Next on our North Carolina itinerary: Charlotte. As we headed south from Palmyra, we made a detour to Mebane to meet our friend Lindia and her husband Charlie for lunch. While all our reunions have been wonderful, this one was particularly great as we had never met Lindia in person – she has always been an enigma on the other end of video conference calls from Doha. We had lunch at her son-in-law’s restaurant Junction on 70 which serves great food and it was so lovely to finally meet you properly Lindia!
Finally meeting Lindia after five years of emailing and conference callingOur first taste of fried green tomatoes with pimento cheese dip and it won’t be our last
We arrived in Charlotte and found our Airbnb. We have stayed in so many great places during this trip but with welcome cupcakes and a note waiting for us, Jen and Charlie’s place is at the top of of our favourite Airbnbs alongside the cabin we stayed in at Lake Superior.
Queen City, Crown Town, Hornet’s Nest… all nicknames for Charlotte and all used as frequently and affectionately as each other. Charlotte was named for Queen Charlotte, wife of King George III who still ruled the Colonies when European settlers chartered the town in 1768. We took a tour of Charlotte in a golf buggy – there’s a first time for everything – and got a glimpse into this city that is history-proud, church-proud, sports-proud and cuisine-proud.
Life-size statue of Queen Anne that depicts her at her full 4 feet and 9 inchesBank of America Corporate Center – at 60 stories high it is the tallest building in CharlotteThe Epicenter: an indoor entertainment center in downtown Charlotte with restaurants, cinemas, shops and a bowling alleySt Peter’s Episcopal Church, built in 1892, is known as the mother church of Charlotte, having been instrumental in the founding of seven missions, five of which exist today as parish churchesThe St Peter’s organ is 20 feet tall, 20 feet wide and weighs 10 tonsFirst United Methodist Church, built in 1927. Metropolitan Charlotte has about 1,500 places of worship, including over 1200 churches
As the buggy tour took us through the historic 4th Ward of Charlotte’s Uptown district, we loved the care that the city has put into restoring buildings from the past and turning them into part of today’s legacy.
The Bootlegger House earned its name from Prohibition days when a hidden area under the foyer stairs behind the wainscoting was used to enable bootlegging to take placeToday a popular restaurant, this building was one of Charlotte’s original grocery stores in 1897The Sheppard House: built in 1899, was owned by John W Sheppard, one of the first university-trained professional pharmacists in the United StatesThis 1892 home of Victorian-era Charlotte Mayor Sam McNinch has served as the McNinch House Restaurant for the last 30 years. It has a 3½ month reservation waiting time.
With an abundance of restaurants, cafes and food trucks throughout the city, Charlotte has no shortage of places to find a meal. As the tour buggy paused in front of Mert’s, a staff member magically appeared out of nowhere and handed us hot freshly-baked cornbread for us to sample. An excellent marketing ploy because we headed back there after the tour to have some lunch.
Mert’s is a local restaurant serving serving Southern soul foodOven fresh cornbreadWe tried the fried okra. Not a fan of okra to begin with but wanting to give it a fair chance, we have to honestly say that unlike the fried green tomatoes mentioned above, this probably will be the last time we order okra! The rest of our order, however, was delicious.Like most cities throughout the country, Charlotte has embraced the food truck revolution
Charlotte, not unlike the rest of America, has a keen passion for its sports and proudly boasts its sporting venues throughout the city.
Bank of America Stadium is the home of the Carolina Panthers, the Carolinas’ NFL football team. The stadium footprint is 15 acres and it seats 75,525 fans.Spectrum Center, home of the Charlotte Hornets, Charlotte’s NBA basketball team. Owned by MIchael Jordan, the Hornet’s name reflects the city’s nickname “The Hornet’s Nest”, earned after British General Cornwallis arrived into town late in the Revolution and was greeted by hostile proud citizens who mercilessly fought back. As Cornwallis left the city, he declared Charlotte to be a “hornet’s nest of rebellion”. Today, the hornet is also displayed on the Charlotte police force uniform.BB&T Ballpark is the homeground of the Charlotte Knights, the city’s Minor League Baseball team and has been voted the country’s fan-friendliest baseball stadium in the Minor LeagueProud of its association with NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing), the street outside the NASCAR Hall of Fame in uptown Charlotte is painted with start/finish line checkers
Fall has arrived late in Charlotte and so, much to our delight, we were able to continue to seeing fall foliage with brilliant splashes of red all over the city.
The sidewalks of the 4th Ward area are covered in a pretty patchwork blanket of autumn leaves
Thank you Charlotte, it has been a pleasure 😊 We say good to North Carolina now as we head to Dottie and Bill in South Carolina for our next reunion and a real American Thanksgiving!
