Family Adventure Weekend

Fun fact: I moved over 600 miles from my home when I decided to come to North Carolina. That’s over 11 hours of driving, and about a 2 hour plane ride if you get to fly directly from Charlotte.

So when my parents decided to visit me my second weekend here, and also drive, I told them that it was long, but beautiful, and it would be worth it in the end. Cuz, you know, I was at the end of that long drive. 😉

They drove down on a Friday and as soon as they got down here, we went out for dinner. Salisbury actually has a lot to offer in the restaurant category. There are a bunch of neat local places and unique places to go. We chose a local chain called the Shuckin’ Shack, and it did not disappoint. Two words, friends: crab. balls. Get ’em. Also, Friday nights they serve whole lobster dinners, and just look at it, in its slightly blurry, cell phone-quality deliciousness:

So that was our adventure the first night! There was live music, it was a loud atmostphere, and we all loved it.

The next day we went to the Biltmore. If you’ve never been to the Biltmore, shell out the cash and take the self-guided tour at the very least. It is a beautiful mansion on gorgeous grounds, and right now through April 7th they are showcasing Downton Abbey with costumes, sets, and a completely interactive exhibition. It is amazingly beautiful, and ridiculously picturesque with the Blue Ridge Mountains seated in the back.

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Sunday we visited Charlotte, and if you read my last post, I talked about the Liberty Walk briefly. If you get a chance to do the Liberty Walk, check it out! It’s a short self-guided walk with plaques along the way that tell about the history of Charlotte during the Revolutionary War. My favorite stops were the site of the British Encampment, which was amazing to me that in this built up city there used to be fields and tents and cannons on the corners of Tryon and Trade; Thomas Polk Park, which contains a fountain that I can only imagine is gorgeous during the warmer months; Settler’s Cemetery, which is home to the remains of Thomas Polk and his wife, Susanna; and the Queen Charlotte statue, who the city is named after.

Along the way we stopped at a pub called the Dandelion Market and ate lunch. Would highly recommend dropping in here for Sunday brunch.

We also just walked around Charlotte for a little bit and found a neat little park themed after one of my favorite things: BOOKS!!

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After our tour, we were thirsty and hit up Fahrenheit, a rooftop bar a little walk from downtown with stellar views of the city. It was chilly up there!! But the views just couldn’t be beat.

And then it was time for football, because it was Super Bowl Sunday!!! A live stream saved our evening, and luckily the game was exciting and the ads were pretty fun. And can we talk about that halftime show?! Cuz wow.

Mom and Dad left bright and early Monday morning to head back home, and I headed to work, but what an incredible weekend we all had together! North Carolina has had a lot to offer. As of today, I have 9 (!!!) more weeks left in this beautiful state. If you have any suggestions for things for me to do, hit me up and let me know! I’m always up for an adventure. 🙂 Until next time, friends!