Things to Do in North Carolina

Looking for things to do in North Carolina? Located on the southern Atlantic Coast, North Carolina has become a popular spot for vacationers and for individuals looking to relocate and take advantage of its good weather, excellent schools, and relatively strong job market. From its coastal plains to its mountain ranges, the Tar Heel State is also filled with cultural and entertainment options to fit any interest.

The following is a summary of just some of the many attractions that our great state has to offer.

There are so many wonderful North Carolina beaches, it is difficult to pick just a few. Although a sampling of our beaches is provided below, a more comprehensive list of North Carolina beaches may be found here: http://www.ncbeaches.com/

The Outer Banks

The Outer Banks is a 200 mile long string of barrier islands that covers approximately half of the northern North Carolina coastline. Northern beaches and communities of the Outer Banks include Duck, Southern Shores, Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills, and Nags Head. To the south, Hatteras Island encompasses a number of individual beaches and communities including Rodanthe, Avon, Buxton, and Hatteras Village. The Cape Hatteras National Seashore preserves a 56 mile long section of the Southern Outer Banks and is consistently listed among the best beaches. http://www.outerbanks.org/

Wrightsville Beach

Wrightsville Beach is located just east of Wilmington. Aside from the beach itself, notable features include Johnny Mercer's Pier (excellent for fishing), a gourmet grocery store, and several marinas. Primary hotels on the beach include the Blockade Runner, The Surf Suites, Shell Island Resort, and Holiday Inn Sunspree (which includes amenities for kids such as a playground, video arcade, sports court, and KidSpree activity center. http://www.visitwrightsville.com/

Bald Head Island

Bald Head Island is a small and somewhat remote village south of Wilmington, NC that is only accessible by ferry. Cars are not allowed - residents drive modified electric golf carts. The island boasts the oldest lighthouse in North Carolina (Old Baldy) which is on the Register of Historic Places and is open to the public. http://www.baldheadisland.com/

Emerald Isle

Emerald Isle is a family-oriented town located on the Bogue Banks in Carteret County. The oceanfront is lined with large and small homes with a scattering of condominiums, which support the influx of as many as 50,000 vacation renters in the summer season. While there, make sure to drive about 10 miles west to the town of Swansboro for some shopping and to experience the famous handmade fruit fritters at Yana's Diner. And you can't go home without getting take out from Big Oak Drive In in Salter Path (try the Shrimp Burger with a side of onion rings). http://www.emeraldisle-nc.org/

Topsail Beach

Topsail Beach is another family-oriented community in which high rise development is not allowed. Located just south of Camp Lejune on Topsail Island, there are only about 500 year round residents, but the seasonal influx of tourists brings the population to about 7,000. If you are looking to relax on a quiet and uncrowded stretch of beach, this is the spot for you. Old concrete observation towers can be seen along the length of the island - remnants from the island's service during World War II as a U.S. Navy testing area for early research and development into rocket technology, which is considered by some to mark the beginning of the space program for the U.S. government. http://topsailbeach.org/

Just like the beaches, it is difficult to choose from the various attractions available to folks in the North Carolina mountains. While a sampling is provided below, a more comprehensive list may be found here: http://www.ncmountains.com/

Blue Ridge Parkway (Western NC)

The Blue Ridge Parkway is a National Parkway that runs for almost 500 miles along a portion of the Appalachian Mountains known as the Blue Ridge Mountains (so called because of their bluish color when seen from a distance). Although it is not technically a National Park (it is a National Scenic Byway and All-American Road), it is the most visited part of the U.S. National Park System. http://www.blueridgeparkway.org/

Great Smoky Mountains National Park (Cherokee, NC)

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most visited national park in the United States. The park straddles the border between North Carolina and Tennessee along the ridgeline of the Great Smoky Mountains. The park boasts 850 miles of trails and unpaved roads for hiking, including 70 miles of the Appalachian Trail. Other activities include camping, fishing, horseback riding, bicycling, and water tubing. http://www.gsmnp.com/

Grandfather Mountain (Linville, NC)

