North Carolina Archives - Roni The Travel Guru

Fun Things To Do In Charlotte On An Airport Layover

November 17, 2020 by Roni Filed Under: Charlotte, North Carolina

An airport layover in Charlotte doesn’t have to be boring. What do you normally do if you have several hours or an airport layover in Charlotte? Stay in the hotel? Watch Netflix or Hulu at the airport? NO! There is so much to see and do in Charlotte. It’s a wonderful city so don’t miss it!

Here are some fun things to do in Charlotte on an airport layover, depending on how you want to travel around the city. And if you have kids, you can get my e-book that shows you how to have fun in Charlotte with them!

PLEASE NOTE: Because of Covid, please check the hours of all of these recommendations so you don’t waste your time.

Airport Layover In Charlotte by bus:

From Charlotte Douglas Airport you can take the Sprinter bus into Uptown. Catch the Sprinter bus across the street and to the right from Terminal D. The bus costs $2.20 per ride per person (please have exact change) and it takes you right in the heart of Uptown (which is what Charlotte’s downtown area is called). From there you have several options.

Epicentre

Walk to Epicentre, an entertainment and dining complex. You can spend hours here if you so choose. There are several different options within this complex and if you only have a few hours this is a great place to visit.

7th Street Market

If that isn’t your speed walk down to 7th Street Market located at 300 E. 7th Street. The market has a large variety of food and drinks. You can also rent a bike at the market. With CharlottebCycle you can rent a bike for as long or as little as you’d like and see the city at your leisure.

Elmwood Cemetery and Little Sugar Creek Greenway

If you rent a bike, make sure to ride through Elmwood Cemetery, It’s beautifully scenic and filled with tree-lined pathways. If cemeteries aren’t your thing then no worries, there are plenty of parks and greenways to check out while on your bike. Don’t have a bike, you can take a walk on one of the many pathways located in the city. Check out my video on one of the fab places you can see in the city!

Ayrsley

Another lovely neighborhood you can check out is Ayrsley. It’s about a 15 minute Uber ride from Charlotte Douglas Airport and there is lots to explore. Check out my video showing you what you can get up to while visiting Ayrsley.

Fahrenheit Restaurant

If you just want to have a good meal and relax then head to Fahrenheit restaurant which has one of the best views of the city skyline. And make sure to try the chorizo stuffed and bacon stuffed dates. Simply divine.

Airport Layover In Charlotte using Uber:

Amelie’s French Bakery

If you like good coffee and French pastries head to Amelie’s French Bakery which is a local favorite. This is a 24-hour spot so no matter what time your flight is you can get a great meal or delectable dessert in an amazingly quaint environment. There are multiple locations but the one in Noda is 24 hours.

Central Avenue

Have your Uber driver take you to Central Avenue, which is fast becoming one of the best areas in Charlotte. Central Avenue is filled with restaurants, cafes, and cool shops that have their own unique vibe. You can definitely spend several hours exploring this part of the city!

Ice Skating

If you’re visiting during wintertime, there are several ice skating rinks you can visit and skate away.

The Holiday on Ice is an outdoor skating rink located at the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Pineville Ice House is another option for ice skating. This rink is inside so if skating outdoors doesn’t appeal to you, this is the place for you.

The Charlotte Whitewater Center has 17,000 square feet of ice for you to skate on. This is also a great option to visit if you have more than a few hours to kill on your layover (see below for more info).

Freedom Park

Charlotte is filled with amazingly beautiful parks, and Freedom Park is one of the best. There are several playgrounds for kids and a lovely pond with a path around it, which is perfect for those of you who want to exercise a bit.

Fun Things To Do In Charlotte with a rental car

Crowders Mountain State Park

Have you heard of Crowders Mountain? If you have more time on your hands why not venture out a bit into nature? The weather is beautiful in Charlotte and will be for several months so Crowders Mountain is always a great idea. Not only can you get a bit of exercise but walking the paths amongst the huge trees is very calming.

Even during summer when it’s really hot, the trees do their job and keep you cooler by shading you with their long branches. Crowders is about 30 minutes south of the airport so renting a car would be your best bet, or you could hop in Uber or Lyft. It’s free to park and also free to walk the trails.

U.S. National Whitewater Center

If you want to experience multiple adventures throughout the day why not check out the U.S. National Whitewater Center? While taking a break from flying you can find a plethora of activities like rafting, zip lines and rope courses to do on the 700 acres. It’s a wonderful way to spend an afternoon!

