Month: December 2016
Location: Charlotte
I was supposed to be in Charlotte the previous weekend, but
had pushed it back to due to another commitment. I had however planned my weekend and
populated my calendar, which was now looking like someone’s school schedule! One of things I wanted to do was an “Escape Room” game. It had been some time since my last one and
so I searched for it online to see what was available. Well, based on the results, it looked like
Charlotte was the “escape capital” of
the US since I found no less than 5 different options. I selected the one which was closest to
downtown because it promised that the staff “stayed
in character”, whatever that meant.
Also, the room I choose was called “South
End Psycho”, where the task was to escape the killer’s room before he
returned. Well, I hope they aren’t too
much in character!
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| The incredibly pretty 'Amelie's' |
I arrived in Charlotte after noon and took a cab to my hotel
in downtown. I dropped off my bags and
left immediately to grab some food. I was
going to a place called ‘Amelie’s’,
which was a few blocks away. As soon as
I entered the place it felt different and though I am no expert, suppose that
this is what bistro’s in France look like.
The place inside had wide open spaces, without trying to fill up with as
many tables and chairs. I spotted a
replica of the “Eiffel Tower” and there
were different stations, including a “coffee
bar” as well as one for pastries.
You placed your order and they give you a pager type device that you
place on some sort of reader on your table so that the server can find
you. Very elaborate if you ask me. I looked over in the pastry case where an entire
section was dedicated to “Macarons”,
though I spotted something that I knew I just had to order – my favorite
dessert, “Crème Brule”. I found a table overlooking their bakery,
which was closed; else you could see all the goodies being made. The food was excellent and before I left, I
had to get something to go – their most famous creation, “Salted Carmel Brownie”.
Before I left the café I noticed that it was bigger than I thought, with
a couple more rooms in the back. If I
lived here, this would certainly be one of my favorite destinations, though
looking at the goodies; it may not have been a good idea.
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| At the 'Mint Museum' |
A block away was my next stop, ‘Bechtler Museum of Modern Art’.
The place looked empty and I was asked to go up to the 4th
floor and then work my way down to the lobby.
The top floor had, by far, the largest gallery though one of the floors
had an outdoor terrace with some sculptors.
It also had a nice view and so I went outside for a bit, but was done
sooner with this museum than anticipated.
Right next door was ‘Mint Museum’,
which housed more “classical” art
pieces. It was also significantly
bigger, but just as empty. I had a good
time walking through the galleries and at the of it went over to the restaurant
in the museum, called ‘Halcyon Flavors Of
The Earth’. As museum restaurants
go, this one was more than a café and one of the more reputable places in the
city. I started the next phase of my day
by ordering a cocktail, and it wouldn’t be the last of the evening.
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| My stop at 'Cellar At Duckworth' |
I started walking towards the heart of the downtown and the
evening was setting in. One of the joys
is to discover some hidden gems and I came across an alley which had
cobblestones and a dead end, but lined along either side were restaurants, bars
and local shops. I was looking for a
place called “5 Church” for some
cocktails, but they were closed for a private event. With my record, I was sure it would be a
wedding. My travels have done for
weddings what the “East India Company”
did for the spice trade! I had plenty on
my list though and so I just went to my next place which was called ‘Cellar At Duckworth’, which true to its
name, was a “speakeasy” in the
basement of a restaurant called ‘Duckworth’. I arrived just as they were about to open and
that was good, since they were booked solid and usually get busy. I got a place at the bar and despite a
technically savvy menu on an ipad, I
knew what I wanted – a “Smoked Whiskey
Sour” cocktail. It was great as
advertised and as I enjoyed it, the place got full.
