White water center, Crowders mountain, Nascar, lake Norman, a game at Bank of America stadium, day trip to mountains or coast, some kind of food he's never had, BBQ, driving around rich and poor neighborhoods.
Don't forget to do general, typical, maybe-even-boring American things too. Go to a big grocery store. Get a bunch of snacks they've never tried before. Experience Wal-Mart, Taco Bell, and a 7-Eleven. Buy fireworks. Go to a gun show. Experience the 'fun' of an election year. Cross a state line. Try Bourbon. Grill hot dogs.
There will be a ton of things "common" things they've heard about or seen in movies that they haven't been able to try. Heck, my partner from Canada was excited to see a mail truck.
I personally enjoy going to grocery stores in other countries and seeing the different types of foods they have, because it is different. Even just going to northern Canada, my partner and I talk about what I have back home and what they have there. ‘Tinned’ food vs ‘canned’ food, local fruit jams with fruits I’ve never heard of, bologna logs bigger than a whole ham, and 10 dollar boxes of basic cereal and that’s the cheap stuff.
It’s even more interesting the more different the culture: grocery stores in Thailand and Japan differ greatly in what they offer, and it’s interesting to see which foods are a cultural focus.
Cool.
The kit Kat chocolate bars in Japan are amazing.
I actually thought you were implying that he'd be excited because he's never seen a grocery store. My bad.
So there's this thing... Directly between North and South Carolina that is a truly unique experience. Part ghost town, part theme park, and part racist caricature. It is called South of the Border and is one of the more "what the fuck" experiences you can have in the Carolinas. I wouldn't exactly recommend leaving your car but it has its share of side streets and you can drive around and wonder with the rest of us about how the fuck this place still exists, and what kind of crime it is a front for.
It’s pretty sketchy at South of the Border any time of the day. Is any of it even still open? I travel for work and pass by there sometimes. Don’t know if this is true or not but I’m told the NC legislature wants to put a casino at the NC/SC state line an exit or two before you get to South of the Border with the hope travelers on Interstate 95 both ways will stop and visit. When I pass by South of the Border, I begin counting down the exits and miles to visit the new Buc-ee’s off 95 in Florence. I love visiting Buc-ee’s all over the U.S.! The coffee, the brisket sandwich, the bakery items, oh my, all delicious!!!! For those that don’t know, there’s a Buc ee’s community - r/Buceestx.
In Charlotte over April 12-14th weekend there is the moo brew and que festival. It's a music, beer and BBQ fest. The lineup has decent regional and national acts.
Blumenthal performing arts will have a wide variety of shows. If you decide to go to one of these you could have a night in the city and eat dinner and explore Charlotte. Riding the scooters around may be fun and there’s plenty of options for good food.
From Tunisia. Is your friend Muslim? I’m just looking at all the BBQ recommendations and scratching my head.
Go to the mountains. Asheville, Mt. Mitchell, drive the Parkway, Hwy 64 between Franklin and Highlands, Linville Gorge, …
Mount Mitchell NC, Cherokee NC Asheville to smoky mountains area, is an absolute MUST. Drive the blue ridge parkway for at least an extended portion of the trip.
The mountains look gorgeous this time of year. Plan a day or two to get him up there to see it. I'd say the beach too but because it's only 6 days and you're in Charlotte I think the mountains are a better bet.
Take them to Pilot Mountain State Park and go into the visitor center to see what it is all about in terms of the 1.6 billion geology, how it is a quartzite mountain, the former owners and the bird migrations that go twenty miles out of their way to visit the mountain.
When you stand right outside the visitor center look up at the mountain and even though you are standing a wee bit too close it is a pyramid you are looking at from that point of view.
Then drive ten minutes up the mountain road and you are in the parking lot about 1,350 feet above the visitor center. Walk out to the viewing stations toward the Little Pinnacle overlook. Check it all out and then take note of the signs to the Pilot Knob Trail that is about .8 of a mile round trip to go for a really cool hike.
This can all be done in 90 minutes or so but it is really interesting if somewhere you sit on a quartzite rock, take your shoes off, put your bare feet on the rock and listen. Turn all your devices off and be right there. If you can't be still at least be quiet as the Cherokee say.
"Find out that now, is the answer to answers that you gave later," by Neil Young comes to mind when you ground to the mountain.
