In NASCAR Country!

Above, the view of the Charlotte skyline from my hotel room balcony.

After a whole day's worth of flying, I made it to Charlotte, North Carolina this evening.

The Blake Hotel is a great convention facility.  The ballrooms are enormous!  Vendors are now hard at work setting up their displays.

Above, yours truly on the balcony.

I haven't yet seen the Nakajimas.  They went out on a spending spree today with the translator and were out to dinner at the time I got in.  I heard they've been having a great time since they got in yesterday.

I left Los Angeles at around 6:35 a.m and arrived in Cleveland, Ohio to catch my connector flight to Charlotte.  My first reaction to seeing the plane that would be taking me to Charlotte was, "A lear jet?"  It was actually an EMB-145, a Brazilian commuter jet.

Light snow was falling during the time I was at the Cleveland Airport.  I had enough time to get a very good bacon cheeseburger at the airport.  The wings of the plane had to be de-iced before we took off.

Charlotte is home to the NASCAR Hall of Fame (I can see it from my hotel room balcony).  It isn't snowing in Charlotte, but it is pretty darn cold here at night.  The temperatures are into the 20s.

Above, I joined artist Bill Chancellor in the hotel bar.

So far, I've seen Joe Moe, Bill Chancellor, Eben McGarr and Ron Chaney (grandson of Lon Chaney Jr.) along with a few others.

Above, the United Express EMB-145 that would take me to Charlotte at the Cleveland Airport.

The Mad Monster Party officially kicks off tomorrow.

Above, the Charlotte skyline at night.