Charlotte, North Carolina is the largest city in North Carolina and its energetic pace has drawn more and more visitors in the past few years. This rapidly growing city is full of culture, great restaurants and nightlife, and loads of character and charm. There are plenty of affordable hotels to stay in, so it’s a great place to visit if you are on a budget. Here’s what you should know about visiting Charlotte.
Getting There
The Charlotte Douglas International Airport is located in town, so getting from the airport to your hotel is easy. The Sprinter is the bus line that runs from the airport to the city center, and it takes less than thirty minutes. If you stay in Uptown, you can easily get around by walking. Charlotte also has a light rail system, a bus line, and a trolley that you can use for transportation.
Where To Stay
Charlotte has a huge choice of places to stay in every price range. You can choose from budget hotels, condo rentals, Airbnb rentals, and luxury 5-star hotels. Some of my favorite hotels in Charlotte include the Charlotte Marriot Southpark with its European styling and Southern charm and the Omni Charlotte Hotel with its unique 12-city-block sky bridge.
What To See And Do
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The Charlotte Symphony is a highlight for many visitors. The Charlotte Symphony is the largest and most active professional performing arts organization in the central Carolinas and gives seventy performances each season.
If you want to learn about Charlotte history and get a full tour of the city, I recommend the 2 1/4 hour Charlotte Daily City Tour. It includes over 100 sites in Uptown (including the historic district), and two old South suburbs (Dilworth and Myers Park) that include Bungalow, Colonial, Queen Anne, Victorian, and Tudor style homes, as well as scenic tree-lined streets in the spring and fall.
Foodies will love the Uptown Chic Food tour. On this tour, you get to go behind the scenes and have a chef give you a cooking demonstration. Go in-depth with Executive Chefs and General Managers to learn the restaurant’s history, see cooking demonstrations, tour some kitchens, get wine pairing advice, and sample their undiscovered specialties.
Where To Eat
For upscale dining in the special setting of the historic Lucas House, check out The Fig Tree Restaurant. They have a seasonal French and Italian inspired menu and an outstanding, award-winning wine list. Choose from staples like filet mignon, or grouper and lobster with risotto, or go for the more unique elk chop.
Lang Van has great Vietnamese food and Southern Vietnamese hospitality. The menu is huge. The best thing is to let your hostess ask you what you like (chicken, fish, pork, shrimp etc.) and she will then order for you in the kitchen. Let yourself be adventurous, and you won’t be disappointed.
Don’t miss breakfast at the original pancake house. The pancakes are out of this world, but the corned beef hash and omelets are also incredible. They have locations in both Midtown and South Park.
