All Around Charlotte North Carolina
The area surrounding the Charlotte hub is growing and attracting diverse people for many reasons. Tons of families, solo visitors, and millennial travelers are adding this to their list of must – do’s. Let’s look into what the Queen City offers those who are coming in search of quality experiences.
It’s safe to say: Charlotte has become a hot spot. Charlotte Douglas International Airport has grown into a hub, being the 7th busiest airport in the world! (Whew have you been there lately?) Who doesn’t love all of the white rocking chairs lining the walls of windows in the central court? It has grown bigger than was expected in a short time and all of the resulting traffic is evidence of that. Also clear, is the number of activities surrounding the hub have grown and evolved appropriately. As I fly in and out of Charlotte often for work, I started looking for things I could do while passing through. I do come through the area for some family fun as well, and I wanted to create this space for things we’ve done, and more we want to do, to share with others who are looking for good ideas when visiting.
Autumn is AMAZING - Birthday Work Trip:
I was on a work assignment to provide training and technical assistance in Burlington North Carolina at the end of October and was able to take advantage of the BEAUTIFUL autumn colors! Living in Florida, I miss out on this season. Each year around my birthday I get homesick for the colorful trees and cooler weather. This year I missed my family, as a coworker and I spent some quality time in North Carolina. The drive was a little over an hour from Charlotte to Burlington, but the Burlington/ Asheboro area has some cool spots I'll highlight below. Another NC area unique with nature's fresh air!
More of Charlotte NC
In October2024 I flew into Charlotte Douglas International twice and was able to check out a few new places in my down time. The fall weather and changing colors of the leaves was uplifting! Cooler mornings and beauty surrounded me. The first trip centered around Monroe County, just south of Charlotte, I stayed in a great location. The second trip was up to Burlington, which was about a 90-minute drive north and east, but a scenic and enjoyable journey. I’ll share locations for anyone looking at this area for accommodations, underlined text opens to the accompanying link for your convenience. I do not receive any benefit from providing these, I just enjoy the work.
Tru by Burlington – 982 Kirkpatrick Rd. Burlington NC 27215
Hilton Garden Inn Charlotte Waverly – 4715 Waverly Walk Avenue, Charlotte NC 28277
During the summer I was also in the surrounding areas of Monroe, and Morristown.
Here we go!
Now you may know my family lives in Florida, and we love North Carolina, it's one of our favorite family destinations. I have written about our epic times in Lake Lure and the surrounding area extensively, and it's one of the few places we've spent a whole week! (Most of our travels are adventurous road trips trying to see it all!) As I write, the area is still recovering from Hurricane Helene's wickedness, and I keep the entire northwestern area in my heart and prayers. Also, as I write, my 21-year-old son is also living his best life in Beech Mountain on a snowboarding- ski trip with 20 of his best friends. All of that to say that Charlotte was an overlooked area for us until recently. Often, we were around Charlotte, in a wide circle.
If you find yourself visiting the Charlotte area this will help you to pick some delicious places to eat, fun places to make memories, and unique stops to plan for!
First: Food. Charlotte.
Optimist Hall - Eating is made easy here. YES! You could easily spend a whole day here tasting, shopping and hanging out the vibe is so good! Many places to eat and if you're looking for fun gifts, you'll find them. Optimist Hall provides a revitalized warehouse unique artistic setting, and we loved the plants! If I wasn't confined to a checked bag and carry on, I would have stocked up on these beauties! My coworker and I both ate from different ends of the food hall and found a table in the middle to sit and enjoy our meals. While some vendors have different hours, the hall is open from 8am - 9pm most days (10pm on Friday and Saturday), check the website at the underlined link for specifics on times.
Located at: 1115 N. Brevard St., Charlotte, NC 28206 You need to know: Paid parking is a bit of a thing. You do need an app, but the first 90 minutes are free. There are QR codes in the lot to register your vehicle.
Once registered, the first 1.5 hours of parking are free!
$5 for 1.5 - 3 hours
$18 for 3 - 24 hours
Note: Not registering your vehicle and exceeding 1.5 hours will result in a parking fee.
*We browsed, ate, and browsed some more in our 90-minute free window.