Grandfather Mountain is a North Carolina state park near Linville. It is famous for its Mile High Swinging Bridge, which allows views of up to 100 miles. Grandfather Mountain is also the site of one of North America's largest Highland Games, continuously drawing a crowd of over 30,000 over its four day run. http://www.grandfather.com/

Chimney Rock State Park (Chimney Rock, NC)

This North Carolina State Park is located about 25 miles southeast of Asheville, and offers hiking trails, fantastic views, and an over 400 foot waterfall (Hickory Nut Falls). As suggested by its name, its most famous feature is an over 300 foot granite monolith called Chimney Rock. http://www.chimneyrockpark.com/

Linville Caverns (Marion, NC)

These privately owned limestone caverns are located just south of the village of Linville Falls. With guided tours offered year round, visitors can explore the subterranean world of the Blue Ridge Mountains and learn geology and history (the caverns were used by Civil War deserters as a hideout). In the fall and winter, visitors may also be able to view different species of bats that hibernate in the caverns until early spring. http://www.linvillecaverns.com/

North Carolina has a rich tradition of supporting and fostering the arts in many forms. Below is a sampling of organizations and events relating to the arts in North Carolina. For a more complete listing, please see: http://www.ncarts.org/

North Carolina Museum of Art (Raleigh, NC)

The North Carolina Museum of Art features more than 40 galleries showcasing paintings and sculptures from antiquity to the present, including the most extensive Rodin collection between Philadelphia and the West Coast. The museum also features more than a dozen works of art in the nation's largest museum art park, which encompasses 164 acres of fields, woodlands, creeks, and trails. In addition to the permanent collection, at least one traveling or temporary exhibition is usually on display (recent exhibits have included works by such varied artists as Rembrandt, Norman Rockwell, and Eric Carle). My family has particularly enjoyed their weekend family tours in which museum guides provide a lesson based on pieces displayed in the galleries followed by hands-on art projects (for kids age 5-10 accompanied by an adult). http://ncartmuseum.org/

Durham Performing Arts Center (Durham, NC)

Entertainment industry magazine Pollstar ranked the Durham Performing Arts Center (DPAC) among the top theatres in the United States in 2011 (ranking fourth behind Radio City Music Hall, Coliseum Theater at Ceasars Palace, and the Fox Theatre in Atlanta). The 2,700 seat center is the largest venue in the Carolinas, and has hosted dozens of top performers, comedians, and Broadway shows since opening in 2008. Recent performances have included Broadway's "The Lion King", Neil Young, Paul Simon, Diana Ross, Jerry Seinfeld, Martin Lawrence, Carol Burnett, Erykah Badu, and B.B. King. The 2012 schedule includes Kelly Clarkson, Aretha Franklin, Elvis Costello, and Broadway's "Wicked." http://www.dpacnc.com/

Seagrove (Seagrove, NC)

When people refer to Seagrove, they often refer to not just the town of Seagrove but to several surrounding communities along the North Carolina Pottery Highway. Often called the pottery capital of North Carolina or even the world, Seagrove is home to over 100 potteries and the North Carolina Pottery Center. http://www.discoverseagrove.com/

Penland School of Crafts (Penland, NC)

Usually referred to as simply "Penland", this center for craft education is located about 50 miles from Asheville. It offers workshops on a wide variety of disciplines, including pottery, glassblowing, metalworking, weaving and dyeing, woodworking, painting, photography, and printmaking. http://www.penland.org/

Symphony Orchestras

If you are a classical music lover, you will love it here.

• North Carolina Symphony
• Asheville Symphony
• Charlotte Symphony
• Durham Symphony
• Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra
• Greensboro Symphony
• Hendersonville Symphony
• Raleigh Symphony Orchestra
• Salisbury Symphony Orchestra
• Wilmington Symphony Orchestra
• Winston-Salem Symphony

Bluegrass

From native sons Earl Scruggs to Doc Watson, bluegrass roots run deep in North Carolina. BluegrassFestivals

The Nasher Museum of Art (Durham, NC)

The Nasher Museum of Art is located on the campus of Duke University. It opened in 2005 and presents an ambitious schedule of exhibitions that travel to major institutions around the world. The museum has a growing collection of international contemporary art, and currently contains more than 13,000 works of art in its collection. The museum is dedicated to presenting under-recognized contemporary art from around the world. http://www.nasher.duke.edu/

