The Travel Chica

Live Simple. Consume Less. Experience More.

What to do with 3 hours in Charlotte

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It has been ages since I took a road trip.

So I was secretly happy when I discovered that a flight to Charleston, South Carolina would cost over $400 and still take six hours of travel time.

Looking at the map, Charlotte seemed the best place to stop.  A big city I had never visited before.

I got a late start and arrived in downtown Charlotte with about three hours until bedtime.

What to do with three hours in Charlotte?

Drink craft beer in NoDA.

I spent about five minutes researching Charlotte on Wikitravel.  Of all the neighborhoods, the NoDA historic arts district seemed the best fit for me.  It was too late to explore the galleries, but I was very happy to discover three breweries in close proximity.

I had never heard anything in particular about craft beer in North Carolina, but I think some of the best craft beer doesn’t get outside of the state (or even outside the city).

Birdsong Brewing Company

Birdsong Brewing Company is fairly young having opened in 2011, but they have definitely achieved early success.  They offer a good variety of craft beers.

Ordering the sampler is the way to go.

IPAs are my favorite, and Birdsong’s Higher Ground IPA passed the test.

The atmosphere is casual and fun.

A 5K had just finished up in the area when I arrived.

A bar is the perfect place to end a 5K.

While I was there, a local reporter was taking photos and asked me to be in a photo.  Too bad I wouldn’t be around the following week to get a copy of the paper.

Heist Brewery

This brewery is larger, a little fancier, and also a full-service restaurant.

Again, the sampler is always the way to go when visiting a brewery for the first time.  My favorites at Heist are the Pale Ale and the 2IPA and the Maibock.

Heist is also a great place to grab dinner.

The flatbread pizza is perfection.  I also drooled a little when I saw the hamburgers at a different table.

 

Be sure to check out the NoDA if you get to Charlotte.

Got any craft beer suggestions for North Carolina?

Comments

  6. I pretty much “tripped” onto your blog from the Camels and Chocolate blog. And was pleasantly surprised your most recent post was about the current place I call home. It’s a shame you only had three hours in the city. NoDa was a great choice to explore, especially for breweries. I’m a little sad that you didn’t get a chance to go to my personal favorite, the NoDa Brewing Co. But there’s always next time! Also, in the area is an amazing 24/7, yes – they never close, French bakery called Amelie’s. It’s a MUST!

    Happy Travels!

    • I’ll hit you up for travel tips the next time around and also plan for a longer stay.

      I actually did try to go to the NoDa Brewing Co. (if that’s the one right next to Birdsong), but it was packed. A race had just finished there, and they had a band out back.

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