I’ve spent 27 of my 28 years here on Earth living in the southeastern United States. From Orlando to Memphis and even Wilmington, I have traversed almost every southeastern city at least once, but most of them several times. However, one city that I never explored until very recently was Charlotte, North Carolina. I did visit Charlotte about six years ago, but it was only for one night and literally the only thing that I did was go to a Lady Gaga concert and sleep in a hotel. While I didn’t experience any of the fun things to do in Charlotte NC, except for the concert arena, during that trip, I finally got the chance to revisit Charlotte (and actually see it this time) this past October.
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As North Carolina’s largest city, there is no shortage of wheelchair accessible attractions in Charlotte. From immersing myself into the world of NASCAR to eating delicious food and more, I had an absolutely perfect weekend in Charlotte NC. Here’s my weekend itinerary and why I now think that Charlotte is one of the best, and most accessible, cities in the southeast –
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Friday
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2pm – Check in to SpringHill Suites Charlotte Uptown
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After a five hour drive from northwest Georgia, where I live, my mom and I arrived at SpringHill Suites Charlotte Uptown. SpringHill is a Marriott property and all over the country, but I’ve actually never stayed in a SpringHill Suites. I’m happy to say that it’s now one of my favorite accommodations and I’ll be looking for them whenever I travel from now on.
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Let’s talk about about the brilliant location before we delve into how great the room was. SpringHill Suites is directly across the street from the Spectrum Center, so if you’re coming into town for an event, this is an ideal location. The Charlotte Transportation Center is only a two minute walk/roll away as well (buses and trains are wheelchair accessible by the way), and many of the best things to do in Charlotte NC are within walking distance. It’s really the perfect location for exploring uptown Charlotte (note that Charlotte doesn’t call it “downtown”… instead, uptown is their downtown).
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Now about my room… in one word, it was perfect. In more than one word, it was super accessible with plenty of space for me to maneuver around in my wheelchair, which is rare to find. My room had one bed and a couch that could become a pull-out bed, so you could easily sleep three people in the room. A hoyer lift could also roll under the bed if you need that, as there was about four inches of clearance under the bed.
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The bathroom was large with a roll-in shower, grab bars around the toilet, and a sink that I could pull under about halfway. There was also a fold-down seat in the shower, but I brought my Go Mobility travel shower chair so I didn’t need to use it.
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Overall, I was tremendously impressed during my stay at SpringHill Suites Charlotte Uptown and it was perfectly accessible for me. I honestly can’t think of even one thing that needs improved and it’s safe to say that next time I’m in Charlotte, I know exactly where I’ll be staying.
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To check prices at SpringHill Suites Charlotte Uptown, just click here.
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4pm – NASCAR Hall of Fame
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About 75% of all NASCAR teams are located within two hours of Charlotte, so it makes sense that the NASCAR Hall of Fame is here. To be honest, I don’t consider myself a NASCAR fan and have maybe watched a total of ten minutes of the sport on TV in the past 15 years. When I was younger though, my grandpa was a big Dale Earnhardt fan, so I started collecting Earnhardt items as well. In fact, I even met Dale Earnhardt once and went to a race, but after Earnhardt died in 2001, I kind of distanced myself from NASCAR and haven’t watched it since. However, my visit to the NASCAR Hall of Fame while I was in Charlotte sort of reignited my fascination with racing and I certainly learned a lot.
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General admission is $25 per adult, but there are simulator rides that do cost extra. For $34, you can visit the Hall of Fame and have unlimited simulator rides… and trust me, you definitely want to do this, as the racing simulators are accessible! I enjoyed the racing simulator and could actually drive my powered wheelchair into an adapted race car. The accessible car had hand-controls, but you do need to have some level of upper body (hands and arms) strength to do it. Aside from the main racing simulator, where you can compete against other Hall of Fame guests, the NASCAR qualifying simulator was accessible with hand-controls as well. By the end of your visit, you’ll be a racing pro!
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Much of the museum is very interactive and that adds a lot of fun to any visit, but I also really liked the actual “museum” part of the Hall of Fame. It gave me a chance to see everything that goes into getting a car on the race track (who knew that it took so much work?!) and learn about some of the racing legends. At the start of my visit, I watched a short film about NASCAR in the High Octane Theater and that was the perfect introduction. Afterwards, I saw some cars on Glory Road, checked out the Hall of Honor, and saw many artifacts in the Heritage Speedway section of the Hall of Fame.
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The NASCAR Hall of Fame is huge, so plan at least 2-3 hours to explore it, especially if you plan on trying out the simulators. The Pit Stop Cafe is on site if you get hungry during your visit. Overall, I was tremendously impressed with how wheelchair accessible the NASCAR Hall of Fame is and whether you’re a big fan of the sport or not, I know you’ll love it. This is easily one of the most fun things to do in Charlotte NC, no matter what your abilities are.
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6:30pm – 7th Street Public Market
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About one mile from the NASCAR Hall of Fame was the 7th Street Public Market. If you’ve followed my blog for a while, you know that I always enjoy going to local markets in any destination that I visit and this one was excellent!
