Charlotte, North Carolina Travel Guide || Spring 2023 2 Day Itinerary, Restaurant Recommendations & Outfit Ideas
Stop 4/5 of my spring road trip was to Charlotte, North Carolina! So many of you asked to me see in this booming city and to my surprise, I loved it. If you know me, then you know I’m not really a city girl but Charlotte was a nice change of pace after Savannah, Charleston, and Wilmington.
There were four main reasons I really enjoyed this city— 1) it’s extremely clean, 2) it’s very quiet, 3) it’s super green, 4) there aren’t necessarily things you have to do here. For the most part, we just got to set out and explore, “see where the day might take us”. Charlotte feels less like a tourist destination and more like a city full of young working adults that have so many options on how to spend their free time.
I was pleasantly surprised by it. Although initially disappointed that we didn’t have the chance to spend four nights here as we did in the other cities, I ended up feeling satisfied with the length of our stay. It didn’t feel like I “needed” more time to “see the sights”.
With that being said, it’s time for me to break down our short and sweet itinerary complete with restaurant recs, things to do, hotel details, and outfit ideas. We weren’t here long enough for me to share a full outfit guide so I’m combining this post into one! Hope you don’t mind and enjoy having everything at easy access.
WHERE TO STAY
For this trip, we stayed two nights at the Tryon Park Hotel. This Kimpton hotel is located in the heart of downtown and just steps away from Bank of America Stadium (NFL), Truist Field (MILB), The Mint Museum, and more. A great location if you’re looking to be in the middle of all the action or are attending any sporting events.
Our stay at Tryon Park Hotel couldn’t have been lovelier. We stayed in one of their 2 Queen Rooms With Park View. We were greeted with the sweetest treats to kick start our stay. Yummy chocolates, the most amazing cookies ( I legit ate three in one sitting), and a bottle of rose.
Our room was super spacious and couldn’t have been comfier. Kimpton properties are always some of my favorites! The sweetest surprise was having an adorable wallpapered closet full of plush robes. There’s nothing that makes me feel more luxe when staying at a hotel than that right there!
A sliding barn door gave way to the bathroom. We had a huge countertop and mirror which made getting ready each morning a breeze. We had an entire glass shower! Housekeeping came daily to freshen the place up and deliver fresh linens which I always appreciate.
If you’re bringing a car, it’s important to note Tryon Park is valet only. Charlotte is a true city with very minimal street parking so having someone else deal with parking the car in a garage made things stress-free. Someone is on-site 24/7 so you are able to get your car retrieved whenever you’d like.
There is also a restaurant and rooftop bar here which I will touch on later as we did play a visit to both during our time in Charlotte. Overall cannot say enough good things about our stay at Tryon Park. We had a quick, comfortable stay and impeccable service. If you’re interested in booking the Tryon Park Hotel click here for current availability and best rates.
TRANSPORTATION
Charlotte is so much bigger than I expected. Unlike the other historical cities we visited before this, Charlotte is very modern and extremely built up. It’s a true city and although it’s safe and clean to walk in, you’ll be walking for hours to get from one end to the next. There were a few areas we wanted to check out there were just a mile or two apart but for the most part, we had to take an Uber or Lyft.
If you’re flying in, the closest airport to downtown is Charlotte Airport (CLT). It’s roughly a fifteen-minute ride from here to downtown.
WHAT TO WEAR
There are very few cities I travel to where I can start and finish the day in the same outfit in one outfit but Charlotte was one of them! For that reason, I only have two outfits to share but they were perfect for the occasion. For reference, we visited in late May and the weather was beautiful: mid-seventies, sunshine, and absolutely no humidity!
City Seeing
I wasn’t sure what to expect going into day one in Charlotte… when in doubt I throw on a lightweight line sundress and hit the town! This basic black dress was a recent Urban Outfitters find and it ended up being perfect for our afternoon of exploring + dinner and drinks out. It earns bonus points because it has pockets!
With a pair of basic black sandals and a cute little crossbody, this was a cute yet functional outfit for a day on the go. You can’t go wrong with this combination.
Hippie Chick
tank || skirt || sandals || purse
Day two I wanted to spice things up a bit so I reached for my current favorite duo: a basic tank with a denim maxi skirt. I felt very Free People esq in this and was pleased when I got stopped in the store itself about where my skirt was from (it’s linked😉). Plus a denim skirt looks far more interesting than plain jane jeans!
WHERE TO EAT/DRINK
My favorite thing to do in a city is eat. Unfortunately, we weren’t in Charlotte long enough to check out a ton of places but I did still gather a few recommendations worth sharing. If you have any must-visit restaurants be sure to leave them below. I would love to add them to the list!
Angeline’s
Menu || Directions
I love a hotel restaurant as much as the next person. It’s easy, convenient, and oftentimes the chicest spot in town. We had to check out Tryon Park’s Italian restaurant, Angelines. We kick-started the night with a round of Southern Spritzes.
