The Wrong Side of the Tracks

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"Now girls, don't make eye contact with any locals and don't look like tourists. I mean, the Indians around here are nice enough, but the n***** aren't."

And with those words from our taxi driver, I welcome you to North Tryon St, Charlotte, or as its commonly known "the ghetto". Now, don't get me wrong, downtown Charlotte is very nice, just not Nth Tryon St.

Why we (me and my companion Rachel) decided to go to Charlotte, a city not known for tourists or a lot at all in fact, is still a mystery. A weekend get away not too far from Chapel Hill in winter - Charlotte seemed like the most reasonable option. The App Mountains would be too cold, Wilmington would also be cold and to get anywhere else meant hours of travelling.

So we took a Megabus (totally recommend by the way) to Charlotte. After a 20min taxi ride, we were on the outskirts of Charlotte, it was wet and it was pouring. After checking into the motel, owned by some lovely Indians (taxi driver was right).

The next day, we travelled to downtown, by bus. To get over to the bus stop meant crossing four lanes of busy traffic - without a pedestrian crossing of any kind. After our brush with death, the bus stop looked as if a nuclear bomb had hit, localized entirely within the small perimeter. Half an hour later, we were downtown, where restaurants were in abundance. I don't think Charlotte needs anymore restaurants.

Whilst Charlotte doesn't boast much, the Science Center was a huge amount of fun. I laid down on a bed of nails and lived to tell the tale, learnt about minerals and shit, and bought some pretty neat stuff for my little cousins at home.

The weather on this particular weekend, the one weekend we HAD to head to Charlotte, was horrible to say the least. But, that meant sitting in Starbucks, watching the rain fall and the cars past. For the first time, I appreciated the fact I was in Charlotte. it was quiet and simple. Not many cities can boast that.

That night, we found the cheapest, nastiest Mexican joint near us and had the best cheese quesidillas I've had in my life to the tune of Telemundo soap operas.

On our second day, we got historical. There are plenty of museums in Charlotte about the South and about the city itself - known for farming and being one of the first cities to ignite the civil rights movement.





Charlotte - a nice place, but I never need to go there again.

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