Charlotte: Small Town, Big City
With just under one million citizens, Charlotte would seem like a big, busy, bustling city. Driving into the Westover Hills neighborhood just alongside the Uptown area, it doesn't feel like the 15th most populous city in the U.S. at all. With new smooth roads lined with gorgeous trees, brand new businesses, plentiful parking everywhere, very friendly people, and pristine streets and sidewalks, you'd think that you were in Small Town, USA. Charlotte prides itself on its southern hospitality, and that easy-going attitude works its way into the visitors allowing them to truly unwind and relax.
My quaint host neighborhood was so close to Uptown that I could see every bit of the skyline from my doorstep, but it was so quiet at night that all I could hear from outside were crickets. On my first full day, I drove through rolling hills and tree-shaded avenues to my first official stop.