Who doesn’t love a good weekend trip, right? I love it when it’s at least an hour and a half away. That’s just far enough to feel like I’m a world away. Charlotte is an easy three hour drive from Charleston and boy, was I ready to get out of town. Those travel bugs, you know? And what better excuse is there than to visit one of your sisters? None.
I should’ve taken more pictures during this trip.
My sister and her fiancée had been rock climbing for some time now as a form of exercise. They go about two to three times a week and have been enjoying it so much that I became curious about it. It didn’t take much, but I convinced them to take me. It did, however, take my husband some convincing to come along.
We entered Inner Peak.
They made us watch a long five minute video. I swore it was ten, but someone- I forget who- timed it at five. I’m not sure I believe it. How could that be the longest five minutes of my life? Then they gave us a quick hands on lesson and we were off. Bouldering for some reason sticks out the most in my head. That’s basically free-style climbing. Noooo way am I trying that for real on some cliff outside. Kudos to those amazing expert climbers. After two, maybe two and half hours, my hands had started having trouble gripping and we had to call it quits. My husband, who loves power lifting, actually enjoyed the climbs and said he could see how it could cross over into his training.
My other sister, who lives near me, and I have agreed that we’ll try going to the one in downtown Charleston once a month or so. Can’t wait!
Later that night, they made us one of the best shrimps and grits ever for dinner. Should’ve taken a picture of that, too.
The next day, my future brother in law was kind enough to drive me to a couple of home furnishing stores: Restoration Hardware and Crate & Barrel. We don’t have these stores in Charleston, though for a while there were rumors of Restoration Hardware moving in. I’ve browsed their websites and have heard lots of things about them that I was curious about their actual quality, especially their furniture and lighting. I really liked a lot of their stuff. I’ll share my top favorite five that I saw in the stores at the end of the post because, again, no photos.
Then came the fun part of the day. It was a bit unfortunate that my sister had to work, but at the same time, not really because beer is not her thing. Going to these different breweries and places to drink is actually a cool way to see the city as you have to drive to all these different locations. Again, so thankful my future brother in law drove so that I could take it all in. The first place we stopped at was in Noda, an artsy up and coming part of Charlotte. As you can see in the photo above, they have a lot of really good street art. This one was across the street from the first pub we drank at: Growlers Pourhouse. They had a really good cider drink, which is a nice change of taste when I’m not in the mood for anything too heavy.
We enjoyed a great lunch at Cabo Fish Taco. We stopped here for lunch last year and it was great, then too. The part I remember most, other than it’s a cool little spot, is their fantastic margaritas!
Our next stop was Noda Gordgeous. This was like the hot spot of the day. It was super crowded and for good reason. The weather was beautiful: sunny, cool with a light breeze. Also, there was a dog adoption event that we had just missed. That was a shame because we were actually trying to find that event earlier. My future brother in law couldn’t recall the name and my sister was super busy at work. The two of them are looking at getting another dog.
My husband and I got a flight of beer to try. It worked out that about half of it tasted like IPA and the other half didn’t. I’m not into IPA, in case you couldn’t tell. Yuck. Not my thing. I shove those right on over to my husband every time. I seriously thought about buying him a shirt that says “IPA is my blood type.” Still might do it.
After a quick trip back home to regroup and let the dogs out, we stopped in at a place that my family enjoyed the weekend before: Olde Mecklenburg Brewery. This was a busy little place, too. Definitely dog friendly. I saw a Great Dane. I think I want one. They’re such sweet dogs.
Olde Mecklenburg Brewery (OMB) had a pretty large outdoor area with multiple long community tables and several large trees for shades. Not that I’ve ever been to a European country, but with the pea gravel crunching under my feet, I couldn’t help but get that vibe.
Normally when you go up to the counter to order, a bartender is waiting to take your order. These guys handled the game differently. They beat you to it. They had multiple trays out with glasses filled up with a particular beer. You tell them which flavor you’re interested in and they point you to it while still bringing on the glasses to keep that tray full. That’s how busy they were.
Our final stop before dinner was my future brother in law’s favorite spot for a drink, which was just across the street from OMB: The Broken Spoke. By this time, it was starting to get dark, so it definitely added to the cool atmosphere. He likes to chill on the second floor (I forget why or maybe I never asked. I was getting buzzed at this point.) but a private party had it booked. This place had an uptown pub vibe to it, which I really liked. I can’t really explain it. It just had some elegant elements to it like leather seating and bottled chandeliers. The finishes of this building seemed to have been done right.
We met my sister for dinner somewhere. It’s a crying shame that I can’t remember the name of the place because they had really good food. That macaroni and cheese really hit the spot. But that’s ok. What came next was pretty cool: Jolly Rolls Ice Cream. AKA swirly ice cream. Just look at these photos!