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Unlike some of the other markets that I’ve been to, like Carmel Market in Tel Aviv or even Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia, the 7th Street Public Market wasn’t overly crowded. While it was smaller, it still offered a good variety of places to eat and shop. I devoured a buffalo cauliflower pizza from Pure Pizza, which was delicious, and then shopped around for a bit. Other food options included an Italian restaurant with yummy looking pastas, a cheese shop, an açaí bowl place, and more. You’ll undoubtedly find something to suit your tastes.
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The 7th Street Public Market was a great choice for my first night’s dinner and since I visited on a Friday night, there was even live music. The market has events almost every night that it’s open, so check out the calendar by clicking here.
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7:30pm – Levine Museum of the New South
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Next door to the 7th Street Public Market is the Levine Museum of the New South, so it was easy to visit it afterwards. This museum is normally only open until 5pm, but Scene@Levine was on the night I visited. Scene@Levine is a special event held three times per year (see when it will be next by clicking here) and there was a DJ, a buffet with some of Charlotte’s best foods, and local artists. It was fun, but the entire museum was open during the event as well, so I took an hour or so to see it.
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The Levine Museum is unique because not only does it focus on the history of the south, but it focuses on the history of the “new south” – from 1865, when the Civil War ended, to present day. In addition to showcasing the history, some exhibits also look forward to the future and how the south could improve in coming years.
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The museum was interactive with near life-size recreations of a department store, a barber shop, a church, a tenant farmer’s house, a lunch counter, and more. I felt like I really was rolling around in the early days of the “new south”. There were many artifacts on display and while I already knew a good bit of the history, I definitely learned some things also and it was cool to see it from this perspective. The Levine Museum is hands-down one of the most interactive history museums that I’ve ever visited.
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Saturday
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9:30am – Center City Walking Tour with Charlotte NC Tours
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To start my second day in Charlotte, I wanted to get better acquainted with uptown, so a walking tour sounded like a perfect way to begin the day. Charlotte NC Tours offers center city walking tours 7 days per week at 9:30am for only $15 per adult. With advance notice, they can easily make the route wheelchair accessible and with my tour, they did a fantastic job.
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My tour was 2 hours long and our guide did a wonderful job of narrating the tour and keeping us entertained. Our group had about 6 people in it and the guide always looked for curb cuts and made sure that I could go everywhere that the group did. On other walking tours that I’ve done, it’s been quite challenging to keep up with everyone and sometimes the guides kind of forget about the fact that I need ramps or accessibility. Due to past bad experiences on walking tours, I am always leery about them, but this one with Charlotte NC Tours really was perfect.
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During the tour, we walked/rolled nearly two miles and visited some of uptown Charlotte’s best areas. We saw notable buildings, the Fourth Ward, Romare Bearden Park, which ended up being my favorite area, and much more. We also learned some cool facts about the city and our guide even showed us where Jackass celebrity Johnny Knoxville lives. It was such a nice tour and I’d recommend doing this toward the beginning of your time in Charlotte, so that you can get a feel for the city and see where everything is located.
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11:30am – Mert’s Heart and Soul
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Only a few blocks away from where the city walking tour ended was Mert’s Heart and Soul. Mert’s has been a Charlotte go-to restaurant since 1998 and serves the best southern food you’ll ever put in your mouth, and that’s a fact. I have lived in the south nearly my whole life and I can honestly say that this was otherworldly delicious!
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Mert’s was accessible and had a friendly staff that answered all of our questions about the menu. My mom and I ended up choosing the fried green tomatoes for an appetizer. They were served with a remoulade sauce on top of them and holy moly, they were soooo good! We ate all of the fried green tomatoes and some cornbread in record time.
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The menu had a large variety of options, but I got the vegetable plate for my entree, where I chose 3 sides. The sides that I chose were macaroni and cheese, collard greens, and potato salad. Everything was phenomenal, but my favorite item was the potato salad. If you’re planning to dine at Mert’s, I’m sure that you will be happy no matter what you choose on the menu. YUM!
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12:30pm – Discovery Place Science
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Located in uptown Charlotte and just a short walk/roll away from Mert’s, Discovery Place Science is a place to release your inner kid, whether you’re 15 or 75. This is a museum, but it is extremely interactive, so forget about just reading facts and looking at artifacts. Instead, be ready to create, observe, and explore everything from the human body to a rainforest and more.
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Admission to Discovery Place is $17 per adult, but you can also watch an IMAX movie for an additional $10. I only did the museum and there was plenty to keep me busy for 90 minutes, but i really could’ve stayed another hour and been happy. I loved that the museum was fully accessible and there were all kinds of activities that I could enjoy.
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Some of my favorite areas were the rainforest exhibit, the aquarium, the Thinker Space (you could create a variety of things in here), and I thought that the human body exhibit was interesting. I actually learned quite a lot at Discovery Place Science and it’s easy to see why it is one of the most popular and fun things to do in Charlotte NC.
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2pm – Hola Charlotte Festival
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Depending on when you visit Charlotte, you could attend one of the many festivals and events that are held annually. It wasn’t planned, but I got lucky that my visit coincided with the Hola Charlotte Festival. This is Charlotte’s largest Hispanic Heritage event and it celebrates Latin American culture and all its richness.