Weatherspoon Art Museum (Greensboro, NC)

The Weatherspoon Art Museum is located on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Its permanent collection includes close to 6,000 works of art, and features one of the largest collections of modern and contemporary art in the southeast. Works include pieces by de Kooning, Rauschenberg, Calder, Hesse, and Warhol. Weatherspoon

Triad Stage (Greensboro, NC)

Triad Stage is a regional theatre that has been named “One of the Best Regional Theaters in America” by New York’s Drama League and “Professional Theatre of the Year” by the North Carolina Theatre Conference. Its production of Tobacco Road was listed among the “Best of 2007” by The Wall Street Journal. The American Theatre Wing, founder of the Tony Awards®, named Triad Stage "one of the top ten most promising theatres in the country" in 2010. http://triadstage.org/

Other Art Museums

There are so many art museums across the state that a complete listing is beyond the scope of this hub. So here is a link to a list: NCArtMuseums

Other Concert Venues

There are simply too many to list. So here: NCConcertVenues

Other Theatre Companies

Again, too many to list, so here: NCTheatre

A sampling of historical attractions are provided below. For additional information, please see here: http://www.nchistoricsites.org/

Lighthouses

With a coastline of a little over 300 miles, it is little wonder why North Carolina has had many lighthouses in the past and continues to use lighthouses today. A few of the more famous are listed below, with a more comprehensive listing provided here: NCLighthouses

• Old Baldy (Bald Head Island)
• Bodie Island Lighthouse
• Cape Hatteras Lighthouse
• Cape Lookout Lighthouse
• Currituck Beach Lighthouse
• Oak Island Lighthouse
• Ocracoke Lighthouse

The Biltmore Estate (Asheville, NC)

The Biltmore House is the largest privately owned home in the United States. Built by George Washington Vanderbilt II in the late 19th century, the estate today covers approximately 8,000 acres and includes formal gardens, a winery, and a AAA five diamond hotel. http://www.biltmore.com/

Battleship NORTH CAROLINA (Wilmington, NC)

The USS North Carolina was the first new construction U.S. battleship to enter service during World War II. She participated in every major naval offensive in the Pacific theater and became the most decorate U.S. battleship of the war. In 1967 she was dedicated as a memorial to North Carolinians of all services who were killed during World War II. http://www.battleshipnc.com/

Old Salem (Winston-Salem, NC)

Old Salem is a historic district of Winston-Salem that features restored and reconstructed buildings staffed by living-history interpreters who present visitors with a view of Moravian life in the 18th and 19th centuries (the Moravian Church is a Protestant denomination that first began in the Kingdoms of Bohemia and Moravia – the town of Salem was settled in 1766). Interpreters include bakers, cobblers, carpenters, blacksmiths, tinsmiths, and gunsmiths who practice their trades as they interact with visitors. Approximately 70% of the buildings in the historic district are original. While there, check out the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts, which is the only museum dedicated to the regional decorative arts of the early South (showcasing furniture, textiles, ceramics, paintings, silver, and other metalwares from the early 19^th century). Also, enjoy a fantastic meal at the Old Salem Tavern. http://www.oldsalem.org/

North Carolina Museum of History (Raleigh, NC)

Permanent exhibits showcase North Carolina's military history, decorative arts, and the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame. Special programs include family events, craft demonstrations, and music concerts. http://ncmuseumofhistory.org/

The Lost Colony/Fort Raleigh National Historic Site (Manteo, NC)

The Fort Raleigh National Historic Site preserves the location of Roanoke Colony, the first English settlement in the United States. The colony failed sometime between 1587 and 1590 when supply ships failed to arrive on time, and when next visited the settlement was abandoned with no survivors found. The fate of the colony remains a mystery. Fort Raleigh The Lost Colony is a historical play about Roanoke Colony that is performed summer nights in an outdoor theater located on the site. The play was written by by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Paul Green, and is the longest running outdoor symphonic drama in the world (since 1937). http://thelostcolony.org/

Wright Brothers National Memorial (Manteo, NC)