If you know me then you know I never crave pizza, like ever. But, when at an Italian restaurant it feels essential, so the girls and I agreed to split two pizzas and a pasta. This ended up being a *bit* unnecessary because the Bianca pizza was so good I ended up eating most of it myself, haha. This was topped with white sauce, mozzarella, rosemary, aleppo, and whipped ricotta and it was incredible. An easy 10/10 from the food critic queen herself!
Merchant & Trade
Menu || Directions
Not only did our hotel have a restaurant but it also had a rooftop bar, Merchant & Trade which was recommended countless times to me by followers and friends. Of course, we had to give it a try! I ended up having two Aperol Spritz’s up here. I’m more of a dive bar girl myself but if you’re looking for a lively spot with amazing views, this is the place to be.
Velvet Taco
Menu || Directions
Velvet Taco has a few locations scattered across the south but this was my first time in one! We grabbed a quick bite to eat and I was shocked at how good these order-at-the-counter tacos were. I got a chicken and waffles one which was the perfect mix of sweet and salty and the blackened shrimp loaded up with corn, tomato, and avocado.
Not my favorite atmosphere for a restaurant but the food exceeded my expectations. I definitely suggest getting a round of chips and queso too!
Suffolk Punch Brewing
Menu || Directions
We ended up coming to Suffolk Punch Brewery for a few hours where we sipped on a few drinks, met some people our age, and chatted with the owners. We quickly realized people use breweries as coffee shops here, so bringing your laptop and getting some work done in one is very common! Highly suggest checking a few out—we liked this spot best.
WHAT TO DO
Like I said there’s nothing you have to do in Charlotte. It’s one of those cities you can just go out and meet a few people in. Chat them up, get a new recommendation, and hop with them to the next spot/adventure. It’s very dead during a weekday because most people are at work but in the evening there are a gazillion people out walking their dogs, grabbing a bite to eat, and just hanging out.
I imagine this is a great city to get on Bumble BFF in! Here’s what we got ourselves into during our two-day stay.
Explore The South End
The South End is where all the cool, hip, transplant twenty-somethings live, eat, shop, and hang out. You could go up to just about anyone and make a friend within ten seconds, I guarantee it. There are a lot of funky murals and unique spots. We just set out and started walking through to see what we could find.
I highly suggest checking out Girl Tribe. This is the cutest boutique in town! They also had a Paddy Wax here which is one of my favorite experience-based activities where you pick a candle jar, a scent, and make your own candle. We didn’t do it this trip but I’ve done it before and it’s such a fun, relaxing way to spend an hour.
Just bop around this area for a bit and see what you can find! It’s residential in the best way.
Visit Vestique
One of my favorite Instagram boutiques Vestique is head-quartered in Charlotte and they have two different storefronts. Of course, we had to stop in while we were in town. I ended up getting a dress and a two-piece set for my upcoming trip to Cabo!
Super cute spot and affordable prices. If you need something last minute for an event, I highly suggest stopping in here.
Shop Along Atherton Mills
Atherton Mills is the main shopping area of Charlotte. This is where you can find Anthropologie, Free People, Sephora, and more. They also have a few of the more niche storefronts like Tecovas and Warby Parker. It’s very modern here and partially indoors with a few food halls mixed in.
If I lived here I could imagine this would get a regular weekend visit from me!
Golfing at The Puttery
If you’ve got a group of friends and are looking for an activity to do that’s indoors, I highly suggest checking out The Puttery. This is an indoor put-put golf experience where you get to eat and drink cocktails as you go. I had the best Spritz of my trip here—a fruity twist to it that was so light and refreshing.
You pick between “The Library” setting and “The Conservatory” and out nine holes. Scorecards are kept electronically and there’s a bar within the course so you can refresh your beverage. We had a blast here. Definitely would come here again!
Brewery Hop
Charlotte is one of those strange cities that has a rule against happy hour. However, the second the clock strikes five pm on a Thursday you can find almost every twenty-something that owns a collared shirt and pair of dress pants at a brewery because Thursday’s beers are half off, city-wide.
As previously stated, we went to Suffolk Punch to start the evening and then let the evening take us elsewhere! Very fun and there are all kinds of cider + cocktail options if you aren’t a beer drinker.
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If I ever became a city girl, like a true city girl, I could see myself picking Charlotte, North Carolina. It had that hint of Southern charm mixed with sophisticated, sassy post-grad that I really enjoyed. I’m so sad that our trip was cut to just two days but I’m sure I”ll be back sometime soon.
In the meantime, we’re off to Nashville, Tennessee for one last stop on this spring road trip. Cannot wait to tear it up in Honky Tonk town. Stay tuned!
Latest Post: Wilmington, North Carolina Travel Guide || Spring 2023
Related Post: What To Wear In Charleston, South Carolina This Spring
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Looks like you had fun! The pizza and velvet tacos look delicious!