All ABOARD to Charlotte >>

If you want to journey a bit farther, or just add a second leg to your trip, Charlotte is less than two hours away by train from Greensboro. Although I had been to Charlotte plenty of times, it took being without my car to really notice how accessible the city is via public transportation. Although the train station isn’t located directly next to the LYNX Blue Line Light Rail, part of the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS), the NoDa station is just a short Uber away. NoDa is Charlotte’s historic arts and enter- tainment district, and if you’re into public art, check out NoDa’s free public art walk — a short distance from the 36th Street light rail station.

While in Charlotte, we decided to visit the NASCAR Hall of Fame, located right next to the Convention Center and 3rd Street Station (if you choose to ride light rail). I won’t lie — I know next to nothing about NASCAR, but this place was a blast.

“We have immersive, interactive, handson experiences; a 278-seat state-of-the-art theater that provides an exciting overview of NASCAR’s 74-year history; and historical artifacts and exhibits that tell the authentic story of NASCAR’s legends, evolving history, celebrated heritage, and family-oriented traditions,” said Executive Director Winston Kelley.

If you’re afraid you or the kids will be bored, think again. This place is rocking nearly 50 different interactive experiences and kiosks, the most popular being the realistic racing simulators and pit crew challenge. And … our editor and social media coordinator should probably keep their day jobs.

Dining/Shopping

Camp North End, a 2-minute walk from the light rail station at Graham Street & Keswick Avenue; The Market at 7th Street, an urban food hall located at 7th Street Station; Merchant & Trade, rooftop bar

Arts/Culture

Leah & Louise, Camp North End Blackened Catfish, Rice Grits, Pickled Field Peas, Candied Peppers

Nature/Adventure

US National Whitewater Center, Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens, Crowders Mountain State Park

Levine Center for the Arts, Public Art Walking Tour

Family Fun Carowinds, Discovery Place

“The NASCAR Hall of Fame is truly a one-of-a-kind attraction that is authentically North Carolina, where roughly 80% of NASCAR’s national series teams are based,” said Kelley.

“Our guests from all levels of knowledge and interest in NASCAR consistently reaffirm we are meeting our objective of having something for everyone.” nascarhall.com

The Arts

For art enthusiasts, it really doesn’t get better than Uptown Charlotte. For those riding light rail, the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art and Mint Museum Uptown are both easily accessible via Brooklyn Village Station. Although we hadn’t planned on visiting Bechtler, it is quite literally across the street from the Mint Museum, so we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to see works by some of the most influential artists of the mid 20th century.

At the Mint Museum Uptown, we were lucky enough to get a guided tour by Clayton Sealey, the senior director of marketing and communications.

“There are five levels,” said Sealey. “On the fourth floor is a special exhibition space, as well as our permanent collection. The permanent collection goes from European art portraiture all the way into more contemporary art, like works from Salvador Dalí. It’s a fantastic place.”

A museum of international art and design, the Mint Museum Uptown has plans for a breakthrough year in 2023, featuring major exhibitions like Picasso Landscapes: Out of Bounds, Bearden/Picasso: Rhythms and Reverberations, Fashion Reimagined, and dozens of community-based featured activities.

“Since Fashion Reimagined started we’ve been getting a steady stream of people, and we’re about 25% up on historic highs for admissions. We broke a record last year, and we’re on pace to break another record this year. People are busting out, looking to create stuff in this city,” said Sealey. mintmuseum.org

Homeward Bound

When it was time to go home, we piled into an Uber and headed to the Charlotte Amtrak station to catch our 7 p.m. train. There were quite a few people onboard, and we left on time — but there was about a

30-minute delay on the way back due to rail work. Following that, we quickly picked up steam (just call me the Punmaster). With the delay, it took approximately four hours before we arrived in Cary — time I spent working, eating, and shopping on Amazon. You know, all the things I couldn’t do behind the wheel.

QUICK TIP! Unlike a plane, the lights do not get turned off on night rides — so if you want to sleep, bring a sleep mask! t