Located in Kill Devil Hills, the Wright Brothers National Memorial commemorated the first successful, sustained, powered flights of a heavier-than-air machine. Orville and Wilbur Wright were drawn to the location based on its steady winds and privacy. In addition to the memorial tower, small monuments mark the start and finish of the routes of their four flights, and two wooden shed recreate the world's first hangar and the Wright brothers' living quarters. http://www.nps.gov/wrbr/index.htm

Tryon Palace (New Bern, NC)

Tryon Palace is a reconstruction of the colonial royal governors' palace of the Province of North Carolina. In addition to the palace itself, the site encompasses 16 acres of gardens that offer three centuries of gardening history. In 2010, Tryon Palace opened The North Carolina History Center, a 60,000 square foot facility on six acres that includes two major museums (the Pepsi Family Center and the Regional History Museum), a performing arts hall, a museum store, a waterfront cafe, and program and administrative space. While in town, make sure to visit the Birthplace of Pepsi-Cola in downtown New Bern on the site where Pepsi-Cola was first invented by Caleb Bradham in his pharmacy in 1898. http://www.tryonpalace.org/

"Mayberry" (Mount Airy, NC)

Actor Andy Griffith grew up in Mount Airy, and it is no coincidence that a walk down Main Street can feel like a trip to the idyllic "Mayberry" made popular in The Andy Griffith Show. Fans of the show can visit Floyd’s Barber Shop, the Old Mayberry Jail, and Snappy Lunch (where you can take a picture with a TV Land statue of Andy and Opie). Go the last weekend in September to experience the "Mayberry Days" festival. http://www.visitmayberry.com/

North Carolina Transportation Museum (Spencer, NC)

The North Carolina Transportation Museum is located at the former Southern Railway's 1896-era Spencer Shops. Although the museum is primarily focused on North Carolina's railroad history, it also features exhibits on automobiles and aircraft. http://www.nctrans.org/

Guilford Courthouse (Greensboro, NC)

The largest battle of the Revolutionary War's Southern Campaign was fought on March 15, 1781 at Guilford Courthouse. Although the army of 4,500 American militia and Continentals was tactically defeated by the British army of about 1,900 veteran regulars and German allies, the victory came at a loss of over 25% of the British forces. This prompted the British commanding officer, Lord Charles Cornwallis, to abandon the Carolinas in favor of Virginia. Seven months later, Lord Cornwallis would surrender at Yorktown to General George Washington. GuilfordCourthouse

Fort Fisher (Kure Beach, NC)

Fort Fisher was a Confederate fort during the Civil War that protected vital trading routes of the port at Wilmington, NC from 1861 until its capture by the Union in 1865. The fort was located on one of the Cape Fear River's two outlets to the Atlantic Ocean (today known as Pleasure Island), and was known as the Southern Gibraltar due to the roughness of the seas there. FortFisher

Thomas Wolfe House (Asheville, NC)

The Thomas Wolfe House is a historic house and museum that was the childhood home of author Thomas Wolfe, and the setting for his first novel, Look Homeward Angel. He changed the name of his mother's boarding house to "Dixieland" but incorporated his own experienced among family, friends, and boarders. The house was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1971. WolfeHouse

North Carolina Zoo (Asheboro, NC)

The North Carolina Zoo is the largest "walk-through" natural habitat zoo in the world. Located near the geographic center of the state, the North Carolina Zoo has over 1100 animals from over 250 species and is home to the largest collection of chimpanzees of any zoo in America. It was the first American zoo to incorporate the "natural habitat" philosophy, which involves presenting animals and plants in exhibits that resemble the habitats in which they would be found in the wild. Most animals are kept in large tracts of land (the 37 acre African Plains exhibit is as large as many entire zoos), which helps reduce many of the behavior problems that can be caused by close confinement. Open 364 days a year. http://www.nczoo.org/

North Carolina Aquariums (Kure Beach, Roanoke Island, and Pine Knoll Shores, NC)

