Charlotte

by Hannah Miller

If you want to sample the cultural and scenic delights of Charlotte/Mecklenburg, there are nearly as many ways to do it as there are things to see. Transportation choices range from the LYNX Blue Line, North Carolina’s only light-rail system, to Segways zipping down city sidewalks. From bikes that traverse in-town neighborhoods rich in history and scenery to a Mississippi paddleboat look-alike cruising Lake Norman.

LYNX Blue Line

For the uptown part of its 9.6-mile Blue Line route, the electrically-powered train runs parallel, but a couple of blocks away, from major artery Tryon Street.

Strung out southward like so many beads on a necklace are 15 stations, shielded waiting spots where you buy a $1.75 (adult) ticket before hopping a train, which on weekdays comes as often as 7 or 8 minutes. You can check complete schedules, fares and maps at www.ridetransit.org, by calling (704) 366-7433 weekdays, or download this mobile app.

That rhythmic thump you hear near Charotte Transportation Center/Arena station may be Charlotte’s NBA basketball team, the Charlotte Bobcats, dribbling in Time Warner Cable Arena. A 1 ½-block walk from a station farther down the line, and you’re at Bank of America Stadium, where the Carolina Panthers hold sway. Stations uptown and in South End are gateways to a wide array of museums, restaurants, galleries and theaters.

People-Powered Tours

If you’d rather move about under your own steam, there’s a second-Saturday walking tour presented by Charlotte Crown Guides. It touches on the art and history concentrated in 15 blocks of uptown. Reservations required. Please call (704) 562-5350.

If you want to try your skill at maneuvering a Segway, 1 ½-hour Segway tours of uptown depart seven days a week from the headquarters of Charlotte NC Tours, at 401 East Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

“Most people get the hang of it within 5 or 10 minutes,” says company partner Carol Frazee. A guide comments on everything from Levine Center for the Arts and its three celebrated galleries to historic Independence Square and the restored 19th-century neighborhood of Fourth Ward. Reservations are required for this and other tours of varying lengths.

On weekends, experienced cyclists may opt for a Charlotte NC Tours bicycle trip through not only uptown but of some of the city’s older neighborhoods, which offer “character and texture,” says Frazee. Reservations required. Visit www.charlottenctours.com or call (704) 962-4548.

City Cruising

Mingling with the sound of traffic along Tryon Street on weekends is the clip-clop of horses’ feet. On Friday, (6pm - 10pm) Saturday (noon - 10pm), and Sunday (noon-6 p.m.), horse-drawn carriages depart on 20-minute, half-hour and hour tours of uptown from Southern Breezes Carriages’ kiosk at Trade and Tryon. Guides point out places of interest, from the EpiCentre’s nightlife to the spot at McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurant where Confederacy President Jefferson Davis was standing when he heard President Lincoln had been shot. And you can pet the horses, including Sponge Bob, Elvis, Fat Albert, and moonwalking Thriller. Call  (704) 301-5111 for reservations or special requests.

Country Cruising

Out from the city’s core, in the old Revolutionary War patriots’ stronghold of north Mecklenburg, you can get a feel for local history and wildlife at Mecklenburg County-operated, 1,351-acre Latta Plantation Nature Preserve.

Guided horseback rides, carriage rides, and Segway tours on wooded trails and canoe and kayak tours on Mountain Island Lake are all available by reservation at the preserve, 1601 Sample Road in Huntersville.

To reserve horseback rides and carriages at the Latta Equestrian Center, please call (704) 992-1550. www.lattaequestriancenter.com.

To reserve Segway, canoe and kayaks, call (704) 875-1391 at the Latta Plantation Nature Center, or visit www.parkandrec.com.

Luxury at the Lake

Nature’s also on view at Mountain Island’s northern neighbor, Lake Norman, but so are the multimillion-dollar homes of the region’s rich and famous, including NASCAR drivers. During a twice-daily luncheon cruise (three times on Sat.-Sun.) captains of the Catawba Queen, the Mississippi paddleboat replica, point out outstanding examples. Boats leave from Mooresville’s Queen’s Landing, a 30-mile drive from uptown Charlotte. Dinner cruises are five evenings a week, by reservation. Please call (704) 663-2628 or visit the Queen's Landing web site.

Back to Wildlife

Farther south on the Catawba, it’s back to turtles and herons at the U.S. National Whitewater Center and also McDowell Park on Lake Wylie.

At the whitewater center in west Mecklenburg, near the intersection of I-485 and I-85, you can take a guided river tour in a kayak, or you can opt for the newer sport of paddle boarding. Standing on a 14-foot board, you propel yourself with an extra-long paddle. Guides give tips on technique and point out wildlife. You’ll need a pass – there are several price levels – and a $5 parking fee. Call (704) 391-3900, ext. 192 (flatwater boating).

At the county’s McDowell Park on Lake Wylie, www.parkandrec.com, family kayak tours are conducted on Saturday mornings and Sunday afternoons, and adult tours go out on Wednesday evenings. Pre-registration required, at McDowell Nature Center, (704) 588-5224.