Vacation 2015 - Atlanta and Daytona Beach Florida

 The first stop in Atlanta was the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library.  We were told that presidential libraries were top notch facilities, so we tried it.  It was very cool.  The grounds were pristine.

 Such a great building and a great tribute to a great man.

 The next stop:  The World of Coca Cola.  This place was over the top.  Being headquartered in Atlanta, this place was part amusement park, part propaganda facility.

 Besides having a cool 3d movie, there were all kinds of historic items and a tasting of Coke products from around the world.

 Our hotel in Atlanta was next door to the Olympic park.  I actually went to the Olympics in Atlanta in 1996, so I was interested in seeing how the city kept the place up.  It's still a beautiful setting.

 The rings were everywhere.

 The cool lake and towers made for a very cool scene.

 Enormous Farris wheel.

 The big boys were itching to fall into the water.  They didn't.

 On the wall.

 The older boys rode the Farris wheel.

 Flannery took Eli on a carriage ride.

 It was an awesome night time setting.

 We arrived in Daytona Beach the next day.

 Daytona Speedway, for you NASCAR fans.

 Getting closer.

 The world's most famous beach!

 We could have literally driven right into the Atlantic.

 The Atlantic was a bit angry.  And it was windy and not very warm.  The water?  Freezing.  But that didn't stop the kids from swimming in it.

 There were some impressive waves out there.

 The pier, with Joe's Crab Shack.

 There was this mist blowing up from the water.  It was an interesting sight.

 Too cold to swim, the boys dug a nice hole and build some turrets around it.

 Then Eli got in.

Turrets came down, hole got deeper.  Then Tyson got in.  He looks...strained.

After the beach fun, we walked across the sand to a place called Tiki Hut and ate the best Mahi Mahi tacos ever.  More tomorrow from Orlando and Universal.

A Nice Day to Visit Mastodon State Park

 A gorgeous day to go exploring.  We took a trip to Mastodon State park.

 We took Rex along.  He loves the outdoors but he's quite a handful when it comes to keeping up with him.

 Rock Creek was beautiful today.  The photo shows a lot of green, but it was clear as can be.

 The creek cut through the landscape and it was pretty spectacular at points.

 A great view of one of the creeks that feed Rock Creek.  This one comes from the bluffs on the other side of Seckman road.

 There was a tree that crossed to the other bank spanning Rock Creek.

 Tyson decided to cross to the other side.  Eli was contemplating it.

 Tyson made it, Eli thought better.

 Then Tyson had to climb back onto the tree to make it back.

 We crossed Seckman road to check out the 2 1/2 mile hiking trail.  Much more rugged than the main side.  Cool bluffs line the edges.

 This is the creek that comes from the bluff.  It's routed under the road and eventually feeds into Rock Creek.

Tyson did a little rock climbing.  The place is so interesting.  And we didn't even see any Mastodons.

Car Watching - 1967 Ford Mustang Convertible

 Imagine my joy when I saw this 1967 Mustang Convertible while hiking with the family at Mastodon State Park today.  It was quite a looker!

 Two of my favorite features of the 67:  The Pony Grill framed with the bars, and the slats just ahead of the rear wheel.  The 68, while using the same overall body and body panels, has no bars and no slats.  Trivial, but I like them.

 This one had a nice modern wheelset, but they have historical significance in that the styling was used in a number of years for the Mustang.  They were nice and wide on this one.

 Nice interior, too.  This example has a tilt-away steering wheel as you can see.

It's a V8 car, only Lord knows what V8.  It had a nice set of pipes that tucked up well under the valance, and it would have been nice to hear it roar away.  A wonderful find on a wonderful day!

REAL People at Boyd Cycling - Nicole and Boyd Johnson

 It seems everyone and their brother imports some kind of inexpensive carbon wheels these days.  Not every wheel maker is the same, however.  Boyd cycling is different.  The company is the brainchild of Boyd Johnson and his wife Nicole.  Nicole and my wife Deanna became friends years ago when Nicole worked at Hincapie.   

 At Boyd, they do things differently.  Like designing and building their own hubs.

 The Eternity hubs are lustworthy.  Boyd himself gave me a rundown of the technology involved in their latest design and it's awesome stuff.

They have a kick ass selection of fast wheels.  They also sponsor athletes and give back to their racing community.  In the future, we may see lots more exciting stuff from these guys.

I don't currently sell the wheels through the store I work at, but I'm compelled to spread the word about some great people that also have a great product and a top-notch business ethic.  Maybe I can do some business with them in the future.

North American Handmade Bicycle Show - NAHBS: The world is not Black and White

 DJ, Jeff and I made a quick stop in Louisville before we visited the Mega Cavern.  It was to check out the North American Handmade Bicycle Show, or NAHBS.  It was a treat.  There would never be enough time to see it all.  I took a few photos.  Click on them to see the wild colors, although my bad phone camera is no match for the beautiful colors.  Enjoy.