Experience NASCAR (at least once)

Get a ticket, watch the high-speed frenzy, and party in the campgrounds at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. This experience is a rite of passage around here, and you won’t regret it. The races go down on asphalt as well as dirt, with major events like the Monster Energy All-Star Race, the Monster Truck Bash and the World of Outlaws Finals. If that adrenaline high has you itching to drive a derby car of your own, then sign up to drive a real NASCAR race car around the track (about $300 for 3 hours).

Spend the day at the Whitewater

At the U.S. National Whitewater Center, you can go whitewater rafting, ziplining, rappelling, and rock climbing over a 16-foot-deep pool. There are also free public events here like Open Water Swim, yoga classes, and the River Jam concert series, where the music ranges from bluegrass, folk, blues and outlaw country to alt rock, punk, and metal.

Taste the local flavors

Barbecue is Charlotte’s signature dish, and all you need in order to find it is a good nose. Local favorites include Midwood Smokehouse, Sauceman’s, Mac’s Speed Shop, and Queen City Q. Beyond barbecue, the Queen City is booming with innovative foodie enterprises. There are gourmet food trucks, French bakeries, vegan creations, modern fusions, and authentic international eats. Peruse the fresh, local bites at 7th Street Market. Try the schnitzel at Waldhorn Restaurant, the Bosnian burgers at Euro Grill, the antipasta at Portofino’s, or the comfort Polish plates at Taste of Europe Polish Cuisine. Enjoy your way through the flavors of the Middle East at La Shish Kabob and the Golden Bakery. Try the elegant Indian cooking at Copper or The Blue Taj, and the variety of Asian spots like Lang Van Vietnamese and Futo Buta. For African cuisine, there’s Queen Sheba, Ajbani Moroccan Cuisine, and Nubian Queens Restaurant. And for a lively Cuban meal, get a table before the band starts at A Piece of Havana.

Live the lake life

North Carolina is well-known for its mountains and beaches, but in Charlotte it’s all about the lakes. Lake Norman is located 30 minutes from the city center, where you can chill on the sandy lakefront of Ramsey Creek Beach, or rent a boat for fishing, skiing, wakeboarding, or tubing. For a quiet country escape, head southwest to Lake Wylie, where you can find a shady spot by the water, pitch a tent, make a fire, and campout in the serene, undeveloped beauty of the McDowell Nature Preserve.

Prost in a local brewery

‘Prost’ is one of the most important words for beer drinkers. It means “cheers,” and you’ll be saying it a lot around here. There are tons of brewmasters in town, including Cornelius’ Ass Clown Brewery, NoDa Brewery, Unknown Brewing Co., Sycamore Brewing, Wooden Robot Brewery, and The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery, which won a gold medal at the 2015 European Beer Star Competition.

431 W Peterson Dr York Road • Charlotte, NC

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