Dessler's Restaurant - While the food is so tasty, and service delivered with care, some of my favorite things about this very polished and well designed establishment are the valet parking and/ or free parking garage! In Charlotte, parking can be less than joyful. The elegant setting of metropolitan backdrop makes the whole vibe, and if you get a patio or window view, the skyline might just smile at you. Well stocked bar.
Sun-Thurs 5PM - 9PM FRI-SAT 5PM - 10PM
Bird's Pizza - named one of the best in the US, located at 501 E. small neighborhood pizzeria with a dining room and pick up window. The dining room is designed for smaller groups, mostly reservation only. The bar mostly saved for walk-ins. Found in Optimist Park they serve wood fired pies. Known for high quality food and freshness this is a local hot spot. The street traffic here is part of it's allure. If you want a place to sit down and eat, plan accordingly.
Wed-Sat. takeout 4-8p Dining Room 5:30-9
510 E. 15th St., Charlotte, NC 28206
Click link above for online reservations.
The more I travel, the more I appreciate GOOD food. 
Next: Parks & Nature. Charlotte.
Freedom Park - - I looped the 7-acre lake walking under a mile really enjoying the cool air and beauty of the 98 acres surrounding me. It was a chilly day, and I was killing time before picking up my coworker at the airport. Just 3-miles from downtown, this park provides a little escape from the hustle and bustle, but it's still pretty people-y. Runners, dog walkers, all the families out, and even some lovers picnicking. I spent 45 minutes here just admiring the trees as I walked. More time or slightly warmer weather and I would have explored more of the trails for sure. I recommend a picnic in the warmer weather or a nice walk around the lake for getting some scenic steps in! Also, it's a nice street. You get a feel for the homes of Charlotte and get the neighborhood vibe.
1900 East Boulevard, between Charlotte's historic Dilworth and Myers Park neighborhoods
Museums. Charlotte:
Art for free on Wednesday nights. 💜 These three walking distance museums are part of Levine Center for the Arts: Mint Museum Uptown, The Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, and the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture — are free to visit every Wednesday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. And this is the best way to see downtown!
The Levine Museum of the New South has also joined the free Wednesday's event, at its new location in the former Wells Fargo Museum, 401 S Tryon Street. As a fun evening, get some dinner at one of the restaurants on each corner of Tryon (there is parking and a garage here as well), and go wander through the exhibits diving into local culture. I am kind of a museum snob, but this is totally worth it! Charlotte has a unique culture and has an eclectic artistic flair!
Hours: 11- 6 Tues, Thurs, Sat. Wed, Fri - 11 - 9. Sun 11 - 5.
From here we are moving over to the Northwest area of Charlotte. By Mooresville
About 25 miles north of Charlotte, Mooresville is considered the outskirts of Metropolitan Chalotte. Aka "Race City USA" as it's the home of many NASCAR racing teams and drivers. This fun area is a lovely suburb not in the mix of city buzz, where visitors find that small modern town vibe, with visible historical evidence of an older timeframe not too far behind. I am a bit biased as my favorite cousin lives here and our visits always feel warm and welcoming, with the eyes and insight of a local who loves her town.
Tiger World - 4400 Cook Rd Rockwell North Carolina - My cousins FAVORITE - yes, all caps for a reason! This is a wonderful local preserve, great for a two hour walk to see some up close and personal rescued animals. Our favorites were the lions, tigers, and panthers (the bears were in the den). Of course there are wolves, kangaroo, monkeys, turtles, and more, but the tigers definitely steal the show! The enclosures are made to give every visitor a pretty front row seat. Big cats and rescues with a story to melt your heart. 💓
Tip: The feeding cups are not effective. We each purchased a cup to feed the animals. This means throwing the food through the cages at them and to be honest, they seemed well fed and not particularly hungry. I still liked the idea, we ended up feeding the birds down by the lake!
Open 9 - 5 everyday but Wednesday. Closed Christmas and Thanksgiving.