Have you ever seen ice cream like that? No, me neither. Sometimes it’s not about having the best ice cream in town. Sometimes it’s all about a cool experience. Let me tell you. Other people obviously thought so, too. This place had a line. We probably ended up waiting about half an hour before we finally got ours. Jon’s is in the top photo above. I think he got some kind of apple flavor. I got some kind of hazel nut wafer flavor. They were so good, they didn’t last nearly long enough, which was actually not at all.
Finally, the next day! It took a while, but I finally ate breakfast at the Flying Biscuit! The infamous Flying Biscuit Cafe! Everyone has always said good things about this place and I’m all for a good breakfast place. It’s apparently not unusual for this place to have a line. When we got there they had estimated 40 minutes before we could get a table- we got in about 15 minutes later. So glad that wait shortened!
This place was colorfully eclectic yet it felt right for a fun breakfast place. But that ceiling! I couldn’t get over all the details in it. The flying biscuits, which you can see closest to the top near the light, definitely cracked me up. But I got to say, I’m not sure I would have thought to have an orange wall paired with purple molding. That’s super bold. But that’s why we travel. To be exposed to ideas outside of your comfortable box.
As much as I loved the sugar on that super fluffy biscuit, I have to agree with my sister and her fiancée. I wouldn’t wait 40 minutes for this place next time (not that we waited 40 minutes to begin with), but in no way was I disappointed. Everything, including the coffee, was delicious! I would be happy to go back again.
Top Five Favorites
Because I was so busy drooling over everything, I didn’t think to take any of my own photos of what I saw in Restoration Hardware and Crate & Barrel, so here goes:
Restoration Hardware
1)This is Kate Schermerhorn: Mist Mountain 2. Initially, I dismissed it because there wasn’t much to look at but after a while, I realized I couldn’t stop thinking about it. It certainly didn’t help that I saw it in a home tour on a blog. I should have saved it for reference here, especially considering that the article mentioned that this is a photograph of a Costa Rican mountain. I connected to it even more after that. I think the fog shrouding it in mystery is really part of what I love. Most of this frame is almost meant for that bubble in your head to imagine whatever you think is just beyond it.
2) I’m not really sure why, but I love chairs like these. It would have been perfect if this 1950s Italian Shelter Arm Upholstered Chair had a swivel feature. But it’s ok. I think it’s too deep for where I need it to be in my living room. Plus, I’ve got my eyes on something similar.
3) This couch was well named, let me tell ya. The Cloud Track Sectional literally felt like I was sitting on a cloud. I mean, I just sank into it and could have fallen asleep there. It was good and deep and soft and oh, so dreamy.
4) I would love to do a bathroom renovation to both of ours and I love this one. The St. James Double Vanity is a perfect mix of modern and traditional styles. I love the architectural features on it.
5) This gold beauty was all over the store. Much like the art work I mentioned above, the Library Task Floor Lamp grew on me. I thought it was too low of a floor lamp at first, but really, it’s at a very good height for a little light when you’re sitting down, reading. It just might have bothered me because a lot of the lamps were in the way of trying out these chairs. Not that I tried to find out, but it’d definitely be more effective if it swiveled a little.
Crate and Barrel
1)Y’all, this is about as close to my dream desk as I’ve gotten. The wood of this Morris Desk is just the way I hoped to find in a desk- that little something that looks old but not too beat up. My only thing is that it’s a little more modern than I was thinking. I’m also a little concerned about some reviews mentioning that it’s a little challenging to fit their legs under it.
2) Since my favorite curtains over at West Elm have been discontinued before I could save up to buy it, I’ve been thinking of Plan B: navy velvet curtains. Although I may have made up my mind to select one elsewhere, the Taylor Midnight Blue Curtains practically looks like a million bucks and feels great!
3) In general, slipper chairs are not my first choice. I want chairs that people can sink into or lounge and really get comfortable in. However, the Matisse Velvet Slipper Chair just might be an exception. The color that you see in the photo is much more stunning in person and is quite comfortable for a slipper chair. I think the curved shape of it helps to feel comfortable leaning back and you do. I felt like I was at a fancy pub out for a drink.
4) You may recall from this post that I’ve got my eyes on lighting lately and I’ve been thinking an awful lot about table lamps in the master bedroom. The Merie Gray Table Lamp with Nickel Base is beautiful in person. It would add a touch of quiet elegance to any room.
5) Ever since I’ve come across a couple of Eagle Convex Mirrors, I’ve been on the look out for great looking mirrors and they are starting to take on some really cool shapes, much like this tear drop shaped mirror. The Kasbash Teardrop Brass Wall Mirror is captivating in its global simplicity. Plus anything gold or brass is going to grab my attention. It’s my “Oooh, shiny” thing.
That wraps it up for my quick weekend getaway. If you’ve been to Charlotte, what’s your favorite thing to do or favorite place to eat or drink?
Also, just a little heads up, I might miss a few posts as I’m trying to work on some behind the scenes stuff, so keep your eye out for that.
*This was not a sponsored post, nor were there any affiliate link. I’m sharing these because I love them and thought you would appreciate them.
The Indigo Lattice 