number of seats available.  We sat in the middle of the theater about 15 rows back from the screen and that was close enough.

The movie is full of action, fights, and fantastic scenes where buildings were destroyed en mass.  All in all it was an entertaining movie and if you kept in mind that it was based upon a comic book hero, they did a great job.  It did have a story line with twists that we hadn't seen before and that helped move it along.  We agreed that it was about a 7 on a scale of 1-10, not as good as "Iron Man" but very entertaining.  I almost made a serious mistake and brought my hearing aids along to the move.  Trust me, they weren't needed.

There was one disappointment for Gerry though.  This Superman didn't have his little curl on his forehead, but she thought he was very hot.  She used some descriptive words that I can't put in the blog, but I am sure you ladies can fill in the blanks.

After the movie we had a nice lunch at Panera Bread and then headed over to Barbara & Henry's house to visit with them and some of the grandchildren.  We watched the NASCAR road race from Sonoma, CA and it was one of the most boring races I have ever seen.  The strategy revolved around pit stops and getting back in line and keeping away from a wreck.  At least I didn't have to pay to attend the race.

Later we watched a new TV program called "Crossing Lines" on NBC.  It was very interesting and looks like it may be something to watch.  We'll have to keep an eye on this program and see if they continue to have good scripts.

That was our day, how was yours?

Dave's In Town & Happy Birthday Elizabeth

Henry's younger brother, Dave was on his way north from Florida and stopped for the night to visit with the family yesterday.  Henry likes to party, so they invited the 4 grandchildren and spouses along with Gerry and me to come over for pizza and beer.  Say no more, we will be there.

Dave is always the life of the party and spins some great tales about his work.  He is an EMT and some of the situations he finds when he arrives on the scene are hilarious.  I passed on some of the more gory photos he had on his Ipad, but did enjoy seeing his new boat.  I think I see a fishing trip on the horizon the next time we are in the area where he lives in Florida.

Shawn, Stephanie, Taylor & Uncle Dave.

 Dave likes to keep up with the latest computers, phones, ipad and such.  I think he has time when he is on duty to do some things with them and really enjoys the technology.  Here he is showing the kids photos of his new boat or possibly some gory auto wreck  to which he responded.  You know Dave is in town when the Pepsi bottle is in evidence.  The rest of the clan all prefer Coke products, except Gerry, Dave, Barbara and me.

The previous evening Henry brought his boss and two co-workers to the house for a couple beers after a sales meeting.  Gerry and I had met one of them, Ben, back in Las Vegas for a food show and it was nice seeing him again.  We did meet Doug, the boss, and Craig, a fellow sales manager.  The one beer turned into a couple and we wound up swapping yarns for a couple hours.  I had a good time listening to some of their stories and adding a few of my own.  Great bunch of guys.

We've been on the go with family visits so much lately that we are worn down and need a break.  We really enjoy the visiting and catching up on what everyone has been doing the past year and wouldn't trade the time for anything.  It does tire us out a bit traveling back and forth every day, though.  Tough on the ol' bodies.

Our granddaughter Elizabeth ( Lexa ) turns 16 today and we wish we could be there to celebrate the big event with her.  We will be in the Maryland area in the early part of July and I am sure we can celebrate the birthday a little late.  

Happy Birthday Red!

 

  

Father's Day Weekend Happenings

The past few days have been very busy for us and when we returned home in the evenings I was too tired to even think about preparing a blog entry.  Now that things have settled down, a small recap of the weekend is in order.  

It was a full time family visiting time for us since Friday.  We picked up Grant on Friday afternoon and brought him back to the motorhome.  Saturday we went to Barb & Henry's for dinner and some adult beverages.  Henry prepared some bbq chicken and corn on the cob for dinner and then we sat around their fire pit and enjoyed the rest of the evening.  Grant started a really nice fire with dry wood so it didn't smoke us out like last time.

Barb & Grant

Since we had the nice fire, s'mores were the snack of the evening.  Grant managed to keep all of us in s'mores to the point where overload was fast gaining on us.  Even Rita (the dog) wanted to get in on the snack time and sat there with her soleful eyes waiting to get fed.  I think Grant may have sneaked in some morsels for her at one time in the evening.  That dog will eat anything and her round belly shows it.

Rita waiting patiently.

My parents didn't take many pictures over the years so I don't have a lot of pictures of my father.  This is one of the last ones I have of him when he came to visit us in Rockville, MD in 1971.  He passed away in 1972 a day after our anniversary.  He is sorely missed.

Left to right: Billy Clark, Rick Clark, Me, Cassie, Charles Clark, Barbara & Lori Lumpkin.  5 youngest were his grandchildren.

Our daughter Cassie couldn't make the trip down here for the celebration so I thought I would include a picture of her favorite flower along with her photo.  Barbara planted Calla Lilys and they were blooming for the weekend. 

Larry Jr had to work on Sunday, so he and Jane came by before heading into work and visited for a short while.  It was great seeing him on my day even if for just a few minutes.  We will celebrate Father's Day with him on Monday.  Jane picked up Grant and took him home so he could get to bed early.  It seems we keep him up too late.  Hey, we don't get to see him that much.

"Little" Larry and me.

We went over to Barb & Henry's after this and managed to miss the end of the NASCAR race.  Since it was just the four of us, we had a relaxing afternoon and evening and called it quits early so they could get some sleep before beginning the work week.

Barbara with her great smile.

I received some nice gifts, but the greatest gifts of all were spending time with two of my children and receiving a nice call from the other.  Thanks guys, you made my day.  Love, Dad.