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o matter what part of Charlotte you visit, there’s always something exciting going on. A short drive northwest of the city is the stunning new Quest at Latta Nature Preserve (6345 Sample Road, Huntersville), a 3,000-square-foot interpretive center with an aquarium, classrooms and native animals that will be the future home of the Carolina Raptor Center. Due east, the Home of the ’90s Museum (404 Winecoff School Road, Concord) celebrates the decade’s pop culture icons such as the Powerpuff Girls, Pokemon and the Kool-Aid pitcher. Tickets must be reserved in advance. Bookending Uptown, Camp North End (300 Camp Road) and Optimist Hall (1115 N. Brevard St.) are ever-evolving. Known as the best place to view urban art in the city, the walkable Camp North End is prime for exploration—take an afternoon to wander and explore, shop and eat; you’ll want to nibble a bit of everything here. At Optimist Hall, a former gingham mill has become home to some of the city’s favorite restaurants, including the ever-popular Dumpling Lady and Botiwalla, a destination for Indian food. Charming shops round out the experience. In South End lies the Charlotte Beer Garden (1300 S. Tryon St.), home to the world’s largest draft-beer selection—so big you have to access the ever-changing menu online. It’s covered with plants and every wall is retractable, making it a larger-than-life treehouse. Drive west from the Charlotte Douglas International Airport to get to the temporary home of the Catawba Two Kings Casino (538 Kings Mountain Blvd., Kings Mountain), the first casino in the Charlotte area. It contains 500 slot machines and will give you a preview of the permanent complex, on which the Catawba Indian Nation will break ground in 2022.
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