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The Hola Charlotte Festival was huge and took up several city blocks in uptown. There were entertainers performing and plenty of food trucks, but as a travel addict, my favorite thing was the Latin American cultural village. This area highlighted the culture and heritage of 15 different countries. Everywhere from Ecuador to Argentina was represented and it was fun to learn more about the places that I haven’t already traveled to.
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3:15pm – Feel the Thrill Speedway Tour at Charlotte Motor Speedway
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If there’s one thing that you have to do in Charlotte, this is it. Racing is the soul of the city and there’s no better place to experience it than on Charlotte Motor Speedway. Visiting the NASCAR Hall of Fame the day before gave me the chance to learn more about the sport, but this experience truly brought it to life and showed me why millions of people around the country tune in every week to watch it.
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There are several different tour options at Charlotte Motor Speedway, but the “Feel the Thrill Speedway Tour” was the one I did and I highly recommend it. For one, it’s only $12 per person (what a bargain!!!) and two, it’s wheelchair friendly! The speedway had an accessible golf cart with a ramp and our guide drove us from place to place during the hour-long tour. Speaking of “thrill”, I was thrilled to see that they had this wheelchair accessible option and if you’d like to have this, just give them a call to book your tour in advance and let them know that you use a wheelchair.
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In addition to the big NASCAR racetrack, Charlotte Motor Speedway has several other tracks as well. On the tour, we first visited zMAX Dragway, where drag races are held, and then The Dirt Track. I had no idea that Charlotte Motor Speedway had multiple tracks before going, so these were cool to see. And since NASCAR races are only a couple times per year, you could attend another race at one of the other tracks if it’s during your visit to the city. I think it would be pretty cool to watch drag racing!
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After seeing a couple of the other tracks, we made our way to the much larger Superspeedway, which is where the NASCAR races take place. I actually got off the golf cart here and visited Winner’s Circle (and had a photo op!) and watched some of the cars go around the track.
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If you really want a thrill, you can drive around the track in a race car going full speed. Our guide said that one of the race cars that they use has a door that opens, so you don’t have to climb in the window like a typical race car. This could be an accessible option if you have a need for speed, but for your first visit to Charlotte Motor Speedway, the “Feel the Thrill Speedway Tour” is certainly a great choice!
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6pm – Living Kitchen
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After a full day of seeing the many different sides of Charlotte, my mom and I made our way to Living Kitchen for dinner. Living Kitchen serves 100% organic and vegan foods, juices, and smoothies. To make it even healthier, everything is raw, so the nutrients aren’t cooked out of your food. I love raw foods, but I’m sure many of you are thinking “Raw vegan food?! Eww!” and I get that, but trust me… Living Kitchen is amazing and once you try the food, you’ll love it!
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My mom and I ordered the pimento cheese sandwich and BBQ sliders, and split everything. The pimento cheese was made from cashew cheddar and the BBQ sliders were made from oyster mushrooms. Both were delicious, but my favorite was definitely the BBQ sliders. They tasted exactly like meaty barbecue and they had a jalapeño cole slaw on top of them that was to-die-for.
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For dessert, we ordered the lemon berry cheesecake and the turtle cake. Again, both were delicious, but if I could only pick one, I’d get the lemon berry cheesecake. It’s made from cashews, coconut, lemon, and berries. Vegan food is fun!!
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Sunday
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10:30am – Fern, Flavors From the Garden
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On my last morning in Charlotte, I slept in a little bit, checked out of the SpringHill Suites, and then made my way to Fern, Flavors From the Garden for brunch. We’ve already established that Charlotte has some seriously phenomenal foods, but Fern is completely worth mentioning and it’s the perfect brunch spot! It also serves lunch and dinner, but if you’ll be in the city on a Sunday, indulge in a great brunch.
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Fern is completely vegetarian, but there are many vegan options as well. What makes Fern unique though is the fact that it puts a vegetarian spin on classic southern dishes. We had the cinnamon rolls to start, which were served in a cast iron skillet. For my main course, I had the chicken and waffles and hands-down, they were the best chicken and waffles I’ve ever had. Even better than actual chicken. The “chicken” in these was actually southern fried seitan and oyster mushrooms. I never knew that mushrooms could be so tasty until I ate this. Brunch at Fern was the perfect ending to my weekend in Charlotte.
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I was only in Charlotte for two nights, but that was plenty of time for me to fall in love with the city. I’m not sure why it took me a whole 28 years to discover that Charlotte is an awesome city to visit, but I can promise that it won’t take me another 28 years to visit again. While I did experience a lot of what the city offers, there are many other accessible and fun things to do in Charlotte NC as well. No matter what you decide to do during your time there, you are sure to have a great time! So, what are you waiting for?! Start planning your own weekend getaway to Charlotte!
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*Thank you to Charlotte Tourism for making this trip possible! While I was hosted, all opinions are authentic and my own. This post contains affiliate links. If you click through on a link, you won’t pay a penny more, but we’ll receive a slight commission which helps us keep this information available to you. Thanks!
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