The largest city between D.C. and Atlanta, many people travel to Charlotte simply because as a large metro, it offers such a wide-gamut of things to do. Charlotte is an expansive city, though most of the Queen City’s best attractions are in the general Uptown district. Freedom Park is Charlotte’s own mini version of Central Park. Stretching across 100 acres of land, Freedom Park caters to the outdoor and sports enthusiasts, with walking trails, tennis and other outdoor offerings.

The most popular attraction in Charlotte among younger crowds is Paramount Carowinds. Many people travel hours to Charlotte just to spend a day at Carowinds. Where as Freedom Park is Charlotte’s own Central Park, then Carowinds is the city’s Disney World. The Charlotte amusement park features over 100 acres of amusement rides and games for all ages. It’s predominantly known for the many adrenaline rushing roller coasters. However, during hot summer days, the amusement park’s waterpark area is where you’ll find many visitors.

During the warmer months in Charlotte, between April and October, one of the best outdoor activities is seeing a concert at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre. One of the largest concert venues in the south, it features top headliners each year. Although it features a different lineup each season, there are many musicians that frequent the Charlotte amphitheater, including the Dave Matthews Band.

For travelers who would rather be indoors, and for winter travel to Charlotte, the Queen City offers many museum offerings. For families, children and teenagers, there’s Discovery Place, which is one of Charlotte’s most popular museums. It features many hands-on and interactive exhibits and activities for kids and teenagers and includes as IMAX Dome Theater. As a rising southern metro for the display of art, the downtown Charlotte area features many art galleries and museums. The Mint Museum of Craft and Design is one of the premier art attractions in Charlotte. It holds one of the largest art and design collections in Charlotte.

[photo courtesy of jacreative]

One of Charlotte’s top restaurants is the Cajun Queen, a New Orleans restaurant and bar that’s been consistently voted among the city’s best. Not only do they have a fantastic Cajun menu their full bar serves up those famous New Orleans drinks, like Hurricanes and Sazerac Cocktails. The Cajun Queen features a live jazz seven nights a week. Another well-known restaurant in Charlotte’s historic Elizabeth District is the Fig Tree, which offers gourmet new-American cuisine. However, it’s their impressive wine list – over 200 bottles, updated weekly – and their tasting flights that make this restaurant a great place to sample different vintages.

An Elizabeth District all-inclusive hang-out

Within the Elizabeth District are several bars and restaurants that capture the essence of local Charlotte. The Philosopher’s Stone Tavern is a casual tavern with patio seating serving a wide range of pub food till 2am, and offering games like foosball, ping-pong, and cornhole. Most importantly, they have two full bars with a range of domestic microbrews and imports and daily food and drink specials. Hawthorne’s wins over locals by offering New York-style pizza and a full bar with ridiculously affordable drink specials, patio seating, and several flat-screen, hi-def TVs.  Zada Jane’s is a warm, funky corner cafe serving up light food during the weekdays with a modest wine and beer selection.

Another district worth exploring is NoDa – Charlotte’s Historic Arts District. Here on North Davidson between 35th and 36th Streets you’ll find a variety of unique shops and art galleries as well as a variety of different restaurants, serving up anything from Mediterranean mezes to Baja-style fish tacos. Most of the restaurants in NoDa also have specialty bar selections, whether you’re looking to sip on margaritas at Cabo Fish Taco, specialty cocktails at Boudreaux’s Louisiana Kitchen, or microbrews at the canine-friendly Dog Bar.

[photos courtesy of Blake Hotel and The Philosopher's Stone Tavern]