Three public aquariums make up the North Carolina Aquariums. All three feature dive shows, live animal encounters, and feeding programs. The focus of the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher in Kure Beach is to educate visitors about the waters of the Cape Fear region. The focus of the North Carolina Aquarium at Roanoke Island is the sealife and ecosystems in the waters of the Outer Banks. The North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores features aquatic animals of North Carolina, including sand tiger sharks, a moray eel, a goliath grouper, nurse and sandbar sharks, and various game fish. The Sea Turtle Odyssey exhibit provides visitors a look into the North Carolina Aquarium's successful sea turtle rehabilitation program (weak sea turtle hatchlings from nearby beaches are brought in and rehabilitated until they can be released into the wild). http://www.ncaquariums.com/

Museum of Life and Science (Durham, NC)

The Museum of Life and Science is a science museum on about 80 acres of land in Durham, NC. It features many hands-on exhibits that illustrate natural science concepts. The museum is well known for its aerospace exhibit, which focuses on the early NASA space program and features many artifacts on long-term loan from the National Air and Space Museum. Another well known attraction is its three story glass butterfly zoo and tropical conservatory featuring a community of several hundred tropical butterflies and a range of tropical plants. The Explore the Wild exhibit features American black bears, red wolves, and lemurs, as well as a 900 foot boardwalk over a preserved 6 acre natural space. The Prehistoric Trail exhibit features a number of life-size plaster reptiles and dinosaurs along a woodland path. http://www.ncmls.org/

North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences (Raleigh, NC)

The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences is the oldest established museum in North Carolina and the largest of its kind in the Southeast. It features an array of permanent and special exhibits, live programs, and films that encourage visitors to explore the natural world. The Nature Research Center is a new 80,000 square foot, three story wing that is scheduled to open in April 2012 and will allow children to play a hands-on role in new research.http://naturalsciences.org/

Morehead Planetarium and Science Center (Chapel Hill, NC)

The Morehead Planetarium and Science Center is one of the oldest and largest planetariums in the United States. It is located on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Morehead's planetarium seats about 240 people, has a dome that is 68 feet in diameter and 44 feet tall, and has two different projection systems. Every astronaut in the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, Skylab, and Apollo-Soyuz Test Project programs spent hours in celestial navigation training at the planetarium. http://www.moreheadplanetarium.org/

Duke Lemur Center (Durham, NC)

This 85 acre sanctuary for rare and endangered prosimian primates is located at Duke University. The Duke Lemur Center is the largest sanctuary for prosimian primates in the world, including more than 250 lemurs, bush babies, and lorises. In 1997 the center began a program to reintroduce Black and White Ruffed Lemurs into the Betampona Natural Reserve, the first return of any prosimian primates to Madagascar. The Duke Lemur Center is open to the public, although tours must be scheduled by appointment. http://lemur.duke.edu/

Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute (Balsam Grove, NC)

Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute (PARI) is an astronomical observatory located at the site of the former Rosman Satellite Tracking Station founded by NASA in 1962 and that was a critical communications link for Projects Gemini and Apollo. Today the observatory is affiliated with the University of North Carolina system and operates multiple radio telescopes and optical telescopes for research and teaching purposes. The principal radio research instruments are two 26 meter radio telescopes and a 4.6 meter radio telescope named "Smiley", which have been adapted for precision tracking of celestial radio sources using multiple frequencies. PARI

Carowinds (Charlotte, NC)

Carowinds is a 398 acre amusement park located on the state line between North and South Carolina. The park boasts around 60 state of the art rides, attractions, and shows for all ages. It has a 20 acre water park (Boomerang Bay), 2 water rides outside of the water park, and 13 roller coasters. Younger kids will enjoy hanging out with Nicktoons characters and riding 16 different rides in Nickelodeon Central. http://www.carowinds.com/

Tweetsie Railroad (Blowing Rock, NC)

The Tweetsie Railroad is a family theme park that features a three mile steam powered train ride through the North Carolina mountains. The park also offers live entertainment, amusement rides, and a petting zoo. http://www.tweetsie.com/

Marbles Kids Museum (Raleigh, NC)

Marbles Kids Museum was created through the merger of two existing children's museums in 2007. It offers unique hands-on interactive experiences with permanent exhibits intended for children under 10 years of age. Its mission is to inspire imagination, discovery and learning through extraordinary adventures in play and larger-than-life IMAX experiences. The museum's IMAX Theatre is North Carolina's only Giant Screen certified 3D theater and features a screen five stories high. http://www.marbleskidsmuseum.org/

