3 Best Day Trips from Charlotte
Charlotte began as an intersection of trading paths, and commerce is still the name of the game here—but all that busy, busy and shiny, shiny can wear on you. Fortunately, those trading paths are primed for travel—I-85 and I-77 intersect in the Queen City—so getting out of town is easy. Plus, lovely destinations are only a couple of hours away. Here, we've rounded up three of the best: Go west to the Blue Ridge Mountains for cool breezes, beer, and a dose of the funky lifestyle in Asheville; head northeast to Raleigh and rest your body at a spa; or slide over the state line into Columbia, S.C., to spend the day canoeing the Congaree River with a picnic basket you filled at the weekly farmers market. These are the very best day trips from Charlotte.
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Jon Bilous/AlamyASHEVILLE, NC
Hidden deep within the Blue Ridge Mountains, the city of Asheville is one of contrasts: after all, it's where the country's largest private home, a mansion built by the Vanderbilts, sits down the road from tiny home rentals; where there's fine dining and funky beer; and where epic natural views from the Blue Ridge Parkway aren't too far a drive from a bustling downtown. (There are also, of course, traditional mountain crafts, which you'll find within shouting distance of a witchcraft festival.) If nothing else, Asheville is all about being unique.
Johnny Autry/Courtesy Benne on EaglerestaurantBenne on Eagle
$$Adjacent to the new Foundry Hotel, Benne on Eagle had a lot of buzz before it put up its first plate late last year; so chances are, you've already heard about it. Chef John Fleer, a James Beard Award winner, is beloved in the Southern culinary community, and chef de cuisine Ashleigh Shanti snagged an Eater Young Guns award. Together, their food weaves a story about North Carolina's African and Appalachian influences, resulting in rich flavors and fresh ideas: a spinach salad with chicken livers, steak with red rice–coffee gravy, and seared trout and grits for breakfast.
Courtesy The Inn on Biltmore Estate/Photo by Matthew TurleyhotelThe Inn on Biltmore Estate
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Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2018The Inn at the Biltmore Estate is a formal affair. Marble floors grace the lobby; oriental rugs hide unworthy elevator floors; and you must first consult with the maître d’ before you even think about taking a seat on the breezy outdoor veranda. Rooms are done in a 19th-century French- and English-manor style, with four-poster mahogany wooden beds and tidy white quilts with pillows bearing the “V” monogram of the Vanderbilt family, while Gilchrist and Soames amenities are on hand in marble bathrooms. The estate winery is also a draw, even for visitors who aren't overnight guests, with complimentary tasting of reds, whites, and rosés.
AlamyshopMalaprop's Bookstore and Cafe
When Malaprop's opened 32 years ago, the now-bustling downtown Asheville was all empty storefronts and derelict buildings, and this independent bookseller became one of the anchors for revitalization. Marginalized voices have a place on the shelves here—there's an impressive array of poetry, fem theory, and queer lit titles—and poetry readings are as abundant as the inventory. Sit and stay a while at the café, and reacquaint yourself with the power of the written word, and the community that sparks it.
Evan Sung/Courtesy CúraterestaurantCúrate
$$Located in a former 1927 bus depot, Cúrate is a bustling restaurant where ham legs hang, ripe for slicing, and a wall of vermouth taps presupposes your next drink. In between, the space is filled with bottles and Spanish-language signage. It all makes you feel almost as if you've just landed in Spain. The menu changes seasonally, save for a few mainstays, like the pan con tomate and tortilla española. But any choice is wise, from the octopus or the sardines to the cochinillo, a quarter of a roasted suckling pig. Before or after dinner, belly up to the restaurant's relatively new vermouth bar, and let the staff guide your choices.
Courtesy Highland Brewing CompanyactivityHighland Brewing Company
This is an anchor of the Asheville beer scene, so it's a great place to begin your North Carolina beer education. Bring your beer nerds, your buddies, your book club to sip and relax. There's room to chat, you're not going to be rushed because they need your table, and there's so much to try. It's all about beer, of course, and the iconic brews for the brand include the Gaelic Ale, a red ale, and a Rising Haze IPA, but exciting releases range from the Strawberry Milkshake IPA to a Czech Pilsner named Angelico. If you'd like a sample sip or two, the bar staff is friendly and will oblige. This is an independent, female-run company, and the staff reflects that spirit. The company invests in the community, and the staff seems happy working, busy, efficient, and always moving to pour beer, cash out folks, or clean.