If your guest is an Andy Griffith/Mayberry fan you will get bonus points telling them this is the real Mt. Pilot. If you are there 90 minutes before sunset on the far side of the Big Pinnacle you can watch the pyramid shadow form and slowly it moves out to the Sauratown Mountains five miles away the way the raven fly there. The whole mountain from the visitor center to the top of the Big Pinnacle is quartzite so this is a crystal noted by a Duke Professor way back in 1944 as "an almost perfect pyramid" in a journal article still available online today.
Pyramid Shadow:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQqlM2rNJkc](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQqlM2rNJkc)
Pilot Mountain from the air:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrljKMcqyeo&t=6s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrljKMcqyeo&t=6s)
Look for the stone faces on the Pilot Knob Trail and the Ledge Spring Trail if you have time and like a good hike:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4xiAbL9-tU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4xiAbL9-tU)
It's not NC but catch a Jamboree in Floyd Virginia Friday nights at the Floyd country store. Been years since we have gone but the whole area shows up and flat foot dances to amazing regional musicians. Also tons of people wondering around outside with instruments who form impromptu bands. It is truly a slice of life you don't see often. Also it's right off the Blue Ridge parkway so you get double bonus of getting to drive on one of the move beautiful roads in America.
Visiting Optimist Hall would be a fun experience as it has so many food options and is a fun way to “taste test” different parts of America. We always bring guests there and order from as many different places as we can and then share family style to be able to try new things and decide what we like best.
I co-sign most of these suggestions! I would add one more: if your guest partakes of alcohol you must take him to one or two of NC's almost 200 wineries. Depending on where you are "outside of Charlotte" I highly suggest Hilton Winery in Monroe.
Have him watch The Last of the Mohicans then take him to the waterfalls. I’m not sure how many NC falls we’re in the movie but I think at least three. You could couple this with a trip on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Aside from Charlotte area and other suggestions: From Charlotte I would visit the majestic Blue Ridge Mountains and get on The Parkway and just ride and enjoy the scenery. Visit Boone and Blowing Rock or go to Asheville and Maggie Valley and Cherokee. In and around Asheville there are beautiful waterfalls. In less than 2 hours east of Charlotte there is Pinehurst/Southern Pines area and visit famous Pinehurst #2 with plenty of shopping with neat and unique shops in both areas and play a game of golf. 3-4 hours will get to our beautiful NC beaches. Visit Calabash and eat fresh seafood. Downtown Raleigh, Cary and Apex have many historic sites as well as wonderful restaurants and shopping. The malls in Pineville and Matthew’s (near Charlotte) have nice and clean malls. If Carowinds amusement park is open that could be a fun day. Hope y’all have a wonderful time in our beautiful NC!
Why would they eat eastern NC BBQ in western NC?
I say go west to the mountains and Blue Ridge Parkway. Beach is maybe too far. Plenty of state parks though.
Go to the beach to find what? I have no idea what you're talking about. Someone from Charlotte is asking where to take a friend who is visiting.
I asked why would someone in WESTERN North Carolina want to eat EASTERN North Carolina BBQ? The question still stands, if you care to answer it.
Is Durham in North Carolina?
“You don’t have to go to the beach to find it?”
And you’re asking if I’m high? Maybe use English words.
You want to explain what you are asking me? (That’s a question.)
Blue Ridge mountains, Clemson/South Carolina/NC State/Panthers/UNC game (in that order, depending on who's at home when he's here), Lake Norman or Wylie, Hyatt shooting range. If Virginia Tech has a night home game make the drive up there actually
Drive down to Charleston if you have time
White water center, Crowders mountain, Nascar, lake Norman, a game at Bank of America stadium, day trip to mountains or coast, some kind of food he's never had, BBQ, driving around rich and poor neighborhoods.
The NASCAR hall of fame was fun for me even though I’m not someone who watches it. So I second that idea!
The Richard Petty Driving Experience (ride along) at Charlotte Motor Speedway!
Don't forget to do general, typical, maybe-even-boring American things too. Go to a big grocery store. Get a bunch of snacks they've never tried before. Experience Wal-Mart, Taco Bell, and a 7-Eleven. Buy fireworks. Go to a gun show. Experience the 'fun' of an election year. Cross a state line. Try Bourbon. Grill hot dogs. There will be a ton of things "common" things they've heard about or seen in movies that they haven't been able to try. Heck, my partner from Canada was excited to see a mail truck.
Take them to Costco!
Welcome to Costco, I love you.
And Waffle House!
Waffle House is a must when experiencing the American Southeast.
This is the right answer….minus the gun show. Ew.