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| Yep, that's all mine |
This place was fantastic, but I was going to an even better
place called ‘The Punch Room’, which
was located in ‘The Ritz Carlton’. I wandered all over the place before locating
the hotel and the lobby looked great, having been decorated for the
holidays. I took the elevator to the
lounge and was led inside a room that was as elegant as any place I have been
to. I sat at the bar and the mixologist
was a nice guy to chat with. I had been
told that the thing to have here was something called “Top Of The Hill Punch”, but the dilemma was that it wasn’t served
as a solitary drink, but as something to share in a punch bowl. I told him that if he served me I would have
it, not necessarily to finish it, but because I wanted to have the thing that
they are most known for. So I ordered it
and a big bowl was placed in front of me along with a small tea cup and it
would take a lot of those to get through the bowl. I was enjoying the drink as well as the
conversations and he told me about a “cocktail
class” taking place in the city the next day. A couple of ladies sat down at the bar and
since I had plenty of punch to share, I offered them some of it. Perhaps moved by my generosity, the
mixologist gave me another drink on the house and then I ordered their second
best drink for good measure.
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| The beautiful interior of 'McNinch House' |
As can be imagined, it was a very different me who left the
lounge and somehow I managed to walk to my dinner destination which was on a
street that looked like it had some residential houses. In fact, my place was a vintage house that
had been converted to an elegant restaurant called ‘McNinch House’. It had been
voted Charlotte’s “most romantic
restaurant” and I could see why. It
was a great setting and my table was in a cozy room next to a “Christmas Tree”. Plus the food was quite good and this has
been one of the best evenings during my travels. I called an ‘Uber’ at the end and while I had mentioned to the mixologist in ‘Cellar At Duckworth’ that I would be
back, it was definitely time for bed.
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| The '7th Street Public Market' |
Next morning it was bright and sunny and I was headed to a
place called ‘7th Street
Public Market’, which appeared to be similar to Chicago’s ‘French Market’. As I walked towards it, I passed through one
of the more extravagant “Bus Stations”
that I have seen. I took a wrong turn
and normally would be annoyed, but I came across a building where some sort of
activity was going on and I saw several “Servicemen”
and “Servicewomen” as well as “civilian” families. It seems like they were hosting some sort of “family day”, with some kids activities
like “arts & crafts” etc. As I entered the building the officers
treated me like a celebrity, opening the doors with flourish and with welcoming
smiles. I did feel out of place though
and left, but it did seem like a fun place for the kids.
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| The shoes of 'Dandelion Market' |
After I had located the market, it was as I had expected,
with different food places and even a small marketplace. I had brunch plans elsewhere, but I did grab
a coffee at a place called ‘Not Just
Coffee’, which is one of popular local cafes.
I walked over to my brunch location, which was a place called ‘Dandelion Market’. On the wall in the main dining area were
displayed several shoes like it was a footwear store. When I asked, I was told that the original
establishment in Ireland with this name used to be a shoe store.
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| 'The Schiele Museum of Natural History' |
Post brunch I ordered an ‘Uber’
and I was going quite far…well by my usual standards anyways. About 30 minutes outside of Charlotte, in the
town of Gastonia was ‘The Schiele Museum
of Natural History’. Typically I
wouldn’t go out there, but I had to find something to do this afternoon and I
decided to combine it with other places outside of downtown, though I would
need to drive everywhere. In fact, my
driver even mentioned that he had never been to this town before and asked me
if I knew where we were going. I didn’t
and that was evident when the “GPS”
instructed him to drop me off at a location that was behind the museum and it
took me some time to walk all the way around the building and into the main
entrance.
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| The outdoor setup for an "18th Century Christmas" |
The museum itself wasn’t that big, but interesting
nevertheless. They had a healthy mix of “astronomy” and “nature” with a “pirate ship”
thrown it. They also had a “Planetarium” and I had bought tickets
for a show and that gave me a chance to charge my phone as I waited. The museum also extended outside on the
grounds and there were several trails that took visitors to ponds and cabins
and also a village where they had recreated a “18th
Century” setting. For the 2nd
time in 2 months, I was visiting a period during the “Revolutionary War”. Plus,
this afternoon people had dressed-up from that period and were conducting a “Christmas” from that era, with various
activities happening throughout the village, including singing. I walked through the village as well as the
property and then called my ride for the next destination.
