Kelly Stratton

Great Things To Do 

The Charlotte area has it all!  If you are a pro sports fan Charlotte delivers.  Charlotte is home to the NFL Carolina Panthers, the NBA Charlotte Bobcats, the AAA baseball Charlotte Knights, and the hockey affiliate Charlotte Checkers.  Also, Charlotte is considered the home of NASCAR due to the number of teams that call Charlotte home.  Also, NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600 is run every year on Memorial Day weekend at Lowe’s Motor Speedway located in Concord, just north of Charlotte.

Do you like to participate in sports instead of watch them?  Charlotte has countless city and state parks set up for everything from playing soccer to riding mountain bikes.  The US National Whitewater Center was recently built; complete with a man-made white water facility, climbing walls, and mountain bike trails.  There is a YMCA near every part of town that sponsors a wide variety of children and adult leagues for every weekend warrior. Also, there are more than 50 golf courses in the area to challenge the most skilled golfer.  Tiger Woods won last year’s PGA Wachovia Championship hosted by Charlotte’s Quail Hollow Club.

Maybe sports aren’t your thing, but you still want good entertainment for the whole family.  Carowinds is an entertaining amusement park full of exciting rides and attractions.  Discovery Place is another venue that offers a hands-on science experience that will entertain the whole family with its IMAX Dome Theatre and other numerous exhibits.  Other family-based attractions in Charlotte include the David Stowe Botanical Gardens, the Mint Museum of Art, and the Nature Museum. 

How about the arts?  The Blumenthal Performing Arts Center hosts Charlotte’s best local and nationally known plays, comedy acts and musical artists.  Other performing arts centers include: The Actor’s Theatre of Charlotte, The Afro-American Children’s Theatre, and The Theatre Charlotte.  Each of these provides a broad spectrum of entertainment and culture through amazing live performances.  The Charlotte Symphony Orchestra plays in a variety of locations to ensure everyone has a chance to experience their music and talent.  The Charlotte Philharmonic Orchestra also supplies Charlotte with music and culture at many venues around town.

            As you can tell, Charlotte has something for everyone's interests and backgrounds. Lifestyle in Charlotte is about making sure you set aside plenty of time to enjoy all that Charlotte has to offer.  Experience the great outdoors, experience the rich southern culture, enjoy all that a great, up and coming city has to offer. Enjoy!