Courtesy Chai PanirestaurantChai Pani
$$Chai Pani is a blast of color, street art, and music that resembles a dizzying ride down one of Mumbai's crowded streets. It's specialty is chaat—street food—and so its vibe is lively, and fun. First of all, you must get chai. How about the food? Order a lot. There are curries to go and Indian wraps and sandwiches, but if you ordered the whole chaat side of the menu, you wouldn't be wrong. There are plenty of vegan, gluten-free, and vegetarian options throughout the whole menu, but the matchstick okra fries, served with a lime wedge are worthy of at least two orders just on their own. And if you're going the opposite way, the Sloppy Jai—a take on the sloppy joe sandwich with lamb hash, ginger, and spices—is a wonderful warm up on a chilly mountain night.
James Schwabel/AlamyshopRiver Arts District
If you're interested in art in any way, then this community of artists working along the French Broad river is a destination afternoon at least. This region is known for both contemporary crafts and traditional ones, and there's ample pottery, furniture, basketry, and textiles along with the usual paintings, photography, mixed media, and jewelry. There are lots of little trinkets to take home here, from Lori Jusino's assemblage and jewelry, a mug from Beth Bond Pottery, or even a goulishy glamorous tattoo from Girl & Goblin. If it's open, you'll regret skipping Wedge Studios because it really does act like a hub for the district, filled with studios and galleries on three levels. There's plenty of public art to see as well, but the hidden garden at Curve Studios, mixing plantings with sculpture, can provide a uplifting respite, and if you like beer and don't sip a pint at New Belgium Brewery while discussing how to ship your art purchase, did you even visit Asheville? We can't say, but we'd suggest a suds stop there for sure.
GettyRALEIGH, NC
Raleigh, the state capitol, is a city filled with its share of big-box stores and big businesses, sure, but there's also an independent spirit bubbling deep within. Park the car and stroll from shops to bars, restaurants, galleries, and more in a downtown that is proving that the spirit of artistic entrepreneurship is alive and well in the heart of the state.
Courtesy The Umstead Hotel and SpahotelThe Umstead Hotel and Spa
$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2018The Umstead Hotel and Spa is technically in neighboring Cary, but pop off the busy highway and wind through its wooded property up to the front doors, and you'll forgive us for the bit of misdirection. Once you hand over the car keys and walk in, the traffic—and the world—will begin to fade away in the cool, calm of the lobby, all massive nature-themed art, warm wood, and hospitable staff. You'll see mothers and daughters having lunch, couples and business people, sipping fruit water while waiting to be called for a spa treatment; the facials, massages, manicures, and scrubs are a huge draw.
Christopher Ciccone/Courtesy North Carolina MuseumactivityNorth Carolina Museum of Art
It's little wonder this grand and expansive museum, which makes up two buildings and a 164-acre sculpture garden with winding trails, is one of the chief stops for art in the region. In it, you'll find the largest number of Rodin sculptures in the Southeast, along with a wonderful collection of Jewish ceremonial objects, a bust of the Egyptian goddess Sekhmet from between 1390-50 BCE, and plenty of pieces by European masters. Take one of the family-friendly weekend tours (tickets are first-come, first-served) or a 60- to 90-minute guided tours of the park, if you can. All are free; check the website for the schedule.
Courtesy GarlandrestaurantGarland
$$Black walls, cool decor and lighting, and bold artwork makes Garland look like it was decorated by a rock star—wait, it was. Chef and co-owner Cheetie Kumar is the lead guitarist for Birds of Avalon, and the rock n' roll–meets-India vibe is all her—in collaboration with her co-owner, partner in life, and fellow musician Paul Siler, that is. Kumar's menu, too, mixes together various influences, including her northern Indian childhood, her time in the Bronx, and North Carolina. The corn cake and greens are topped with marinated field peas; the Bhel Puri has tamarind-mint chutney, tomatoes, and jicama; and there's so much going on in lamb shank osso bucco that you can't even begin to figure out why it tastes so good.
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Annie Bovitz/Courtesy Poole's DinerrestaurantPoole's Diner
$$Ashley Christensen is one of the top chefs in the country—she was named 2019's Outstanding Chef at the James Beard Awards—and her flagship restaurant, a reimagined diner with low tin ceilings and red leather baguettes, does comfort food at its best: chicken liver pâté, oxtail, seasonal Southern vegetables, and sides that are meant to be shared, including the knockout macaroni au gratin. The Caesar salad has fennel; the grits can be topped with pico de gallo; and the burrata might have country ham and pickled pumpkin.