This is just a small sample of what’s possible in Charlotte. For more ideas check out more options here and enjoy The Queen City!

Have you had a layover in Charlotte? What did you do?

Fresh Cotton And Confederate Flags…Together?

October 19, 2016 by Roni Filed Under: Charlotte, Flying, North Carolina

We were driving down highway 74 making our way back to Charlotte from Lake Lure, North Carolina when we spotted all this white outside of the car window. I thought it was cotton but since I had never seen it in person I wasn’t sure so we got off the highway and yep, it was tons of cotton. It seemed to go on forever as you can see in the pic below. There was a road to the left of the pic which we drove on for several minutes and we saw cotton the whole time. Seeing all of that fresh cotton had all kinds of thoughts going through my head.

I mean, think about it…I was able to sit there and take pictures of it and my ancestors had to pick it. I thought about how things have changed so much in America. I am the granddaughter of a share cropper who never flew in an airplane because that just wasn’t even in his realm of possibility and just two generations later his flesh and blood had a job being paid to fly all over the world and take people on their vacations.

I thought about all the Black women that came before me that had their fingers permanently disfigured and their backs bent because they had to stoop to pick cotton, and my nails were manicured and my posture was perfect as I took pictures of the product that provided me comfort but brought them nothing but pain.

And then I looked around and saw this cemetery directly across the street from the cotton and I couldn’t believe my eyes. Those confederate flags were standing on the graves and waving in the wind. To me, those flags are a flagrant reminder of those that mourn the loss of the way life once was in the South. Those flags weren’t old, they were fairly new which means that someone has put those there in honor of the men that are now underneath the dirt.

As I stood there and looked at the confederate flags waving I thought it was ironic, sad and pathetic that this beautiful cotton reminded me of the past that I am so glad I don’t have any memories of, and these flags reminded me that there are people that live not far from me that still think it’s ok to wave a confederate flag. As a Black woman, it flies in the face of decency that this flag still exists. This flag that from my perspective represents a desire had by some to keep a race of people chained and in servitude.

As we got back into the car I was grateful. And I was angry. Grateful that I was born free, that I have a life where I have choices and grateful that the only thing I know about cotton is how it feels against my skin. But I was also angry. Angry that my ancestors had to do all the things that I am grateful that I didn’t have to do, and really angry that in 2016, these flags are allowed to wave freely and that people don’t see how keeping confederate flags is just plain wrong.

Did you enjoy this post? If so, please check out some other posts I’ve written by clicking on my post archives to the right, clicking under ‘you may also like’, or share this post on one of the social icons provided. Thank you and please come back!

5 Tips To Enjoy Crowders Mountain

July 18, 2016 by Roni Filed Under: Charlotte, North Carolina, Travel

Have you heard of Crowders Mountain? It’s an oasis of greenery and nature in North Carolina that is free to visit. Here are 5 tips for enjoying Crowders Mountain!

1. Bring bug spray

Crowders Mountain is a wonderful place to walk but the bugs and mosquitos may be a problem for you. Come prepared with bug spray if you tend to get bitten.

2. Bring plenty of water and snacks

If you walk around for any length of time you are bound to need water. It’s a steep gradual hill which requires much effort. There are several trails to choose from and when you get to the top you will probably be hungry. We didn’t have any snacks, just water but I won’t make that mistake again. Some nuts or boiled eggs or some type of protein would have hit the spot.

3. Bring your cell phone

Some of the trails can be a bit isolated so keep your cell phone with you in case of emergency.

4. Be careful around the ledges

You know I’m scared of heights, right? So me taking this picture in front of this rock that had a death plunging drop behind it (ok, I’m exaggerating a bit but it was high!) was a big deal for me. See how I’m holding on to the rock in front of me? There are no railings anywhere so please pay close attention as you are walking. And yes, that’s sweat. We had just walked for an hour up hill and I sweat like a dude. Sexy!

5. If you are going to climb, register with park staff

Unfortunately there are many deaths at Crowder’s Mountain so please be sure to follow the rules and register with park staff.

There are many things you can do at Crowder’s Mountain. They have water sports, fishing, camping, and you can have a picnic. It’s only about 45 minutes from Charlotte and well worth the drive. It’s a perfect way to experience the beauty of nature!