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| 'Billy Graham Library' |
I was going to a place called ‘Billy Graham Library’ and knew nothing about it, other than the
fact that I had been told that they had “carriage
rides”. The lady who picked me up
started gushing about it and called it the best place in Charlotte. She also said that she was contemplating
joining me for the tour so that she could show me around. I wasn’t too keen on that and made an excuse
saying that I had a phone call to make as soon as I got out. As we drove, I learned that it was her first
day driving for ‘Uber’ and that she
was only doing it because her husband had gone to prison for fraud. Plus, she was trying to show me pictures of
this street nearby which lights up the entire neighborhood for Christmas. It was an interesting ride for sure and I was
happy to reach our destination, which was unlike anything that I had ever seen.
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| '"Billy Graham House" |
I saw the aforementioned rides taking place on the side and
there was a long line for it. However,
the most impressive thing on the property was a huge barn with a cross for an opening. While that was the main
building, before we got there was a walk through the private residence with all
the rooms and furniture left intact. I
learned that Billy Graham is one of nations most well-known “Evangelist” and is revered in these
parts. As I entered the barn, I saw
a long line of people, the most that I have seen at any museum during my
travels. I went to the “Information Desk” and learned that if I
followed the line, I would be taken through Billy Graham’s entire journey and
his place in history. It would also take me
some time to get in. However, I got lucky
since there was a big group that was together and so I got to go ahead and with
a short wait of 20 minutes, managed to join the guided tour.
Through several video’s, exhibits and stories, we were told a lot about
Billy Graham the man, his family life, contributions to society and also about
the foundations. It was very well done
and I found it to be educational without being too preachy and religious.
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| The market at the brewery |
I called an ‘Uber’,
hoping it wouldn’t be the same lady and thankfully it wasn’t, though it took
some time for the driver to find me. My
next stop was at ‘The Olde Mecklenburg
Brewery’, a German “brewhaus”, but
I wasn’t going there for that. They were
having something called “Weihnachtsmarkt
Christmas Market” in their “biergarten”
with local artisans and other fun activities.
As expected, it was crowded when I arrived and people were outside in
the market despite a slight chill.
Apparently this place is popular with dogs as I saw a lot of them. I walked through the market and while there
was a big line for beer and pretzels, I stuck to some nice warm “hot chocolate”. As usual, my phone was dying and I went
inside the grand hall – that was bursting at the seams – and spend some time
charging my phone. Then I called a ride
to go for my “escape room” game.
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| The creepy entrance to the "escape room" |
As with other “escape
rooms”, this one was located in a remote location outside downtown in what
looked like an “industrial park”. I wasn’t sure that I had been dropped off at
the right location and after a bit of searching, found that my game – called “Blackout” - was on the 2nd
floor of one of the buildings. As soon
as I entered, I learned what they meant by “being
in character” as the lady greeted me as an “agent” and everyone there was dressed in character as well. As I waited for the rest of my team to arrive
– charging my phone of course – the theme song was playing on a loop near me
and I’ll be darned if it wasn’t catchy, even after the 20th time. My teammates arrived soon and they were 2
middle-aged couples who were extremely friendly and were here to have fun. When they learned that I had experience with
these kinds of games, I was nominated as the leader and we were ready to go in.
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| My team |
The staff members took us inside a room and briefed us on
our “mission”, which was to
infiltrate a killers apartment, look for clues regarding the crimes that he had
committed, and get out before he came back in an hour. We were given a “walkie talkie radio” for communication and I was entrusted with
it. Then we were blindfolded and led to
a room where we were told there could be “ghosts”
of his victims. Sure enough, we could
feel someone touching our legs and I could see how that may make people
uncomfortable. Once we were allowed to
see, we saw that it was a room befitting a psychopath, with dismembered puppets
and some other scary items. We spotted
something like cupcakes in one corner and it said “Happy Anniversary” to one of the couples, which I thought was a
nice touch. We got to work and I was
kept busy on the radio with clues and hints, including one where they urged us
frantically to find a hiding place since the killer was on his way. We hid behind a mattress, while a man came
in with some weapon and tried searching for us before leaving. At one stage a girl emerged from a trunk and
said that she was one of his prisoners and helped us with our clues. The main intention here was to ensure that the
guests had a terrific time and so with lots of hints, we escaped with
seconds to spare. Of all the rooms that
I have played in, this was the best in terms of the storyline and execution, as
well as the experience.
