Charlotte

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Charlotte

Charlotte, North Carolina’s not-to-be-missed cultural, entertainment, sporting and historical mainstays, make it a city like no other. The coasters at Carowinds, the rousing races at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the boisterous Broadway performances at NC Blumenthal Performing Arts Center, and so much more are here to engage, excite and exhilarate you.

Whatever your musical taste--rock, jazz, punk, reggae, hip-hop--the area’s variety of entertainment venues, which range from neighborhood watering holes to 20,000 seat arenas, attract all kinds of talent. You’ll also find your choice of ballets, awesome operas, and a wide variety of scintillating stage shows. The NC Blumenthal Performing Arts Center is a state-of-the-art, multi-use performing arts center that yearly hosts the Broadway Lights Series, featuring national touring Broadway productions and a wide range of special attractions. Commemorating the arts and showcasing every food and flavor, visitors find festivals enlivening the streets year-round; among them Blues, Brews, & BBQ, Art and Soul of South End, and Food Lion Speed Street. Charlotte’s rapid development has also attracted luxury vendors outside of the traditional fashion strongholds like NYC and LA. Don’t miss an exploration of the area’s many boutiques, outlet malls, alfresco shopping centers and more.

You can take in expertly manicured greens or root for the home team under a picture-perfect Carolina blue sky. From the rapids at the U.S. National Whitewater Center to 180 mph thrills at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Charlotte’s recreational pursuits are impressive. With a choice of more than 40 public golf courses, golf lovers will find much to enjoy in Charlotte. The pleasures range from the impressive wetland-shrouded 15th hole of Rocky River Golf Club to teeing off onto the hourglass-shaped greens at Olde Sycamore Golf Plantation. With 80 percent of Sprint Cup drivers calling the Queen City home and three major races on the speed-seeking home turf at Charlotte Motor Speedway (NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, Coca-Cola 600, and the Banking 500), the city certainly isn’t fearful of the fast lane.


Charlotte is one of the fastest growing cities in the nation, and the development is continually adding to its appeal for visitors. Museums showcasing the world’s wonders, mixed-use developments touting dining and nightlife for every persuasion, quality hotel brands, and attractions like the NASCAR Hall of Fame are among some of the recent additions sure to enrich visitors’ experiences.  

Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) connects the Carolinas to the world with more daily flights per capita than any other airport in the nation. Offering non-stop service to over 125 destinations worldwide via more than 650 daily flights, Charlotte Douglas carries more than 33 million passengers annually. It also serves as a national hub for US Airways. By car, I-77 and I-85 connect Charlotte to cities in the Northeast, Southwest, and Midwest. Convenient I-40, less than one hour north, provides an important east/west link with coast-to-coast access. Amtrak provides daily passenger rail service to the North and South lines that access most of the United States. The first rapid transit system for North Carolina, Charlotte’s initial phase of the light rail connects South Charlotte with Center City museums, entertainment, nightlife, sporting events, and more. Free Gold Rush rubber-wheeled trolleys resemble historic streetcars and provide routes that run up and down Tryon Street and west along Trade Street.
 

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