522 Park Office Lane
Kings Mountain, NC 28086

(704) 853-5375

crowders.mountain@ncparks.gov

15 Reasons Why Charlotte Is Awesome

July 4, 2016 by Roni Filed Under: Charlotte, North Carolina, Roni's Reasons, Travel

A few years ago there was a post citing 15 Reasons Charlotte Is The Weirdest. Well, as someone who was raised in Los Angeles, lived in Spain and France and speaks French, Spanish, and English fluently, I absolutely love living in Charlotte. I couldn’t let such a ludicrous piece of drivel be the only thing representing this city that I love so here are the 15 reasons why Charlotte is absolutely awesome.

1. Uptown Charlotte

Why is Downtown called Uptown? Who cares? What in the world does what we call our downtown area have to do with what is in it? Uptown Charlotte is filled with restaurants, tree lined streets, lovely parks, friendly people, food trucks, and world class museums. If you haven’t been Uptown you are missing out. Oh, there is a graveyard I believe but that hardly qualifies as, “graveyards being everywhere.”

2. No one is actually from Charlotte

“The astounding lack of both character and culture in Charlotte is confusing. ” Is a line from the original piece. This person shows their lack of culture and character by attacking a city that has a ton of both. In Charlotte we have the theatre, there are museum crawls, live music is available every night of the week in one of the numerous venues around the city, and there are spoken word events. Creative Loafing much?

My friend Alexsis and I at a wedding. Guess where she’s from?

Since when is it a bad thing when people from all different parts of the country find common ground in a city? Charlotte is like many other big cities where it may be a bit difficult to meet someone born and raised here.

However, those of us that moved here from all over the world did so because we wanted a better way of life. We wanted to live in a city where people were friendly, smiles and kindness weren’t reserved for those that can further your career, and southern hospitality was practiced and not a metaphor.

3. Restaurants

Sea bass from Upstream Restaurant

Have you been to Barringtons? Upstream? Carpe Diem? Basil? 300 East? Bistro La Bon? And those are just a few I thought of off the top of my head. When my mother comes to visit from Los Angeles where access to a good meal is a no brainer, she looks forward to dining in Charlotte.

And if you are a vegan don’t fret, there is a website devoted to the vegan restaurant options you can choose from in The Queen City.

4. Empty streets are cool

Don’t believe for a moment that all streets in Charlotte are empty. I’m not quite sure what the “writer” of the article meant by this ludicrous statement but it seems she was trying to be insulting. Are the streets packed to the point where at all times of the day you have to get frustrated because of the ridiculous amount of traffic? No. Is that a bad thing? Um…no.

The fact that traffic is minimal (I come from Los Angeles where traffic is a beast ALL DAY and night) and that you can get on the freeway at 1pm or 1am and not have to worry about traffic is a blessing (gasp! a biblical reference! I must be an evangelical!).

5. We experience 4 seasons…but not too much

We have four seasons for a reason. Each season has its own beauty and in Charlotte you don’t get too much of either one. It rarely snows and when it does it melts pretty quickly or shuts the city down for a day or two. Big deal.

Summer is hot and humid but not so bad you want to smack someone (Okay, maybe you wanna slap someone a little bit but not enough to leave a mark). Fall and spring are so incredibly beautiful with the changing of the leaves and blooming trees it makes driving around a sheer joy.

6. International Airport

Nothing says, “Cosmopolitan City” than having an international airport in your backyard. If you need a little getaway you can choose from hundreds of American cities, you can pop over to an island, maybe explore South America or check out Europe.

There are literally hundreds of direct flights to international destinations if that is what you choose. And parking at the airport is cheap, AND the parking lot is filled with beautiful trees. Where else can you find that?

7. Beautiful murals/street art

you can focus on one mural that you don’t understand or look at many of the other beautiful options around the city. Your choice.

8. Tree lined streets

Have you driven down any street in Charlotte? Find one that doesn’t have lovely trees. I dare you.

9. Sports Teams

We have the NBA, NFL, and minor league baseball and hockey. NASCAR is the biggest sport in Charlotte and it brings happiness to all those that love it. What’s weird about that?

10. Light Rail

For the 16,000 people that ride the light rail daily, it is hardly hilarious.

11. Southern Hospitality

People in Charlotte are very friendly. Much of that is based on the fact that this is the Bible belt where God and country go hand in hand. People are polite, they smile, men open doors for women (HOMIGOSH chivalry isn’t dead here!) and it’s genuine. How is that weird?