Children’s Museum of Winston-Salem (Winston-Salem, NC)

The Children's Museum of Winston-Salem is largely based on children's books and features interactive exhibits in an exploratory hands-on space. Visitors can "Step Into a Story" and kids can climb Jack's beanstalk, do some grocery shopping at Food Lion, and visit a Krispy Kreme doughnut factory. http://childrensmuseumofws.org/

SciWorks (Winston-Salem, NC)

SciWorks is a science museum geared toward families with children. The museum consists of a 30,000 square foot building, a 15 acre environmental park, and a planetarium. The exhibits cover a range of topics such as the human body, physics, sound, and North Carolina geography and geology. The environmental park features river otters, white tailed deer, and a barnyard with cows, goats, sheep, donkeys, and a miniature horse. http://www.sciworks.org/

Wet ’n Wild Emerald Pointe Water Park (Greensboro, NC)

Part of the Wet 'n Wild chain of water parks, Emerald Pointe is the largest water park in both of the Carolinas and the 12th largest water park in the United States. There are 36 rides including one of the nation's tallest water slides (Daredevil Drop). The park also features two themed family sections known as Splash Island and Happy Harbor. http://www.emeraldpointe.com/

Great Wolf Lodge (Concord, NC)

Great Wolf Resorts is the largest chain of indoor water parks. The Great Wolf Lodge in Concord, NC is just 4 miles from Charlotte Motor Speedway. In addition to a water park, each resort features specialty restaurants, arcades, spas, fitness rooms and children’s activity areas. GreatWolf

Sports fans have a lot to choose from in North Carolina. A sampling of college and professional sports teams and organizations are provided below. For a more comprehensive list, see here: NCSports

Charlotte Motor Speedway (Concord, NC)

NASCAR’s heart is located in North Carolina. The Speedway plays a big part in the Race For The Cup with Sprint Cup Races in May and October. The Speedway also hosts a dragway, a great behind the scenes tour, and driving schools that let you drive a real race car around the track. CharlotteSpeedway

Carolina Panthers (Charlotte, NC)

The Carolina Panthers are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League. They joined the NFL as an expansion team in 1995 and appeared in Super Bowl XXXVIII in Houston. http://www.panthers.com/

Carolina Hurricanes (Raleigh, NC)

The Carolina Hurricanes are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League. The Hurricanes were formerly the Hartford Whalers, but relocated to North Carolina and changed their name in 1997. They won the Stanley Cup during the 2005-2006 season. http://hurricanes.nhl.com/

Charlotte Bobcats (Charlotte, NC)

The Charlotte Bobcats play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association. They were established in 2004 as an expansion team, two seasons after Charlotte's previous NBA team (the Charlotte Hornets) relocated to New Orleans. http://www.nba.com/bobcats/

NCAA Men's College Basketball (Piedmont NC)

NCAA basketball is serious business in North Carolina. Little wonder, given some of the storied franchises that that call North Carolina home.

• Duke (Durham, NC)
• UNC Chapel Hill (Chapel Hill, NC)
• NC State (Raleigh, NC)
• Wake Forest (Winston-Salem)

Minor League Baseball

Although North Carolina has never been home to a major league club, the state is home to an array of minor league clubs. Triple-A and High-A clubs are listed below:

• Durham Bulls (Durham, NC)
• Carolina Mudcats (Zebulon, NC)
• Winston-Salem Dash (Winston-Salem, NC)
• Charlotte Knights (Charlotte, NC)

There is no shortage of options when it comes to fantastic places to stay in North Carolina. Whether you are just looking for a resort/spa experience, a place to golf, or just somewhere to rest your head, the following is a sampling of just some of the many destinations that North Carolina has to offer:

• The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa (Asheville, NC)
• Pinehurst Resort (Pinehurst, NC)
• The Umstead Hotel and Spa (Cary, NC)
• The Fearrington House Inn (Pittsboro, NC)
• Chetola Resort (Blowing Rock, NC)
• Inn on Biltmore Estate (Asheville, NC)
• Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club (Durham, NC)
• The Ritz-Carlton Charlotte (Charlotte, NC)