Courtesy Transfer Co. Food HallrestaurantTransfer Co. Food Hall
$Only a five-minute walk from the center of Raleigh's downtown district, Transfer Co. is following in the footsteps of the national food hall trend, but this one feels especially anchored to the city, since it's in between the retail district and some residential streets. Housed in the original Carolina Coach Garage, its brick facade has those old-fashioned windows that fold out to let breezes into the expansive space. Try Burial Beer, a North Carolina brewery known for their IPAs and Saisons. If it's breakfast (or brunch), there is hardly any better in the city than Benchwarmers Bagels. There's a cheesy egg-filled Fried Bologna Bagel, plain bagels by the dozen (including a Za-atar + Sea Salt flavor), and inventive spreads including pecan butterscotch and spiced honey. The other best option is Locals Seafood, which works with purveyors on the North Carolina coast to provide fresh offerings, from shucked oysters to snapper, depending on the season.
Sean Pavone/GettyCOLUMBIA, S.C.
It may not be upstate Greenville or coastal Charleston, but Columbia is finally setting a course with its own fresh, artistic-meets-outdoorsy identity. Areas like the Vista blend both, mixing pinches of entertainment, shopping, and dining along the banks of the Congaree River, and a strong sense of community is growing artistic outlets downtown, from independent film festivals to well-attended museum exhibitions. Suffice it to say: there's plenty to keep you around.
Courtesy Columbia Museum of ArtactivityColumbia Museum of Art
After more than a year and a half of intensive construction and renovation, the new and improved Columbia Museum of Art has finally emerged, with curved architecture and an atrium housing a fiery orange Chihuly sculpture, plus experiential galleries, classroom facilities, and events spaces. Inside, you'll see art that spans 5,000 years of global history; but if you're trying to hit the high notes, look for the religious art sprinkled throughout the collection, the local Catawba pottery, or any of the temporary exhibits, including the current Black Is Beautiful: The Photography of Kwame Brathwaite exhibition.
shopSoda City Market
Wander into the heart of Columbia's downtown on any given weekend, and you'll come upon the Soda City market and its multitude of offerings: food (doughnuts, kombucha, burritos, brunch), gifts, and more from 150 vendors. The market sets up every Saturday morning (9 a.m. to 1 p.m.) year-round, rain or shine. One of the busiest stalls is City Roots, an urban farm; if you like to cook, don't miss its microgreens. Beyond that, it's best to simply wander until you find whatever strikes your fancy, whether it's a pound of parsnips or handmade scarves.
Courtesy TerrarestaurantTerra
$$$Beneath Terra's unassuming striped awning and simple sign is an honest-to-goodness neighborhood bistro that's welcoming from the moment you walk in. Exposed brick, a cozy bar, and an ever-changing menu makes the restaurant comfortable but never stale—and if that's not the recipe for success, we don't know what is. Chef Mike Davis sources great products, follows the seasons, and edits his dishes so there's just enough going on. Therefore, it's often hard to make a decision on what to order—everything looks good. Anything seafood is usually a winner, but if there's triggerfish on the menu, by all means, pull that trigger.
hotelHotel Trundle
$Upon arriving at Hotel Trundle, the first impression is how "un-hotel-y" it looks. First, the facade is actually multiple buildings, which speaks to the owners' commitment to architecture and preservation in repurposing historic structures. Walk in and there's that juxtaposition that boutique hotel aficionados often applaud—architectural details of pressed tin ceilings and exposed brick with modern glass walls, technology, and furniture. This place is truly connected to the modern creative Columbia scene, and that comes through the art throughout the hotel. It's from local artists, including a unicorn (the hotel's symbol) painted directly on the wall. There's even graffiti left on some exposed brick on some walls, so if you love funky, this is the only place to stay in town.
Courtesy Historic Columbia GardensactivityHistoric Columbia Gardens
While the interior of these three historic homes are not open at this time, the gardens are well worth a visit as they are in the downtown area and represent three distinct styles of gardens. Signage throughout the gardens provides information on the history, plants, and other relevant facts, leashed pets are allowed, and while food and drink is also allowed (we do like a garden picnic), the restrooms aren't available. Generally, these are house gardens, and though extensive do not offer a day's worth of walking, but rather a stroll and passive history lesson about Columbia's 19th-century elite. If you're looking to sweat in a power workout over extensive acreage, then you'll be disappointed but gardeners looking to learn about plantings they can incorporate into their landscape will be richly rewarded.