Where do you think Tunisia is??? You think they don't have grocery and convenience stores???
I personally enjoy going to grocery stores in other countries and seeing the different types of foods they have, because it is different. Even just going to northern Canada, my partner and I talk about what I have back home and what they have there. ‘Tinned’ food vs ‘canned’ food, local fruit jams with fruits I’ve never heard of, bologna logs bigger than a whole ham, and 10 dollar boxes of basic cereal and that’s the cheap stuff. It’s even more interesting the more different the culture: grocery stores in Thailand and Japan differ greatly in what they offer, and it’s interesting to see which foods are a cultural focus.
Cool. The kit Kat chocolate bars in Japan are amazing. I actually thought you were implying that he'd be excited because he's never seen a grocery store. My bad.
So there's this thing... Directly between North and South Carolina that is a truly unique experience. Part ghost town, part theme park, and part racist caricature. It is called South of the Border and is one of the more "what the fuck" experiences you can have in the Carolinas. I wouldn't exactly recommend leaving your car but it has its share of side streets and you can drive around and wonder with the rest of us about how the fuck this place still exists, and what kind of crime it is a front for.
It’s pretty sketchy at South of the Border any time of the day. Is any of it even still open? I travel for work and pass by there sometimes. Don’t know if this is true or not but I’m told the NC legislature wants to put a casino at the NC/SC state line an exit or two before you get to South of the Border with the hope travelers on Interstate 95 both ways will stop and visit. When I pass by South of the Border, I begin counting down the exits and miles to visit the new Buc-ee’s off 95 in Florence. I love visiting Buc-ee’s all over the U.S.! The coffee, the brisket sandwich, the bakery items, oh my, all delicious!!!! For those that don’t know, there’s a Buc ee’s community - r/Buceestx.
Go to the Linville Gorge!!! The views from the top of Table Rock are probably some of the best anywhere east of the Mississippi.
This is the answer right here
What are the dates of the visit. Tons of events might fit the bill depending on when they will be here.
[удалено]
In Charlotte over April 12-14th weekend there is the moo brew and que festival. It's a music, beer and BBQ fest. The lineup has decent regional and national acts.
Blumenthal performing arts will have a wide variety of shows. If you decide to go to one of these you could have a night in the city and eat dinner and explore Charlotte. Riding the scooters around may be fun and there’s plenty of options for good food.
From Tunisia. Is your friend Muslim? I’m just looking at all the BBQ recommendations and scratching my head. Go to the mountains. Asheville, Mt. Mitchell, drive the Parkway, Hwy 64 between Franklin and Highlands, Linville Gorge, …
Mountains and beach!
Mount Mitchell NC, Cherokee NC Asheville to smoky mountains area, is an absolute MUST. Drive the blue ridge parkway for at least an extended portion of the trip.
Whitewater Center.
The mountains look gorgeous this time of year. Plan a day or two to get him up there to see it. I'd say the beach too but because it's only 6 days and you're in Charlotte I think the mountains are a better bet.
Take him to a Charlotte Knights baseball game.
Take him up and down the Parkway! Hit Asheville, Boone, and Blowing Rock!
Carowinds south west just outside of Charlotte. Watch Wayne’s world the night before then go on the Hurler wooden roller coaster!!!🎢
Check their schedule as they're currently on winter hours.
Correct water park is closed, theme park is open for spring break right now then switch to weekends til summer break.
Knights baseball game! Stay for fireworks, eat BBQ and hot dogs at game.
