<p>DH and I will be in Charlotte on Dec 26 & 27. Can anyone recommend a hotel, places to eat (dinner and breakfast, any cuisine), and non-kid-related things to see or do (a couple of hours in the evening and again in the morning)? Budget is open at this point. TIA for any suggestions.</p>
<p>PackMom, would you recommend a downtown hotel, or one away from the city center?</p>
<p>I would say “yes” to staying downtown. Since you will only be in Charlotte for a short time, you can see/do more if you just concentrate on the downtown area where you can walk to things instead of trying to find your way around a labyrinth of busy suburban streets.</p>
<p>I second to staying uptown. Lots of hotel options depending if you want boutique (the dunhill) to all the major chains including a Ritz. Favorite local restaurants are Roosters, Harvest Moon and Blue. Check out Amelie’s for a yummy dessert. Several museums to see. There is ice skating on the Nascar museum plaza. No shopping. All of that is in SouthPark less than 5 miles south of uptown. Great old neighborhoods in between the two.</p>
<p>Stay downtown for sure. There is a lot of suburban sprawl in that area and traffic is terrible. Check out the whitewater center [U.S</a>. National Whitewater Center | The U.S. National Whitewater Center is the world?s premier outdoor recreation and environmental education center offering activities such as Rafting, Biking, Climbing, Ziplines, Eco Trekking and more.](<a href=“http://usnwc.org/]U.S”>http://usnwc.org/).</p>
<p>How about a B & B? As long as the owners aren’t gone somewhere. We’ve stayed at the Morehead Inn in Charlotte - suburban area of downtown.</p>
<p>It could be very quiet in Uptown (downtown) Charlotte on Dec 26 and 27. Our new favorite place for coffee and a sweet is the Fourth Ward Bread Company (312 N Graham). We filmed a scene there for Homeland before they officially opened less than 3 months ago.</p>
<p>Thanks to everyone for the suggestions!</p>
<p>A few quick thoughts based on weekend visits over about seven years until 2011:</p>
<p>The Levine Museum of the New South is a wonderful place to spend a few hours. It is in Uptown. The Fourth Ward has delightful old houses literally in the shadow of the showy new Uptown skyscrapers. There is a lovely park a few blocks south with literary-themed statues. Cannot remember the name. The South End has a sort of nice artsy vibe but not very concentrated as I recall. For Uptown hotels, I would say the Hilton is decent value and the Dunhill is pretty reasonable but more old than charming. I like walking in cities but Charlotte is not a night time walking city. For a very good restaurant, you might consider Blue (on College), sort of Mediterranean.</p>
<p>Definitely stay uptown. The Epicenter is a fun area with many good restaurants and entertainment. If you like sushi, go to Enso’s. Howl at the Moon is a popular piano bar with dueling pianos. [Welcome</a> | EPICENTRE | Charlotte, NC | Family Fun, Dining, Nightlife, Shopping, and More!](<a href=“http://epicentrenc.com/]Welcome”>http://epicentrenc.com/) </p>
<p>Book of Mormon opens at the Blumenthal on Dec. 26th. I think it’s sold out, but might be worth a look, if you are interested.</p>
<p>Right now uptown is decorated for Christmas with some really cool public displays. As of last Monday they had carriage rides through the city to look at the lights. As BU mentioned, Book of Mormon will be opening at the Belk theatre. My sources at Blumenthal said there are some tickets left, so you could check.</p>
<p>I also recommend the segway tours around uptown. They are good at explaining the history of the city and are just plain fun. The only museum I’ve gotten a chance to see uptown is the NASCAR museum. I’m the opposite of a NASCAR fan and still found it really fun and interesting. I understand the Mint, and the Levine, are both good.</p>
<p>As for restaurants, I too like Roosters, but must admit, I know folks who run it, so I might be biased. Last week we went to Mimosa Grill on Tyron a block down from the Mint museum and literary park and was really impressed. It is a Southern fusion restaurant that I need to get back to for the Shrimp and Grits.</p>
<p>It might well be cold in Charlotte later this week, so take advantage of the glass walkways over the streets to get around. Wandering through the public lobbies and shops to get to them is pretty fun.</p>
<p>If you are more looking for a B and B away from the Duke Mansion is really nice, but you would have to drive to get to anything.</p>
<p>If you are not urban type of people, the Ballantyne Resort is on the southern end of Charlotte, with a cute shopping area across the street with restaurants, a nice wine bar, and a theatre that shows art films.</p>
<p>Thank you all for the detailed info and suggestions/advice.</p>