$15 Adult $12 Children (2 - 17) $12 Seniors over 62
Eddie's on Lake Normon - Is this a beautiful garden on the lake or a place to eat? A flower filled bank with a large patio and cozy seating makes this transition from inside to outside seamless. Eat. Look. Breathe. Enjoy the moment. REALLY good food, but the atmosphere and view were top tier. I was fortunate in amazing company as well in my visit, but my cousin is a local who visits often and has never had a bad meal. Indoors or outdoors the vibe is right.
643 Williamson Rd, Mooresville, NC 28117 (704)799-2090
South of Charlotte:
My rental car guy (who has seen me several times now) recommended I enjoy this area for a fancy night out, Fort Mill South Carolina. Just over the Southwest border, 25 minutes from CLT Intl, an upscale setting with some shops and a variety of good foods. I was highly encouraged to try Fish Market or Killingtons. I am sad to say I have yet to follow his advice, although it's high on my to do list for my next visit! Coming in February of 2025.
Waverly South of Charlotte Vibe
When I am visiting anywhere South of Charlotte, I stay in the Waverly Plaza. This is a safe area with lots of professional traffic and food options as well as grocery, drug store and every kind of convenience. Known for open air, entertainment, shopping mall, and tons of eateries, this dog friendly area is very welcoming. I am not a big fan of chain restaurants, but I will surely go to Ted's Montana Grill for a fish sandwich when I'm by one! I recommend the Hilton here, no I'm not affiliated. I just like them, and I sure love to acquire points! Especially the area to stay if you want to be able to walk around and get some steps in scenically.
Waxhaw: The Museum of the Alphabet
Admittedly, a real hidden gem. FREE entry.
Tuesday–Saturday, 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
I feel like this is the most under visited place I've been to. Seriously. And did I mention I am a museum snob? This place is fascinating, I even bought a book! All ages will enjoy the small gallery style rooms where time moves through language of different cultures and regions of the world. Wander through time seeing evidence of written language and how it develops regionally from cuneiform to tonal languages to Native American language syllabaries. I learned a lot, as this place really tied together some of my other favorite topics. I had no idea walking in what to expect, I visited because it was 30 minutes from my Hotel in Waverly, and I wanted to see something unique. I saw a few children with their families using the hands-on materials and wished my own family were with me to check it out. Spend a 90 minute very high-quality time here. THIS was a great find.
(Visiting here pairs well with a ride over to Fort Mill for Dinner!)
Let's drive a little Northeast Charlotte now...
Up to the Burlington area:
Here the downtown area is a little more worn and weathered but keeps a quiet profile for it's natural lure. Born of the railroad, this community began as the "Hosiery Center of the South". While the textile industry had a falling out, this area has been able to reestablish itself and maintain character. Parks, rivers, hiking, and riding are main attractions here! The North Carolina Zoo has also become a favorite. I am excited to return and visit some of their pottery making shoppes.
Admittedly, much of my time here is spent working/ eating, so more foods! What I will say for each of these eateries is the amount of food we received was very generous and the prices were like stepping back in time.
Drakes - Sports Bar with good food and vibe. Home of some GREAT burgers. Our server as honest, young and hip! I enjoyed our meal (and leftovers) and will return.
Harbor Inn Seafood - I can't believe all of the food we got here for a great price. Seriously for under $20.00 I ate really well and had tons of food left over! Now I'm not big on fried sea food, but if you are going to do it, do it big! Every local recommended this place to us, and when we were there, parking was tight! All tables were full! A well-known local favorite for sure.
Grill 584 - Steak Night with quality food, upscale atmosphere and a great price. I felt very eloquent. The food and service were high level perfection. I ordered medallions and they were so good I can still taste the buttery goodness. This was where we ate for my birthday, and I recommend!
A note from the editor:
The information in this article was accurate when published but may change without notice. Confirm details when planning your trip.
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Wanting to visit NYC? The Grand Canyon? I read an article many years ago about spending 18 summers with your kids to see all of the most intriguing spots, which provide us with perspective and how travel becomes an education. While exploring a new city we discover culture and history we wouldn't otherwise see. Now that I travel for work so many of my trips are for a specific assignment, but I still try to map out at least one "fun" or "nature" stop along the way. This is my self-care method of staying sane! More Bucket list adventures here:
Waverly, Charlotte - such a great place!
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