Just checking in. Have you visited Asheville yet? I had to laugh that you avoid pictures in TRs...I'm the opposite and often forget to read if there are photos. LOL. Looking forward to hearing about your trips.

Tdudette—I’ll be in Asheville at the end of the month. :) Looking forward to visiting as well as posting a trip report with my thoughts afterward.

Thhis article about Charlotte's dive bars was just in our city magazine. Don't know if any of this is your "style". It's pretty funny to me as an old person!!

https://www.charlottemagazine.com/a-...tte-dive-bars/

Hey Daniel. I jsut thought of our new favorite place to gather with family and you will enjoy it also. Walking distance of uptown--Optimist Hall. It is a "food court" in an old mill. The food offered is WONDERFUL. AND I understand it is a very "happening" place at night for gathering. There are probably 20 different kinds of food offered. We LOVE Xia Bao Biscuit (a Japanese resto originally from Charleston). There is Indian, Mexican, noodles, empanadas, hamburgers, craft beer, cocktails bakery, etc. I'll try to come back with a link. Good stuff.

Gretchen—Thanks for this! :) I’m starting to think I might wish I had allotted more time to Charlotte!

It's a worthy stop. Another thing you might enjoy just walking around uptown is the lobby of the Bank of America building and its Ben Long frescoes--a modern use of that ancient technique. Then down the street at Stl Peter's Catholic Church (across from the Bechtler) are more of his frescoes. Worth a duck in to look.

We just got home from North Carolina. We checked off a bucket list item and stayed overnight at the Grove Park Inn, and had dinner on the open patio with "that" view. Drinks and steaks were very good. The history of the place is really remarkable. Construction started in 1913 and was completed in one year. Amazing as you look at the size of the stones used. A master stone mason from Italy was the overseer.

Have a drink in one of the rocking chairs by the fireplace, and peek around the right side to see the elevator hidden in the stone work.

Gretchen—Thanks for the Ben Long fresco suggestions

rncheryl—Grove Park Inn sounds delightful!