Explore Charlotte 2012

7/30/2019 Explore Charlotte 2012

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ExploreCharlotteYour checklist o things to see, do, and experience in the Queen City

The Intimidator, at

Carowinds, is the

tallest, astest and

longest roller coaster

in the Southeast.


2/6

Arts&CultureBecome a drama queen (or king) by catching a

Broadway blockbuster eatured in the Blumenthal

Performing Arts Broadway Lights Series.

Collect your artistic earnings at the location o the rst

branch o the U.S. Mint at the Mint Museum Randolph

in Myers Park.

Saddle up to a Civil Rights-era lunch counter at Levine

Museum of the New South while exploring the award-

winning Cotton Fields to Skyscrapers exhibit.

Attend a national touring musical, comedy or dance

perormance at Ovens Auditorium, a Charlotte

landmark since 1955.

Catch a glimpse o nationally acclaimed conductors

Christo Perick and Albert-George Schram at a

Charlotte Symphony Orchestra production.

Retrace Christian evangelist Billy Grahams dynamic

journey rom a North Carolina dairy arm to stadiums

across the globe at the Billy Graham Library.

Enjoy dinner and a show with NarroWay Productions

eaturing Christian musicals rom World War II dramas to

Western whodunits to Christmas pageants.

Snap a picture in ront o the Firebird, the

mirrored sculpture outside the Bechtler

Museum of Modern Art.

Stroll rom gallery

to gallery during the NoDa Gallery Crawl

Charlottes historic arts district on the rst

and third Friday.

Leap to a North Carolina Dance Theatre perorman

where high-fying ballerinas are reaching new height

Marvel at awe-inspiring works o art at the Mint

Museum Uptown, showcasing renowned

Crat + Design, Contemporary, American and

European collections.

Go inside Charlottes skinniest landmark dedicated t

the Arican-American legacy, the 45-oot wide Harve

Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture

Let your imagination soar at the Carolinas Aviation

Museum, where youll nd Flight 1549, the US Airwa

plane named the Miracle on the Hudson.

Shake hands with an artist in residence at the McCo

Center for Visual Art and admire their masterpieces

Sign up or a photography class at The Light Facto

nonprot arts center dedicated to promoting the pow

o photography and lm.

Cheer Bravo! at an Opera Carolina perormance a

the Knight Theater located within the Levine Center

the Arts.

Quote a scene rom one o the many classic productperormed by Theatre Charlotte, the oldest arts

organization and community theatre in the city.

Find more great reasons to Explore Charlotte

charlottesgotalot.com


3/6

Dining&NightlifeRide the mechanical bull at Dale Earnhardt, Jr.s Whisky

River, sharing the same address with more than 20

other hotspots at the EpiCentre in Uptown.

Hit up Food Truck Fridayin

South End.

Tantalize your taste buds

by sampling some cue

at Macs Speedshop in

South End.

Savor North Carolina wines

in unexpected settings by

climbing into a tree house

at Treehouse Vineyards,

discovering the cascading

waterall at Childress

Vineyards or enjoying a concertat Shelton Vineyards.

Take a ches choice cooking

class with a proessional che at

Johnson & Wales University,

one o the top culinary schools in the nation.

Spot the stars onstage and in the sky at Charlottes

open-air music venues,Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre

or Time Warner Cable Uptown Amphitheatre.

Hop through NoDa to enjoy a crisp, rereshing pint at

one o the local breweries, NoDa Brewing, Birdsong

Brewing Co. or Heist Brewery.

Awaken your inner musician at an intimate live show

at the Double Door Inn or The Visulite Theatre in the

Elizabeth neighborhood.

Navigate through the NC Music Factory, home to more

than 13 pubs, clubs, restaurants, comedy and music

venues including The Fillmore, where legends like B.B.

King have played.

Take a bite out o Charlotte on a ood tour with Feast

Food Tours or Tour De Food, or sample the city at

seasonal oerings like the Taste of Charlotte ood

estival or Charlotte Restaurant Week.

Delight in some southern soul ood avorites

like ried chicken, hushpuppies and collard

greens rom The Kings Kitchen or

Merts Heart and Soul.

Sing along to

a rockin show

at Bojangles

Coliseum, where

the hottest acts

rom Elvis to TheAvett Brothers have

graced the stage or

more than 60 years.

Handpick a blues, indie or

other live show or good

vibrations at Charlottes

premier music venues

likeAmos SouthEnd or

The Evening Muse or

Neighborhood Theatre

in NoDa.

Enroll in a cooking class with Harpers Restaurant

Group at eateries like Mimosa Grill, Upstream and

Zink. American Kitchen.

Sip your way through the Swan Creek Wine Trail

making stops at Laurel Gray, Raaldini, Shadow Spr

and Dobbins Creek.

Award yoursel or getting so ar on the list with the

salted caramel brownie rom one o theAmelies Fre

Bakerylocations in NoDa or Center City.


4/6

FamilyFunWatch an American Bald Eagle take fight at the

Carolina Raptor Center.

Walk among

ree-fying

butterfies in

the Butterfy

Pavilion at

the Charlotte

Nature

Museum.

Relive the regions heritage with a guided tour o

Historic Latta Plantation, an original cotton plantation

and living history arm.

Cuddle up with Charlie Brown and the Peanuts gang at

Carowinds Planet Snoopy, a kid-riendly play area.

Familiarize yoursel with the Queen City in new ways

with help rom Carolina History & Haunts or spooky

ghost tours or Center City Carriage Tours or leisurely

horse-drawn jaunts through historic Fourth Ward.

