Two months into “quarantine” and I was going STIR. CRAZY. So I thought, what better time to take a road trip and visit my girl Leah in her new city?? By this time, Florida had already been starting to reopen for a few weeks and it was North Carolina's first weekend in Phase I. I tried to limit my exposure on the drive up as much as possible and only stopped at one rest stop to fill up on gas and use the bathroom during my 8-hour drive.
I had left work a few hours early on a Friday and was able to make it to Leah & Matt's apartment in time to catch the sunset from their balcony. They greeted me with a house-mixed Moscow Mule (thanks, Matt!) and some homemade cabbage stew thanks to Leah!
Being that it was the first day of Phase I for Leah and Matt, they were eager to grab a hefeweizen stein and beer cheese pretzel from their favorite German Brewery, The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery. Luckily, beer and pretzels are two of my favorite things so they made me an instant happy camper. The OMB claims to be Charlotte's oldest brewery and has an incredible outdoor seating area under strings of edison lights with good vibes and better beer.
The next day I held myself to my usual Saturday morning run routine despite the steins and lack of sleep the night before. I ended up going for 4 miles along the portion of the Charlotte Rail Trail that runs through Charlotte's South End. I didn't get a good look at it the night before but it was honestly so impressive! The trail was safe, well groomed, and lined with upscale apartments and trendy bars and restaurants. I couldn't wait to explore more of the trail when I wasn't dying from a humid and slightly hungover run!
When I got back to the apartment Leah was ready with coffee, and talk of her homemade biscuits and gravy with vegetarian sausage was circulating. Once we were refueled with some B&G, we headed out to hike one of their favorite spots, Harper Creek Falls. It was a bit of a drive to get there from Charlotte, but well worth it! The hike is just under 3 miles one-way and you can hear the river roaring almost the entire hike.
We saw some super remote camping spots and a few other people on the trail, but it was otherwise refreshingly remote. Unfortunately, the water in the falls was too high for us to climb down the rocks to the pools or swim safety, but we found another swimming hole along the road to cool off in afterwards! The water was FREEZING but in the best, and most rejuvenating, way possible.
We were freaking exhausted but we managed to make it back to the apartment and throw on a change of clothes and walk to dinner at Suffolk Punch along the rail trail. We ordered some Bloody Mary's and split the chorizo nacho's for an appetizer - so yummy!! Afterwards, we wandered over to the patio at Triple C Brewing Company for a nightcap.
Day 2!! I definitely wasn't going for another morning run, but we did take their sweet, sweet pup Allie for a walk along the rail trail. I love that Leah is a morning person like me because I love taking advantage of the earlier hours when less people are out and about!
Today's breakfast: AVOCADO TOAST! One of my all time favs, especially when paired with mimosas.
We got an early start and headed to the U.S. National Whitewater Center. I had no idea what to expect, but this place is definitely a unique and cool experience. They seriously have everything - flatwater kayaking & paddle boards, a whitewater rafting course, ziplining, hiking, ropes courses, mountain biking...you name it. I wish I would have researched it a bit before we went because I felt totally unprepared for the adventures before me. We ended up having a few beers and snacks (reuben egg rolls!!) to help wrap our minds around the activities before us and then headed out on the river for some kayaking. It was perfection.
My last day was winding down, but it wasn't over yet. We ate an early feast of steaks, asparagus, and mashers on the deck for dinner and then walked to The Dunavant for cocktails. I was feeling some serious last night of vacation vibes, so I convinced them to accompany me on a search to satisfy my dessert fix. Unfortunately, pretty much everything in a quarantine town closes down by 8pm, but we were able to get in line as one of the last customers at Jeni's Ice Cream.
Of course, we had to close the night out with some drunken Asian street fare snacks to-go from Hawkers. The wonton soup and pad thai were so unreal that I was a little bummed we didn't discover this place before my last night. Next time I'm back in Charlotte, this will be my first stop!
Thank you Leah & Matt (and Allie) for being such wonderful hosts and keeping me sane and safe during quarantine! Until next time!
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