Will be going to Charlotte, NC on Oct. 26-28 to see the Bucs play the Panthers. We're wanting to check out the night life while we're there. any suggestions on good restaraunts/clubs/bars/live music venues would be appreciated.

The South End district not far from the stadium has a lot going on.

Thanks. Also looking for scenic drives, waterfalls especially and hope to see leaves changing colors. We dont get that here in Tampa.

In order to recommend a club/bar, I'd have to know your age: 20s? 30s? 40s? 50s and up?

Arabella, I'm interested in a club for 37 and a half year olds. Can you recommend something?

What about for 43 and 2 month olds?

I think the leaves will be past their peak by then especially with the drought we are experiencing. But you could drive I40 to Asheville and on to Knoxville and then go south on I75 to go home. Or drive to the Boone Blowing Rock area for the day and drive the Blue Ridge Parkway from Boone down to Asheville. Beautiful drive.

Thanks. Will be flying both ways so I'm kinda looking for a 1/2 day trip, just to kill a few hours. I'm 32, and like rock music, kinda looking for live rock/blues

Lots of good places to eat uptown. Try Mimosa Grill in the Wachovia building on Tryon. Lavechia's for Seafood at Fifth Street Station. (Though, if you're from Tampa, you can't do better than your local fare). Good pizza galore: Brixx Pizza (also attached to Fifth Street Station), Fuel Pizza on Tryon Street, Pizeria Uno near Wachovia and brand new Wolfman's Uptown on the back side of the IJL Building (Tryon and Sixth). Bistro 100 in Founders Hall at the Bank of America Corporate Center. Uptown chains include Capital Grille, Palominos. Check out the Charlotte Observer restaurant reviews at charlotte.com for more ideas.

Bar - Double Door! This is a nationally known blues bar. Live music 6 days a week. All ages welcome (over 21). Food - previous suggestions were good for downtown. Just beyond downtown is Portofino's on Park Rd. - great italian fare. Mountains are 2.5 hours away, so I don't know that you could get much in for 1/2 day. But Blowing Rock is very cool, touristy but on the upscale side. Eat brunch at Village Cafe in Blowing Rock if you get up there. Will need reservations though - it's a casual but very popular place. have fun!

There is a state park in Albemarle (about an hour east of Charlotte) that might still have colorful leaves. I think it's named Morrow Mountain. You would take Albemarle Rd. east from Charlotte, it turns into Highway 24-27 outside of town.

Or head north on I-77 to Mt. Airy. Off of Highway 52 is Pilot Mountain state park. My guess is Pilot mtn. would lose leaves earlier than Morrow Mtn.

Neither park has waterfall. For waterfall you need to head up toward Brevard. A few hours from Charlotte. Brevard tourism has a website and the site has a map of waterfalls in the area.

Just a thought... There are closer waterfalls to Charlotte than Brevard, although Transylvania County is known as "The Land of Waterfalls".

At any rate, the falls closer to Charlotte can be found in Chimney Rock Park, in far northwest Rutherford County, and in Polk County near Saluda. There will probably be quite a bit of color at both locations, though no one can say... It's supposed to rain for the next few days here and that usually brings down a lot of leaves, even if they haven't changed colors yet!

Oh yeah...

It bears mentioning that the easiest way to get to Chimney Rock and Saluda would be to take Hwy 74 up into the mountains -- Hwy 74 joins I-26 near Columbus, NC which is close to Saluda -- which has an exit off I-26. The main waterfall in Saluda is Pearson's Falls and anyone in town can tell you how to get to it. (For the record, take Pearson's Falls Rd, which branches off of Main St past Cullipher St, next to the shops at Nostalgia Courtyard)

From Saluda you could head up Hwy 176 (Spartanburg Hwy) to Hendersonville, stopping at the historic bridge overlook along the way to see another waterfall. From Hendersonville it's a straight shot to Chimney Rock along Hwy 64 (Four Seasons Blvd in town, but becoming Chimney Rock Rd at the intersection of Hwy 64, Francis, and Sugarloaf Rds), and on to Hwy 74-A (which does not connect to Hwy 74 -- don't ask, it's complicated). Chimney Rock is located in Hickory Nut Gorge, which has the Rocky Broad River flowing through it and is a whitewater river flowing over boulders, innumerable small waterfalls, and rapids that is a sight to behold. Although, the waterfall I'm thinking of in the park is Hickory Nut Falls, a 402-ft-tall thread of white water spilling over a cliff into the valley.

The Asheville-Hendersonville area is a popular daytrip destination for Charlotteans and it will take you about two hours (an hour and a half if you speed, and just over an hour if you floor it) to get here.