This Week I’ve Been on the Road by Myself.

Usually I travel with a team to assess state owned buildings. This week was a bit different.

First, I went to North Carolina Motor Speedway to look at grandstands. NCMS no longer has NASCAR races. The NCMS assets are being liquidated and there is a possibility of donation of some grandstands to the state.

Why you ask?

Well, there are several smaller State Universities that have athletic programs which could possibly use some seating. Starting with the University of North Carolina at Pembroke.

I met with the UNCP University Engineer, Athletic Director, newly hired Head Football Coach and assorted others at NCMS to look at their grandstands. We wanted to look at the feasibility of dismantling, transporting and erecting some of the NCMS grandstands at UNCP.

Fayetteville State University and Elizabeth City State University are 2 other football programs that came to mind as possibly being able to use seating.

Grandstands are in excellent, make that awesome, condition.

It all comes down to determining what could fit where and how much will it cost vs. design and construction of new grandstands. I’ve got to do some research, homework and calculations to determine what could possibly work.

Just because it’s free doesn’t automatically make it a great deal.

The next morning, I had a seminar to go to that I signed up for a couple months ago.

The Green Building seminar was held at Morehead City.

Very small and low key meeting consisting of presentations by vendors of green / LEED building products. It was a good opportunity to get solid information and details about cost effective products and materials for building construction that could be used in State buildings and construction. And, Morehead City is a nice town for a meeting.



The first photo is from the Intercoastal Waterway docks in Beaufort and the second photo is from my Hampton Inn room in Morehead City.

Too bad I didn’t have time to enjoy the setting.

My schedule for the Green Building seminar was –

Leave the house at 0430.

Arrive at the Moorehead City Community College / Civic Center by 0800.

Seminar till 1600 (4 PM).

Drive to the Hampton Inn and check in.

Go get dinner. Back to the room by 1900 (7 PM). Do some paper work and computer work, take a photo from the window and in bed at 2100 (9 PM).

Alarm and wake up call at 0630. Throw my stuff into my bag – quick breakfast – check out - drive to the seminar’s second day.

End of seminar at 1530.

Drive back to Sanford and arrive home at 1900 (7 PM).

I’ll be at my desk in downtown Raleigh at 0700 in the morning.

Yeah, work travel is glamorous and exciting.

LOL

This was not an unusual week. And not an unusual schedule.

All the folks in my group work like this all the time. Plus our regular job of traveling for weeks at a time to do the on-going condition assessment, engineering and estimating / budget work for existing state buildings.

FYI – skip the Icehouse Restaurant in Beaufort. It’s an overpriced dive (almost dump) with ok, but not great, food. You can find / do better.