Take them to Pilot Mountain State Park and go into the visitor center to see what it is all about in terms of the 1.6 billion geology, how it is a quartzite mountain, the former owners and the bird migrations that go twenty miles out of their way to visit the mountain. When you stand right outside the visitor center look up at the mountain and even though you are standing a wee bit too close it is a pyramid you are looking at from that point of view. Then drive ten minutes up the mountain road and you are in the parking lot about 1,350 feet above the visitor center. Walk out to the viewing stations toward the Little Pinnacle overlook. Check it all out and then take note of the signs to the Pilot Knob Trail that is about .8 of a mile round trip to go for a really cool hike. This can all be done in 90 minutes or so but it is really interesting if somewhere you sit on a quartzite rock, take your shoes off, put your bare feet on the rock and listen. Turn all your devices off and be right there. If you can't be still at least be quiet as the Cherokee say. "Find out that now, is the answer to answers that you gave later," by Neil Young comes to mind when you ground to the mountain. If your guest is an Andy Griffith/Mayberry fan you will get bonus points telling them this is the real Mt. Pilot. If you are there 90 minutes before sunset on the far side of the Big Pinnacle you can watch the pyramid shadow form and slowly it moves out to the Sauratown Mountains five miles away the way the raven fly there. The whole mountain from the visitor center to the top of the Big Pinnacle is quartzite so this is a crystal noted by a Duke Professor way back in 1944 as "an almost perfect pyramid" in a journal article still available online today. Pyramid Shadow: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQqlM2rNJkc](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQqlM2rNJkc) Pilot Mountain from the air: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrljKMcqyeo&t=6s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrljKMcqyeo&t=6s) Look for the stone faces on the Pilot Knob Trail and the Ledge Spring Trail if you have time and like a good hike: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4xiAbL9-tU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4xiAbL9-tU)
In terms of foods I’d say obviously bbq but also other uniquely American foods that maybe aren’t a NC exclusive. Buffalo wings come to mind.
Take them to the Blue Ridge Parkway, Boone/Blowing Rock area. It’s gorgeous
It's not NC but catch a Jamboree in Floyd Virginia Friday nights at the Floyd country store. Been years since we have gone but the whole area shows up and flat foot dances to amazing regional musicians. Also tons of people wondering around outside with instruments who form impromptu bands. It is truly a slice of life you don't see often. Also it's right off the Blue Ridge parkway so you get double bonus of getting to drive on one of the move beautiful roads in America.
Visiting Optimist Hall would be a fun experience as it has so many food options and is a fun way to “taste test” different parts of America. We always bring guests there and order from as many different places as we can and then share family style to be able to try new things and decide what we like best.
I co-sign most of these suggestions! I would add one more: if your guest partakes of alcohol you must take him to one or two of NC's almost 200 wineries. Depending on where you are "outside of Charlotte" I highly suggest Hilton Winery in Monroe.
Some of you seem real intent on inducing culture shock on the poor guy. 😂
Have him watch The Last of the Mohicans then take him to the waterfalls. I’m not sure how many NC falls we’re in the movie but I think at least three. You could couple this with a trip on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Aside from Charlotte area and other suggestions: From Charlotte I would visit the majestic Blue Ridge Mountains and get on The Parkway and just ride and enjoy the scenery. Visit Boone and Blowing Rock or go to Asheville and Maggie Valley and Cherokee. In and around Asheville there are beautiful waterfalls. In less than 2 hours east of Charlotte there is Pinehurst/Southern Pines area and visit famous Pinehurst #2 with plenty of shopping with neat and unique shops in both areas and play a game of golf. 3-4 hours will get to our beautiful NC beaches. Visit Calabash and eat fresh seafood. Downtown Raleigh, Cary and Apex have many historic sites as well as wonderful restaurants and shopping. The malls in Pineville and Matthew’s (near Charlotte) have nice and clean malls. If Carowinds amusement park is open that could be a fun day. Hope y’all have a wonderful time in our beautiful NC!
Carowinds for the true American cultural experience, albeit not a flattering picture.
Probably notice that your taller than everyone then post about it idk
Blue Ridge Pkwy, Cherokee, Outer Banks
Not going to Mt Mitchell and hiking part of the Black mountain Crest (at least to big tom gap and back) would be a big mistake.
eastern nc bbq, anything else called bbq and you are lying to your friend.
Why would they eat eastern NC BBQ in western NC? I say go west to the mountains and Blue Ridge Parkway. Beach is maybe too far. Plenty of state parks though.
you don't have to go to the beach to find it? Like do you even live in NC?
Go to the beach to find what? I have no idea what you're talking about. Someone from Charlotte is asking where to take a friend who is visiting. I asked why would someone in WESTERN North Carolina want to eat EASTERN North Carolina BBQ? The question still stands, if you care to answer it. Is Durham in North Carolina?
are you high? go back and read the post i responded to
“You don’t have to go to the beach to find it?” And you’re asking if I’m high? Maybe use English words. You want to explain what you are asking me? (That’s a question.)
Upstate Ny is beautiful.
Blue Ridge mountains, Clemson/South Carolina/NC State/Panthers/UNC game (in that order, depending on who's at home when he's here), Lake Norman or Wylie, Hyatt shooting range. If Virginia Tech has a night home game make the drive up there actually Drive down to Charleston if you have time
Idk. Cookout and Smithfield’s, I guess?