I always have the travel itch, and lately I’ve been scratching it in an unusual way: driving to Charlotte to watch Major League Rugby’s Anthem RC play. I dislike flying so I’ve been making the trip over a three-day weekend, with two days basically sacrificed to the road. To avoid construction work on I95, which can add hours to the drive, I’ve been taking smaller, old-timey highways which take almost the same amount of time, but allow me to cruise along roads a lot less traveled….
I’ve visited twice so far, with two more visits planned before summer ends, and I’ve been trying out different hotels each time to see if I can find a favorite. A few weeks ago, I stayed at the Le Meridian Charlotte and this past weekend I tried out the Hyatt House Charlotte Center City. Le Méridien had the better vibe and blissfully easy parking, but the towels felt like they’d been stolen from a budget gym. Hyatt House, meanwhile, upgraded me to a corner suite on the top floor with skyline views and gloriously fluffy towels — but made me pay dearly for valet parking. Hyatt House gets bonus points for being across the street from the Midnight Diner, which is open 24-7 and serving everything from eggs to meat-and-threes round the clock. Charlotte boasts an impressive number of hotels so I’m going to try out the Grand Bohemian Charlotte next.
Charlotte earned its “Queen City” nickname from Queen Charlotte, wife of King George III — a bit of colonial-era flattery that somehow stuck. Fast forward to today, and the city has an easy-paced, laid-back vibe, especially at night in the uptown area where I stayed. The city feels like it’s constantly rebuilding itself in real time. After two visits, I’d say Charlotte feels more like a city people move to than a city people vacation in (especially given you can do all the ‘must see’ attractions in two days with some time left over).
During the long hours before Anthem matches, I did try to play tourist. I ruled out visiting the NASCAR Hall of Fame and the art museums (although I hear all three are worth visiting) and ended up spending most of my time walking around NoDa and Camp Northend, hip areas full of restaurants, coffee shops, and bars. I also enjoyed a stroll through Freedom Park and a long hike along Little Sugar Creek Greenway. I am also exploring things related to America 250, and decided to take a quick detour to South Carolina to explore Kings Mountain National Historic Battlefield and learn about the Revolutionary-era battle that took place there between the Loyalists and the Patriots.
Charlotte may not overwhelm tourists with attractions, but it absolutely knows how to feed people. I had excellent street tacos from a roadside truck I’ll probably never find again, absurdly good hushpuppies with cinnamon coffee butter at Haberdish, decadently delicious sushi at Yama Loso, and enough caffeine from the city’s endless coffee shops, including Provided Coffee, HEX Coffee, Kitchen & Natural Wines, and Waterbean Coffee to power a cross-country road trip. Maybe Charlotte should update its nickname to Coffee City.
Charlotte may never crack anyone’s “must-visit American cities” list, but that’s part of its appeal. It’s comfortable, easygoing, and surprisingly easy to settle into for a weekend — especially when rugby, coffee, and good food are involved.
I suspect I’ll keep finding reasons to return to the Queen City, whether for rugby matches, coffee, or just another long weekend on the road, so if you have recommendations — restaurants, hotels, coffee shops, hidden gems — send them my way. There’s a good chance I’ll end up back on those Carolina highways sooner rather than later.
The Grey Goddess 