Spontaneous Weekend Getaway in Charlotte
New Year’s Day. I had gone over to my parent’s house for dinner and the topic of conversation at the table was traveling (my favorite topic). My mom was supposed to be leaving the next day for Niagara Falls, but her trip was cancelled in the eleventh hour because my dad’s job required that he be around for the next couple of weeks. I felt bad because I knew she was really looking forward to a getaway weekend with my dad. Even though it wasn’t my fault, I wanted to do something to make it up to her. Besides, I’m always down for an impromptu trip.
So, the next day at work, I spent my lunch break researching destinations that were cheap to fly at that time of year. Google Flights is my absolute FAVORITE tool for finding the best deal on flights. Set your departure airport and your time frame, and you can explore what it would cost to fly to cities all over the U.S (and the world). I found roundtrip flights to Charlotte, NC for $60 and I knew that would be the perfect place for a long weekend. I looked into hotels that were located centrally and found the Hilton Garden Inn was available for $156 a night. Two of my aunts work in the same building I do, and I knew they would be down to join us on this spontaneous adventure, so I ran to clue them in immediately. I barely got the words out of my mouth before they were already saying “Yes!” The conversation literally went:
“I’m planning a trip to surprise my mom – “ “We’re in, when and where?” “Charlotte, next weekend?” “Let’s do it!”
Split the room cost by 4, add in the cost of flights, and that’s less than $140 per person for 3 days in South Carolina! All other spending is meals and activities, which can be as little or as much as you want depending on whether you are looking to limit the total cost of your trip. We got our time off approved and booked flights the very next day. I printed our booking confirmation as the way to tell my mom the news. She could not have been more excited! We spent the rest of the night planning what we wanted to see while were there and before we knew it, it was time to go!
Day 1: Gardens and Green Houses
We landed in Charlotte around 9 AM and after dropping off our bags at the hotel, the first stop was food. We asked the concierge if she had a good brunch recommendation and we were not disappointed! Amélie’s French Bakery and Café. We went. We ate. We loved. This was such a beautiful little place. The decor was eclectic, and the vibe was amazing. There was a coffee bar, a lounge area with couches, and tables with mismatching chairs. Amélie’s was build inside what used to be a multi-story car garage in Uptown Charlotte. After eating, we called an Uber to the first stop of the weekend: Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden. This beautiful garden was named one of the nation’s “20 Great Gardens” by HGTV and home to the only Orchid Conservatory in either of the Carolinas. For only $15, we spent all day exploring the gardens and the hiking the trail to Lake Wylie. Money well spent.
Day 2: Historical Charlotte
The weather on the second day was a little questionable with rain showers throughout, so we decided to make that our day to explore the city and visit museums. To find a great view of the city skyline, we walked to Romare Bearden Park. The first thing we noticed once were the scooters parked everywhere. Have any of you guys seen these around? This is the first time I ever heard about “rent-a-scooters”! They charge you by the minute through a barcode you scan on an app and off you go. Of course, we all rented one and “scoot scooted” all over Uptown Charlotte for the rest of the morning! Next up was the Levine Museum of the New South and let me tell you. Wow. The museum showcases how Charlotte was affected by slavery, the Civil War and their story of renewal. If you are ever in the city, this needs to be on your list of “must see’s”. The exhibits are raw and enlightening. I cried several times as we walked through.
With the sun still shining by late afternoon, we decided to add one more thing to the list before calling it a day. About a half-hour drive out of the city is the Historical Latta Plantation. Once a successful cotton plantation, the Latta House was built in 1800 and the original buildings still stand today – the main house, the kitchen, the slaves’ homes and the barn. We got a tour inside the Latta family’s home, learned the history of how they came to America, and explored the surrounding farmland to see what life was like for those who lived there at the time. There is no entrance fee if you want to explore the grounds on your own, but if you want to see inside the main house, it’s $10 to join one of the tours that run every hour.
Day 3: Rest and Recovery
Our last day in Charlotte. We had to be at the airport by 3 PM so we only had half a day to get in anything else we wanted to see. We decided that we would spend the morning at the Discovery Place, which is one of the country’s top interactive museums that houses both a rainforest and aquarium. You can buy tickets for the museum ahead of time for a discount, or you can get them onsite. We bought ours a couple hours before heading over and spent $18. After trying the bed of nails and performing some scientific experiments, we wanted to grab one last meal at Amelie’s before heading to the airport to catch our flight home.
Overall, it was a great trip and the perfect break for all of us. We got to see everything we wanted – we hiked, learned, wined and dined. If you get the chance, Charlotte is definitely a city worth walking through. Have you ever been? Tell me about it in the comments below! Was there anything I missed that you would recommend?
