For fun in Center City, Charlotte Center City Partners has it covered!…read more Yes, these are the folks largely responsible for the big ole event Uptown. Whether it's Beer, Blues & BBQ, Taste of Charlotte, Speedstreet or pumpkin carving for Halloween - I give these guys credit. Considering only 10-12K people live in Uptown, they have a large feat of bringing the masses into Center City. As a whole, these events are well organized, nicely promoted and generally a really good time. Stephen puts it well - every event won't be for everybody, but I appreciate that they try to bring Charlotte together (as we're a large group of transplants). In addition to the events, they also send out a really great calendar of what's going on in Uptown & South End every week. If you don't get it already, definitely check it out.

Festivals. Fun. Beer. Lots of beer. Charlotte Center City Partners (or Find Your Center) puts on a…read morelot of these types of festivals Uptown and in South End. When you check out their website or their weekly newsletter you'll be able to see lots of events coming up like Beer, Blues and BBQ, Taste of Charlotte, Speedstreet and the like. Many of these events and festivals usually have beer available, hence why I'm a fan. And, yeah, I also really like supporting the local organization that's responsible for Uptown's development. If only there was a PBR festival...!

My favorite state for hiking, fishing and skiing. There are five cities that bare the true North…read moreCarolina local flavor which include Maggie Valley, Blowing Rock, Boone, Charlotte and Asheville. So many family trips to NC. There are so many historic landmarks but never really visited any. Most of the flights out of Fort Lauderdale or Miami go directly into Asheville airport hub. If you are scared to fly, the drive will be a brutal thirteen hours trek although once you get into the Smokey Mountains you may never want to leave after witnessing the view. There are three major colleges in North Carolina: North Carolina Sate Univ, UNC Charlotte and University of NC Chapel Hill.

This marker is located along New Hope Road a short distance north of the Interstate and in front of…read morethe Lutheran Chapel Cemetery. There is parking in the cemetery parking lot to stop and read the marker. It has the same text on both sides, reading "Textile mill owner, bank executive, philanthropist, and benefactor of present Lenoir-Rhyne University in 1923. Grave is nearby." Online, there is more information. "Daniel Efird Rhyne, business leader and benefactor of Lenoir-Rhyne College, was born on February 8, 1852, to Moses H. and Margaret Hoffman Rhyne. He grew up on a farm near Woodlawn in what was then Lincoln County, now Gaston. He eventually had a hand in renaming his hometown Mount Holly, after the textile town of the same name in New Jersey. Rhyne attended Lincoln County's common schools and, from 1871 to 1872, he pursued studies at North Carolina College, a Lutheran institution in Mount Pleasant. "Rhyne entered the cotton mill industry at age twenty-two when he and his brother Abel built the Mount Holly Cotton Mill at the confluence of Dutchman's Creek and the Catawba River. In 1887 he and his brother-in-law J. A. Abernethy erected the Laboratory Cotton Mill just south of Lincolnton, and then later the Daniel and Wampum Mills in Lincolnton. Their ventures are credited with bringing industry, business, and a population explosion to Lincoln County. Aside from cotton mills, Rhyne also owned and operated Lincoln Lithia Inn, a summer resort with celebrated healthful spring water, and he was an investor in the Piedmont Wagon Company in Hickory. His property holdings in western counties were extensive and he was an officer and substantial stockholder in several mills and banks. "Rhyne enjoyed sharing his wealth with Lutheran churches in areas near to his home and work. He is credited with significant gifts to at least twelve churches in Lincoln, Gaston, Iredell, Mecklenburg, and other nearby counties. Daniel Rhyne made generous contributions to the Lutheran-run Lenoir College in Hickory. In 1923, the school changed its name to Lenoir-Rhyne College in honor of their benefactor. Rhyne died on February 25, 1933 and was buried in the cemetery at Lutheran Chapel Church in Gastonia." [Review 186 of 2025 - 4093 in North Carolina - 23750 overall]

Celriver Legacy Plaza in Rock Hill offers a thoughtful tribute to the workers and industrial legacy…read moreof the Celanese Celriver plant, which operated from 1948 to 2005. Located near the Riverwalk YMCA and Giordana Velodrome, the plaza features interpretive signage, sculptures, and a South Carolina Historical Marker that collectively honor the plant's contributions to the region. The site once housed a massive synthetic fiber operation with its own utilities and infrastructure, making it one of the largest employers in the area. Reading about its history was genuinely fascinating. Especially how the plant's presence shaped the economic development of Rock Hill and the greater Charlotte region. Beyond its physical memorials, the Celriver Legacy Project extended its impact through scholarships at Winthrop University and York Technical College, supporting descendants of former employees and students from nearby counties. The plaza stands not just as a monument to industrial achievement, but as a reminder of the community spirit and economic vitality that defined a generation of workers and helped fuel growth across the Carolinas. An interesting stop when in the area. [Review 1419 of 2025 - 1359 in South Carolina - 24970 overall]

The name seemed familiar and so it is. I reviewed a marker with the same text last year that was up…read morein Raleigh, 125 miles from here: https://www.yelp.com/biz/leonidas-l-polk-historical-marker-raleigh?hrid=DnjP_pjQxiTmerbBeG_Jzw. The marker reads, "President of National Farmers' Alliance, 1889-1892; began Progressive Farmer, 1886; a founder of N.C.S.U. and Meredith College. Was born here." Online, there is more. "Leonidas LaFayette Polk was a nationally known farmer, editor and politician in the late nineteenth century. Polk founded The Progressive Farmer in 1886, and served as the president of the National Farmers' Alliance between 1889 and 1892. He contributed to the founding of what is now North Carolina State University in 1887 and Baptist Female University (present-day Meredith College) in 1891. Polk helped create the state Department of Agriculture and was the first Commissioner of Agriculture. He was the 1892 Populist Party presidential candidate but died before the general election." [Review 12280 overall, 2064 of 2019.]

I've not seen a monument like this in my travels so this was particularly interesting. The location…read moreat Black Street and Dave Lyle Blvd in Rock Hill is where the original African-American Business District was located until its demolition in the early 1970's. The monument has photographs and information about the contributions of the African-American Business District to Rock Hill's history. I was here for about 15 minutes reading the stories and enjoying the pictures. Very interesting. There is a city parking lot nearby. [Review 13028 overall, 345 of 2020.]

Over the weekend, I ventured into Harrisburg to attend a Murder Mystery Dinner Theater production…read moreheld at the Town Center. The town center itself looks relatively new (within the last 5-10 years or so) and is well kept. The dinner was held in a large common room. Unfortunately, the food wasn't all that I was hoping, but parts of the show were pretty good. Felt like there were way too many people and it took a long time: 3hrs to spend on a Friday is a lot to ask especially since our table could not figure out the killer in all the chaos. Ironically, we pulled a guess out of the air and got it right. The building itself is a multi-use building. I saw signs for the Harrisburg YMCA in the windows and it looks like a common meeting space for town activities. Reminded me a lot like Matthews but it seems like everything around the town center is brand spanking new.

This fire station is a huge asset to the Noda community. I feel inspired when I am having a nice…read morenight in Noda and I hear these heroes pull out of their station for another life-saving mission. If you are taking a rideshare to Nota, use this as your address if you don't have a specific place that you were going to. It is a well-known fact that the fire department allows ride chairs to pick up and drop off in their parking lot. Just don't block the way of the fire engines, they need to go quick because someone is not having a good time. I never have needed them while I was in Noda, but I have had experiences with other Charlotte fire department stations and they have been wonderful and I have no reason to believe this one would be any different.