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| At 'Heirloom' |
After pictures I bid my teammates goodbye and called yet
another ‘Uber’ to my dinner destination,
which was a few miles away, a restaurant called, ‘Heirloom’. It was one of
those “farm-to-table” concepts and
advertised as having “fresh ingredients”
etc., as if that is a unique concept. I
liked the interior, though I was seated near a window and even though it was
closed, the insulation wasn’t quite up to standard and a cold draft was seeping
in. However, the food was good and I was
glad to have come here. I called my ride
and came back to my hotel in a much better state than last night. One of the top cocktail lounges in Charlotte
– ‘Fahrenheit’ – was actually located
on the rooftop of my hotel. I decided to
stop there and the elevator was full of people with the same idea. The place was packed and rocking, with music
and “fire pits” and cocktails. There was no way that I was going to get a
seat at the bar and I did not want to stand in a crowd. So I retired back to my room, though any
other time I would have loved to have stayed.
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| The impressive 'NASCAR Hall of Fame' |
North Carolina has a fascination for “NASCAR” racing and Charlotte is home to its “Hall of Fame”. It was a
couple of blocks away from my hotel and so I walked over there this Sunday
morning and arrived just as they were opening.
I grew up loving “Formula 1”
racing and have even been to several races back when they had them in
Indianapolis. But I have never seen a
single “NASCAR” race, so this would
be a learning experience for me. It is
an impressive building from outside and equally so on the inside. Along with my ticket I was given a plastic
card, which I could personalize by activating at one of the kiosks. But first, there was an introductory film in
a theater with a huge wraparound screen where we were shown the history of the
sport and introduced to some of its big superstars. They said that they even show live races on
it and that would be spectacular.
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| On the track! |
I activated my card and what that enabled was an interactive
experience throughout the museum, where I could visit various stations and do
activities and earn points. Plus, I had
my own "virtual host" who would be guiding me throughout the tour. The main gallery was fantastic with a
replica of an oval track on which were placed all the cars and the coolest
thing was the “banking” of the
track. As you went up the ramp, you got
a sense of how steep the curves are around an oval track. The 2nd floor got into the
technicalities of a racing car with activities where users were encouraged to “set-up a car” and it was registered
on your card. It was a very well
designed museum and a very good place for kids and adults alike. I went through the 4 floors and left, skipping several activities, which I’m sure disappointed my virtual host. I also did not participate in a virtual race
where participants climb into full-sized stationary cars on a track and the entire thing
plays like a video game.
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| "Genghis Khan exhibit" |
After a quick lunch at a place called ‘Midwood Smokehouse’, I came back to downtown for something that
has become a tradition – going to a “Science
Museum”; in this case ‘Discovery
Place’. Besides usual activities for
kids, they also had a room that resembled a “tropical
forest” as well as some aquariums.
However, the most impressive thing was an exhibit on Genghis Khan, with
historical stories and settings.
I stayed there for some time, before going to my final museum on this
visit – ‘Levine Museum of the New South’. This is a museum that explores the history of
the “South” – primarily Charlotte
area - since the “Civil War”. It was very well set up with the exhibits, as
well as replicas of shops and businesses from that era through which visitors
could gain insights. It was a good way
to end my visit.
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| Final stop at 'Levine Museum of the New South' |
Before heading back to the hotel to pick up my luggage, I
went back to ‘Not Just Coffee’ inside
the ‘7th Street Public Market’
and since I had some time, sat at the counter while watching the football games
on TV. I walked back to the hotel and
called a ride to the airport, chatting with the driver who was an immigrant
from Africa. It had been a terrific
visit and I had done a lot. My first
evening had been a lot of fun, as was yesterday’s visit to the “escape room”. Not a bad start to the 2nd half of my
travels.
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