12. US National Whitewater Center

Charlotte is home to the, “world’s largest man-made whitewater river”. THE. LARGEST. IN. THE. WORLD. Weird to be the largest in the world…or totally awesome?

13. Bricks buildings are everywhere

That’s Presbyterian Hospital. Oh, and all of that is brick.

My cousin came to visit and said, “Take me to the hood.” So I took him to the hoodish part I knew and he said, “This can’t be the hood! There are brick houses and people are waving and smiling at me!” Brick is so normal here people don’t even think about it but it adds so much to an already lovely place.

14. Amelie’s French Bakery

Amelie’s is owned by a dear friend of mine and it is absolutely one of the best things about Charlotte. I lived in Paris and having a little corner of France that I can get to 24 hours a day is sheer heaven. I haven’t met anyone who doesn’t love Amelie’s, it’s just that cool of a place.

15. Charlotte gives Purgatory a new meaning

If purgatory means, “a wonderful place where happiness abounds in a loving, kind, generous, vivacious, and beautiful place” then yes, Charlotte is indeed purgatory. And please, don’t waste your prayers trying to pray me out of it. I am very comfortable in this Southern version of “Purgatorial perfection.” Yeah, I like that.

I’d love to hear from you! Have you been to Charlotte? Do you live here? What do you think of Charlotte?

Have You Heard Of This Park In Charlotte?

April 22, 2015 by Roni Filed Under: Charlotte, North Carolina, Travel

I love a good park, don’t you? For the past few weeks I’ve been coming to this park to workout with my trainer and a friend of mine (we workout together). The 3 of us workout hard in beautiful surroundings which makes all the sweat and hard work so much nicer! Robert L. Smith District Park is named after a police officer who was killed in the line of duty. I love trees and the hues of green that are around the city of Charlotte and they seem to be in abundance in this park.

There is a 1/2 mile tree lined pathway that surrounds a huge soccer field (there are 3 fields actually). If you enjoy walking outside yet don’t want to walk on the street or on a treadmill, this is the perfect park for you.

That’s my trainer on the left and my friend way ahead on the right. I hate jogging so I was lagging behind. Around the pathway there are trashcans and benches, I love those small conveniences!

There is also a playground for children, a patio area and bathrooms.

I have been to this park at different times of the day and have always felt safe. If you haven’t visited this park, why not put it on your list?

What makes a park worth visiting for you?

NASCAR Hall Of Fame In Charlotte

October 30, 2014 by Roni Filed Under: Charlotte, North Carolina, Travel

Have you heard of NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte? It’s the mecca for NASCAR sports fans, a tribute to NASCAR like no other on the planet. When you walk into the hall you immediately see all of the cars on display. You can’t get inside of them or touch them but you can get a great view of each one.

Of course there are interactive displays for young and old alike.

You can spend quite a bit of time in the initial front hall as there are so many cars to check out. There are also explanations as to what the car was used for and who drove it.

It’s not only the Nascar drivers that are highlighted here at NASCAR Hall of Fame, the people behind the scenes that made all the magic happen are also recognized for all of their contributions.

There are literally displays everywhere you look. There isn’t a wall (or ceiling in some areas) that doesn’t have some informational tidbit for you to enjoy.

You will be in heaven with all of the cars that you are able to see up close and personal. Over 150,000 square feet of NASCAR fun is here for you to enjoy!

There is even half of a car! There is a photo opportunity for guests in this area, you can look as if you are a true driver!

If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to work on a pit crew, you can try it out after being given a lesson on how to work the tools.

Visiting NASCAR Hall of Fame gives you such an appreciation of all of the nuances and technicalities that go into building a car. This section explains how each car has to meet certain standards.

Kids aren’t left out either, there is an area dedicated to them where they can enjoy pint sized, fun filled NASCAR joy.

Have you ever wondered what the inside of a NASCAR driver’s trailer looks like? You can find out at the Hall of Fame.

And the part that is probably everyone’s favorite, you get to race! The cars don’t move of course but it’s a simulated race that actually feels as if you are truly on the track. You get to sit in a real race car with a video screen in front of you and you race the other participants. You even get a printout at the end of your race to see how well you did!

Nascar Hall of Fame is truly a gem in the heart of Charlotte and a great way to learn more about this sport that has millions of adoring fans from all over the globe. Why not check it out?