Learn about the nations 11th U.S. President at the

James K. Polk Historic Site in Pineville eaturing a log

house with authentic urnishings and a knowledgeable

Visitor Center.

Venture across the daring rope bridge in the rainorest at

Discovery Place.

Create your own masterpiece at the Mint Museum

Uptowns Sunday Fun Day each month.

Rock out with stars, cars and guitars at the Food Lion

Speed Street 600 Festival in May, which lls the streets

o Uptown with NASCAR-themed excitement, concerts

and kid-riendly activities.

Feed the animals at Lazy 5 Ranch, where

you can meet giraes, bualos, ostriches,

zebras and more in this drive-through saari

park in Mooresville.

Journey to airytale lands during a Childrens Theatre

o Charlotte production at ImaginOn: The Joe & Joan

Martin Center.

Step into a movie on the largest screen in the Carolinas

at the IMAX Dome Theatre at Discovery Place.

Follow the Charlotte Liberty Walk, which ventures to 15

historical markers throughout Center City that highlight

the citys Revolutionary War heritage.

Play in the sh ountains at The Green in Uptown

Charlotte, a kid-riendly, novella-themed park.

Pan or gold at Reed Gold Mine, the rst

area in North Carolina to strike it rich durin

the nations rst gold rush in the 1800s.

Meander through the Little Sugar Creek

Greenway, comprised o 19 miles o trails that conn

Center City to major landmarks like the Metropolitan

Central Piedmont Community College and area park

ull o public art, ountains and green space.

Judge a jousting tournament to determine who wins

queens avor at the Carolina Renaissance Festiva

Share photos of

your adventure

using the hashtag

#charlottesgotalo


5/6

Sports&RecreationCompete on a challenging European-style indoor road

course atVictory Lane Indoor Karting.

Hop on the horseback o a trusty steed or a ride at

Latta Plantation Equestrian Center with 16 miles o

trails through wooded areas along Lake Norman.

Race in miniature Sprint Cup-style cars at NASCAR

SpeedParks Mini-Motor Speedway, a quarter-mile

track adjacent to Concord Mills.

Root or the NBACharlotte Bobcats, owned by

basketball legend Michael Jordan, as they host the

NBAs brightest stars at Time Warner Cable Arena.

Take the ast track to Charlotte Motor Speedwayor

three o the most anticipated races each year, the Bank

o America 500 each October and the NASCAR Sprint

All-Star Race and Coca-Cola 600 each May.

Ride the class III-IV rapids by rat or kayak at

the U.S. National Whitewater Center, home

o the largest manmade whitewater river.

Root or your avorite Big East and ACC teams as they

compete or the title o Belk Bowl champion inside

Bank o America Stadium.

Set sail, sh or pursue your avorite water sport on one

o Charlottes nearby manmade lakes, Lake Norman tothe north or Lake Wylie to the south.

Zoom through the air with the 1,100 t. Mega Zip line

at the U.S. National Whitewater Center beore trying

other high-fying activities like the Canopy Tour and

Mega Jump.

Race over to the NASCAR Hall of Fame

to compete in the racing simulator and

pit crew challenge.

Sing the seventh

inning stretch and ask mascot

Homer the Dragon or an autograph at aCharlotte Knights baseball game.

Tee o rom a championship PGA gol course, The G

Club at Ballantyne. For pointers, the experts at the

adjoining Dana Rader Golf School can help, global

ranked or instruction by Golf Magazine.

Watch the PGAs best take on Quail Hollow Clubs

Green Mile during the Wells Fargo Championship

Catch an action-packed NFL Carolina Panthers oo

game at Bank o America Stadium.

See the saves, breakaways and power plays o mino

league hockey at a Charlotte Checkers game at Tim

Warner Cable Arena.

Ride shotgun with a proessional driver or train to ge

behind the wheel, racing at speeds up to 160mph w

the Richard Petty Driving Experience or NASCAR

Racing Experience.

Drive the impressive wetland-shrouded 15th hole at

the Rocky River Golf Club in Concord, adjacent to

Embassy Suites Charlotte-Concord Gol Resort & Sp

Cheer on the CIAA Men and

Womens Basketball Tournamentat Time Warner Cable Arena.


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Shopping&RelaxationStroll through the tranquil paths o the Orchid

Conservatory at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden beore

exploring the attractions 110 acres o themed gardens.

Indulge in tasty treats at Bar Cocoa located

inside the Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte, which

eatures a Chocolate Aternoon Tea, cookingclasses and delectable all-day dining.

Embark on a luxurious shopping spree or coveted

brands like Burberry, Tory Burch and Louis Vuitton along

with mainstays such as the Belk fagship store inside

SouthPark Mall.

Unwind with the experts at Ballantyne Spa at

Ballantyne Hotel & Lodge, specializing in treatments

such as the Divine Wine Facial using indigenous North

Carolina ingredients.

Peruse style by the mile at Charlottes many boutiques

such as Capitol Clothing in South Park, named one o

the nest boutiques in America by Isaac Mizrahi.

Roam Wing Haven Garden and Bird Sanctuaryin

Myers Park, where youll relax to the sounds o natur

with chirping birds and soothing water eatures.

Shop til you drop at Concord Mills, one o

the states most visited attractions eaturin

more than 200 outlets, restaurants and

retailers as well as North Carolinas only

Bass Pro Shop.

Enhance your homes design with modern Scandina

creations at IKEAs only location in the Carolinas.

Relax at the Spa Botanica with a Rocky River Facia

the Embassy Suites Charlotte Concord.

Find more great reasons to Explore Charlotte at

charlottesgotalot.com

Documents

Explore Charlotte 2012