Alissa visits Charlotte

Now it's my turn to go on a roadtrip! I rented a car and drove up to Charlotte on Friday July 18 to visit Ruth (arrived late in the evening). We spent the weekend at her branch president's house and were blessed by their generous hospitality. Saturday was full of all sorts of fun activities. We had authentic Mexican tacos from a little mobile vendor that we ate in a park near Ruth's work (asada, barbacoa, lengua, etc). She gave me a tour of her office and then we got ice cream from a shop just down the street called the Elizabeth Creamery--all flavors are made homemade everyday. There are a lot of references to royalty in the city (The Queen City, Charlotte, Elizabeth, Queens College, etc.), in honor of Queen Charlotte of Mecklenberg who had become queen consort to King George III the year before the city's founding. The locals hoped to gain the favor of the crown by honoring Queen Charlotte in this way. Charlotte is also a major U.S. financial center and home to Bank of America and Wachovia.

We visited an open air farmer's market with fruits, vegetables, baked goods, bottled products, fresh flowers, and arts & crafts. Ruth and I had planned a Sunday picnic so we purchased a variety of foods to snack on. She also bought several bouquets of fresh flowers as gifts for friends she has made here; we were little elves and delivered them secretly. Afterward, we went to the Lowe's Motor Speedway, which is amazingly enormous! The visitor's center was already closed, but we found an open gate and slipped in just to see the track. For dinner we had Eastern North Carolina BBQ (vinegar base instead of tomato base) at a place called Bubba's.

Sunday after church we visited the gardens and greenhouses at UNC-Charlotte and had a picnic in a little gazebo. They had a great display of pitcher plants and orchids and a beautiful Tibochina in full bloom. Another great weekend!